Whether in education, curation, preservation or sales, art historians help interpret and conserve the art of the past and present. Careers in the field vary widely. Many students of the discipline go into museum jobs like curator, docent, exhibition technician, or preservationist, but there are a number of other fields in which this degree can be used.
Art historians are needed in education, both within and outside of museums, as well as in retail: be it in art galleries, appraisal companies and antique shops. An art history degree may also be used in specialized positions within law enforcement, governmental agencies, or consulting firms.
Sample Courses
Students in art history generally start with an overview of the major traditions and periods in art, including courses on ancient, medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, and contemporary art. Students can also take courses in studio art to complement their historical studies and provide deeper insight into the discipline. Often, undergraduates take courses in their freshmen or sophomore year about visual fundamentals and color theory, as well. As students continue in the major, they will likely take courses on methods of interpretation in art history, including iconography, semiotics, and social history. As upperclassmen, students usually specialize in a period or type of art.
Possible Specializations
Many students choose to specialize in one of the artistic periods mentioned, possibly focusing on a region, as well. Alternatively, students can specialize in the history of design, architecture, sculpture, or other types of art. Art history majors often have interdisciplinary majors or double majors, combining their studies in the art department with studies in anthropology, religion, history, literature, or philosophy.
Degree Types
The majority of positions for art historians require an advanced degree, whether those jobs are in museums, education, or journalism. Here's what students can likely do with each type of degree:
Associate
Art history students typically get associate degrees in order to transfer those to a 4-year college or university. By itself, an associate degree can earn students positions in retail, such as at antique dealer shops or art galleries, but will not qualify those students for most museum positions.
Bachelor's
Art history students with a bachelor's degree have numerous opportunities for employment. Entry-level jobs at museums, such as working as a docent, often require this degree and can be a means of moving forward in the field. Students can also go into publication or journalism related to art history.
Master's
Many art history students opt for a Master's degree, since this is often required for employment in museum positions like curation, conservation or preservation, though some of those positions will require a doctorate. Those who wish to teach art history will also need at least a master's degree.
Ph.D.
High-level museum curation, appraisal and conservation requires a doctorate, as do many jobs in art history academia. Students wishing to go into art litigation will need a law degree to go into governmental or private law firms.
Ideal Candidates for Art History
Students benefit from a flexible view of academia, since art history often involves interdisciplinary study. Courses call on students' analytical and critical thinking skills to examine and assess art, so students should be detail-oriented and enjoy solving complex problems. Communication skills are also essential, since the art historian's job is to communicate the meaning or interpretation of art to others, whether in a museum, gallery, academia or other realm.
Career Pathways
The employment outlook for art history students depends greatly on that person's chosen field. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, archivists, curators, and other museum workers will see that job field grow at an average pace of 11% over the next decade, with strong competition for jobs. On the other hand, professors and teachers of art history won't be in as much demand: this field will only grow by about 2%, though teaching jobs as a whole are expected to experience faster than average growth.
Museum workers, including curators, earn a median annual wage of $44,410, while professors generally earn somewhere near $73,650. Art teachers as a whole group earn a median annual salary of $62,160. Of course, salaries will depend greatly on the museum or educational institution at which the student finds employment, as well as depending upon that student's level of expertise or specialization.
If you want to learn more about what it means to be an art historian, connect with museums or professionals in your area. You can also reach out to art galleries, current students, and colleges and universities in order to learn more about this field.
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Journals
Published by the College Art Association, this journal strives to encompass art criticism, interconnect various forms of art and art history, and give publication voice to art historians and artists.
Published biennially by the National Gallery of Art, this journal "explores themes in the materiality and history of art, addressing all aspects of the discipline."
Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians
This blind peer-reviewed journal is published internationally and covers art history "of the built environment and spatial practice."
From one of the country's most prestigious art museums, this topical journal provides scholarly analysis of art both past and present.
An Oxford University Press publication, this journal touches on all areas of design history as well as the history of crafts and applied arts.
Trade Magazines
Touting itself as "The International Art Magazine," Apollo explores both current art as well as art history around the world, looking into areas less covered…
This magazine reports on all areas of the arts, including visual and performance, but also devotes space to art history investigation and analysis.
For those interested in southwestern art history, El Palacio reports on New Mexico's art and art history; it's also one of the oldest museum magazines in the…
This magazine, published by the American Museum of Folk Art, covers history features and interviews related to folk art in the United States.
Published by the Smithsonian Institution, this is one of the most widely read and respected magazines on art and art history in the United States.
This century-old magazine seeks to present "what is best and most interesting in the world of art," including features, debate, research and discovery.
Grants
Deadline: February 1
Award Amount: Up to $1,000
This grant from the FAIC is for imaginative and innovative art history and conservation projects that may not otherwise be funded; applicants must be Foundation members.
AAH Collaboration and Individual Awards
Deadline: May 1st and November 1st
Award Amount: £200- £5000
These grants from the AAH provide financial assistance for art history professionals in museums to undertake research or exhibition projects, both on an individual and collaborative basis.
American Academy in Berlin Fellowship
Deadline: TBD
Award Amount: $5,000 per month, plus room and board
This grant goes to art history professionals and other scholars to travel to Berlin for a semester or year and conduct research along with the American Academy in Berlin.
Deadline: February 1
Award Amount: $500
This grant for graduate students of art history funds travel to the annual CAA conference, which consists of lectures, sessions, and workshops that support art history professional development.
College Art Association Fellowship Grant
Deadline: October 1
Award Amount: $5,000
This grant is for art historians and artists in MFA or PhD programs; the financial award is to be used in job-search expenses, purchasing materials for work and other professional growth activities.
Deadline: December 1
Award Amount: £2,000
This grant from the AAH is open to undergraduate and graduate students of art history and is meant to help students organize travel that will contribute to their research in the discipline.
Scholarships
FAIC Individual Professional Development Scholarship
Deadline: February 15 and September 15
Award Amount: Up to $1,000
This scholarship is for FAIC members and is meant to help fund "seminars, courses, research or other continuing education endeavors" that add to applicants' professional development.
University of Oklahoma School of Art & Art History Scholarships
Deadline: March 1
Award Amount: Varies
The U of O offers over a dozen scholarships for both undergraduate and graduate students in the art history department; many scholarships require a 3.0 GPA or higher.
University of Utah Art History Scholarships
Deadline: February 1
Award Amount: Full tuition
Utah offers numerous scholarships for incoming freshmen interested in art history, as well as undergraduates in the field, in order to pay for students' full year tuition.
William and Mary Art History Scholarships
Deadline: First Monday in April
Award Amount: Varies
The College of William and Mary offers three art history scholarships to help students pursuing studies in that field pay for their college tuition; funds are directly credited to student accounts.
Art Table Summer Mentored Internship for Diversity in the Visual Arts Professions
Deadline: February 6
This internships is given to female undergraduate students, pairing participants with a one-on-one mentor to help guide the student into a career in arts administration, which may include art history.
Getty Foundation Graduate Internships
Deadline: TBD
The Getty Foundation offers numerous internships to graduate students in visual arts fields, including art history. Participants work at the Getty Center full-time for eight months.
Katzenberger Art History Internship Program
Deadline: February 15
This internship with the Smithsonian Institution is need-based and given to undergraduates who want to undertake research and collections projects over the summer.
Metropolitan Museum of Art: Cloisters Summer Internship for College Students
Deadline: January 14
This internship for eight undergraduates is specific to those interested in medieval art; participants will learn about the Met's collection and work with museum visitors and children's groups.
Metropolitan Museum of Art: Unpaid and Paid Internships
Deadline: March 6 and July 17
The Met offers undergraduate, graduate, and postdoc students the chance to gain "practical museum experience, as well as professional workplace and organizational skills."
Minneapolis Institute of Arts Internships
Deadline: October 1, March 1, June 1
The MIA offers students considering or pursuing careers in museum work who have already taken at least three art history courses; intern positions are project-oriented within a specific department.
National Gallery of Art Museum Profession Internship
Deadline: January 13
This internship is for art history students interested in a museum career; interns will work closely with professional Gallery staff and complete an independent research project.
National Gallery of Art Research Assistantships
Deadline: Rolling
These internships are for graduate students currently enrolled in a degree program and with a strong interest in collaborating with Gallery professionals on ongoing projects and programs.
Wisconsin Historical Society Archaeological Internships
Deadline: TBD
WHS offers internships for students of art history and archaeology; participants assist with projects and artifact preservation, help maintain project files, and work on field surveys and excavations.
Student Organizations
American Institution for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works
This organization aims to promote professional standards, education, research, and collaboration between art history professionals and the public.
Association of Historians of American Art
The AHAA's mission is to promote "scholarship on art of the United States from the European encounter with Native peoples to contemporary practice."
Association of Research Institutes in Art History
ARIAH consists of 24 member institutions that engage in art history scholarship, providing a networking platform and a means of developing projects and…
While devoted to the history of design, this organization also welcomes members from all areas of art scholarship and practice and strives to promote artistic…
A student honor society specific only to McDaniel College, this is one of the only Greek student organizations specifically devoted to the discipline.
Historians of Islamic Art Association
This organization is "dedicated to promoting the study and teaching of the art, architecture and archaeology of Islamic cultures world-wide."
Society of Architectural Historians
Focusing on art history in architecture, this organization serves both local and national individuals and institutions involved in the discipline.
Professional Organizations
Art Historians of Southern California
This organization, founded in 1959, strives to bring together art history professionals on the west coast to "engage in dialogue about the most current scholarship and professional practice."
The CAA, founded over a century ago, is made up of both professionals and advocates in art history and the arts in general; its mission is promoting arts education and development.