UIC’s Department of Art History is devoted to the interdisciplinary exploration of artworks, artifacts and architecture from antiquity to the present, and across the world. Beyond the chronological and geographical breadth of our fields of study, we are committed to understanding cultures through the lens of the visual. The Department connects the varied creative practices within the College of Architecture and the Arts, and engages the wider humanist educational mandate of the university as a whole.

The Department takes advantage of its location at the heart of the country. Chicago, with its vibrant and turbulent history, its outstanding contributions to art-making and architecture, and its richly-endowed museums and libraries, offers an exceptional setting for the study of art and the urban environment. 

Our well-established MA and PhD programs make us unique in Chicago: no other public university offers both advanced degrees in Art History.

The MA in Museum Studies expands upon our existing relationships with cultural institutions such as the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, the Field Museum, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Newberry Library.  It is also closely integrated with campus museums, especially the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum, a National Historic Landmark,  and Gallery 400, a cutting-edge contemporary art museum.

Much like Chicago itself, the Department of Art History is a lively place, constantly in flux, and welcoming new opportunities. As part of a public research university with a rising reputation, we are committed to creating and disseminating new knowledge and providing our students with a world-class education.