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Home Academics Programs and Majors Art History

Art History

Overview Degrees/Certificates Courses Faculty

Art History (ARTH) Courses

ARTH 300 Art Appreciation

  • Units:3
  • Hours:54 hours LEC
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Advisory:ENGWR 300
  • Transferable:CSU; UC
  • General Education:AA/AS Area I; CSU Area C1; IGETC Area 3A
  • C-ID:C-ID ARTH 100
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2024

This is an introduction to the visual arts and architecture in various world cultures. Lecture and discussion include an overview of different materials and techniques that are used for the visual arts, such as drawing, painting, sculpture, artifacts, architecture, and printmaking. Topics also include the study of theory, terminology, the meaning and function of art, roles of artists, elements of art, and principles of design to develop visual literacy.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  • analyze and evaluate different materials and techniques used for creating the visual arts and architecture.
  • identify, analyze, and discuss the roles of artists and functions of art and architecture in diverse cultures.
  • evaluate and critique works of art and architecture based on elements of art and principles of design and employ appropriate terminology.
  • differentiate art historical methodologies.

ARTH 303 Art Survey: Ancient to 14th Century

  • Units:3
  • Hours:54 hours LEC
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Advisory:ARTH 300 and ENGWR 300
  • Transferable:CSU; UC
  • General Education:AA/AS Area I; CSU Area C1; IGETC Area 3A
  • C-ID:C-ID ARTH 110
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2024

This course surveys western art from the prehistoric period to the 14th century. Topics include the relationship between the visual arts and culture, and changes in the visual arts and architecture from Paleolithic to Gothic.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  • identify, examine, and assess works of art and architecture from prehistoric through the medieval period employing appropriate art history terminology.
  • analyze, discuss, and differentiate works of art and architecture in terms of historical context and cultural values.
  • analyze, discuss, and differentiate the roles of art, architecture, and the artist from prehistory through the medieval period.

ARTH 304 Ancient Art

  • Units:3
  • Hours:54 hours LEC
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Advisory:ARTH 300 and ENGWR 300
  • Transferable:CSU; UC
  • General Education:AA/AS Area I; CSU Area C1; IGETC Area 3A
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2024

This course covers the development of Western art from the Prehistoric era through the Roman period. Lecture and discussion focus on the visual arts and architecture from the ancient Near Eastern, Egyptian, Greek, and Roman cultures. This is a required course for students seeking the A.A. in Art History.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  • identify and evaluate works of art and architecture from the prehistoric to ancient cultures.
  • analyze the creation and function of art.
  • demonstrate an understanding of different cultural, social, and religious influences to visual arts in Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Greek, and Roman cultures.
  • analyze meanings and purposes of art and architecture.

ARTH 306 Medieval Art

  • Units:3
  • Hours:54 hours LEC
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Advisory:ARTH 300 and ENGWR 300
  • Transferable:CSU; UC
  • General Education:AA/AS Area I; CSU Area C1; IGETC Area 3A
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2024

This course is an introduction to Medieval arts and architecture from the fall of Roman Empire through late Gothic period. The lecture and discussion include the Early Christian, Byzantine, Celtic, Islamic, Romanesque, and Gothic arts. This is a required course for students seeking the A.A. in Art History.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  • identify and evaluate the visual arts and architecture from the Medieval period in Europe.
  • analyze different stylistic changes in the visual arts and architecture during the Medieval period.
  • evaluate different cultural, social, and religious influences on the visual arts and architecture during the Medieval period.
  • research and analyze meanings and functions of arts and architecture.

ARTH 307 Italian Renaissance Art

  • Units:3
  • Hours:54 hours LEC
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Advisory:ARTH 300 and ENGWR 300
  • Transferable:CSU; UC
  • General Education:AA/AS Area I; CSU Area C1; IGETC Area 3A
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2024

This course introduces the visual arts and architecture of Italy from duecento (13th century) through cinquecento (16th century). Topics include the relationship between the visual arts and culture, and artists and their works from Proto-Renaissance, Renaissance, High Renaissance, and Mannerism.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  • identify works of art from duecento (13th century) through cinquecento (16th century) in Italy.
  • compare and contrast the characteristics of art movements and the artists' works in Italy.
  • compare and contrast the relationship between the visual arts and culture in Italy.
  • research and analyze the Italian visual arts and architecture from duecento through cinquecento.

ARTH 309 Art Survey: Renaissance to 19th Century

  • Units:3
  • Hours:54 hours LEC
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Advisory:ARTH 300 and ENGWR 300
  • Transferable:CSU; UC
  • General Education:AA/AS Area I; CSU Area C1; IGETC Area 3A
  • C-ID:Part of C-ID ARTH 120
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2024

This course is a survey of art from the Proto-Renaissance (13th and 14th centuries) to Romanticism (19th century). The course examines paintings, sculptures, graphic art, artifacts, and architecture from western culture.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  • identify, examine, and assess representative works of art and architecture from the Renaissance to 19th century employing appropriate art historical terminology.
  • analyze, discuss, and differentiate works of art and architecture in terms of historical context and cultural values.
  • analyze, discuss, and distinguish the roles of art, architecture, and artists from Renaissance to 19th century.

ARTH 311 Art Survey: Modern Art

  • Units:3
  • Hours:54 hours LEC
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Advisory:ARTH 300 and ENGWR 300
  • Transferable:CSU; UC
  • General Education:AA/AS Area I; CSU Area C1; IGETC Area 3A
  • C-ID:C-ID ARTH 150; Part of C-ID ARTH 120
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2024

This course is a survey of modern art from Neoclassicism to contemporary art, from 18th century to 21st century. Through lecture and discussion, the course examines visual arts and architecture from Europe and America.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  • identify, examine, and assess representative works of art and architecture from the art historical periods covered in this course employing appropriate art historical terminology.
  • analyze, discuss, and differentiate works of art and architecture in terms of historical context and cultural values.
  • analyze, discuss, and distinguish the roles of art, architecture, and the artist from the art historical periods covered in this course.

ARTH 312 Women in Art

  • Units:3
  • Hours:54 hours LEC
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Advisory:ARTH 300 and ENGWR 300
  • Transferable:CSU; UC
  • General Education:AA/AS Area I; AA/AS Area VI; CSU Area C1; IGETC Area 3A
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2024

This is a survey course of women's art: how women are portrayed in the visual arts and the study of female artists and their works from the Middle Ages through the 21st century. The lecture and discussion include both European and non-European arts of women artists; analysis of women of diverse ethnicity and how their ethnic backgrounds shaped their arts; comparison and contrast of works by women of diverse groups; and comparison and contrast between the portrayals of men and women by male and female artists.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  • identify and evaluate the significant contributions made by female artists from the Middle Ages to contemporary visual arts.
  • distinguish the works of art produced by female artists.
  • evaluate how men and women are depicted as subjects in the visual arts by male and female artists.
  • research and analyze works of art produced by female artists.
  • analyze how ethnic backgrounds of female artists shaped their works.

ARTH 318 History of American Art

  • Units:3
  • Hours:54 hours LEC
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Advisory:ARTH 300 and ENGWR 300
  • Transferable:CSU; UC
  • General Education:AA/AS Area I; CSU Area C1; IGETC Area 3A
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2024

This course covers American art from pre-colonial period to the present day. Lecture and discussion include visual arts and architecture of the Native Americans prior to the arrival of Europeans and Colonial periods, Early American art and architecture, 19th century, 20th century, and the early 21st century American arts.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  • recognize and identify the visual arts and architecture from the pre-colonial period to the present day America.
  • compare and contrast the different meanings and functions of the visual arts and architecture from the pre-colonial to the present day.
  • analyze meanings and functions of the visual arts and architecture.
  • analyze the relationship between the visual arts and American culture.

ARTH 324 Art of the Americas

  • Units:3
  • Hours:54 hours LEC
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Advisory:ARTH 300 and ENGWR 300
  • Transferable:CSU; UC
  • General Education:AA/AS Area I; AA/AS Area VI; CSU Area C1; IGETC Area 3A
  • C-ID:C-ID ARTH 145
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2024

This course covers the visual arts and architecture of Indigenous Mesoamerica and South America. Topics include the relationship between art and beliefs, materials and techniques used in art and architecture, and comparison and contrast between the Mesoamerican and South American cultures.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  • identify and evaluate the visual arts and architecture from Mesoamerican and South American cultures.
  • compare and contrast the stylistic changes in the visual arts and architecture among the Indigenous Mesoamerican and South American cultures.
  • research and analyze the meanings and functions of the visual arts and architecture.
  • evaluate the relationship between the art and cultures from Indigenous Mesoamerican and South American cultures and the ideas of ethnicity, ethnology, ethnocentrism, and racism in the study of art.

ARTH 325 Native American Art History

  • Units:3
  • Hours:54 hours LEC
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Advisory:ARTH 300 and ENGWR 300
  • Transferable:CSU; UC
  • General Education:AA/AS Area I; AA/AS Area VI; CSU Area C1; CSU Area C2; IGETC Area 3A; IGETC Area 3B
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2024

This course is an introduction to the art and culture of Native American peoples. It will include the native peoples of the Arctic and Subarctic regions, the Northwest Coast, the Eastern Woodlands, including the Iroquois Confederacy, the Plains, the Southwest, and California. Contemporary Native American art will also be discussed. Comparisons between individual Native American cultures will be drawn, as well as comparisons between Native and Eurocentric cultures.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  • interpret different beliefs and their influence to the Native American cultures.
  • identify and evaluate the visual culture of Native American peoples.
  • analyze the role of art in Native American culture throughout history.
  • critique and analyze the contribution of Native American artists in contemporary arts.

ARTH 328 Survey of African Art

  • Units:3
  • Hours:54 hours LEC
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Advisory:ARTH 300 and ENGWR 300
  • Transferable:CSU; UC
  • General Education:AA/AS Area I; AA/AS Area VI; CSU Area C1; IGETC Area 3A
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2024

This course covers the visual arts and architecture of Africa. Topics include cultural and philosophical background of African arts, materials and techniques used, and the impact of African art to Western art.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  • recognize and identify the visual arts and architecture of the African cultures.
  • distinguish stylistic changes in art and architecture from prehistoric to modern time in Africa.
  • evaluate African art and architecture within their cultural and historical contexts.
  • compare and contrast the impact of ethnicity, ethnology, ethnocentrism, and racism in art.
  • research and analyze meanings and functions of the visual arts and architecture in Africa.

ARTH 330 Survey of African-American Art

  • Units:3
  • Hours:54 hours LEC
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Advisory:ARTH 300 and ENGWR 300
  • Transferable:CSU; UC
  • General Education:AA/AS Area I; AA/AS Area VI; CSU Area C1; IGETC Area 3A
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2024

This course covers the visual arts and architecture of black artists in America. Topics include the roots of African-American art, the Harlem Renaissance, and the political and social representations of the African-American culture.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  • recognize and identify the visual arts and architecture by African-American artists from the colonial period to the contemporary period in America.
  • distinguish the stylistic changes in art and architecture among African-American artists and their works.
  • evaluate and recognize African-American artists' social and political issues in their art.
  • interpret the unique contributions that African-American artists and architects have made in the history of American art and architecture.
  • research and analyze meanings and functions of art and architecture by African-American artists and architects.

ARTH 332 Asian Art

  • Units:3
  • Hours:54 hours LEC
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Advisory:ARTH 300 and ENGWR 300
  • Transferable:CSU; UC
  • General Education:AA/AS Area I; AA/AS Area VI; CSU Area C1; IGETC Area 3A
  • C-ID:C-ID ARTH 130
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2024

This course is a survey of Asian arts and architecture from the Prehistoric era to the contemporary. The course examines arts from China, India, Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, and Sri Lanka. The lecture and discussion include the development of Eastern philosophy and beliefs; their relationship to the visual arts; and comparison and contrast between Asian and Western arts.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  • identify and evaluate works of art and architecture from Asian cultures including India, China, Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Thailand, and Sri Lanka.
  • evaluate different cultural, social, and religious influences on the visual arts and architecture in Asian cultures.
  • distinguish the roles and contributions of the visual arts and artists in Asian cultures and their influence on Western art.
  • analyze similarities and differences between Asian and Western art.
  • research and analyze the meanings and functions of the visual arts in Asian cultures.

ARTH 333 Introduction to Islamic Art

  • Units:3
  • Hours:54 hours LEC
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Advisory:ENGWR 300
  • Transferable:CSU; UC
  • General Education:AA/AS Area I; AA/AS Area VI; CSU Area C1; CSU Area C2; IGETC Area 3A; IGETC Area 3B
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2024

This is a survey course that studies the art and culture of the Middle East. It primarily focuses on Islamic art and architecture and provides fundamental information on the formation of Islamic art, its history and philosophy. Students will learn to identify works of art produced by artists from Muslim countries and regions. They will also be able to describe verbally and in writing characteristics and key elements in Islamic art and architecture. This course will include but not be limited to visual examples from Arabic, Persian and Indian cultures.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  • evaluate the influential elements in the formation and production of Islamic art considering the social, political and historical backdrop against which Islamic art flourished, including the role of the unorthodox interpretation of Islam relating to artistic endeavors .
  • demonstrate an awareness of the critical issues within the field of "Islamic art" such as the use of the term “Islamic” in Islamic art and the application of methodology in the interpretation of the art.
  • demonstrate knowledge of and analyze comparatively examples of the various branches of the art and architecture and the relating arts, for example the art of the book, calligraphy and book illumination as part of the art of the object, and religious and secular architecture and the building decorative arts as seen in the realm of architecture.
  • analyze the mutual impact of Islam and other cultures both in the East and the West and identify the elements of mutual appropriation in their visual art.

ARTH 495 Independent Studies in Art History

  • Units:1 - 3
  • Hours:54 - 162 hours LAB
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Transferable:CSU
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2024

This course involves a student working individually on a topic of study and research beyond the scope of regularly offered courses. Upon the approval of the proposed topic, the student will work and keep in contact with the advisory faculty to successfully complete the topic study. Students may take this course up to four times without duplication of the topics.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:

  • discuss and analyze the visual arts and architecture on the topic of study.
  • evaluate the relationship between a culture and the visual arts and architecture on the topic of study.
  • identify major works of art and architecture on the topic of study.
  • research the visual arts and architecture on the topic of study.

ARTH 499 Experimental Offering in Art History

  • Units:0.5 - 4
  • Prerequisite:None.
  • Transferable:CSU
  • Catalog Date:August 1, 2024

This is the experimental courses description.

Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

Liberal Arts and Social Sciences icon

This program is part of the Liberal Arts and Social Sciences meta-major.

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