University of Southern California
USC College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences   USC
USC College Department of Art History
Undergraduate Courses and Requirements

Major in Art History

Art history courses at USC consider a variety of objects from different historical periods, places and cultures in relation to their makers, patrons, viewers and critics. Majors are exposed to a diversity of theoretical approaches and encouraged to sharpen their critical and conceptual thinking skills. Many art history majors decide to pursue a graduate degree in art history, either in museum studies or in a particular historical field within the discipline. The Department of Art History faculty at USC maintains strong ties with local and national institutions, thereby enhancing its ability to place departmental majors wishing to pursue a career in a museum, auction house, art gallery, or other arts organizations. Art history graduates are well prepared for jobs in public relations, entertainment, education, journalism, publishing, business, and law.
Note that a grade of “C” or higher is required in AHIS courses counted toward major requirements for all undergraduate art history majors.

Units Required: 48

Lower Division Curriculum (12 units):
*AHIS 120g Foundations of Western Art
*AHIS 121g Art and Society: Renaissance to Modern
*AHIS 125g Arts of Asia: Antiquity to 1300 OR
AHIS 126g Introduction to Asian Art: 1300 to Present

Distribution Requirement (16 units):
Four courses to include one in each of four out of the following five areas of study, only one of which may be at the 200-level (400-level courses do not satisfy the distribution requirement):
Greek and Roman Art and Archaeology
AHIS 201g Digging into the Past
AHIS 321 Greek Art and Archaeology
AHIS 322 Roman Art and Archaeology
Medieval Art
AHIS 220g Medieval Visual Culture
AHIS 330 Medieval Art
Renaissance & Baroque Art
AHIS 230 Art and Culture in Early Modern Europe
AHIS 304m Italian Renaissance Art: Old Masters and Old Mistresses
AHIS 343 Renaissance Art
AHIS 344 Baroque Art
Modern & Contemporary Art
AHIS 250m Modernity and Difference: Critical Approaches to Modern Art
AHIS 255g Culture Wars: Art and Social Conflict in the USA, 1900-present
AHIS 270 LA Now: Contemporary Art in Los Angeles
AHIS 361 British Art, 1730-1890
AHIS 363m Race, Gender, and Sexuality in Contemporary Art
AHIS 364m Myths, Arts, and Realities: Visual Culture in CA, 1849 to the Present
AHIS 365m African American Art
AHIS 368 Modern Art I: 1700-1850
AHIS 369 Modern Art II: 1851-1940
AHIS 370 Modern Art III: 1940 to the Present
AHIS 373 History of Photography-Pictorialism to Postmodernism
Non-European Traditions
AHIS 282 Korean Art
AHIS 319 Mesoamerican Art and Culture
AHIS 376 Introduction to African Art
AHIS 377 Spanish Colonial Art and Architecture
AHIS 384 Early Chinese Art
AHIS 385 Later Chinese Art
AHIS 386 Early Japanese Art
AHIS 387 Later Japanese Art
AHIS 388 Early Art of India and Southeast Asia
AHIS 389 Later Indian Art: Indo-Islamic Architecture and Painting

Upper Division Curriculum (20 units):
Five courses (300-499), three of which must be at the 400-level, including AHIS 494
AHIS 420 Studies in Ancient Art
AHIS 425 Interdisciplinary Studies in Classical Art and Archaeology
AHIS 430 Studies in Renaissance Art
AHIS 433 Studies in Medieval Art
AHIS 449 History of Prints and Drawings
AHIS 453 Studies in Baroque Art
AHIS 460 Studies in 18th and 19th Century Art
AHIS 465 Studies in American Art
AHIS 466 Studies in the Decorative Arts and Design
AHIS 467 19th Century French Art
AHIS 468 Studies in Modern Art
AHIS 469 Critical Approaches to Photography
AHIS 470 Studies in Contemporary Art
AHIS 475 Blackness in American Visual Culture
AHIS 477 Studies in Visual and Material Culture
AHIS 481 Studies in Japanese Art
AHIS 484 Studies in Chinese Art
AHIS 490x Directed Research
AHIS 494 Undergraduate Proseminar in Art History (Required)
AHIS 495ab Undergraduate Honors Thesis (By invitation)
AHIS 496 Paintings in the Prado Museum
AHIS 499 Special Topics

Minor in Art History

Art history combines the study of art with the study of culture broadly conceived. The art history minor offers a concentrated course of study that includes a variety of objects from different historical periods and cultures in relation to their makers, patrons, viewers and critics.  Students in the minor are trained to analyze visual images and information through a process of intensive looking, reading, research and writing.

Units Required: 24

Lower Division Curriculum (8 units):
Choose two of the following courses. Only one may be at the 200 level:
AHIS 120g Foundations of Western Art
AHIS 121g Art and Society: Renaissance to Modern
AHIS 123 Introduction to Art History: Form, Culture, and Communication
AHIS 125g Arts of Asia: Antiquity to 1300
AHIS 126g Introduction to Asian Art: 1300 to Present
AHIS 201g Digging into the Past: Material Culture and the Civilizations of the Ancient Mediterranean
AHIS 220g Medieval Visual Culture
AHIS 230 Art and Culture in Early Modern Europe
AHIS 250m Modernity and Difference: Critical Approaches to Modern Art
AHIS 255g Culture Wars: Art and Social conflict in the USA, 1900-present
AHIS 270 LA Now: Contemporary Art in Los Angeles
AHIS 282 Korean Art

Upper Division Curriculum (16 units):
Choose four of the following 300- and 400-level courses.  At least one course must be at the 400-level.
AHIS 304m Italian Renaissance Art: Old Masters and Old Mistresses
AHIS 318 Arts of the Ancient Andes
AHIS 319 Mesoamerican Art and Culture
AHIS 321 Greek Art and Archaeology
AHIS 322 Roman Art and Archaeology
AHIS 323  Aegean Archaeology
AHIS 330 Medieval Art
AHIS 343 Renaissance Art
AHIS 344 Baroque Art
AHIS 357  History of French Art 1860-1920
AHIS 361 British Art, 1730-1890
AHIS 363m Race, Gender, and Sexuality in Contemporary Art
AHIS 364m Myths, Arts, Realities: Visual Culture in California, 1849 to the Present
AHIS 365m African American Art
AHIS 368 Modern Art I: 1700-1850
AHIS 369 Modern Art II: 1851-1940
AHIS 370 Modern Art III: 1940 to the Present
AHIS 373 History of Photography-Pictorialism to Postmodernism
AHIS 376 Introduction to African Art
AHIS 377 Spanish Colonial Art and Architecture
AHIS 378 Modern Russian Art
AHIS 384 Early Chinese Art
AHIS 385 Later Chinese Art
AHIS 386 Early Japanese Art
AHIS 387 Later Japanese Art
AHIS 388 Early Art of India and Southeast Asia
AHIS 389 Later Indian Art: Indo-Islamic Architecture and Painting

AHIS 420 Studies in Ancient Art
AHIS 425 Interdisciplinary Studies in Classical Art and Archaeology
AHIS 430 Studies in Renaissance Art
AHIS 433 Studies in Medieval Art
AHIS 449 History of Prints and Drawings
AHIS 453 Studies in Baroque Art
AHIS 460 Studies in 18th and 19th Century Art
AHIS 465 Studies in American Art
AHIS 466 Studies in the Decorative Arts and Design
AHIS 467 19th Century French Art
AHIS 468 Studies in Modern Art
AHIS 469 Critical Approaches to Photography
AHIS 470 Studies in Contemporary Art
AHIS 475 Blackness in American Visual Culture
AHIS 481 Studies in Japanese Art
AHIS 484 Studies in Chinese Art
AHIS 490x Directed Research
AHIS 494 Undergraduate Proseminar in Art History
AHIS 495ab Undergraduate Honors Thesis (By invitation)
AHIS 496 Paintings in the Prado Museum
AHIS 499 Special Topics

Minor in Visual Culture

Faculty Advisors
Professor Karen Lang
Email: klang @usc.edu
Office: VKC 351A
Phone: (213) 821-1376

Professor Richard Meyer
Email: rmeyer@usc.edu
Office: VKC 381B
Phone: (213) 740-9571

(Art history and other participating units: architecture, cinematic arts, communications, English, comparative literature, fine arts, philosophy)

More than ever, students of today need the critical skills and intellectual breadth required to describe, analyze, and evaluate visual culture. Visual culture encompasses fine art, film and television, photography and video illustrated books, advertising, architecture and design. A critical approach to art history provides both the foundation and departing point for this interdisciplinary minor. Students are required to take two introductory courses in the history and theory of art which will prepare them for a focused study in one of three concentrations: (1) Photography, film and the reproduction of images; (2) Popular culture; or (3) Gender and sexuality.

The minor is open to all undergraduate majors and is especially relevant for those whose fields employ visual images to convey ideas as well as information. The minor will complement pre-professional majors (such as those in film) as well as in the humanities and social sciences.

Units Required: 24

Required Courses (8 units):
AHIS 100 Introduction to Visual Culture,
and one of the following:
COMM 306 The Communication Revolution and the Arts 
AHIS 250m Modernity and Difference: Critical Approaches to Modern Art

Additional Requirements (16 units):
Four courses to be selected from one of the following three tracks:
   1) Photography, Film and the Reproduction of Images
   2) Popular Culture
   3) Gender and Sexuality
 
Track 1: Photography, Film and the Reproduction of Images
AHIS 373 History of Photography
AHIS 469 Critical Approaches to Photography
ANTH 263 Exploring Culture through Film
COLT 452 Representation and Cognition in Photography
COLT 480 Dada and Surrealism
CTCS 392 History of the American Film, 1925-1950
CTCS 393 History of the American Film, 1946-1975
CTCS 394 History of the American Film, 1976-Present
CTCS 400 Non-fiction Film and Television
ENGL 471 Literary Genres and the Film
ENGL 481 Narrative Forms in the Literature and Film
FA 309 Advanced Photography
FA 310 Introduction to Computer Imaging in the Arts
FA 311 Printmaking
FREN 320 French Cinema and French Society: 1900 to the present
HIST 225 Film, Power, and American History
HIST 381 Cinema and History
HIST 481 Producing Film Histories
PHIL 446 Aesthetics and the Film

Track 2: Popular Culture
AHIS 370 Modern Art III: 1940 to the Present
COLT 365 Literature and Popular Culture
COMM 384 Interpreting Popular Culture
COMM 450 Visual Culture and Communication
COMM 455 Advertising and Society
COMM 458 Race and Ethnicity in Entertainment and the Arts
CTCS 392 History of the American Film, 1925-1950
CTCS 393 History of the American Film, 1946-1975
CTCS 394 History of the American Film, 1976-Present
CTCS 404 Television Criticism and Theory
ENGL 392 Visual and Popular Culture
ENGL 471 Literary Genres and the Film
ENGL 481 Narrative Forms in the Literature and Film
HIST 380 American Popular Culture
PAS 400 Contemporary Public Art
PHIL 446 Aesthetics and the Film

Track 3: Gender and Sexuality
AHIS 304m Italian Renaissance Art: Old Masters and Old Mistresses
AHIS 363m Race, Gender and Sexuality Contemporary Art,
ARCH 442 Women's Space in History
COLT 376 Women in Contemporary Literature and the Arts
COLT 480 Dada and Surrealism
COMM 395m Gender, Media and Communication
COMM 465 Gender in Media Industries and Products
CTCS 192 Race, Class, and Gender in American Film
CTCS 412 Gender, Sexuality and Media
ENGL 476m Images of Women in Contemporary Culture
ENGL 478m Sexual/Textual Diversity
HIST 245 Gender and Sexualities in American History
SOCI 437 Sexuality and Society