Academics at MBC
Why major in Art History at MBC?
Personal Contact and Individualized Attention
The art history major offers personal contact with professors that is
often missing in university settings. There is the opportunity to develop
a mentor relationship at the undergraduate level. Art history majors
benefit from personal and individualized instruction in small classes
taught by professors with doctoral training and experience in teaching.
Collaboration with Studio Art
Art history and studio art are in the same department and same building.
This sense of community allows students who study art history to have
exposure to those who make art. There is a communicative interchange:
students and faculty in both areas work together. Practice, study,
and theory are integrated. This important interrelationship does not
happen at large universities, where departments are separated and areas
are often in several different buildings.
Travel and Study Abroad
Art history majors have the opportunity to study art first hand in museums
and major centers of art and art history in the United States and abroad
with an art history professional. Students can study art on site in
Italy in their junior or senior year with an art history professional.
The art history faculty offers a variety of study abroad trips, some
of which at the introductory level are interdisciplinary and others,
at the upper level, are solely focused on art. The small group size
on the travel and study abroad opportunities facilitates flexibility
and individualized teaching.
Internship Opportunities
Many opportunities exist in Staunton for internships at museums, art
centers, and historic homes. The art history faculty maintains good
working relationships with all the local museum professionals of which
there are many, especially for a small town. Students benefit from
these interrelationships.
The Senior Project
The senior project is of a superior quality. Students work closely with
the faculty to produce a 20 page research paper, often involving original
research. The faculty stresses high quality writing and sophisticated
research. Students leave with a portfolio. Their polished paper is
a fine tool for entry into graduate school or as a showpiece of their
work for jobs in museums and other institutions that stress writing
and research.
