Major in Art History & Visual Culture

Course Planning

The Art History & Visual Culture program offers a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree with 3 options: Major; Combined Major; Minor. Students can declare a major or minor in their 2nd year.

In order to complete a Bachelor of Arts with a major in Art History & Visual Culture, students need to complete 75 required credits, that includes BA requirements and major requirements, and 45 elective credits for a total of 120 credits.

BA degree credits ARTH & CRWR

Year 1

Students take two introductory courses: ARTH 101 Art & Visual Cultures of the World I and ARTH 102 Cultural Studies Practices. They also work on completing courses to meet the requirements for Languages, Electives and the BA.

Sample Year One

  • ARTH 101: Art & Visual Cultures of the World I
  • First Year English requirement
  • Language Requirement
  • BA requirement OR Elective
  • BA requirement OR Elective
  • ARTH 102: Art & Visual Cultures of the World I
  • First Year English requirement
  • Language Requirement
  • BA requirement OR Elective
  • BA requirement OR Elective

Year 2

Students take two ARTH courses and work on completing their electives and BA requirements.

Sample Year Two

  • ARTH 202 The Critical Viewer
  • BA requirement OR Elective
  • BA requirement OR Elective
  • BA requirement OR Elective
  • BA requirement OR Elective
  • ARTH 203 Global Contemporary Art
  • BA requirement OR Elective
  • BA requirement OR Elective
  • BA requirement OR Elective
  • BA requirement OR Elective

Years Three and Four

Students take eight third-year 300 level and two fourth-year 400 level ARTH courses. They continue to work on completing their electives and BA requirements.

Sample Year Three

  • ARTH 301: The Critical Viewer
  • ARTH 309: Performance Art: Global Perspectives
  • ARTH 321: Art in Canada 1970 to the Present
  • BA requirement OR Elective
  • BA requirement OR Elective
  • ARTH 390: Indigenous Art and Visual Culture
  • ARTH 323: Creative Activism: Art, Media, and Social Justice
  • ARTH 385: African Dress and Fashion
  • BA requirement OR Elective
  • BA requirement OR Elective

Sample Year Four

  • ARTH 450: Performance in Africa
  • ARTH 370: Story and Image Across the Islamic World
  • BA requirement OR Elective
  • BA requirement OR Elective
  • BA requirement OR Elective
  • ARTH 410: Gender, Art, and Space in the Islamic World
  • ARTH 395: Renaissance Europe in a Global Context
  • BA requirement OR Elective
  • BA requirement OR Elective
  • BA requirement OR Elective

Combined Major

A combined major allows you to specialize in another area in addition to Art History & Visual Culture. It is different from a double major, which has more extensive course requirements. To obtain a combined major, students will need to select another program offering another combined major (currently Creative Writing, Cultural Studies, and English) and complete their combined major requirements. To fulfil the Art History & Visual Culture requirements students will need to take 10 courses in the program:

  • ARTH 101, 102, 202, 301
  • 6 additional courses (18 credits) at the third or fourth year (300 or 400 level)

Minor

A minor can be combined with many other majors. To obtain a minor, students will need to take 10 courses (30 credits) in the program:

  • 4 courses (12 credits) at the first and second year (100 or 200 level)
  • 6 courses (18 credits) at the third or fourth year (300 or 400 level)

Note: The courses listed in each term are examples only, course offerings change every year. We recommend you meet with an advisor or program coordinator to decide which elective or BA requirement courses you take in each term as there are many choices available.

Academic Advisor

In FCCS, we have a dedicated advisor for the programs and degrees that we offer.

Jessica Beck
Academic Advising, UNC 207D
250.807.9214 or 1.866.596.0767
jessica.beck@ubc.ca

The Academic Advising office also has a number of knowledgeable and helpful staff to assist you with all of your questions about your degree.

Art History & Visual Culture Program Coordinator

Suzanne Gott
Associate Professor, Art History & Visual Culture
suzanne.gott@ubc.ca