
Overview
Art History is a major offered by the School of Art, Design & Art History, a program within the College of Visual and Performing Arts.
Concentrations
Museum Studies
Admission and Progression Standards
Visit the Major Snapshots site to learn more about the admission and progression standards of this major.
Description of Major
Art History is an interdisciplinary field that offers students multiple ways to understand visual cultures from around the globe, both past and present. The field trains students in visual analysis skills to interpret our world; provides a deep understanding of how the arts can shape and change society; and serves as an exceptional vehicle for hands-on, professional experiences. These include on-campus museum, gallery, exhibition, journalism, media, and archival internships, as well as off-campus professional experiences in
Art History students can further concentrate
More About the Field
The history of art provides a long view of the forces that have informed how and what we see, know, and understand. Visual culture is and always has been a defining force in how people communicate and collaborate. Today visual media – including the Internet and social media – represent and shape some of the most important ideas in the world.
JMU Art History students study arts from around the globe. Our internationally-recognized professors offer one-on-one mentorship to students and represent an incredibly wide range of areas of expertise, from cutting-edge Contemporary Art in the US, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East to American art and architecture, including in the American South and across the country, American photography, and public art. The arts of
JMU Art History majors make lasting connections with JMU alums working around the world, across the U.S.
Study off-campus, both in the US and abroad, allows Art History majors to conduct on-site research and training in some of the world’s greatest art capitals. The Art History major hosts its own Spring Break study program in New York
Specialization
JMU Art History majors have built successful careers in the public and private sectors, in the commercial art world and the non-profit arena.
Our graduates have achieved highly competitive positions in major museums, including at Washington DC’s National Gallery of Art, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, and the Phillips Collection; Richmond’s Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Monticello in Charlottesville, Roanoke’s Taubman Museum of Art, Williamsburg’s Dewitt Wallace Decorative Art Museum, Winston-Salem’s Reynolda House Museum of American Art, the New Orleans Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum of Art, and New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.
In the commercial art world, they hold positions at Sotheby’s and Christie’s auction houses, and at leading galleries in New York City, including the most successful commercial gallery across the globe, the Gagosian Gallery. Our graduates apply their Art History training to the world of art finance and investment, as well as advising and managing the holdings of private art collectors. They also work as Communications specialists for communications and marketing firms serving the arts, including Resnicow and Associates, NYC.
In the non-profit arena, JMU Art History graduates work for the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington, DC, and Asheville’s Center for Craft, Creativity
Many entry-level positions can be obtained with an Art History major combined with a strong record of internship and professional experience. A three- or four-semester Master’s degree is often a stepping stone to more advanced positions. For some fields of Museum curating, and for university faculty positions, the Ph.D. is required.
JMU graduates have an impressive record of entrance and completion of graduate programs, both in Virginia and out-of-state, including with funding. Among these graduate programs are: the Virginia Commonwealth University’s MA in Art History; George Mason University’s MA in Management and Leadership in the Arts; the Smithsonian Associates-George Mason University’s MA in the History of the Decorative Arts; the College of William & Mary’s MA in American Studies; Virginia Tech’s MA in Material Culture and Public Humanities; the Sotheby's Institute of Art MA in Art Business (NYC); Christie's MA in Modern and Contemporary Art and the Market (NYC); Columbia University's MA in Modern and Contemporary Art (NYC); Delaware’s Winterthur Program in American Material Culture; Tufts University’s MA in Art History and Curatorial Studies (Boston, MA); Williams College and the Clark Art Institute’s MA in Art History (Williamstown, MA); London’s University of Westminster’s MA in Museums, Galleries, and Contemporary Culture Studies; Queen's University’s Ph.D. in Art History (Ontario, Canada); Rutgers University Ph.D. in Art History (NJ); and the City University of New York-Graduate Center’s Ph.D. in Art History.
Complementary Majors and Minors
Many Art History majors have taken on a second major or added a minor to enhance their profile depending upon their interests and career plans. Second majors or minors in the School of Art, Design and Art History are common, such as the Art Education Licensure or Art. Other disciplines that enrich student resumes include Foreign Languages, Film Studies, Nonprofit Studies, Educational Media; Communication Studies; Business; Public Policy and Administration; English; History; and Anthropology.
Faculty advisors work closely with students to knit their majors and minors together and to successfully match the interests and goals of every student.
Characteristics of Successful Students
Students with a deep passion for, and interest in, visual analysis, the visual arts
Careers
- Art Dealer
- Arts Archivist
- Art Appraiser
- Art Buyer
- Art Consultant
- Art Curator
- Art Director
- Art Educator
- Arts Administrator
- Arts Fundraiser
- Arts Investment Officer
- Art Collections Manager
- Art Conservationist
- Corporate Art Curator
- Creative Design Specialist
- Cultural Affairs Director
- Development Officer
- Exhibition Designer
- Gallery Assistant
- Gallery Director/ Owner
- Humanities and Arts Librarian
- Museum Curator or Director
- Museum Registrar
- Arts Public Events Coordinator
- Public Relations Specialist
- Publications Manager
- University faculty member
- Arts journalist or professional writer
Who Employs Graduates?
Art Museums, Advertising Agencies, Archives, Art Studios, Auction Houses, Book Publishers, Colleges and Universities, Galleries, Historical Societies, Historic Preservation Firms, Libraries, Magazine Publishers, Media Organizations, Newspapers, and Performing Arts Centers. Government Agencies such as Institute of Museum Services, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Arts, National Gallery of Art, National Museum of African Art, National Museum of American Art, Hirshhorn Museum, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.
Internships and Experiential Opportunities
The School of Art, Design, and Art History
Art History majors consistently are awarded off-campus internships in major museums, historic houses, and galleries, including the Smithsonian Museums of American Art, Washington’s National Gallery of Art, Richmond’s Museum of Fine Arts, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Brooklyn Museum of Art, among many others.
Students should consult with their advisors as early as possible to begin work on applying for on-campus and off-campus internship opportunities.
View our list of internship coordinators for each major.
Career Profiles
Archivists, Curators and Museum Workers
Museum Technicians and Conservators
Curators
Museum Technicians and Conservators
Additional Resources to Research Careers
- Handshake: view new internships and jobs that employers are looking to hire JMU students from your major
- Career Outcomes: see where alumni worked or studied right after graduating.
- GoinGlobal: learn more about employment opportunities overseas as well as H1B visa information for international Dukes pursuing jobs in the U.S.
Copyright
© University Career Center, James Madison University
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without permission from the JMU University Career Center. Content for each major has been written/reviewed by faculty in the respective department and is revised each year. Requests to update content can be submitted to career@jmu.edu.