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Three Art History students study works in one of Drake University's art galleries

Art History Major

From advertisements and social media feeds to videos, imagery saturates all aspects of our lives. Learn how to analyze and understand centuries of visual culture in Drake University’s Art History major, which dives into the practices, theories, and debates behind the discipline.

College of Arts & Sciences | On-Campus

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What You'll Learn

As you’d expect, your classes include a historical overview of the production, interpretation, and circulation of artworks. Unlike other programs, though, we’ve reconsidered the typical chronological approach to teaching art history, taking a thematic one instead. In this way, we move beyond the traditional, Western-centric view to embrace multiple eras and cultures.

This kind of forward-thinking shift happens when faculty are active artists, scholars, and designers. Throughout your time at Drake, these professionals will serve as mentors who will assist you in shaping your studies and career.

Your immersion in visual culture also extends past criticism to hands-on creativity in Drake’s studio spaces. Our Art History program is fully integrated into the Department of Art and Design, resulting in a research-based, intellectual exploration of visual culture enriched by fine arts training.

About the Art History Major

  • Experience art through themes that have emerged across periods and cultures, rather than a chronological Western focus.
  • Critically examine national tradition, stylistic periods, definitions of modernity, and other foundational tenets that influence how critics, curators, and historians analyze art, including in the classroom and Drake’s Anderson Gallery.
  • Structure and present your own research, including contributing to a hands-on curating project through the Senior Capstone.
  • Strengthen your written and analytical skills alongside an enrichment of studio ones.
  • Receive individualized attention from faculty mentors in classes with just 10 to 20 students.

Program Facts

  • On campus
  • Full-time, four-year program
  • 120 total credits; 38 credits for the major

Program Options

Whether pursued alone or as a complement to other disciplines, the Art History program can lead to careers in fields as diverse as art, journalism, teaching, and historic preservation.

B.A. in Art History

The Art History major is aimed at students interested in careers as art historians or in another related field. It also provides a valuable background for students majoring in studio art, graphic design, art education, or the humanities.

Art History Minor

Explore how art has evolved across time and cultures, and discover how visual works reflect, shape, and respond to the world around us. Geared toward students outside the Department of Art and Design, the Art History minor also highlights connections between art and other disciplines—revealing its influence on politics, religion, science, and more. To deepen your understanding of how artists think and work, you’ll take at least one studio course, bridging theory with hands-on practice.

Double Major

We encourage students in our B.A. programs to enhance their studies with a second major or minors outside their discipline. Popular pairings include Public Relations, Psychology, Marketing, and Biology.

Meet the Faculty

In addition to studying with expert art historians, you’ll also take studio courses led by practicing artists and designers. All faculty in Drake’s Department of Art and Design hold the highest degrees in their fields.

Sascha Crasnow

Sascha Crasnow

Assistant Professor, Art

Maura Lyons

Maura Lyons

Professor, Art and Design

All Faculty Members

Outside the Classroom

At Drake, you will apply the skills you learn in the classroom to outreach within the community, helping to foster a connection to the arts in others through internships and other opportunities that fuse methods, themes, and practice.

Working on a capstone project, a Drake Art History major goes between their notepad and their laptop

Senior Capstone Course

Your studies culminate with a capstone course, which offers the opportunity to test and expand your art historical skills though a hands-on curating project. This experiential form of learning is highly valued by employers.

A Drake Art History major straightens out a framed work on an art gallery wall

Internships

Professional experience starts while you’re still a student. Art History majors have performed research or curated collections as interns for the Des Moines Art Center, Greater Des Moines Public Art Foundation, the State Historical Society of Iowa, and commercial art galleries.

In a campus studio, Drake Art History students discuss works presented on a wall with their professor

Studios, Labs, and Workshops

You’ll have regular access to studios, labs, and workshops outside of class time—an important element of our hands-on, practice-based education. Specialized studios support drawing, painting, letterpress, printmaking, sculpture, and graphic design.

Art History students collaborate on projects for Drake's partners in a campus studio

Collaborative Projects

Guide ideas from concept to completed works and exhibits with other students, for the department’s Anderson Gallery, and with on- and off-campus community organizations.

Gathering around a table with their laptops, Drake Art History students convene for a group meeting

Student Organizations

Meet working professionals in the art world, take field trips to museums, and build leadership skills through the Visual Arts Association of Drake (VAAD).

A Drake Art History student smiles and stands in front of a wall with a colorful geometric pattern

Merit Scholarships

Entering first-year and transfer students can apply for Fine Arts Honors Scholarships. For more information, email artdesign@drake.edu.

Careers & Skills

Because the scope of material you’ll cover as an Art History major is so expansive, you’re positioned to embark on a number of careers related to historical preservation, education, and curation, as well as graduate studies. That’s the Drake Curriculum at work: In addition to your art courses, an interdisciplinary liberal arts foundation helps you build skills in critical thinking, citizenship, scientific literacy, and seven other areas essential for examining our world and communicating your ideas.

Opportunities

  • Arts administration
  • Art conservation
  • Archives and special collections
  • Corporate curator
  • Museums, galleries, and historic houses
  • Newspapers and magazines
  • Historic preservation organizations
  • Art education programs
  • Appraisers/auction houses

Skills

  • Learn to interpret and create visual images
  • Gain real-world experience through internships and other institutional collaborations
  • Examine fundamental art history approaches and themes
  • Learn to think critically, conduct research, and communicate clearly through liberal arts classes
In a campus studio, a Drake Art History major finishes their project by sanding a piece of wood

Salary & Growth Outlook

$

Median salary for archivists, curators, and museum workers in 2024. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

"I have a lot of respect for curators. Their job is a lot harder than I thought it was. In my head, it was just house decoration…You have to be very knowledgeable on these subjects, so [that] when people ask you about it, you have an answer."
Grace Miller, AS’26
Art History

Related Programs

Each of Drake’s arts programs couples theory with practice, as well as a liberal arts background that lends context to your work.

Graphic Design, BA or BFA

Learn the fundamentals of art, build your talent, and prepare for a rewarding career in Drake University’s B.A. and B.F.A. in Graphic Design programs.

Graphic Design, BA or BFA

Learn the fundamentals of art, build your talent, and prepare for a rewarding career in Drake University’s B.A. and B.F.A. in Graphic Design programs.

Studio Arts, BA or BFA

You’re driven to create—it’s your passion and how you see your career unfolding. As a Studio Art major at Drake University, you’ll work with dedicated faculty committed to cultivating your talents as you hone your vision as a contemporary artist, working within areas such as painting, printmaking, drawing, or sculpture.

Take the Next Step

Art reflects the society that created it. See how an Art History degree from Drake can help you better understand people and their creative output.

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A Drake student sits cross-legged on a classroom floor to read art history books