History of Art Minor
History of Art introduces students to the history of art, architecture, and visual culture of world civilization from pre-history to the present. Courses emphasize the interrelation between art and the cultures that produced it, with special attention to social, economic, political, religious, and philosophical contexts.
This minor is open to all students with the exception of students enrolled in the Art History and Museum Professions, B.S. program. To declare your minor, please speak to your academic advisor for assistance.
The following requirements below are intended for students beginning Fall 2026.
Minor Coordinator:
Alexander Nagel
alexander_nagel@fitnyc.edu
| Complete five (5) HA courses, across at least three (3) global zones | ||
| Africa & West Asia | ||
| HA 121 | Cities and Civilizations: The Eastern Mediterranean World, c. 3000 BCE-1000 CE | 3 |
| HA 123 | African Art and Civilization | 3 |
| HA 126 | Islamic Art and Civilization | 3 |
| HA 206 | The Art, Architecture, and Archaeology of Ancient Egypt | 3 |
| HA 208 | Earth Matters: Art & Environment in Ancient Egypt and Western Asia | 3 |
| HA 230 | Modern and Contemporary African Art | 3 |
| HA 238 | Art and Design in North Africa | 3 |
| HA 239 | The History of African Textiles and Fashion | 3 |
| HA 250 | Study Abroad in Egypt: The Pyramids and Beyond | 3 |
| HA/FI 253 | Afrofuturist Art and Visual Culture | 3 |
| HA 258 | African Photography | 3 |
| HA 272 | Islamic Art and Mathematics (Interdisciplinary) | 3 |
| HA 318 | Repositioning Ancient Egypt and Rethinking Egyptology | 3 |
| HA 398 | Architecture and Faith: Ancient and Islamic Cities (Honors) | 3 |
| Asia & Oceania | ||
| HA 117 | East Asian Art and Civilization | 3 |
| HA 204 | History of East Asian Dress | 3 |
| HA 225 | Art and Civilization of India | 3 |
| HA 228 | Oceanic Art and Civilization | 3 |
| HA 229 | Korean Art and Civilization | 3 |
| HA 240 | Modern and Contemporary Korean Art | 3 |
| HA 271 | Japanese Art and Civilization | 3 |
| HA 303 | Tradition and Innovation in Asian Art and Design | 3 |
| FI 342/HA 327 | South Korean Cinema: From Cold War to the Present | 3 |
| HA 383 | Art of the Silk Road: Cross-Cultural Encounters (Honors) | 3 |
| Europe & North America | ||
| HA 111 | History of Art and Civilization in the Mediterranean and Beyond: Prehistory Through the Middle Ages | 3 |
| HA 112 | History of European Art and Civilization: Renaissance to the Modern Era | 3 |
| HA 201 | History of Fashion Photography | 3 |
| HA 205 | Italian Art in Context | 3 |
| HA 207 | Art and Architecture in Venice | 3 |
| HA 211 | Asian American Art and Design | 3 |
| HA 212 | Renaissance Art in Florence | 3 |
| HA 213 | Art and Architecture in Rome | 3 |
| HA 215 | History of Menswear in Europe and North America | 3 |
| HA 217 | History of Avant-Garde Film | 3 |
| HA 218 | Art and Myth in the Classical World | 3 |
| HA 219 | African American Art | 3 |
| HA 220 | History of Interior Design: The Modern Interior as Space and Image | 3 |
| HA 231 | Modern Art in Europe and North America | 3 |
| HA 232 | Dada and Surrealism | 3 |
| HA 234 | Warhol and Pop Art | 3 |
| HA 236 | Queering Art History in Visual Culture of Europe and the United States | 3 |
| HA 243 | History of Photography | 3 |
| HA 244 | Art and Architecture in Paris | 3 |
| HA 245 | Art of the United States | 3 |
| HA 247 | Medieval Art in Europe and the Mediterranean World | 3 |
| HA 252 | History of Russian and Soviet Film | 3 |
| HA/FI 263 | Fashion in Film | 3 |
| HA 300 | Art and Architecture of the Venetian Republic, c. 1100-1800 | 3 |
| HA 301 | Fashion and Impressionism (Honors) | 3 |
| HA 302 | Global Baroque | 3 |
| HA 304 | Holocaust Representation in Art (Honors) | 3 |
| HA 305 | History of 20th-Century Textile Design | 3 |
| HA 316 | The Bauhaus (1919-1933) and its Legacy in Modern Art and Design | 3 |
| HA 317 | Italian Renaissance Art and Civilization | 3 |
| HA 332 | Modern Architecture | 3 |
| HA 344 | European Fashion: Ancient Origins to Modern Styles | 3 |
| HA 345 | History of Industrial Design | 3 |
| HA 346 | History of Twentieth-Century Fashion in Europe and the U.S. | 3 |
| HA 382 | Beauty: The Human Ideal in Visual Culture (Honors) | 3 |
| HA 385 | Racism and Antiracism in Public Art and Architecture of the United States (Honors) | 3 |
| HA 394 | History of New York Architecture (Honors) | 3 |
| HA 396 | Art and Patronage in the Italian Renaissance (Honors) | 3 |
| HA 411 | Western Theories of Art | 3 |
| Latin America & Indigenous North America | ||
| HA 116 | Indigenous Art of North America | 3 |
| HA 124 | Mesoamerican Art and Civilization | 3 |
| HA 242 | From Textiles to Gold: Art of the Inka and Their Ancestors | 3 |
| HA 254 | Modern and Contemporary Latin American Art | 3 |
| HA 256 | Latin American and Caribbean Fashion | 3 |
| HA 323 | Luxury in the Indigenous Americas (Honors) | 3 |
| HA 395 | Studies in Indigenous Art of North America (Honors) | 3 |
| HA 397 | Studies in Maya Art and Culture (Honors) | 3 |
| Global | ||
| HA 114 | Prehistoric Art | 3 |
| HA 115 | Crossroads: Global Art and Its Histories, 1450-1750 | 3 |
| HA 118 | Introduction to Fashion History: Materials, Motifs & Meanings | 3 |
| HA 119 | World Textiles: History and Culture | 3 |
| HA 131 | Global Modern Art 1750-1950 | 3 |
| HA 202 | Feminist Art Histories, Theories, and Practices | 3 |
| HA 237 | Global Fashion: Ancient Origins to Modern Styles | 3 |
| HA 246 | Art and Social Justice in New York | 3 |
| HA 251/FI 234 | Film Genres: Horror | 3 |
| HA 255 | Eco-Visions in Art and Design | 3 |
| HA/FI 257 | Costume in Science Fiction and Fantasy Films | 3 |
| HA/FI 275 | Costume in Period Films | 3 |
| HA 306 | Far From Home: Travel Narratives and Art History (Honors) | 3 |
| HA 308 | Goddesses, Women, Power and Patronage in the Ancient World (Honors) | 3 |
| HA 309 | History of Business in the Visual Arts: 1800-2000 (Honors) | 3 |
| HA 313 | A Digital Art History | 3 |
| HA 319 | Art History and Conservation | 3 |
| HA 320 | Animals, Architecture, and Aesthetics | 3 |
| HA 322 | Contemporary Global Fashion History | 3 |
| HA 324 | Art and Technology since 1960 | 3 |
| HA/FI 329 | Surrealism in the Moving Image | 3 |
| HA 331 | Contemporary Art and Culture: 1945 to the Present | 3 |
| HA 333 | Contemporary Photography and New Media | 3 |
| HA 342 | History of Textile Design | 3 |
| HA 381 | The Word and the Page: A History of Writing and Books (Honors) | 3 |
| HA 462 | Art and Ethics | 3 |
| Does not count toward the (3) zone requirement | ||
| HA 214 | Art In New York | 3 |
Semesterly course offerings are subject to change.
Upon completion of the History of Art minor, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate cross-cultural visual literacy, enabling you to work effectively in globalized industries such as fashion, design, media, and marketing.
- Engage critically with global perspectives, identifying how historical forces like colonization, industrialization, and cultural exchange shape artistic production and interpretation.
- Demonstrate broad knowledge of global art histories and visual cultures, developing expertise across regions and time periods.
- Analyze visual materials in their cultural, political, and social contexts, cultivating critical thinking and interpretive skills relevant to careers in museums, editorial work, marketing, design, and education.
- Conduct research and present findings clearly and persuasively, preparing you for professional tasks such as writing trend reports, marketing materials, or scholarly publications.
- Apply interdisciplinary and global perspectives to art and design, supporting innovation in professions like fashion and textile design, brand storytelling, and museum education.
- Reflect upon the unique role of art for individual and collective expression