History of Art and Visual Culture B.A.

Information and Policies

Introduction

The history of art and visual culture (HAVC) curriculum guides students in acquiring skill in critical thinking about art and visual culture, leading to a bachelor of arts (B.A.) degree. The lower-division HAVC courses numbered 10-85, intended for general education students and prospective majors, provide an introduction to the field of visual culture according to geographic areas and visual traditions within those areas. Upper-division HAVC courses numbered 110-189 cover a broad range of issues in various aspects of world cultures from earliest times to the present. The most advanced HAVC courses, numbered in the 190-191 series, are taught in seminar format. Students also have the opportunity to take independent study courses and write senior theses.

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates from the history of art and visual culture B.A. program will have demonstrated the following:

Program Learning Outcome (PLO) 1: Breadth of Cultural Knowledge

Students will be able to demonstrate an appreciation for, and foundation in, visual studies grounded in a range of historical, social, cultural, and ideological perspectives.

PLO 2: Critical Thinking

Students will be able to apply critical thinking skills that will enable them to analyze and solve problems through observation, experience, reflection, interpretation, analysis, evaluation, and/or explanation of visual, material, and historical cultural forms and values. Students will demonstrate critical thinking skills through oral and/or written communication.

PLO 3: Research Proficiency

Students will be able to formulate research questions that expand their knowledge of art and visual culture. Students will be able to apply research methods to answer these questions by consulting the current literature and developing independent results through archival, library, or field research.

PLO 4: Written Communication

Students will be able to present clear visual and historical analysis and interpretation in writing. Students will be able to demonstrate standard writing conventions in visual studies appropriate to purpose and context.

Academic Advising for the Program

Undergraduate Advisor

The undergraduate advisor offers specific information about navigating through the program and the curriculum and assists students with academic planning, requirements, policies and procedures, learning support, scholarships, and enrichment opportunities. Please contact the HAVC undergraduate advisor at havc@ucsc.edu.

Faculty Advisors

Faculty are the best resource for learning about the philosophies and foundations of history of art and visual culture. Faculty advisors can work individually with students to develop a specific course of study, recommend additional courses of interest, and discuss long-term career goals including education beyond the baccalaureate. A faculty advisor is selected by the student within one quarter of declaring the major or minor. Students choose a faculty advisor who specializes in their field of interest within HAVC.

Getting Started in the Major: Frosh

The HAVC major is not highly sequential or course intensive. Although it is advisable to begin taking courses toward the major in the first year, it is not required.

Lower-Division Coursework

It is recommended that students begin by taking four lower-division HAVC courses, each from a different geographic region. Students are encouraged to consult with the HAVC undergraduate advisor to develop a plan of study.

Languages

Though not required, all majors are encouraged to study at least one foreign language. Graduate programs in visual culture, art history, and other related disciplines generally require competence in one or more languages beyond English. Students are encouraged to consult with their faculty advisor to discuss an appropriate course of language study.

Transfer Information and Policy

Transfer Admission Screening Policy

Students may pursue the HAVC major even if they did not list it on their application. Students planning to apply in this major are not required to complete specific major preparation courses for consideration of admission to UC Santa Cruz. Transfer students are, however, encouraged to complete some of their lower-division history of art and visual culture requirements prior to transfer. Refer to the ASSIST articulation agreements at www.assist.org for approved lower-division courses offered at California community colleges. Transfer credit for courses from four-year institutions or for community college courses not included in the ASSIST system is evaluated on a case-by-case basis; students must submit a Petition for Transfer Credit, Substitution, or Waiver and course syllabus to the HAVC Department for review.

A student may transfer up to three lower-division and two upper-division art history courses toward the major. HAVC majors must take a minimum of eight regularly scheduled HAVC courses. Please keep in mind that the four lower-division courses required for the HAVC major must each satisfy a different geographic region.

Prospective students are also encouraged to complete the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) or to complete all UC Santa Cruz general education requirements before matriculation. Transfer students are strongly encouraged to contact the HAVC undergraduate advisor prior to enrolling in their first quarter at UC Santa Cruz by emailing havc@ucsc.edu.

Getting Started in the Major: Transfer Students

Students seeking to declare the HAVC major should consult with the undergraduate advisor. Please email havc@ucsc.edu.

Major Qualification Policy and Declaration Process

Major Qualification

To be eligible to declare the major, students must pass two lower-division HAVC courses, each from a different geographic region listed below:

• HAVC courses 10-19: Africa and its Diaspora

• HAVC courses 20-29: Asia and its Diaspora

• HAVC courses 30-49: Europe and the Americas

• HAVC courses 50-59: Mediterranean

• HAVC courses 60-69: Native Americas

• HAVC courses 70-79: Oceania and its Diaspora

HAVC 80 may be used to fulfill a lower-division requirement for one of the following geographic regions: 10s (Africa), 60s (Native Americas), or 70s (Oceania). 

Upper-division HAVC courses may also be used to meet the major qualification criteria, as long as the lower- and upper-division courses cover two different geographic regions. 

Appeal Process

The HAVC Department will make every effort to support students in declaring their major. Students who are informed that they are not eligible to declare the major may appeal this decision by submitting a letter to the department chair within 15 days from the date of the notification. Within 15 days of receipt of the appeal, the department will notify the student and college of the decision. Students should submit their appeal via email to havc@ucsc.edu.

How to Declare a Major

Petition to declare your major as soon as you have met qualification requirements and/or reach your declaration deadline quarter, whichever comes first.

Step 1: Log into MyUCSC and click the link to submit the Petition for Major/Minor.

• If you are not logged into MyUCSC prior to clicking the petition link, you will need to navigate to your Student Homepage and select the Undergraduate Student eForms tile > Petition for Major/Minor to access the form.

Step 2: Schedule an advising appointment with the undergraduate advisor to develop an academic plan and review important information. This step is required to successfully declare. Please schedule an appointment via Navigate Slug Success.

Letter Grade Policy

Only courses completed with grades of C or better (or Pass) may be used to satisfy major requirements. Courses in which students receive a grade of C-, D+, D, D- or F cannot be used to satisfy major requirements. The HAVC major does not impose any limits on selecting the Pass/No Pass grading option to fulfill major requirements, but the university has an overall limit on how many courses can be taken Pass/No Pass. Please consult with your college academic advising office or the Office of the Registrar regarding those limits.

Course Substitution Policy

For the major, a student may transfer up to three lower-division and up to two upper-division art history courses taken from other institutions. Students must submit a Petition for Transfer Credit, Substitution, or Waiver and course syllabus to the HAVC Department for review.

Study Abroad

UC Santa Cruz Global Learning provides excellent opportunities to take courses related to history of art and visual culture in a range of locations. The department strongly encourages HAVC majors and minors to take advantage of these educational opportunities. Students who wish to petition for credit toward HAVC major requirements for courses taken abroad must submit a Petition for Transfer Credit, Substitution, or Waiver upon their return (courses do not automatically satisfy major requirements). Petitions are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. We look for evidence that the course(s) provided critical analysis of the class material in its social and cultural context, as well as significant reading and writing requirements. Please retain all relevant documentation (syllabi, reading lists, papers written, etc.) to support your case, and consult with the HAVC undergraduate advisor to plan your courses in advance.

Honors

Honors and Highest Honors in the Major

Honors and highest honors are awarded in the history of art and visual culture major to students who have shown a consistently outstanding level of performance throughout their coursework and maintained a superior GPA in the major.  These distinctions are earned by only a small percentage of each graduating class. This notation appears on the transcript as well as on the diploma. 

• Honors in the major are awarded to students with a GPA of 3.7 and above in all HAVC courses and with HAVC Department approval.*
• Highest honors in the major are awarded to students with a GPA of 3.9 and above in all HAVC courses and with HAVC Department approval.*

* Department approval is guided by consideration of criteria such as overall performance in HAVC coursework and the number of courses taken for a letter grade.

Honors in the Senior Comprehensive Requirement

All seniors must complete one HAVC seminar (courses in the 190-191 series) as their “senior exit” course to satisfy the senior comprehensive requirement. Seminars can be taken for senior exit credit only by permission of the instructor. Within the context of this advanced seminar, students will work under the close supervision of their professor to produce a written project that demonstrates a high level of achievement in research, writing, and critical thinking. Students whose performance is outstanding are eligible for honors in the senior comprehensive requirement.

Careers

The preparation students receive from the bachelor of arts (B.A.) degree in HAVC can lead to successful careers in education, law, business, and social services, in addition to more disciplinary-specific careers in museum curating, art restoration, library and information science, heritage studies, design, criticism, arts education and administration, and advanced studies in architecture, visual culture, and art history.

General Major

Course Requirements

The HAVC major requires four lower-division and nine upper-division courses for a total of 13 courses, including the satisfactory completion of the senior comprehensive requirement. Students must take courses in each of the six different geographic regions listed below to ensure cultural, methodological, and disciplinary breadth.

• For course offerings that satisfy specific geographic regional requirements, please see the Course List by Geographic Region.
• For a tentative list of courses offered this academic year, please visit the HAVC website.  
• For a comprehensive list of all HAVC courses, please see the 'Courses' section of the general catalog.

Lower-Division Courses

Take four lower-division courses, each from a different geographic region listed below:

• HAVC courses 10-19: Africa and its Diaspora
• HAVC courses 20-29: Asia and its Diaspora
• HAVC courses 30-49: Europe and the Americas
• HAVC courses 50-59: Mediterranean
• HAVC courses 60-69: Native Americas
• HAVC courses 70-79: Oceania and its Diaspora

HAVC 80 may be used to fulfill a lower-division requirement for one of the following geographic regions: 10s (Africa), 60s (Native Americas), or 70s (Oceania). 

Upper-Division Courses

Take the following course:

HAVC 100A fulfills the Disciplinary Communication (DC) requirement for the HAVC major. Students are recommended to complete this course during winter quarter of their sophomore year. It is a prerequisite for the senior comprehensive requirement. If not completed by winter quarter of their junior year, students may have difficulty enrolling in a seminar to fulfill their senior comprehensive requirement, potentially delaying graduation.

Plus two upper-division geographic regional courses:

Take two upper-division geographic regional courses, one each from the two geographic regions not studied at the lower-division level. These are:

• HAVC courses 110-119: Africa and its Diaspora
• HAVC courses 120-129: Asia and its Diaspora
• HAVC courses 130-149: Europe and the Americas
• HAVC courses 150-159: Mediterranean
• HAVC courses 160-169: Native Americas
• HAVC courses 170-179: Oceania and its Diaspora

Plus five upper-division electives:

These are any HAVC courses numbered 110-191.

The department encourages students to take cross-regional and topical courses. These are HAVC courses numbered 180-189, which can fulfill upper-division major elective requirements but do not fulfill specific regional requirements. 

Plus one senior exit seminar:

HAVC seminar courses are numbered 190-191. The senior exit seminar can be taken any quarter in which a student is in senior standing. Seminars can be taken for senior exit credit only by permission of the instructor. 

Disciplinary Communication (DC) Requirement

Students of every major must satisfy that major’s upper-division Disciplinary Communication (DC) requirement. Students in HAVC meet the DC requirement by completing:

Comprehensive Requirement

All seniors must complete one HAVC seminar (courses in the 190-191 series) as their “senior exit” course to satisfy the senior comprehensive requirement. Seminars can be taken for senior exit credit only by permission of the instructor. Within the context of this advanced seminar, students will work under the close supervision of their professor to produce a written project that demonstrates a high level of achievement in research, writing, and critical thinking. Students whose performance is outstanding are eligible for honors in the senior comprehensive requirement.

Planners

The tables below are for informational purposes and do not reflect all university, general education, and credit requirements. See Undergraduate Graduation Requirements for more information. Some general education requirements may be satisfied with HAVC courses. 

Please note that LD = lower-division and UD = upper-division. 

Four-Year Freshman Planner

*WRIT 2 must be taken before enrolling in HAVC 100A, and should always be taken in or before spring quarter of the second year.

In addition to the specific courses shown in this four-year planner, students must complete all general education requirements, some of which may be satisfied by HAVC courses.

Two-Year Transfer Planner

Concentration in Curation, Heritage, and Museums

This program is for HAVC majors who wish to pursue the study and practice of curation, heritage, and museums. Students will expand on the broad knowledge they gain through the major by means of a variety of historical, theoretical, and practical courses within the domains of curation, museum studies, and critical cultural heritage studies. Students can use the concentration as a launching point toward internships or jobs in museums or cultural heritage institutions or to identify their interests for future graduate study.

Course Requirements

The HAVC major requires four lower-division and nine upper-division courses for a total of 13 courses, including the satisfactory completion of the senior comprehensive requirement. Students must take courses in each of the six different geographic regions listed below to ensure cultural, methodological, and disciplinary breadth.

• For course offerings that satisfy specific geographic regional requirements, please see the Course List by Geographic Region.
• For a tentative list of courses offered this academic year, please visit the HAVC website.  
• For a comprehensive list of all HAVC courses, please see the 'Courses' section of the general catalog.

In fulfilling the major requirements, students in the concentration must successfully complete four courses from the “Approved Concentration Courses” list below. No more than one of the four courses can be lower-division and at least two of the four courses must be HAVC-sponsored courses. Upper-division concentration courses fulfill elective requirements for the major, or if appropriate, concentration courses can be used to fulfill geographic regional requirements. Students can petition to apply courses that are not on the approved list. Approval of petitions will be determined by the amount of relevant course content and assignments.

Lower-Division Courses

Take four lower-division courses, each from a different geographic region listed below:

• HAVC courses 10-19: Africa and its Diaspora
• HAVC courses 20-29: Asia and its Diaspora
• HAVC courses 30-49: Europe and the Americas
• HAVC courses 50-59: Mediterranean
• HAVC courses 60-69: Native Americas
• HAVC courses 70-79: Oceania and its Diaspora

HAVC 80 may be used to fulfill a lower-division requirement for one of the following geographic regions: 10s (Africa), 60s (Native Americas), or 70s (Oceania). 

Upper-Division Courses

Take the following course:

HAVC 100A fulfills the Disciplinary Communication (DC) requirement for the HAVC major. Students are recommended to complete this course during winter quarter of their sophomore year. It is a prerequisite for the senior comprehensive requirement. If not completed by winter quarter of their junior year, students may have difficulty enrolling in a seminar to fulfill their senior comprehensive requirement, potentially delaying graduation.

Plus two upper-division geographic regional courses:

Take two upper-division geographic regional courses, one each from the two geographic regions not studied at the lower-division level. These are:

• HAVC courses 110-119: Africa and its Diaspora
• HAVC courses 120-129: Asia and its Diaspora
• HAVC courses 130-149: Europe and the Americas
• HAVC courses 150-159: Mediterranean
• HAVC courses 160-169: Native Americas
• HAVC courses 170-179: Oceania and its Diaspora

Plus five upper-division electives:

These are any HAVC courses numbered 110-191. Students in the concentration should note that courses from the "Approved Concentration Courses" list below will most likely be taken in the process of completing the five upper-division electives. 

The department encourages students to take cross-regional and topical courses. These are HAVC courses numbered 180-189, which can fulfill upper-division major elective requirements but do not fulfill specific regional requirements. 

Plus one senior exit seminar:

HAVC seminar courses are numbered 190-191. The senior exit seminar can be taken any quarter in which a student is in senior standing. Seminars can be taken for senior exit credit only by permission of the instructor. 

Approved Concentration Courses List

Disciplinary Communication (DC) Requirement

Students of every major must satisfy that major’s upper-division Disciplinary Communication (DC) requirement. Students in HAVC meet the DC requirement by completing:

Comprehensive Requirement

All seniors must complete one HAVC seminar (courses in the 190-191 series) as their “senior exit” course to satisfy the senior comprehensive requirement. Seminars can be taken for senior exit credit only by permission of the instructor. Within the context of this advanced seminar, students will work under the close supervision of their professor to produce a written project that demonstrates a high level of achievement in research, writing, and critical thinking. Students whose performance is outstanding are eligible for honors in the senior comprehensive requirement.

Planners

The tables below are for informational purposes and do not reflect all university, general education, and credit requirements. See Undergraduate Graduation Requirements for more information. Some general education requirements may be satisfied with HAVC courses. 

Please note that LD = lower-division and UD = upper-division. 

Four-Year Freshman Planner

*WRIT 2 must be taken before enrolling in HAVC 100A, and should always be taken in or before spring quarter of the second year.
Two-Year Transfer Planner