Department of Art History

Collage featuring art history students in various learning environments—observing artworks in museums, staging objects for exhibition, and engaging in close looking activities with paintings and sculptures.

The Art History program plays a vital role in the intellectual life of Fordham University's undergraduates, teaching students the necessary skills to analyze and appreciate non-verbal modes of expression.

We offer exceptional breadth, both temporally and geographically, spanning from the ancient to the contemporary world and encompassing Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia. In addition to traditional art historical analysis, several courses engage directly with curatorial and museum studies. Students take full advantage of Fordham’s New York City location by regularly visiting world-class museums and galleries as part of their coursework. As a relatively small program with five full-time faculty members, Art History at Fordham fosters close mentorship and individualized academic guidance. 

Many students independently secure internships at leading cultural institutions, pursue undergraduate research opportunities, and participate in study abroad programs through Fordham’s partnerships with institutions around the world. Graduates go on to thrive in careers across museums, education, NGOs, commercial galleries, auction houses, and competitive graduate programs.

Art History at Fordham is highly interdisciplinary. Many courses count toward other academic programs, including African American Studies, Asian American Studies, Medieval Studies, Urban Studies, Chinese Studies, Fashion Studies, and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, among others (see below).

Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies

  • ARHI 2418 – Gender and Sexuality in Renaissance Art
  • ARHI 2526 – Art and the Black Atlantic
  • ARHI 2553 – Art, Gender, and Sexuality in Asia
  • ARHI 2570 – Gender and Modern Art

African and African American Studies

  • ARHI 1104 – Introduction to Art History: Africa and African Diaspora
  • ARHI 2526 – Art and the Black Atlantic
  • ARHI 2580 – Contemporary Black and Indigenous Art

Urban Studies

  • ARHI 1105 – Introduction to Art History: Architecture
  • ARHI 2565 – Architecture and the Environment

Medieval Studies

  • ARHI 2341 – Medieval Desire and Devotion
  • ARHI 2360 – Illuminated Manuscripts
  • ARHI 2361 – Italian Art, Politics, and Religion in the Age of Dante
  • ARHI 2365 – Medieval Art and the Museum
  • ARHI 2370 – Art and Science in the Middle Ages
  • ARHI 2410 – Northern Renaissance Art
  • ARHI 3350 – Age of Cathedrals

Asian American Studies

  • ARHI 2528 – Asian American Art

Chinese Studies

  • ARHI 2211 – The Arts and Visual Culture of China and Beyond

Classical Languages and Civilization

  • ARHI 2305 – Gods, Monsters, Heroes, and Mortals: Narrative in Greek Art

Fashion Studies

  • ARHI 2576 – Black Art and Fashion, 1850–Present
  • ARHI 2620 – Introduction to Fashion History
  • ARHI 2621 – Art and Fashion in the Modern Age

Museum/Curatorial-related Courses (no formal program currently)

  • ARHI 2211 – The Arts and Visual Culture of China and Beyond
  • ARHI 2305 – Gods, Monsters, Heroes, and Mortals: Narrative in Greek Art
  • ARHI 2365 – Medieval Art and the Museum
  • ARHI 2545 – Museum Architecture
  • ARHI 3110 – Can Museums Be Decolonized?

Environmental Studies

  • ARHI 2565 – Architecture and the Environment
  • ARHI 4555 – Art & Ecology in the 19th, 20th & 21st Century

Fordham Acknowledgement

We acknowledge that Fordham University occupies the unceded land of the Lenni-Lenape and the Wappinger Peoples.  As a community dedicated to the ideals of Jesuit education, Fordham aspires to show appreciation, respect, and concern for all Peoples of this land.  We acknowledge the long and complex history that has brought us to reside on this land, and we seek to evaluate the ongoing effects of settler colonialism and our participation in that process.  We remember the Indigenous Peoples' connection to this region, and appreciate the opportunity to live, learn, and pray in their traditional homeland.  We honor the Lenape Elders and other Indigenous Caretakers of these lands and waters before us, the Indigenous Peoples today, and the generations to come.