Students are encouraged to conduct independent research and to present their findings to a broader audience and to make art accessible inside and outside of the classroom.

Art history embodies the study of the liberal arts by considering the work of art and architecture within its broader cultural and social context, including religion, economic production, politics, gender, and social identification. The liberal arts and interdisciplinary nature of the major can be combined effectively with other majors such as theology, history, philosophy, or with programs emphasizing professional skills, including journalism, communication, or elementary education. Recent graduates of the Art History program have pursued careers in education, art conservation, historic preservation, museum education and curatorship, art gallery direction, publishing and interior design.

The department offers a number of courses for the non-major to fulfill the Fine Arts, Human Diversity, and Writing Across the Curriculum components of the core curriculum.