Undergraduate art history majors at the University of Delaware meet general education requirements in addition to major requirements. The undergraduate program is designed to provide students with a broad-based education in art history. To that end, majors take courses in several different time periods, including art before the year 1400 and art from 1900 to the present day. In addition, undergraduates take courses that look at African, Asian and Islamic art.
Graduate art history students at the University of Delaware can earn a master's degree or a doctorate. Master's degree candidates complete 27 credits of course work and a research paper. Doctoral candidates complete 24 credits, if they enter the program with a master's degree; candidates complete 36 credits if they enter the program with a bachelor's degree. Doctoral degree candidates must be able to read two languages -- German and either French or Italian. Students also take comprehensive exams and defend a dissertation.
Prospective undergraduate art history students are admitted to the University of Delaware based on a review of high school transcripts, standardized test scores, recommendations and a personal statement. At the graduate level, applicants submit undergraduate transcripts, standardized test scores, a personal statement, recommendations, a resume and a scholarly writing sample. Interviews with faculty are optional for graduate applicants. Fellowships are available for highly qualified applicants to the university's graduate programs.
The University of Delaware offers a variety of resources to its art history students. The campus houses collections of American and African American art, as well as an extensive collection of pre-Raphaelite paintings. Students benefit from programs in historic architecture, museum studies and preservation. The university's research resources include access to an ancient art library and a digital database of more than 50,000 images. Museums in Philadelphia, New York and Washington, D.C., are all within a two-hour drive of the campus.