The Art History community at American University interrogates power structures that underlie image-making and interpretation. As the only art history program dedicated to feminist study and its intersections, we are devoted to revisionist historical approaches that investigate a variety of human experiences in a global society. It is our collective endeavor to explore relationships between images, power, and identity in all dimensions, including gender, race, class, and sexuality.

Why Study Art History at AU?

Innovative Courses Taught by Leading Art Historians

Our art history curriculum offers breadth, depth, and access to outstanding professors who are leaders in their field. With approximately 40 undergraduate and 25 graduate students active in the program each year, the Art History Program is a close-knit community, and all students receive faculty mentorship throughout their time at AU.

Master's students can specialize in Italian Art: Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque; Modern European Art (18th to 21st century); American Art (18th to 21st century); or Asian Art (modern and contemporary). Undergraduate students can major or minor in art history and can tailor the degree to a specific area of focus.

Our Prime Location in Washington, DC

American University's campus is an 84-acre arboretum centered in a safe neighborhood close to Embassy Row. The Art History Program is located in a dramatically designed post-modernist building, the Katzen Art Center, which offers cutting-edge facilities and houses the American University Museum. Other world-renowned museums are just a Metro ride away, with the Tenleytown Metro stop accessible by a short walk or free shuttle bus service from campus.

Unique Opportunities Including Museum Studies

We offer several courses in museum studies and encourage all art history students to intern at the AU Museum or at one of the many prestigious museums in the DC area. This rigorous training provides students with valuable hands-on experience in museum practices. Our alumni have used internships as springboards to a variety of museum and art-related jobs in the DC area and beyond. They can be found in a wide range of professional careers in museums, galleries, auction houses, publishing, and many other areas.