Course Descriptions

Note: Art History and Museum Professions is an interdisciplinary program drawing on courses from many FIT departments, particularly History of Art, Advertising and Marketing Communications, and other Liberal Arts departments.

Three courses that have been specifically designed for the Art History and Museum Professions major.

VA 321
Methods and Meanings in the Visual Arts
3 credits
Prerequisite: HA 112
For students majoring in Art History and Museum Professions, this course provides a foundation in visual analysis and a historical overview of museums, exhibitions, and art history. Writing skills relevant to art commentary and gallery management are emphasized.

VA 431
The Business of Art Museum Management
3 credits
Prerequisite: VA 321
Students build a firm knowledge of the business of managing an art museum; namely, how to achieve the institution's mission for the benefit of its diverse constituents. Students complete a group project covering the broad array of support activities that must be considered for the presentation of an exhibition.

VA 491
Senior Seminar: The Museum Exhibition
3 credits
Prerequisites: VA 431
Using a major current exhibition as a case study, students examine the entire process of creating an exhibition. Through readings, field trips, and presentations by art professionals, students track the trajectory of an exhibition, from its original concept to its final, realized form, and gauge the subsequent critical response.