Art and Design History (Minor)

Overview

The Art and Design History minor is offered through Parsons Paris and Parsons School of Design on the university’s New York City campus. 

Art history is one of the broadest fields in the humanities, concerned not only with the nature of works of art—their form, style, and content—but also with the social, political, and cultural circumstances that shape them. This minor promotes a lifelong understanding and appreciation of art and design, with opportunities to cultivate more advanced and specialized knowledge.

The Art and Design History minor requires successful completion of 18 credits across five subject areas, as outlined in the chart below.

Course availability may vary from semester to semester. Some courses may be in development and offered at a later time. Students seeking to pursue alternative coursework to fulfill the minor should consult with their advisors.

Curriculum

The table below shows courses offered at Parsons Paris. Visit the New School website to view course offerings on the Parsons campus in New York City that fulfill the requirements of the Art and Design History minor. 

Learning Outcomes

A student who has completed this minor should be able to demonstrate:

• Competence in thinking, speaking, and writing clearly and effectively and communicating with precision, cogency, and rhetorical force
• In-depth knowledge of the tools and techniques of scholarship (active research and the writing of analytical and critical essays should continue throughout the program)
• Understanding of the social, cultural, and political dimensions of art and design throughout history, developed through assigned readings and lectures
• Understanding of the key issues and debates of recent scholarship in art and design history and theory, developed through exams, research papers, and literature reviews
• Competence in articulating a critical awareness of the potential of art and design as agents of social and political change throughout history, including the relationship between the production and consumption of art and issues such as gender, race, and class
• Understanding of world history, reflected in the ability to address culture and history from a variety of perspectives
• In-depth understanding of the practice of art criticism, reflected in the ability to read and write in a variety of expository and creative modes
• Understanding of the relevance of fields related to art and design history, such as visual culture studies, material culture studies, philosophy, anthropology, and sociology
• Study in greater depth and precision of a specific culture and period in the history of art and/or design through concentration in at least one area to the advanced seminar level

Eligibility

Minors are available to all undergraduate students across The New School. 

Parsons Paris students should speak with a Student Success advisor to determine pathways to completion, including courses offered in New York City or online. 

For questions regarding this minor's curriculum, including requests for course substitutions, please contact Allan Doyle at doylea@newschool.edu.

How to Declare or Change a Minor

General guidelines for declaring a minor are available here. Current students can declare or change a minor by logging in to my.newschool.edu, clicking on the Academics tab, and then clicking on the link to Major/Minor Declarations.