Dr. Katherine A. Schwartz, Director
Phone: (540) 568-6216/6661 Email: schwarka@jmu.edu
Location: Duke Hall, Room 1011 Website: http://www.jmu.edu/art
Professors
T. Cole, R. Daniel, C. Diop, D. Ehrenpreis, L. Halpern, L. Katzman, J. McCaslin, D. McCusker, J. Ott, M. Rooker, K. Schwartz, M. Shanahan, R. Silberman, G. Stewart, L. Tubach, C. Welter, W. Wightman, S. Zurbrigg
Associate Professors
A. Adesanya, S. Brooks, S. Choi, R. Hilliard, K. Stevens, W. Tate, A. Taylor, K. Tollefson-Hall, R. Tomhave
Assistant Professors
A. Barnes, D. Hardy, C. Henriques, R. Mertens, K. Phaup, E. Tickle, S. Williams
Mission Statement
The School of Art, Design and Art History is a collaborative community that fosters independent thought and creativity, embraces the diversity of cultural expression, and cultivates excellence in the making and understanding of visual art and design.
Goals
The School of Art, Design and Art History discerns the following five distinct goals for the teaching of art at JMU:
- To prepare future professional artists and designers.
- To educate future art historians and museum specialists with a global perspective on the visual arts.
- To develop and license future elementary and secondary art teachers.
- To enrich the general education of non-art majors.
- To supply professional instruction in the visual arts for students who wish to enrich their education by studying art as a second major or minor.
To meet these goals, the School of Art, Design and Art History offers three degrees, a choice of five majors and select areas of emphasis. PK-12 Licensure is available to every School of Art, Design and Art History major, regardless of their degree track. Minors are offered in select areas. All degrees require a minimum of 120 credit hours. A full description of degree requirements is listed under degree requirements.
Degrees Offered
Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Fine Arts
- Architectural Design
- Graphic Design
- Studio Art
Bachelor of Science
- Industrial Design
- Studio Art
Career Opportunities and Marketable Skills
Art students at JMU have the opportunity to prepare for a wide variety of art and art-related career fields. Because the School of Art, Design and Art History educates art students as critical thinkers and creative problem solvers, graduates have an enhanced ability to think independently, respond flexibly, work productively and compete successfully for employment in career fields that value original and thoughtful creativity. Some possible careers include:
- Advertising Designer
- Architectural Designer
- Artist
- Art Critic
- Art Educator
- Art Historian
- Ceramicist
- Conservator
- Gallery Owner
- Graphic Designer
- Illustrator
- Industrial Designer
- Jeweler
- Multimedia Designer
- Museum Curator/Educator
- Painter
- Photographer
- Printmaker
- Sculptor
- Textile Designer
To discuss specific career options, students should contact the school and make an appointment with a member of the faculty.
Accreditation
Supplementing JMU’s general accreditation, all degrees offered by the School of Art, Design and Art History are professionally accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. In addition, the Art Education program is also accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
Special Admission Requirements
Art History Majors Students intending to major in art history are not required to submit a portfolio, but should follow the regular JMU admissions process. To be considered for departmental scholarships, students must submit a resume, writing sample, and short essay to the department. To enroll in the museum studies concentration in art history, students must have a 3.3 GPA in the major and a minimum of nine credits in art history (ARTH) and general education art history (ARTH) courses.
Degree and Major Requirements
Bachelor of Arts in Art History
Coordinator: Dr. Sarah Brooks
Phone: (540) 568-6642
Email: brooksst@jmu.edu
The Bachelor of Arts in art history is intended for students who wish to study the history of the visual arts, including the cultural and social context in which they were created. It is the mission of the art history program to educate students with a global perspective on the arts.
Western art history is emphasized, coupled with opportunities to study the art of select non-Western traditions. Students majoring in art history will develop a general knowledge of the principle monuments and artists of all major historical art periods. Students also will:
- Become acquainted with the art history of non-Western cultures.
- Locate unfamiliar works within major style periods and cultures.
- Describe, analyze and interpret the form and content of individual works of art in relation to the cultures from which they originate.
- Recognize major art media.
- Understand at least three major historical periods of art in detail.
- Become familiar with art history theory and methods of analysis and criticism.
- Research and write about significant artists, artistic events, periods and artistic concepts.
The art history program encourages majors and minors to participate in internship opportunities at museums, galleries and other art related settings, and it provides up-to-date information about jobs and graduate programs in art history and related fields. Visiting scholars, campus art exhibitions, trips to major museums and the JMU Study Abroad program provide students with opportunities to study and apply their art history knowledge outside the classroom. Upon completion of the art history major, students will have been exposed to a broad background and knowledge of the opportunities for graduate school and employment. The art history program also advocates cross disciplinary education and actively supports students who double major with other disciplines.
Major Requirements
The major in art history requires 39 credit hours in art history and studio and/or courses, as the following chart shows. At least six of these credit hours must be 400-level art history courses. Core courses at the 200 level are broad interpretive overviews of art history that combine lecture and discussion to permit students to learn the content and chronology of world art history, to learn how art historians collect, analyze and synthesize evidence and engage in introductory exercises in the discipline. They generally include short formal writing assignments and exams with essay sections. Distributives at the 300 level also combine lecture and discussion, more narrowly survey specific periods or cultures and address aspects of art historical methodology. These courses require longer formal writing assignments and include student research. Courses at the 400 level are seminars on specialized topics that center on advanced student research. A single course may not fulfill more than one distribution requirement.
Internship/Independent Study Credit
A maximum of three credits of art history internship, independent study, or honors course work may be applied toward the major in art history. A student may petition the art history coordinator to apply six credit hours toward the art history major if the internship or independent study course work is directly relevant to the student’s interests and career goals.
Concentration Requirements
Museum Studies Concentration
The museum studies concentration enriches the art history curriculum by offering course work that examines the critical role that museums have played in constructing the discipline and pedagogy of art history. History and theory-oriented classes will introduce students to the role and function of museums in society and the ways in which museums both reflect and perpetuate the values of the cultures that create them. Experiential practica or internship courses will expose students to the wide range of work conducted in museums, including curatorial, collections management, conservation, education, design and installation, media and public relations, publications, development and administration. While the concentration is academic and not vocational, it offers students valuable hands-on experience beneficial for admission into graduate school and entry into the competitive market of art-related professions. Virginia is a state that boasts a plethora of art museums, house museums, history museums, and historic and archaeological sites. Art history majors who complete the concentration will be well positioned for seeking employment in regional and state museums. The museum studies concentration consists of five courses (15 credit hours). Students are required to complete three core courses and two elective courses. Students may only count three credit hours toward both the art history major and the museum studies concentration. A 3.3 GPA in the minimum of nine credits in Art History (ARTH) and General Education Art History (ARTH) courses are required to enroll in the concentration. To apply, students submit an unofficial transcript to the area coordinator. Students may apply to the concentration in the fall or spring semester, but no later than the last day of the course add registration deadline.
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