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Urban Design and Architecture Studies Major
Major in Art History
The major comprises nine 4-point courses (36 points) as follows:
- Survey requirement (one of the following sequences):
- History of Western Art I (ARTH-UA 1) and History of Western Art II (ARTH-UA 2)
- History of Western Art I (ARTH-UA 1), Renaissance and Baroque Art (ARTH-UA 5), and Modern Art (ARTH-UA 6)
- History of Western Art II (ARTH-UA 2), Ancient Art (ARTH-UA 3), and Medieval Art (ARTH-UA 4)
- Ancient Art (ARTH-UA 3), Medieval Art (ARTH-UA 4), Renaissance and Baroque Art (ARTH-UA 5), and Modern Art (ARTH-UA 6)
(Students who choose option #2 or #3 must take a total of ten 4-point courses to complete the major. Students who choose option #4 must take a total of eleven 4-point courses to complete the major.)
- One 4-point advanced course in ancient or medieval art chosen from the following: ARTH-UA 101-105, ARTH-UA 110, ARTH-UA 150, ARTH-UA 201-205, and ARTH-UA 250
- One 4-point advanced course in Renaissance or baroque art chosen from the following: ARTH-UA 301-309, ARTH-UA 311, ARTH-UA 313, ARTH-UA 315, ARTH-UA 316, and ARTH-UA 350
- One 4-point advanced course in modern art chosen from the following: ARTH-UA 404, ARTH-UA 408, ARTH-UA 409, ARTH-UA 412-414, ARTH-UA 431-433, ARTH-UA 450, and ARTH-UA 701
- At least one 4-point course in non-Western art chosen from the following: ARTH-UA 510-511, ARTH-UA 530, ARTH-UA 531, ARTH-UA 540, ARTH-UA 541, ARTH-UA 550, ARTH-UA 560, and ARTH-UA 570
- One Advanced Seminar (ARTH-UA 800) to be taken during the junior or senior year. Students must have completed four art history courses before enrolling in an advanced seminar.
- Two ARTH-UA electives chosen from any courses other than those listed under the "survey requirement" above, or any approved course offered in another department or at an NYU study away site. Any course in the urban design and architecture studies program may be counted as an elective for the art history major. Other proposed substitutions must be discussed with and approved by the director of undergraduate studies prior to election of the course in question.
Major in Classics and Art History
For details of this interdepartmental major, refer to the description under the Department of Classics in this Bulletin. With prior departmental approval, students can count two courses from any single NYU study away site toward this major and may count a total of three courses from more than one site.
Major in Urban Design and Architecture Studies
This major requires nine 4-point courses (36 points). Students work with the program director to achieve career-oriented goals within the major. Course work must include the following:
- Survey requirement (two courses/8 points). Students take both:
- History of Architecture from Antiquity to the Present (ARTH-UA 601)
- Shaping the Urban Environment (ARTH-UA 661)
- A combination of core courses and cross-referenced courses, chosen from the following: ARTH-UA 104, ARTH-UA 105, ARTH-UA 205, ARTH-UA 301, ARTH-UA 302, ARTH-UA 408, ARTH-UA 409, ARTH-UA 602, ARTH-UA 650, ARTH-UA 662, and ARTH-UA 663
- Seminar requirement: at least one seminar chosen from ARTH-UA 670-679, ARTH-UA 681
Minor in Art History
Four 4-point ARTH-UA courses (16 points) that do not overlap in content. At least one must focus on non-western art, or on a field other than modern or contemporary.
Minor in Urban Design and Architecture Studies
Any four 4-point courses (16 points) from URDS offerings that do not overlap in content.
Granting of Credit for Departmental Majors and Minors
Credit toward the art history and urban design major or minor is granted only for courses completed with a grade of C or higher. Students cannot receive credit for both History of Western Art I (ARTH-UA 1) and Ancient Art (ARTH-UA 3) or Medieval Art (ARTH-UA 4); or for both History of Western Art II (ARTH-UA 2) and Renaissance and Baroque Art (ARTH-UA 5) or Modern Art (ARTH-UA 6), as their contents overlap.
Art history courses taken in the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development may not be double-counted for credit toward an art history minor. However, for Steinhardt students taking a minor in art history, the two-semester Steinhardt survey Art and Contemporary Culture is the prerequisite for advanced Renaissance, baroque, and modern courses. Art and Contemporary Culture II may only serve as the prerequisite for advanced modern courses.
Courses in the College Core Curriculum
Students majoring or minoring in art history or urban design and architecture studies are exempt from the College Core Curriculum's Expressive Culture requirement. Students who wish to have a Core Expressive Culture course (CORE-UA 720, CORE-UA 721, or CORE-UA 722) count for credit toward either major must secure the permission of the director of undergraduate studies for art history or the director of the urban design and architecture studies program.
Graduation with Departmental Honors
Students may graduate with departmental honors in art history or in urban design and architecture studies by successfully researching and writing a senior thesis. This represents the culmination of the work for the major and provides excellent preparation for graduate school. To be eligible for the honors program, students must have a GPA of 3.65 or higher at the conclusion of the junior year, both overall and in art history or in urban design and architecture studies. A student wishing to write an honors thesis must apply for admission to the program via the department NYU Classes site in early March of the junior year. For a complete description of all the honors thesis requirements, please visit our departmental NYU Classes site for honors-track students.
Work toward the senior thesis consists of two 4-point honors courses (ARTH-UA 801 and ARTH-UA 804) focusing on research methods and writing, accompanied by regular meetings with the supervising professor. The completed thesis, at least 30 to 40 pages in length, is read by a committee of three faculty members, including the supervising professor. The committee meets with the student for a thesis defense at the end of the academic year. Satisfactory completion of the thesis, in the committee's judgment, earns an honors degree. These two honors courses may replace the two electives required for the major.
Internship Policy
Under exceptional circumstances, the Department of Art History awards academic credit (2 points) for an internship accompanied by an independent study. Students must find a professor willing to supervise this study. Course work may include a written diary recording the student's work experience and will include a term paper relevant to the internship, to be approved by the supervising professor. The independent study must also be approved by the director of undergraduate studies. Please request an independent study form from the departmental office in Silver Center, Room 303.