Art History

Are you passionate about art and how it intersects with cultures and technologies throughout time? If you’re interested in learning how multiple disciplines including history, economics, science and religion are reflected in tangible objects of visual culture, then earning an associate degree in art history at Aims can be a great way to begin your higher education journey.

Art historians are lifelong learners driven by curiosity, knowledge and storytelling. Their deep knowledge of the major artistic movements in history makes them an asset to museums, nonprofits, galleries, library systems and more. At Aims, you’ll study visual art and architecture and the technology and tools that make it possible, from ancient history through today.

Earning an associate degree in art history at Aims is an affordable path to getting your bachelor’s degree. Taking your general education degree requirements at Aims instead of a four-year school can save you substantial cost. Thanks to a statewide agreement between community colleges and universities, after completing your associate degree at Aims, you can transfer to any participating four-year public university in Colorado as a junior and earn your bachelor’s degree in art history. 

At Aims, your instructors, Pathway Advisor and Transitions Center Transfer Coach will work together to help your transfer go smoothly. 

If you’re interested in mythology and religion, art and history, and traveling back in time to connect these elements to what it means to be human, explore the art history associate degree program at Aims.

In the Aims art history degree program, you'll study an exciting array of subjects that will help you shape your career path. You’ll learn about the major artistic movements from ancient times through the present, including Western and non-Western art.

Some of the skills and knowledge you’ll gain in this program include:

• Art categorization
• Knowledge of artistic techniques and technologies
• Memorization of dates, artists, media and more
• Historical research
• Narrative storytelling
• Studio art skills

You’ll learn about visual art and architecture produced throughout history and how the technologies available in a given era influenced the types of visual art that were possible at the time. Your art history classes will teach you how to identify art from a given era and understand the context surrounding it. 

You’ll also take studio art classes as part of your art history degree program. These hands-on courses will give you an understanding of the effort involved in creating works of art. If you want to do a deep dive into a particular historical period or project, you can take up to four independent study credit hours, checking in with an instructor to mark your progress.

Depending upon your field of interest, your instructors and Pathway Advisor can help you choose general education and elective courses that are required for associate and bachelor’s degrees and will also help you develop the skills you will use in your career. Many art history students choose courses related to the skills and knowledge that art history majors and professionals need, including geology, foreign languages and public speaking.