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Internships and Undergraduate Student Resources

student at v m f a

Internships

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.

Directed Research

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.  

art history students using laptop

Scholarships

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.

students in front of mural

Student Resources

  • 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.