Major Requirements

History and Criticism of Art and Visual Culture majors must take ten courses and write a thesis. These courses must include:

Studio Art

Complete one course designated with the (AVC: Studio) attribute.

Students should take this course before their senior year. This course must be taken at Bates.

Methods

Complete the following course:

• AVC 374 Methods in the Study of Art and Visual Culture

Additional Courses

Complete six additional courses on the history and criticism of art and visual culture, including the following areas:

1. At least one course on premodern art and visual culture designated with the (AVC: Premodern) attribute. 
2. At least one course focusing on art and visual culture outside the canon of Western European and American art and visual culture designated with the (AVC: Non-Western Canon) attribute. 
3. At least one course focused on the study of issues of power and privilege in art and visual culture designated with the (AVC: Power and Privilege) attribute.

Non-AVC Courses

Complete two courses outside the department, to be approved by the advisor, which focus on visual culture or theorize culture, communication, and representation, or both. One of these two courses must focus on screen studies, such as film, video, television, and new media.

The following first-year seminar(s) may be counted toward the Non-AVC Courses requirement:

• FYS 582 Skating Away from the Binaries

Senior Thesis: History and Criticism

Complete at least one course from the following:

• AVC 457B Senior Thesis: History and Criticism
• AVC 458B Senior Thesis: History and Criticism

Courses Taken Outside of Bates

The department advises history and criticism majors who wish to study off-campus to do so for only one semester. With permission of the advisor, up to two courses from the 6 open History & Criticism courses taken off-campus may be applied toward fulfilling the requirements for the major. Studio courses must be taken at Bates.

Pass/Fail

Pass/Fail grading may be elected for courses applied toward the major except for AVC 360, 361, 374, 457, and 458, and studio courses.

Restricted Declarations

Students who have declared the History and Criticism of Art and Visual Culture major may not declare the following:

• History and Criticism of Art and Visual Culture minor

Other Considerations

Some designated Short Term courses may be counted toward the major with the permission of the department. Adequate distribution is determined in conjunction with the student’s departmental advisor, who must approve the student’s course of study.