Overview

Art history is the exploration of art and architecture from ancient to contemporary times, in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. It’s museum studies, historiography, iconology, art criticism, connoisseurship, and research.
It’s studying aesthetics, and the context, form, and social significance of art throughout time and place.

Art history relates visual images back to questions of religion, politics, society, gender, economics, philosophy, and culture.

Students who pursue the Bachelor of Arts in Art History at Pennsylvania State University will acquire a thorough humanistic education that involves writing, speaking, and participating in group discussions, as well as developing a facility in at least one foreign language.
Majors are also encouraged to pursue a study abroad experience.

The major provides students with an excellent liberal arts background and prepares then for a range of career paths as well as for graduate study in art history.

Careers

Graduates of the art history program have found employment in museums, galleries, publishing, arts agencies, visual resources, archives and libraries, archaeology, historic preservation, and historic sites.

The two most common careers for art historians are teaching at the college level, or working in a museum as a curator, registrar, or director (among other possibilities).
These careers typically require a graduate degree, and the B.A. in art history is the perfect foundation for graduate study in the field.

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Pictures and Power
Rocks, Minerals, and the History of Art
Ancient to Medieval Art
Renaissance to Modern Art
Asian Art and Architecture
Art of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
The Art and Architecture of the Mayas, Aztecs, and Incas
Ancient to Medieval Architecture
Renaissance to Modern Architecture

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 48 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-08-24 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-06-15 00:00:00 , International
Starting 2027-01-11 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-10-01 00:00:00 , International
- Apply before 2026-12-01 00:00:00 , National

Language

English

Duolingo English Test

120

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IELTS

6.5

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Credits

120 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

University Park, United States

Disciplines

Art History View 851 other Bachelors in Art History in United States

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Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

Duolingo English Test

120

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

6.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

Application
Official secondary school records
Official test scores: SAT or ACT
English language proficiency, if your native language is not English

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

43290 USD / year

≈ 43290 USD / year
Out-of-State

41790 USD / year

≈ 41790 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

20644 USD / year

≈ 20644 USD / year

Living costs

University Park

United States

1000 - 1500 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

About

Overview

Careers

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Living costs

University Park

Funding

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Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

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