Bachelor of Arts in Art

Uncover a Career in Artistic Expression

The University of Texas at Tyler’s Bachelor of Arts in art program immerses you in cultural and aesthetic discovery. Acquire an understanding of historical context, formal and stylistic development, as well as the theories and scholarly methodologies that define the discipline. You’ll hone your writing, analytical and communication skills and have access to multiple experience-building and professional-development opportunities on campus and beyond.

Look ahead toward your future through two concentrations. General art combines art history, studio instruction and the liberal arts to prepare you for a career in K-12 art education, art therapy or as a practicing artist. The art history concentration analyzes techniques and themes from Paleolithic to contemporary eras to lay the foundation for a career as a museum curator, private collections or gallery manager.

Why Major in Art History at UT Tyler?

Nurture your curiosity through UT Tyler’s Bachelor of Arts in art program, which combines the instruction of a professional art school with an intensive liberal arts curriculum. Students, in turn, grow and refine their knowledge in preparation for a broad swath of creative careers — arts management, collection curating and art instruction, among other areas.

Whether you pursue general arts or art history, the bachelor’s in art fosters your passion through the following:

• Expert faculty: You’ll learn from engaged professors who are published art scholars and historians — authorities in their fields.
• Small class sizes: Art history classes are capped at 20 students. You’ll enjoy individualized attention from faculty who have a personal interest in your success.
• Superior facilities: Examine art from ancient to contemporary on the Tyler campus in facilities rated among the best in Texas and nationwide. The Fine Arts Complex features over 50,000 square feet of studio classrooms, as well as a media lab, lecture hall, seminar room and student studio spaces.
• Learning outside the classroom: ​​In-class instruction is supplemented by travel/study courses, exhibitions in campus galleries, department-sponsored trips to world-class museums and collections, and demonstrations and lectures by well-known artists and art historians.
• Internships: Gain experience in the museum, gallery or research fields with an internship with a professional art institution, such as the Tyler Museum of Art. Or, get practice curating exhibitions and collections through the UT Tyler Meadows Gallery.
• Networking: Make connections outside the classroom through the Studio Art and Art History Association, a student organization that coordinates art exhibits and lectures by guest artists and scholars.

What You’ll Learn

Specialize your degree in either general art or art history. The BA in art with a general art concentration refines your creative vision through studio art courses, such as painting, printmaking, drawing and sculpture.

The BA in art with a concentration in art history prepares you to look at works with a critical eye. Develop the context you need for this degree of analysis through courses in art history, a 12-credit-hour foreign language requirement and a minor. Students interested in pursuing graduate studies in art history should select the BA with a concentration in art history.

No matter the concentration selected, students receive a broad-based education spanning from ancient to contemporary art. All art majors experience contemporary and historic art and artists through department-sponsored programming, such as bus trips to regional museums or art collections, exhibition programming and on-campus visits from artists and scholars.

Art History Major Requirements  Art Major Requirements

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What Can You Do With a Bachelor’s Degree in Art?

Graduates possess a sophisticated view of visual culture, a distinct advantage in today’s world where images — whether in art, advertising, social media, fashion or film — have an ever-increasing influence on our culture.

Art historians work as archivists, arts administrators, journalists, curators, museum technicians, managers of private collections and conservators in museums, historical sites, governments, colleges and universities, corporations and other institutions. General art graduates, meanwhile, spark creativity as K-12 art teachers, art therapists, art directors or practicing artists.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of archivists, curators, museum technicians and conservators is projected to grow 12% through 2031, much faster than average. Our students start their future in this vast field as:

• Artist Assistants
• Community Art Education
• K-12 Art Education
• Museum Education Coordinator
• Museum Professional
• Curators
• Exhibition Coordinators
• Gallery Assistants
• Art Consultant
• Arts Writer
• Art Research Assistants