Undergraduate Resources

Art history majors get an insider perspective on the multifaceted concerns, distinctive needs, and diverse interests of arts and cultural institutions. They also polish marketable skills such as an ability to work collaboratively and the practical necessity to write and communicate clearly to a range of audiences. Day-to-day internship activities are supervised by an arts-professional at the host institution, after a scope of work has been approved by the Department Chair.

Recent undergraduate students have interned at art museums, galleries, studios, and collections in or near Richmond, including:

Completing an internship for course credit requires an override, which is provided to students after an internship application is submitted and approved by the internship supervisor and department chair. Click here to review internship guidelines and the application process.

Some art history majors complete a directed research project to further explore an area of research that was introduced in an VCU art history course. Students work independently with a full-time tenured or tenure-track faculty member with expertise relevant to the topic of interest, typically completing a research paper that represents their art historical research and writing talents. This is a great option for students who are considering applying to graduate school.

Some past project topics include:

  • Women’s roles as patrons, pilgrims, and monastics during the medieval period
  • American performance culture with a focus on black entertainment and the development of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s
  • Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun’s portraits of Marie Antoinette

To participate in a directed research project, students must contact the faculty member they are interested in working with before filling out an Application for Directed Research Project and submitting it for approval to the Department Chair.

Applicants to VCUarts Art History who submit their materials by the scholarship deadline (November 1st) are automatically considered for funding. Students who apply after this deadline, and continuing students, are encouraged to apply for university, school, and departmental scholarships. In recent years, undergraduate art history students were awarded the Provost Scholarship, Dean’s Scholarship, Bonds Scholarship, Judith Godwin Scholarship, Regina Perry Scholarship, Maurice and Josie Bonds Scholarship, and the Bernice Gordon Scholarship. Opportunities to apply are announced to students each semester.

Information, including application deadlines, is sent out to students each semester. Visit the VCUarts Scholarships page for more scholarship information.

  • The Undergraduate Handbook for art history is a great resource for successfully navigating a program of study and exploring extracurricular opportunities.
  • Override Form for requesting permission to enroll in a course that is already full.
  • The Art History Club brings students from all disciplines together for social events, gallery visits, trips to museums, and other social events for sharing their mutual interest in art history.

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Graduate Resources

The Department of Art History Graduate Manual offers detailed information about both the historical studies and museum studies concentrations. It provides program deadlines, updated each semester, and all the administrative forms that students need while completing degree requirements.

MA students may complete internships for course credit during any semester, including the summer. They seek out internships at local, regional, national, or international museums. Students completing internships are expected to have specific responsibilities relevant to a clearly defined project. In addition, interns have opportunities to observe or contribute to ongoing professional activities (e.g., processing loans, attending project meetings, observing educational programs) associated with the professional specialization with which the internship is affiliated or the project to which the intern contributes. All internships for course credit must be approved by the Department.

Instructions for applying to internships

All applicants to the two MA programs who intend to enroll full-time are considered for 9-month graduate teaching and research assistantships that include tuition support (excluding fees) and a stipend. Some awards are for two years, some for just one but with the possibility of renewal for the second year (based on the student’s performance and the availability of funds). Continuing students are strongly encouraged to apply for VCUarts scholarships that may be used to cover the cost of fees. Information about scholarships, with upcoming application deadlines, is regularly distributed to current students and may be found at the VCU Scholarship Hub (search for art history).

Students participating in professional workshops, conferences, and symposia are encouraged to apply for Graduate Student Travel Grants, funded by the VCUarts dean’s office or Graduate Student Travel Grants offered by the Graduate School. Students engaged in research for their MA qualifying papers are encouraged to apply for departmental and VCUarts research grants; upcoming grant application deadlines are regularly distributed to current students. All details about Graduate funding and grants can be found on the student funding page.

In recent years, graduate students have been awarded funding to present papers about their research or professional projects at these annual conferences:

– American Alliance of Museums

– Arts Council of the African Studies Association

– College Art Association

– Southeast College Art Association

– Southeastern Council of Latin American Studies

They have been awarded funds to conduct research in Atlanta, Chicago, New York, and at sites in California, Hawaii, North Carolina, and Texas, as well as internationally in London, Paris, and Munich.