U-AHVA-AB - Art History and Visual Arts (AB)

Art history is the study of works of art in the context of the broader social, political, and intellectual cultures of which they are a part. Studying art history develops the ability to evaluate and organize information, visual as well as verbal; it also enhances the faculties of creative imagination, precise observation, clear expression, and critical judgment. Students of art history acquire a sophisticated understanding of the theory and practice of artistic production and reception. A major or second major in art history provides basic training for those interested in teaching, museum and gallery work, art publishing, and advertising; the major also furnishes an appropriate background for graduate training in architecture. Art history’s emphasis on careful observation, the ordering of diverse sorts of information, expository writing, and scholarly research makes it a good general preparation for any profession.

Studio art courses offer directed experiences in the practice of the visual arts, enhancing the understanding of art both within the history of culture and as an individual human achievement. Department offerings emphasize the analysis and articulation of visual concepts and processes as they relate to a broader education in the humanities and sciences.

Website: aahvs.duke.edu/undergraduate/majors/art-history-visual-arts