Students working at an on-site preservation project.

Bachelor of Arts

Art History

Internship Opportunities

Receive one-on-one advisement and personalized counseling on internships and careers from Art History and Film Studies faculty, while gaining hands-on professional experience for academic credit through internships in museums and galleries throughout New York.

Recent placements at art history internships include:

  • Brooklyn Museum
  • New York State Museum
  • Albany Center Gallery
  • University at Albany Art Museum
  • University at Albany Library
  • Sand Lake Center for the Arts
  • Empire State Plaza Art Collection
  • Albany Institute of History and Art
  • New York State Bureau of Historic Sites
UAlbany Art History Minor, Sydney Pennington
Sydney Pennington, an art history minor and computer science major, is working as a Digital Communications Intern at the Brooklyn Museum. She helps to develop and write original social media content, assists with community management and audience development and tracks social media engagement.

 

internships

Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate Options


You can save time and money by beginning your graduate degree coursework while still enrolled as an undergraduate student. Up to 12 academic credits, billed at the undergraduate rate, will count towards both degrees – so you’ll complete your combined program in only 5 years and spend less than you would if you completed each program separately. Choose to combine your Art History undergraduate degree with the following graduate programs:

combined

MA in Liberal Studies
This interdisciplinary master’s program lets you create a highly personalized curriculum to develop your historical and theoretical background in topics including arts, humanities and the social sciences.
 

MS in Information Science 
This ALA-accredited master's program covers a broad range of interdisciplinary topics related to library science, information processing, information management and data analysis.

UAlbany graduate at Commencement
Career Outcomes

With a degree in Art History, you can work in a variety of settings, from museums and galleries to classrooms and offices.

Common career choices for Art History majors include:

  • Museum Curator
  • Art conservation
  • Art educator
  • Museum marketing and public relations
  • Art Therapist
  • Art Appraiser
  • Gallerist
  • Digital Image Curator / Visual Information Manager
Iszzy Hernandez '22, stands on the Empire State Plaza in Albany, NY.
Iszzy Hernandez '22, who earned a double BA degree in Art and Art History at UAlbany, has taken a position at the Museum of Modern Art as the Assistant to the Deputy Director in the Learning and Audience Engagement Department. Iszzy was well prepared for this position through her experiential learning as a collections intern in the University Museum, a peer mentor, a peer career advisor and teaching assistant.
careers
Students in the class “Women in Art from the Renaissance to Impressionism “ view the exhibition “The Schuyler Sisters and Their Circle” with curator Diane Shewchuk at the Albany Institute of History and Art in Fall 2019
Students in the class “Women in Art from the Renaissance to Impressionism “ view the exhibition “The Schuyler Sisters and Their Circle” with curator Diane Shewchuk at the Albany Institute of History and Art.

"The Art History program at UAlbany gave me an excellent foundation for my academic career. The opportunity to take smaller, more focused seminars on a wide range of topics prepared me for graduate school and beyond. I came out of the program well-equipped to write and talk about art and material culture from a variety of perspectives and with diverse audiences. My current work as a librarian and educator would not be possible without the visual literacy and critical thinking skills that I gained during my undergraduate studies."

-Jasmine Burns, Honors student alumna

Student Learning Objectives

Learning objectives that UAlbany students are expected to attain through their course of study within their academic program.

Bachelor of Arts
  • Analyze visual and structural features of works of art and architecture.
  • Identify and describe salient aspects of form, structure, and medium.
  • Use art historical terminology.
  • Interpret cultural significance of art, and architecture.
  • Identify, analyze iconography and representational, symbolic elements; assess meaning from perspective of artist, patron, viewer, and/or function. Identify cultural artifacts influencing work of art.
  • Practice key elements of the discipline of art history.
  • Compare/contrast images and structures using traditional art historical practice.
  • Identify scholarly resources for research in art history; present findings in oral and written form.
  • Relate works of art and architecture to their wider historical context.
  • Locate works of art and architecture within a chronological framework.
  • Identify key historical events, movements, and ideologies that impinge upon artistic production.
  • Write coherently and persuasively in the art historical idiom. Formulate coherent sentences and essays. Assess and revise writing for accuracy and effectiveness of argumentation.
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What Makes The University at Albany Great

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Living-Learning Communities

Live and take classes with other incoming freshmen who share your personal interests, passions or intended academic major.

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Study Abroad

Become a global citizen: international experience is crucial to success in business, education, research, and public policy.

Student conducting undergraduate research

Undergraduate Research

Research, scholarship, and creative activities at the University at Albany is an option for all students, across all academic disciplines. You will be able to learn more about a specific academic field or career path all while building a long-lasting mentoring relationship with a faculty member or principal investigator.

Explore Minors

Build competency in a passion or strengthen your resume.

A minor consists of 18–24 graduation credits which must include a minimum of 9 graduation credits of advanced coursework at or above the 300 level. Most undergraduate degrees require completing a minor and it has to have a different title from your major.

Full List of Minors
  • Acting
  • Africana Studies
  • Anthropology
  • Art
  • Art History
  • Atmospheric Science
  • Bioethics
  • Biology
  • Broadcast Meteorology
  • Business
  • Chemistry
  • Chinese Studies
  • Cognitive Science
  • Communication
  • Computer Science
  • Creative Writing
  • Criminal Justice Studies
  • Cybersecurity
  • Documentary Studies
  • East Asian Studies
  • Economics
  • Educational Studies
  • Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Electronics
  • Film Studies
  • Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity
  • English
  • Forensic Science
  • French
  • Game Design and Development
  • Geographic Information Science
  • Geography
  • Globalization Studies
  • Hebrew
  • History
  • Informatics
  • Instrumental Performance
  • International Studies
  • Italian
  • Japanese Studies
  • Journalism (Fully Online Option)
  • Judaic Studies
  • Korean Studies
  • Latin American and Caribbean Studies
  • Law and Philosophy
  • Leadership
  • Legal Studies
  • LGBTQ Studies
  • Library and Information Science
  • Linguistics
  • Machine Learning
  • Mathematics
  • Medical Anthropology
  • Music
  • Musical Performance
  • Musical Theatre
  • Philosophy
  • Physics
  • Political Science
  • Portuguese
  • Pre-Education
  • Psychology
  • Public Health
  • Public Policy
  • Religious Studies
  • Russian
  • Russian and Eastern European Studies
  • Social Welfare Studies
  • Sociology
  • Spanish
  • Statistics
  • Sustainability
  • Theatre
  • Theatrical Design/Technology
  • Urban Studies and Planning
  • U.S. Latino Studies
  • Vocal Performance
  • Women's, Gender and Sexuality Studies