• Art and Design History (Minor)

  • Overview

    The Art and Design History minor is offered through Parsons School of Design and Parsons Paris.

    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 encourages 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 on the Parsons campus in New York City. Visit the Parsons Paris website to view course offerings in Paris that fulfill the requirements of the Art and Design History minor.  

    Subject AreaSample CoursesCredits
    Art and Design SurveyPLDS 2190/2191 History of Design: 1850–Present: Lecture / Recitation
    PLAH 2600/2601 History of Modern and Contemporary Art: Lecture / Recitation
    3
    2000 levelAny PLAH 2000-level course
    LVIS 3250 Practicing Curating
    LVIS 2010 Exhibitions as History
    ULEC 2220 Worldmaking: Design in Social and Political Contexts: Lecture /
    ULEC 2221 Worldmaking: Design in Social and Political Contexts: Discussion
    LINA 2002 Aesthetics Across the Arts
    NARH 2102 Museum Studies: Intro
    NARH 2200 The Arts and Social Engagement
    3–6
    3000 levelAny PLAH 3000-level course
    NARH 3010 New York Art Scene
    NARH 3487 The Art of Keith Haring
    LVIS 3001 Methods of Art History
    LVIS 3022 Art Space and Global City
    3–6
    4000 levelAny PLAH 4000-level course
    PLDS 4013 Curating Public Narrative
    3–6
    Studio PracticeAny course with subject codes beginning with PS or PU3

    *ADHT faculty advisor permission required.

    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 through assigned readings and lectures
    • Understanding of the key issues and debates of recent scholarship in art and design history and theory 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 concentration in at least one area to the advanced seminar level

    Eligibility

    Minors are available to all undergraduate students across The New School. For questions regarding this minor's curriculum, including requests for course substitutions, please contact Mev Luna at [email protected].

  • Take the Next Step

    Contact your Student Success advisor to discuss how a minor will fit with your degree requirements.

    Declare or change a minor on my.newschool.edu in the Academics tab. Note that some minors require an application.

  • Take The Next Step

Submit your application

Undergraduates

To apply to any of our undergraduate programs (except the Bachelor's Program for Adults and Transfer Students and Parsons Associate of Applied Science programs) complete and submit the Common App online.

Undergraduate Adult Learners

To apply to any of our Bachelor's Program for Adults and Transfer Students and Parsons Associate of Applied Science programs, complete and submit the New School Online Application.

Graduates

To apply to any of our Master's, Doctoral, Professional Studies Diploma, and Graduate Certificate programs, complete and submit the New School Online Application.

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