Overview
The Art and Design History minor is offered through Parsons School of Design and Parsons Paris.
Art history is one of the broadest fields in the humanities, concerned not only with the nature of works of art—their form, style, and content—but also with the social, political, and cultural circumstances that shape them. This minor encourages a
lifelong understanding and appreciation of art and design, with opportunities to cultivate more advanced and specialized knowledge.
The Art and Design History minor requires successful completion of 18 credits across five subject areas, as outlined in the chart below.
Course availability may vary from semester to semester. Some courses may be in development and offered at a later time. Students seeking to pursue alternative coursework to fulfill the minor should consult with their advisors.
Curriculum
The table below shows courses offered on the Parsons campus in New York City. Visit the Parsons Paris website to view course offerings in Paris that fulfill
the requirements of the Art and Design History minor.
*ADHT faculty advisor permission required.
Learning Outcomes
A student who has completed this minor should be able to demonstrate:
- Competence in thinking, speaking, and writing clearly and effectively and communicating with precision, cogency, and rhetorical force
- In-depth knowledge of the tools and techniques of scholarship. Active research and the writing of analytical and critical essays should continue throughout the program
- Understanding of the social, cultural, and political dimensions of art and design throughout history through assigned readings and lectures
- Understanding of the key issues and debates of recent scholarship in art and design history and theory through exams, research papers, and literature reviews
- Competence in articulating a critical awareness of the potential of art and design as agents of social and political change throughout history, including the relationship between the production and consumption of art and issues such as gender, race,
and class
- Understanding of world history, reflected in the ability to address culture and history from a variety of perspectives
- In-depth understanding of the practice of art criticism, reflected in the ability to read and write in a variety of expository and creative modes
- Understanding of the relevance of fields related to art and design history, such as visual culture studies, material culture studies, philosophy, anthropology, and sociology
- Study in greater depth and precision of a specific culture and period in the history of art and/or design concentration in at least one area to the advanced seminar level
Eligibility
Minors are available to all undergraduate students across The New School. For questions regarding this minor's curriculum, including requests for course substitutions, please contact Mev Luna at lunam1@newschool.edu.