Art History Major and Minor
In preparation for leadership roles in art history and related areas, the art history major challenges students to examine works of art from multiple perspectives, encouraging students to develop an appreciation for diverse cultures and the vital role that art plays in human expression across time and space.
Art History Degree (43 - 44 Units)
Study of the visual arts prepares students for leadership in the global, connected, and dynamically changing world of the twenty-first century. Students of art history place art in its historical context, assess art and ethical debates critically and analytically, master research, writing, and presentation skills, and foster community engagement in the arts. By examining works of art from multiple perspectives, students develop an appreciation for diverse cultures and the vital role that art plays in human expression across time and space.
Art History Minor (19 - 20 Units)
A minor in art history is an excellent complement to many majors, especially for those interested in art-related careers in business, law, conservation, cultural heritage, arts education, non-profit, and more.
What Art History Grads Are Doing
Data collected from the 2023 class within six months of graduation.
Employed Full-Time or Part-Time
Admitted to Graduate School
Total Settled Graduates
Why Study Art History at Pepperdine
Pepperdine Seaver College is consistently recognized among the top-ranked universities in California and the United States. We are a Christian university where students grow in knowledge and character. As a liberal arts institution, we focus on providing rich opportunities for intellectual and spiritual exploration for students with a diverse community.
5 Areas of World Arts
12 Museum Trips Per Year
6 Guest Lectures Per Year
1 On-Campus Art Museum
Student Opportunities
Art History Student Society
The Art History Student Society is a student-run organization that offers opportunities
throughout the year to explore Los Angeles' artistic resources while enhancing student
collegiality and success through a variety of programs, including a Career Night.
Service Learning in Art History
As part of their coursework, art history majors work with children from local schools
to present interactive lessons that foster an appreciation of art and archaeology.
Service projects provide valuable opportunities for students to synthesize and apply
their knowledge of art history while serving the needs of the community.
The Frederick R. Weisman Museum
The Weisman is an on-campus museum that displays exhibitions of historic and contemporary
art by internationally recognized artists, offering students a chance to gain firsthand
experience in museum work.
Art History Lecture Series
The Art History Lecture Series invites prominent scholars to present their research
on a variety of historical and archaeological subjects related to art. Offered several
times throughout the year, the lectures introduce students to current scholarship
and career paths in art history.
Recommended International Study
Studying abroad is an excellent complement to a degree in art history, as there is no greater learning experience than to view art firsthand in its cultural context. Complete your fine arts requirement and obtain valuable experience for the art and art history major programs while taking courses in Florence, Italy through our partnership with Studio Art Centers International (SACI).
Careers in Art History
The study of art history prepares students for a variety of careers in museums, galleries, auction houses, education, research, conservation, preservation, art-related non-profits, publishing, and more. A bachelor's degree in art history is also excellent preparation for graduate programs in archaeology, art business, conservation, architecture, museum studies, museum education, library science, and historic preservation. Art history majors are highly competitive for professional programs in law, business, and arts management.
Art History Student Internships
The Pepperdine University campus is conveniently located in the greater Los Angeles area near world class art institutions such as the Getty, the Huntington Library and Gardens, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Norton Simon Museum, and Christie's Auction House. Our central location allows students to gain firsthand experience through visits, hands-on seminars with museum curators, and internships. Internships are strongly encouraged and supported. Here are just some of the institutions where our art history majors have interned:
- British Museum, London, United Kingdom
- Christie's, Beverly Hills, CA
- Civitella Ranieri Foundation, Perugia, Italy
- Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, OH
- de Young Fine Arts Museum, San Francisco, CA
- Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art, Malibu, CA
- Getty Center, Brentwood, CA
- Getty Villa, Malibu, CA
- Guggenheim, NY
- Hackett Mill Gallery, San Francisco, CA
- Honor Fraser Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
- Houston Museum of Art, Houston, TX
- Gavel Online Auction Hous Israel Museum, Jerusalem, Israel
- Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, TX
- Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA
- McNay Art Museum, San Antonio, TX
- National Gallery, Washington D.C.
- Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena, CA
- Partridge Fine Art Gallery, London, United Kingdom
- Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice, Italy
- Rohrer Fine Art, Laguna Beach, CA
- Skidmore Contemporary Art, Santa Monica, CA
Art History Student Testimonial
Though my official time as an art history major did not commence until my senior year,
my journey began long before, under the wing of one of the department's fabulous professors
who recognized in me a talent and passion of which I myself was unaware. Thus encouraged
to pursue the discipline, which was all but unknown to me previously, I spent time
at the Weisman Art Museum on campus, I sat in on engaging, interactive lectures, and
I attended panels of visiting scholars and alumni to broaden the scope of everything
Art History could mean and do.
Multiple semesters with heavyweights in their respective fields coalesced with fresh
perspectives from adjunct faculty to round out a thoughtful, useful, preparatory education,
without which I could never have secured and succeeded in either my past position
at one of the world's leading auction houses, or my current program at a rigorous
graduate institution. Pepperdine's Art History department offers the international
platform necessary for a global view, yet on the personal scale that fosters student
flourishing on a one-to-one basis. You are in good hands here, as you cultivate your
mind and your eye!
2018
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Fine Arts Division
Pepperdine University
24255 Pacific Coast Highway
Malibu, CA 90263
Office: CAC 200
Fine Arts Recruitment Office
310.506.4111
fineartsrecruit@pepperdine.edu
FA Recruitment Office: MB 301
Bradley Griffin
Divisional Dean & Professor I of Theatre
Cynthia Colburn
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Danah H. Sanders
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Academic Support Resources Specialist (ASRS)
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Administrative Assistant Recruiting