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What Can I Do With a Major in History of Art and Architecture?
Creating works of art and architecture is one way that people have explored themselves and their world. The history of art and architecture as a discipline investigates the relationship between visual and architectural forms and the people who produce them. This is a creative and interpretive field, as well as one with rigorous approaches and methodologies. It is a discipline quintessentially grounded in the humanities, having affinities with history, the visual arts, the study of literature, anthropology, archeology, psychology, philosophy, and so on. Art and architecture historians find rewarding careers in cultural organizations, museums, galleries, art writing, international relations, academe, or other agencies that rely on visual sensitivity, critical thinking, and imagination.
Interests
One must be interested in how ideas are expressed visually, in cultures other than one's own time and place, or, indeed, in the cultural products of one's own period. One must also be interested in analyzing and understanding historical forces as well as how humans cope with continually evolving cultural circumstances.
Competencies
- Communication
- Visual awareness
Ability to relate ideas to images
Writing, speaking articulately
Understanding people - Understanding Culture
- Analyzing impact of problems on society
Knowledge of how societies cope with changing circumstances
Explaining the present by referring to the past
Developing a world view - Project Development
- Computer literacy
Decision-making - Research
- Organizing data
Relating data to images to chronology
Developing research skills
Interpreting works of art and architecture and relating them to their context
Developing critical skills
Living with a knowledge of other people in other times and places
Opportunities - Careers
- Teaching
Museum work (curatorial, education, exhibition, installation, administrative, registration)
Publishing
Art writing
Travel
Art librarian
Visual resources librarian
Art gallery - Auction house
Corporate curator
Art investment
Preservation and conservation
Independent producer
Art law
Government and international agencies
Note: Additional training may be required for some of these; there are both an MA and PhD available in the history of art and architecture, and we can help students locate these programs. A background in art and architectural history is valuable as a preparation for advanced study at the graduate level in painting, sculpture, graphic art, fashion design, architecture, interior design, urban design, city planning, landscape architecture, theater, scenic design, costume design, film-making, photography, advertising, historical studies, and comparative cultural studies. Related fields include art therapy, restoration and conservation, city planning, and historic preservation.
Opportunities - Graduate/Professional School
The College Art Association publishes a guidebook to MA and PhD programs in art and art history. In addition, the Society of Architectural Historians has published a directory of graduate programs in the history of architecture.
Opportunities - Experiential
These are almost unlimited, since travel of all sorts results in experiencing original works of art and architecture. There are many internships of work/study programs available in museums, galleries, auction houses, historical societies, research institutions, public archives, commercial and professional businesses, and special courses at the Miami University Art Museum.
Opportunities - Facilities
The Department of Art maintains modern lecture halls, seminar rooms with double slide projection, a large slide collection, and enjoys the valuable resources of the Miami University Art Museum and special collections of the W.W. Wertz Art and Architecture Library. King Library offers a variety of valuable technical services for students at Miami. The Hiestand Gallery will also be a useful facility after the renovation of Hiestand Hall.
Opportunities - Student Organizations
- The Art and Architectural History League
- The Visual Arts Club
- Student Chapter of the Ohio Art Educators Association
- The American Institute of Architecture Students
Sources of Additional Information
- Department of Art (124 Art Bldg., 529-2900)
- * Curriculum Requirements
* Career Opportunities - Career Services (200 Hoyt Hall, 529-3831)
- * Career Resource Center
* Career Counseling
* Career Assistance Center
* Computerized Career Development Program
* Dictionary of Occupational Titles
* Occupational Outlook Handbook - School of Creative Arts (Joyner House, 529-6010)
- * Miami Plan Requirements
- * Course Selection
* Career Decision Making
Developed by the School of Fine Arts and the academic departmental offices with adaptations from Liberal Arts and Sciences - Skills - Career Opportunities, Career Planning and Placement Office, University of Michigan.