Program Details
Art (Studio)/Art History - Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of ArtsWilliam & Mary
The Department of Art and Art History offers two programs: Studio Art and Art History. The Studio Art program offers courses in drawing, painting, photography, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, and architecture within the context of a liberal arts education. The program aims at developing greater visual awareness through a rigorously structured educational experience based on intensive studio training. All course offerings, from beginning to advanced, emphasize working from observation to provide a common language and firm visual foundation. At more advanced levels, students develop a more personal sensitivity to visual modes, leading to an informed and specific artistic voice. The Art History program offers concentrations in Art History, Critical Curatorial Studies, and Built Environment Studies. Each concentration contributes to the liberal arts education of undergraduates while preparing students for a variety of future careers and educational paths. Art History majors are required to take introductory and intermediate level courses, advanced seminars, one studio art course, a course on critical curatorial studies, and a senior research colloquium. The Art History program promotes critical understanding of the development and diversity of visual arts in various historical and global contexts while familiarizing students with current disciplinary concerns. In each Art History concentration, the student is required to complete three foundational ARTH courses and one foundational ART course. It is to the advantage of the student to complete these courses by the end of the sophomore year. A wide variety of programs can be developed from the offerings of the department to suit the individual needs of majors. Students in Art and Art History have developed careers in art, architecture, art history, landscape design, urban studies, historic preservation, museum work, teaching, and applied arts in business. For purposes of double majoring, Art and Art History combines well with history, anthropology, literature, comparative literature, music and music history, classical studies, philosophy, psychology, and the sciences to give a student a breadth of knowledge and experience in comparable methodologies that leads to mutually reinforcing insights in both majors. Students interested in elementary and secondary school teaching of art should elect the major in art. All members of the department are ready to offer advice on career plans in Art and Art History.
Program Overview & Guidance
| Program Guidance Element | What You Need to Know |
|---|---|
| Considerations for Selecting Degree | STUDIO ART: Studio courses are time-intensive, with 6 contact hours/week and often requiring significant time outside of class to complete projects. Assignments are often open-ended. As such, successful students tend to be self-motivated, hard-working, and creative. ART HISTORY: Art History is part of the humanities, with a focus on historical studies of the arts. It operates with the understanding that visual/material artifacts may speak more directly and deeply about a culture than its written record. You may choose from one of the three tracks in our program – Art History, Curatorial & Museum Studies, Built Environment Studies. All students engage with historical, political, social, and environmental contexts. Art history graduates are employed in interdisciplinary positions and go on to enjoy higher job satisfaction and lower unemployment rates over the course of their working lives. |
| Program Requirement Notes | Program Requirement Notes Students who major in Art have the option of adding one of the following concentrations: Art History; Studio Art; Art Hist-Built Env Stds; Art Hist-Crit Curatorial Stds |
| Considerations When Selecting Courses |
STUDIO ART: Art 211 and 212 are the gateway courses to our 300-level media-specific studio courses. We strongly recommend new/freshman students complete these prerequisite courses by the end of their freshman year. For transfer students, entering William & Mary with these courses as transfer credit is advisable. Especially for students interested in the 2D track of our concentration, courses that incorporate working from direct observation (painting and drawing from life) will help prepare transfer students for our upper-level 2D courses. ART HISTORY: Plan to take the required 200-level survey and studios (ART 211 or ART 212) as soon as possible and to fulfill the CORE requirements (ARTH 331, ARTH 333, ARTH 493) in your junior and senior years.
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| Program Requirements Beyond Specific Courses | |
| Doing More With Your Degree | |
| Program Successes & Highlights | Our Capstone courses provide several opportunities to exhibit your work on and off campus, create community amongst all our studio concentrators, and have group critiques from all our studio faculty. Our students go on to a range of careers and experiences including residencies and graduate schools, design and other applied arts fields, art therapy and art education, medical illustration, as well as careers as full-time artists and architects. Internal programs such as Independent Study, Honors Theses, and the Louis E. Catron Grant for Artistic Development provide opportunities for our students to engage in national and international summer or semester art experiences such as residencies, and concentrated programs recent examples include attending courses at the Rhode Island School of Design in graphic design, the New York Studio School’s drawing marathon, and Penland School of Craft’s summer workshops. Majors are required to take a hands-on practicum course on curation that results in a student-curated exhibition. As part of your studies, you will have field trips to museums and other relevant sites to research, analyze and observe works of art. A study abroad program could be an important part of your degree. Majors have won Woody Internships Scholarship in Museum Studies and other internships in prestigious museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art; Cloisters; National Gallery of Art, National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum, National Museum of American History, National Museum of African American History, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, etc. In the past 10 years, art history has sent at least 59 students to graduate school, among which 10 continued into Ph.D. studies. Recent graduates have continued their studies in the graduate programs at Yale University, Columbia University, Brown University, University of London, The Courtauld Institute, Parsons School of Design, New York University, University of Pennsylvania, Johns Hopkins University, University of North Carolina, Ohio State University, University of Delaware, Emory University, University of Virginia, and Virginia Commonwealth University, etc. |
Program Credit Requirements
If you wish to see how your credits may apply, you can:
- Contact the institution where a staff member can help you map your credits to the requirements for this program.
- View the program requirements listed in the institution's catalog.
Applicable Admissions Agreements
The table below lists admissions agreements between William & Mary and partner institutions that may guarantee admission to this program if you meet the required criteria. Click on the title name of the agreement to view a summary of those criteria.
You can view the full text of these Agreements in the Resource Center
What If I Have An Associate Degree Or Credit For Prior Learning?
| Transfer Guidance Element | What You Need to Know |
|---|---|
| Associate Transfer Degree Completion | If you are applying to W&M as a true transfer student, meaning you have graduated from high school AND have at least one full time semester in college SINCE your high school graduation, AND you have earned an Associates of Arts, Associate of Sciences, or Associate of Arts and Sciences degree in a baccalaureate-oriented program from the Virginia Community College System or Richard Bland College you are granted junior academic status (you'll get at least 54 transfer credits). You will also have some of our general education requirements met via your Associates degree. An associate's degree in General Studies is not considered a baccalaureate-oriented program, unless approved as such by the State Council on Higher Education for Virginia. Students transferring (not new freshmen) who have earned an Associates degree after their High School graduation date, with an Associate of Arts, Associate of Sciences, or Associate of Arts and Sciences degree in a baccalaureate-oriented program from the Virginia Community College System or Richard Bland College are granted junior academic status (defined as at least 54 credits). An associate's degree in General Studies is not considered a baccalaureate-oriented program, unless approved as such by the State Council on Higher Education for Virginia. |
Completion of Associate Degree Concurrent with High School | Students entering as new freshmen, who have earned an Associates degree concurrent with their High School graduation date, will NOT have the same guarantees as a Transfer student who has earned an Associates degree post their High School graduation date. |
| Credit for Prior Learning | William & Mary does accept as transfer credit, credit for prior learning. Please check out this webpage to view the places where we do award transfer credit. https://www.wm.edu/offices/registrar/studentsandalumni/transfercredit/apib/index.php |
| Did You Know That... |
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College Level Information
| College Fit Guidance | What You Need to Know |
|---|---|
| Is This College Right For Me? | Answer these questions to help you decide if William & Mary is right for you! Do you want to go to school in a small-ish town, but has easily accessible larger cities nearby (like Washington DC, Richmond, Norfolk, and Virginia Beach)? Do you want to conduct research with a factulty member as an undergraduate? Do you want to have (mostly) small class sizes? Do you want to take part in service activities? Do you want to have fun, like take part in the "Seventh Grade Comedy Club", or participate in club sports and organizations? If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, then William & Mary might be right for you. Our students work hard and play hard. Be sure to dig deep into our web page to find out more about all there is to learn and do at W&M! |
| Transfer Student Catalog Year | Catalog year determined by first semester of attendance. Https://catalog.wm.edu |
| First Year Student Catalog Year | Catalog year determined by first semester of attendance. |
| Applying for Guaranteed Admissions | https://www.wm.edu/admission/undergraduateadmission/how-to-apply/transfers/vccs_students/index.php |
Where Can This Degree Transfer
| Institution | Title | Degree | Award Name | Award Level | Delivery Mode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Mennonite University | Bachelor of Arts Art | Bachelor | Bachelor of Arts | 4-Year | In-Person |
| Brightpoint Community College | Associate of Applied Arts Degree in Visual Arts | Associate | Associate of Applied Arts | 2-Year | In-Person, Hybrid |
| Northern Virginia Community College | Liberal Arts: English Specialization, A.A. | Associate | Associate of Arts | 2-Year | In-Person, Online |
| Northern Virginia Community College | Visual Art, A.F.A. | Associate | Associate of Fine Arts | 2-Year | In-Person, Hybrid, Online |
| Virginia Peninsula Community College | Associate of Fine Arts in Visual Arts | Associate | Associate of Fine Arts | 2-Year | In-Person |
| Tidewater Community College | Associate of Applied Arts - Studio Arts | Associate | Associate of Applied Arts | 2-Year | In-Person |
| Tidewater Community College | Associate of Applied Arts - Studio Arts (Glass) | Associate | Associate of Applied Arts | 2-Year | In-Person |
| Ferrum College | B.A. in Art, Studio Arts | Bachelor | Bachelor of Arts | 4-Year | In-Person, Hybrid |
| Sweet Briar College | Bachelor of Arts in Visual Arts | Bachelor | Bachelor of Arts | 4-Year | In-Person |
| Christopher Newport University | Bachelor of Arts in Art and Art History, Major in Art History | Bachelor | Bachelor of Arts | 4-Year | In-Person |
| Christopher Newport University | Bachelor of Arts in Art and Art History, Major in Studio Art, Concentration in Photography and Video Art | Bachelor | Bachelor of Arts | 4-Year | In-Person |
| Christopher Newport University | Bachelor of Arts in Art and Art History, Major in Studio Art, Concentration in Graphic Design | Bachelor | Bachelor of Arts | 4-Year | In-Person |
| Christopher Newport University | Bachelor of Arts in Art and Art History, Major in Studio Art, Concentration in 2D and 3D Media | Bachelor | Bachelor of Arts | 4-Year | In-Person |
| James Madison University | Bachelor of Science, Major in Art | Bachelor | Bachelor of Science | 4-Year | In-Person |
| James Madison University | Bachelor of Fine Arts, Major in Graphic Design | Bachelor | Bachelor of Fine Arts | 4-Year | In-Person |
| James Madison University | Bachelor of Fine Arts, Major in Architectural Design | Bachelor | Bachelor of Fine Arts | 4-Year | In-Person |
| James Madison University | Bachelor of Arts, Major in Art | Bachelor | Bachelor of Arts | 4-Year | In-Person |
| James Madison University | Bachelor of Fine Arts, Major in Art | Bachelor | Bachelor of Fine Arts | 4-Year | In-Person |
| James Madison University | Bachelor of Science, Major in Industrial Design | Bachelor | Bachelor of Science | 4-Year | In-Person |
| Roanoke College | Bachelor of Arts in Art | Bachelor | Bachelor of Arts | 4-Year | In-Person |
| Roanoke College | Bachelor of Arts in Art Education | Bachelor | Bachelor of Arts | 4-Year | In-Person |
| Radford University | BA in Art | Bachelor | Bachelor of Arts | 4-Year | In-Person |
| Radford University | BFA in Art | Bachelor | Bachelor of Fine Arts | 4-Year | In-Person |
| Radford University | BS in Art | Bachelor | Bachelor of Science | 4-Year | In-Person |
| Virginia Wesleyan University | Bachelor of Arts in Art | Bachelor | Bachelor of Arts | 4-Year | In-Person |
| Norfolk State University | Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts with Education Concentration | Bachelor | Bachelor of Arts | 4-Year | In-Person |
| Norfolk State University | Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts and Graphic Design | Bachelor | Bachelor of Arts | 4-Year | In-Person |
| Old Dominion University | Fine Art-BFA | Bachelor | Bachelor of Fine Arts | 4-Year | In-Person |
| Old Dominion University | Graphic Design-BFA (Fine Arts) | Bachelor | Bachelor of Fine Arts | 4-Year | Not Specified |
| Old Dominion University | Art Education-BFA (Fine Arts) | Bachelor | Bachelor of Fine Arts | 4-Year | Not Specified |
| Ferrum College | B.A. in Art, Ceramics | Bachelor | Bachelor of Arts | 4-Year | In-Person, Hybrid |
| Ferrum College | B.A. in Art, Graphic Design | Bachelor | Bachelor of Arts | 4-Year | In-Person, Hybrid |
| Randolph-Macon College | Arts Management - Art (BA) | Bachelor | Bachelor of Arts | 4-Year | In-Person |
| Randolph-Macon College | Arts Management - Music (BA) | Bachelor | Bachelor of Arts | 4-Year | In-Person |
| Randolph-Macon College | Arts Management - Theater (BA) | Bachelor | Bachelor of Arts | 4-Year | In-Person |
| Randolph-Macon College | Studio Art (BA) | Bachelor | Bachelor of Arts | 4-Year | In-Person |
| Randolph-Macon College | Arts Management - Film (BA) | Bachelor | Bachelor of Arts | 4-Year | In-Person |
| Randolph-Macon College | Art History (BA) | Bachelor | Bachelor of Arts | 4-Year | In-Person |
| University of Lynchburg | BA in Art - Art Therapy Emphasis | Bachelor | Bachelor of Arts | 4-Year | In-Person |
| University of Lynchburg | BA in Art - Graphic Design Emphasis | Bachelor | Bachelor of Arts | 4-Year | In-Person |
| University of Lynchburg | BA in Art - Studio Art Emphasis | Bachelor | Bachelor of Arts | 4-Year | In-Person |
Careers Where This Degree Applies
| O*Net Code | Name | Description | Parent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25-1121.00 | Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary | Teach courses in drama, music, and the arts including fine and applied art, such as painting and sculpture, or design and crafts. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research. | Educational Instruction and Library Occupations |
| 27-1012.00 | Craft Artists | Create or reproduce handmade objects for sale and exhibition using a variety of techniques, such as welding, weaving, pottery, and needlecraft. | Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occ |
| 27-1013.00 | Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators | Create original artwork using any of a wide variety of media and techniques. | Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occ |
| 27-4021.00 | Photographers | Photograph people, landscapes, merchandise, or other subjects. May use lighting equipment to enhance a subject's appearance. May use editing software to produce finished images and prints. Includes commercial and industrial photographers, scientific photographers, and photojournalists. | Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media Occ |
| 25-2031.00 | Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education | Teach one or more subjects to students at the secondary school level. | Educational Instruction and Library Occupations |
Cost To Complete