An art history degree can open paths into museums, law, education, historic preservation and graduate study. The connection between those fields may not be obvious at first, but each draws on skills you\u2019ll practice in art history: looking closely, evaluating evidence, building an argument and communicating what you find.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You don\u2019t have to know yet where your interest in art history will take you.<\/strong> Through internships, independent research and professional experiences, you can start exploring different paths before you graduate, with faculty helping you connect your interests to what could come next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An art history degree doesn\u2019t point toward just one profession. Transylvania graduates have taken their interests in art, visual culture and critical thinking in different directions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hannah Leatherman has built a career connecting museums with the communities they serve. Her experience includes work as a community engagement specialist at the Clark Art Institute and at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ben Gallenstein continued his education at Washington and Lee University School of Law, specializing in art law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ben\u2019s path shows how an interest in art can intersect with law \u2014 and how an art history education can become a foundation for professional study beyond the museum world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You don\u2019t have to wait until after college to begin exploring where your interests could lead. Work in a museum or gallery. Help prepare an exhibition. Pursue a research question beyond the classroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Art history students have completed for-credit internships in areas including museum curation, gallery operations and sales, exhibition preparation and museum administration. Along the way, you\u2019ll see how museums, galleries and exhibitions operate while building experience and professional connections of your own. Some internships have also led to long-term employment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Independent research can take you beyond campus, too. Art history students can apply for university grants to support scholarly projects. One student received funding for summer archival research in San Francisco that contributed to an art history capstone project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Career fields related to art history span museums, galleries, archives, historic preservation, education, law and other work centered on research, interpretation and communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If graduate or professional school is part of your plan, your coursework and capstone give you experience with independent research and substantial scholarly work. Your capstone can also become a writing sample for graduate or professional school applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Transylvania art and art history alumni have continued their education at graduate and professional programs including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Faculty mentors can help you identify programs that fit your interests and prepare for your next academic or professional step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Where could your questions take you?<\/strong> Explore art history at Transylvania and see how the questions you pursue in college could shape what you do next.<\/p>\n\n\n\nSee Where Art History Can Lead<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Hannah Leatherman: Building a Career in Museums<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Ben Gallenstein: From Art History to Art Law<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Build Experience Before You Graduate<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Careers With an Art History Degree<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Museums, Galleries and Cultural Organizations<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Preservation and Heritage<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Law and Art Services<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Education<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Prepare for Graduate and Professional School<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Take the Next Step<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n