BA Art History at University of Alabama

Programme overview

The BA in Art History studies art within historical periods, formal analysis, the social production of art, and the role of museums and galleries in contemporary culture. It requires 36 hours in the major plus a minor, within a 120-hour degree. No high school studio art or art history is required.

Faculty: J. Frank Barefield Jr. College of Arts and Sciences | Department: Department of Art and Art History | Duration: 120 semester credit hours | Study mode: full-time | Location: Tuscaloosa, AL, United States

What you will study

Two survey courses (ARH 254, 255 or 256), 9 hours of upper-level ARH electives, 3 hours of non-Western art, 9 hours of ARH electives, ARH 490 Theories and Methods, and a 400-level seminar as senior capstone, plus 3 hours of ART electives.

Career pathways

Art librarianship, K-12 art teaching, museum and gallery work, public arts organizations and private galleries; curatorial work and university teaching generally require graduate study.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

There is no formal admissions process to the Art History BA program beyond the general UA admissions process. Students are expected to formally declare a major no later than the fourth semester of full-time enrollment (or at 61 semester hours for transfer students). Students can declare a major by meeting with an academic advisor. University-level freshman admission (not programme-specific): 4 units English, 3 units mathematics, 3 units natural sciences (two with labs) and 10 other academic units; ACT or SAT is required if the cumulative high school GPA is below 3.0 for 2027 entry (all applicants for 2028 entry).

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Entry terms: Fall, Spring and Summer (the admissions page lists Spring, and Summer/Fall priority deadlines).

First-year priority deadlines: November 2 for Spring entry and December 4 for Summer/Fall entry. Applications are accepted through the UA Undergraduate App, and first-time freshmen may also apply through the Common App.

Transfer priority deadlines: October 1 for Spring entry and March 1 for Summer/Fall entry. The application fee is $50 (nonrefundable); Alabama residents applying via the UA Undergraduate App pay no fee.

First-year applicants for a 2027 entry term must submit an ACT or SAT score if their cumulative high school GPA is below 3.0; all students applying to enroll in 2028 must submit test scores.

Apply through the official page: https://admissions.ua.edu/apply/

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