Art History
Students interested in pursuing the Art History concentration often start by taking one of the introductory ARTH courses: ARTH 150 (History of Urban Design), ARTH 160 (Introduction to East Asian Art), ARTH 170 (Introduction to Early European Art), or ARTH 180 (Introduction to Later European and American Art). For Art History concentration students, completing two of these courses is required for the major. Students who major in Art History should meet with a departmental advisor to plan their coursework and are encouraged to take additional language courses in order to enhance their research capabilities.
Placement Information
No placement exams are specifically required for the Art and Art History major.
Sample 4-Year Plan
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Curricular Notes
- 100-level ARTH electives satisfy 1-3 core requirements.
Studio Art
Students interested in pursuing the Studio Art concentration should complete the three introductory ARTS courses during their first and second years: ARTS 102 (Painting Fundamentals), ARTS 103 (Sculpture Fundamentals); and ARTS 105 (Printmaking Fundamentals). Because the maturation of creative work requires time as well as effort, students who major in studio art should consult with departmental advisors and begin taking studio courses as early as possible in their first year, and should declare a major early in the sophomore year.
Placement Information
No placement exams are specifically required for the Art and Art History major.
Sample 4-Year Plan
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Curricular Notes
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ARTS 101, ARTS 104, ARTS 106, and ARTS 109 may only be taken as electives and do not count as required introductory courses.
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Studio Art students should complete ARTH 180 by the end of the sophomore year, and ARTH 389 by the end of the junior year.
Transfer Credit Policies
All Majors, regardless of concentration, and Minors in Art and Art History must take 2/3 of their coursework in the Department of Art and Art History at Occidental College. For the Studio Art Concentration, the maximum number of units towards the major that may be taken outside of Occidental is 15 units. For the Art History Concentration, the maximum number of units towards the major that may be taken outside of Occidental is 14 units.
For Studio Art Transfer Credit in the Major or Minor: Students may only transfer in 100-level courses (or equivalent) to fulfill a major or minor requirement in the Studio Art Program: Equivalents to ARTS 102, ARTS 103, ARTS 107.
For Art History Transfer Credit in the Major or Minor: Students may only transfer in 100-level courses (or equivalent) to fulfill a major or minor requirement in the Art History Program: Equivalents to ARTH 150, ARTH 160, ARTH 170, ARTH 180.
Transfer Courses from Art Center College of Design: Students may apply ACCD courses as an elective for their major. ACCD courses are not transferable for the minor.
All students wishing to take a course from an institution other than Occidental must seek approval for transfer credit from the Department Chair prior to enrolling in a course (for example, summer courses, intersession courses) in order to avoid taking a course that may not be accepted for transfer credit. Students should reference the Transfer Credit section for details.
Exchange Program with the Art Center
Occidental students may take courses in the Art Center at Night Program at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. See the College Catalog section on the Art Center Exchange program available only to full-time Oxy students. These classes can count towards general college units for graduation but cannot fulfill Art and Art History major or minor requirements without pre-approval of the Art and Art History faculty adviser and department chair.