Art History

Your Augustana art history major or minor will take you on a journey from Paleolithic cave paintings to contemporary art across multiple continents. Your exploration will begin with a survey of Western art—topping at about 25 students—to a senior seminar with a professor and four or five other students.

Your faculty advisor will work with you to focus and integrate your experience, including internships and/or work in The Augustana Teaching Museum of Art, toward the future you see for yourself.

This is why 100% of art history majors who have worked closely with their advisors have been admitted to graduate school in art history. Others use their majors to pursue law or medical school.

Many use their preparation and inspiration for college-level teaching; gallery or museum directing or curating; museum education, art conservation, arts advocacy, visual resource centers, auction houses, historic preservation or publishing.

See also our programs in art and graphic design.

Distinctions

• Through the extensive teaching collection in The Augustana Teaching Museum of Art, students view works of art as primary texts and historic documents, and can gain first-hand experience in museum operations and collections management.

• Augustana offers scholarships of $10,000 ($2,500 for up to four years) to students with a strong high school record and an interest in majoring in art history. This is on top of all other scholarships and grants from Augustana—including $2,000 with Augie Choice, to use towards living or travel expenses during study abroad, research or an internship.

• Working with faculty and career coaches in CORE, art history majors apply for summer-, semester- or year-long internships at major museums and arts organizations. Examples include the Quad Cities’ Figge Art Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

• All Augustana students participate in a Senior Inquiry capstone project. For art history majors, the research culminates in a paper and public presentation—excellent preparation for graduate school and careers in art history. Some majors also conduct research facilitated by the department’s Paul A. Anderson Chair in the Arts.

Recent grads

Monica Thompson ’21 is studying art law at Saint Louis University Law School in St. Louis, Mo.

Lauren Clapp ’19 is a behavioral health coordinator at University of Iowa Health Care in Iowa City, Iowa.

Comet Blecha ’18 is a designer and project manager at Plant Next Door in New York City.

Carli Hogan ’17 attends dental school at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wis.

Samantha Turner ’15 Lundeen is the director of marketing and events at DANK Haus German American Cultural Center, Chicago.

Sarah Berndt ’15 is the collections and education coordinator for the Porter County Museum in Valparaiso, Ind.

Elizabeth Jakaitis ’14 is the managing editor of The Elks Magazine in Chicago.

Liv Reinacher ’14 is the manager of art projects bei Landratsamt Augsburg In Augsburg, Germany.

Matt Bowman ’11 is pursuing his Ph.D. in art history, criticism and conservation, at the University of Iowa.