Provisional University Bulletin (2026-2027)

• Minors
• Majors (BA)
• Postbaccalaureate Program

Undergraduate Major

The Department of Fine Arts offers programs in studio art and art history for the undergraduate student who wishes to study the visual arts as a creative artist or as a humanist.

Art History

The Department of Fine Arts offers majors and minors in Art History as well as a double major with Studio Art. Students develop a solid grounding in the artistic and visual traditions that comprise diverse historical and global contexts. Offering courses across periods, topics, and geographic regions, our programs educate undergraduates to acquire visual literacy and critical thinking necessary for understanding art history in global contexts. Students are able to complement these offerings by taking advantage of the proximity of the Rose Art Museum and the wealth of other art museums and cultural institutions in the surrounding area. This comprehensive program exemplifies the ideals of a liberal arts education and thereby enhances any individual course of study. It also prepares students to enter graduate programs in art history, museum studies, and arts administration, or to begin careers in the art world.

Studio Art

Art is a language of its own making and by studying it, a student is educated in visual thinking and creativity through the fundamental process of direct experience. The studio department offers diverse approaches in painting, sculpture, printmaking, digital media, and drawing. The studio program fosters a student's ability to make an informed judgment; it is supplemented through a distinguished visiting artist program, a strong pedagogical link with the Rose Art Museum, and trips to important museums and galleries in New York City and the Boston area. Through the core of studio classes, students are able to realize, with excellence, their potential for expression and informed vision. Studio is an appropriate vehicle for an intellectual experience within the liberal arts context, and students will find their creative experiences prepare them for a range of careers and professional graduate programs.

Independent Interdisciplinary Major in Architectural Studies

The Architectural Studies program is committed to fostering critical thinking and a comprehensive understanding of the built environment. Our mission is to empower students to engage with the world of architecture and design in a meaningful and enriching way, whether they choose to pursue careers as professionals in the field or become well-informed individuals in the realm of human-made structures.

Within our program, students develop essential skills in analyzing, interpreting, designing, engineering, and creatively engaging with both contemporary and historical aspects of the built environment. Our definition of the built environment is broad and inclusive, encompassing everything from stage scenery and interior design to civil engineering and urban planning. This breadth allows us to reflect the diversity of historical and contemporary experiences and ensures a rich and comprehensive educational experience within the Brandeis curriculum.

At Brandeis, we take pride in our distinctive multidisciplinary approach to architectural studies, capitalizing on the university's unique academic offerings. We draw from the resources of the Department of Fine Arts, which provides valuable perspectives through Art History and Studio Art courses, as well as the Environmental Studies and Engineering Programs, all of which contribute to the richness of our curriculum.

Our program prepares students not only for advanced studies in architecture and related fields but also opens doors to diverse career opportunities. Graduates of our program have gone on to excel in education, business, urban planning, urban development, and a variety of other fields. In every respect, the architectural studies program embodies the liberal arts mission, providing a well-rounded and versatile education that empowers students to succeed in a wide range of professions and endeavors.

Postbaccalaureate Program in Studio Art

The Department of Fine Arts offers a postbaccalaureate program for students with a bachelor's degree who are interested in extending their experience in studio art. The program's structure emphasizes independent work with assistance achieved through critical interaction with faculty and visiting artists. Students can prepare portfolios for admission to graduate school, or achieve the self-sufficiency necessary for continued studio work outside an academic environment.

Mortimer-Hays Brandeis Traveling Fellowship

The department administers the Mortimer-Hays Brandeis Traveling Fellowship, which provides support to students in the visual and fine arts, including art history, conservation, studio art, and photography for travel and living expenses outside the continental United States, Alaska, and Hawaii. Support is provided only in accordance with a program of study or other activities approved by the fellowship selection committee. Brandeis is one of ten colleges and universities that participate in this program.

Undergraduate Major

Art History

Study of the History of Art cultivates a deep understanding of humanity’s fundamental impulse to create. The History of Art traces how artists across all time periods and geographical regions confront their environment and society, and thereby produce artifacts of lasting resonance and insight into the cultural practices of their age. Such acts of visual expression find diverse articulation across a wide range of media. Whereas Studio artists dedicate themselves to the making of Art and catalyzing the further evolution of these media, the History of Art both promotes a retrospective analysis of the art of the past, and critically engages the present. Though a separate major, our curriculum overlaps with the Studio side of the department. We jointly aim to imbue the studio artist with a rich historical perspective, and grant the historian a hands-on exposure to practice.

A global perspective is fundamental to our curriculum. In association with the Rose Art Museum, the department provides extraordinary resources for the study of twentieth-century and contemporary art.

The History of Art major emphasizes the modes of inquiry it shares with other fields that analyze cultural activity, such as semiotics, social history, psychoanalysis, and gender studies, as inflected through its unique competency in visual analysis. Through the range of courses undertaken, the student is encouraged to develop a focus that reflects their own intellectual and personal interests.

Core Skills

1. A major in the history of art will cultivate the following skills:
2. Grasp visual literacy, thereby developing an astute capacity for analyzing the formal principles of architecture, sculpture, painting, photography, graphic arts, film, performance, and video.
3. Grasp the terminology of the discipline, so that visual analysis can be accurately and engagingly conveyed in both oral and written form.
4. Hone the critical tools for identifying and classifying works of art according to period, geographic origin, school, artist, and/or stage in an artist’s artistic development.
5. Refine the capacity to think critically, both in the process of visual analysis and in the evaluation of contemporary sources and scholarly literature.
6. Systematically gather evidence and present findings clearly and compellingly as a persuasive argument in both written and oral form.
7. Identify and develop research topics, and then craft them into cogent, well-written essays that incorporate the scholarly discourse of the field according to professional standards of research.
8. Through courses devoted to a single artist, a precisely delimited time period or region, and/ or the optional honors thesis, the major will create a specialized body of scholarship, formulate key issues to investigate, and arrive at reasoned conclusions.
9. Cultivate self-expression and basic proficiency in some aspect of Studio Art – painting, sculpture, printmaking, architectural design and/or photography – to enhance one’s comprehension of the techniques and ingenuity of the artists studied.

Knowledge

The History of Art major will acquire the following types of knowledge:

1. Familiarity with the core monuments and major artists and trends.
2. An understanding of the varied techniques, styles, and media of artistic production throughout human history.
3. A deeper understanding of the social, cultural, economic, political and religious factors that motivated artistic production and aesthetic expression.
4. The major will undertake an interdisciplinary approach to learning through the intersections of the history of art and architecture with literature, rhetoric, music, religion, politics, etc., and thereby achieve some basic knowledge of these fields as well.
5. The major will develop a critical understanding of how primary cultural documents and secondary scholarly literature shape the reception and evaluation of the art of the past and present.
6. The major will learn and actively implement the various methodological approaches that define art history as a discipline and have expanded its parameters in recent decades.
7. Through elective courses or internships at museums, galleries, or auction houses, a major can develop a basic understanding of curatorial stewardship, exhibition design, cataloguing, the art market, collections management, and preservation.

Social Justice

1. Art is the expression of societal values, whether promoted by political and religious elites or demanded by oppressed and marginalized classes. Through reflection and inquiry, the History of Art major will analyze how various artistic media throughout the ages both broadcast official ideologies and provided platforms to articulate protest and demands for social change according to evolving, culturally informed, notions of Justice.
2. The critical and historical study of architecture, in particular, focuses on how the built environment conditions human behavior, facilitates ideological manipulation, comes to epitomize the power of political and religious elites, and, at times, galvanize resistance.
3. The global expanse of the discipline will instill a deep admiration and respect for the varied forms of artistic expression among diverse communities throughout human history.

Upon Graduating

A Brandeis History of Art major will be prepared to:

1. Pursue graduate study of Art History as an academic discipline.
2. Embark upon professional training in Museum work, whether through entry-level jobs at institutions or specialized graduate training.
3. Employ one’s capacity for judging periods, styles, and aesthetic quality through a career in the art market, whether in auction houses or private galleries.
4. Apply the understanding of visual analysis and verbal self-expression to any number of fields, including law, journalism, urban planning, design, education, library science and archives.
5. Along with some work in design (that Brandeis Studio Art courses can provide) and physics, a mastery of art and architectural history is a fundamental prerequisite for professional training in architecture.
6. Knowledge of artistic techniques and styles that results from the Major is essential for professional training in art restoration and conservation.

Studio Art

The Studio Art program cultivates and nurtures the student’s personal vision through the practice of various creative disciplines, and this complex practice is informed both by an awareness of the history of art and also one’s own experience as a vehicle for expression. Brandeis students regard their studio work as a rigorous mode of intellectual inquiry. Into their creative process they bring ideas and insights garnered in their broad academic studies of the sciences, social sciences, humanities as well as the other creative arts, such as music and performance.

The Studio Art faculty offers courses in drawing, printmaking, painting, sculpture, and digital media. Within these disciplines, intermediate and or advanced courses offer the opportunity to build on the core fundamental skills taught in the introductory courses. Topic themed courses are designed to provide greater focus on specific subjects, such as Architectural drawing or Body as Source. Studio Majors take three courses in the history of art, and a full-year studio seminar with reading in contemporary criticism and theory. In the senior year all studio majors take Senior Studio class where they pursue in depth creative projects in individual studio spaces.

Core Skills

Studio Art majors build experience though course work, aiming to develop skills in the following:

1. The disciplines of drawing and digital media: using perception and imagination, and in response to the needs of their creative work in other media.
2. The knowledge about materials and processes in a range of two and three-dimensional media.
3. An understanding of the critical process as it relates to studio practice, and the ability to engage in critical discussion about one’s own work and that of other artists.
4. A developing ability to visually articulate content and meaning through form.
5. An understanding of self in the context of the practice of art. An appreciation of how one builds relationships to both historical and contemporary art practices through one's own creative work. A realization of individual potential for expression and through informed vision.

Knowledge

The Studio Art major will acquire the following types of knowledge:

1. Familiarity with materials and methods employed in the practice of art. The ability to apply techniques of various media in order to serve personal vision.
2. An in-depth study of one discipline/medium, in which to pursue advanced research during Senior year. Students should also be versed in various mediums beyond the chosen area of specialization, such as printmaking, drawing, or photography.
3. The ability to direct studio practice in an informed manner, stemming from a broad understanding of the history of art, theoretical and aesthetic concepts.
4. An exposure to contemporary visual arts culture through visiting artist lectures, visits to the Rose Art museum and field trips to New England and New York museums and galleries.
5. A knowledge of how to take personal risks in the process of intensifying visual intuition. The ability to select and exhibit one’s work.

Social Justice

Through the practice of art making and the study of art history students will come to understand the cultural significance of art in society and the importance of self-expression inside a community.

Understanding how to interpret and communicate visually enables our students to bridge cultural divides and nurtures empathy and increased awareness of global situations. The social commitment of our students is evident in the subject matter they embrace in creative work: environmental problems, political issues or ideas about sexual identity. Their work not only documents social issues, but also promotes social change in site-specific installations and performances intended to engage, provoke and inspire a community audience.

Through the continued creation of art, students will be engaged in a lifelong process of self-reflection and inquiry that will challenge convention at either the individual or social level, or both.

Upon Graduating

A Brandeis Studio Art major will be prepared to:

1. Pursue graduate study of art, in order to sustain their practice outside of an academic structure and possibly pursue the teaching of their discipline.
2. Apply knowledge to work in other professional art fields: in museums, galleries, arts organizations, arts publications, business.
3. Use the creative process as a guiding principle in other disciplines. Studio art majors have not only gone on to careers in creative art, design, and art history, but also have pursued graduate degrees in medicine, elementary education, social work and art therapy.
4. Contribute to contemporary discourse on art and world issues through the making of art.

IIM in Architectural Studies

The study of architecture and architectural history fosters a deep understanding of the built environment within the complexities of historical, philosophical, theoretical, sociopolitical, and design contexts. Architectural education provides students with a comprehensive insight into the workings of societies and their aesthetics. The major equips students in architectural history and design to pursue MA, MS, or PhD graduate programs in architecture or urban planning.

Core Skills

A major in architectural studies cultivates the following skills:

1. Develop an understanding of architectural design and urban space.
2. Engage in critical discussions on architectural history, design solutions, and architecture as representation.
3. Understand architectural history in a global context and become familiar with scholarly debates in the field.
4. Produce critical papers that analyze the built environment and its sociopolitical, historical, and theoretical contexts.
5. Critically examine the relationship between the built environment and its history, politics, modern and historical uses, and contemporary implications.
6. Read and interpret visual conventions such as plans, sections, elevations, models, and other architectural forms of communication.
7. Create drawings and models based on these competencies.
8. Develop a foundation in principles of three-dimensional design within broader artistic contexts.

Knowledge

1. A comprehensive understanding of the complex factors that shape the built environment historically and in the present.
2. Familiarity with major periods, styles, movements, figures, and historical and theoretical debates in architectural history.
3. Specialized knowledge of various aspects of architectural studies.
4. Competence in architectural conception, drawing, design, and production, preparing students for graduate and professional studies.

Social Justice

The critical and historical study of architecture highlights how the built environment shapes human behavior and serves as an important tool for social mobilization, fostering a sense of belonging and identity building.

The global scope of the discipline instills a deep admiration and respect for the varied forms of artistic expression across diverse communities throughout human history.

Upon Graduating

A Brandeis Architectural Studies major will be prepared to:

1. Pursue a master’s degree in architecture or urban planning to become a licensed architect or urban planner.
2. Begin professional training as an intern in an architectural design office.
3. Apply expertise in architectural history, including periods, styles, and aesthetic quality, by pursuing a PhD in art history or architecture.
4. Leverage skills in visual analysis and verbal expression across fields such as law, journalism, urban planning, design, education, library science, and archives.
5. Utilize knowledge of architectural techniques and styles for careers in historic preservation.

Postbaccalaureate Program in Studio Art

Core Skills

Postbaccalaureate Studio Art students build experience through course work; individual feedback from faculty and visiting artists; and a variety of field trips and workshops, with the aim to develop skills in the following:

1. The ability to maintain and sustain an individualized studio practice that engages both personal content as well as wider issues related to practicing art within a contemporary context.
2. The ability to research and generate new content and contexts for their artistic practice.
3. An understanding of the critical process as it relates to studio practice, and the ability to engage in critical discussion about one’s own work and that of other artists.
4. Development of technical knowledge and practical skill set that will allow students to competently craft, build, and create their work, as well as the resourcefulness to reach outside of their chosen discipline when necessary.
5. Competency in professional practices that take place outside of the studio: the ability to transport, install, and document/photograph artwork for reproduction; the ability to research and compile competitive applications for graduate study, grants, and artist residencies.

Knowledge

The Postbaccalaureate Studio Art student will acquire the following types of knowledge:

1. Familiarity with the contemporary context in which they are making their work, as well as the art historical foundations that the contemporary rests upon.
2. Ability to successfully integrate research, theory, discussion, and critique into the development and evolution of a student’s own personal vision and studio practice.
3. The ability to select, curate, and install artwork in a way that appropriately frames and contextualizes the work’s intended content.
4. Exposure to a diverse range of art and artistic practices through visiting artists; visits to local galleries and museums; and field trips to New York galleries, museums, and artist studios.
5. An understanding of the range of academic programs available for further study and the ability to determine which program might best suit their interests and practice.
6. An understanding of the way the contemporary art world functions as well as an understanding of the different routes toward a successful professional career and how their own practice might best fit into the larger art world beyond school.

Social Justice

1. Through the practice of art making and the study of art history, students will come to understand the cultural significance of art in society and the importance of self- expression inside a community.
2. Students will develop an understanding of how to interpret and communicate visually. This knowledge enables our students to bridge cultural divides and nurtures empathy and increased awareness of global situations. The social commitment of our students is evident in the subject matter they embrace in creative work. Examples include environmental problems, political issues, and ideas about sexual identity. Their work not only documents social issues, but also promotes social change in site-specific installations and performances intended to engage, provoke, and inspire a community audience.
3. Through the continued creation of art, students will be engaged in a lifelong process of self-reflection and inquiry that will challenge convention at either the individual or social level, or both.

Postbaccalaureate Outcomes

Students successfully completing a year long course of study in the Postbaccalaureate Studio Art program will:

1. Demonstrate the ability to generate and evolve a substantial body of work as part of an active, engaged studio practice.
2. Demonstrate the ability to articulate--in writing, discussions, and critiques--the content and relevance of their work within the wider context of contemporary art issues and practices.
3. The Postbaccalaureate year culminates in an exhibition on campus; by this time students will demonstrate competency in building, transporting, curating, installing, and lighting their own work in gallery, critique, and installation settings.
4. Be prepared to apply for further study at the graduate (MFA) level by being able to document their own work and write a coherent and relevant artist statement/statement of intent; additionally, students will have an awareness of professional resources available to artists after leaving school (grants, residencies, awards, apprenticeships, etc).

Art History

We encourage students to pursue individualized academic and career interests. Our dedicated faculty facilitate students in preparing for career paths through tailored course selections. Students may concentrate on specific geographic areas and periods, or choose courses from multiple subfields. Our flexible curriculum promotes diversity, equity, and inclusivity. 

The honors program in art history requires the completion of a senior thesis written under the close supervision of an adviser and a faculty committee. Students may also receive academic credit for internships taken in off-campus museums and art galleries. Prospective graduate students in the history of art are advised to acquire skills in foreign languages. 

Minor in Art History

A minor in art history is offered in addition to the major. This gives the student majoring in another department the opportunity to flexibly construct a program of six art history courses that reflect his or her own personal or academic interests. Studio art majors may minor in art history if they take three art history courses in addition to those required for their major.

Minor in Architectural Studies

The architectural studies minor is intended as both a stand-alone course of study for those students whose major is outside the Fine Arts, and as a supplement to Fine Arts majors. The minor is designed to benefit those students, and especially Fine Arts majors and minors, who would like to pursue an architectural career, whether as a professional architect, a historian of architecture, or a related field in architecture or urban planning. Those planning on becoming an architect and pursuing a Masters of Architecture may consider combining the architectural studies minor with a major or minor in studio art, in order to strengthen their portfolios.

Students who minor in architectural studies and also major or minor in art history or studio art may double count three courses across the requirements for all their Fine Arts majors and minors.

Independent Interdisciplinary Major in Architectural Studies

Please see the Fine Arts Department website for information about the Independent Interdisciplinary Major (IIM) in Architectural Studies. Students interested in the Independent Interdisciplinary Major option in Architectural Studies should contact the Office of Academic Services or visit Independent Interdisciplinary Major for application information.

Studio Art

It is recommended that students considering a studio art major enroll in a beginning painting or sculpture course in their sophomore year to allow time to develop their work in a sequence of courses taken over a period of three years. Studio majors are expected to take art history classes as an important component of their major requirement and to deepen their creative experience. Majors are encouraged to extend their intellectual and creative involvement through summer art programs and participation in full studio faculty reviews of their work during sophomore, junior, and senior years.

Minor in Studio Art

A minor in Studio Art is offered in addition to the Studio Art major. This gives the student majoring in another department the opportunity to flexibly construct a Studio Art minor that reflects his or her own personal or academic interests.

The Studio Art minor is intended as both a stand-alone course of study for those students majoring outside the Fine Arts Department or as a supplement to Art History majors. The minor is designed to build an accomplished portfolio that generates an interdisciplinary exploration from studio offerings that include drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, and digital media. Minors can elect to work alongside majors in Senior Studio, a capstone year where students develop a year-long portfolio of personal work.

Double Major in Art History and Studio Art

Students may also double major in studio art and art history by completing all the art history requirements of the Art History Major and all the studio requirements of the Studio Major. The total number of courses for the double major is eighteen.

An undergraduate major in studio art is not required of applicants, but students should be working beyond the beginning level in painting or sculpture. Applicants will be required to submit a group of slides of their work. GMAT or GRE scores are not required. For more information, applicants should contact the Department of Fine Arts.

Sonia Almeida
Printmaking.

Gannit Ankori, Director and Chief Curator of the Rose Art Museum
Israeli and Palestinian art. Modern and Contemporary art. Frida Kahlo. Gender and Art. Curatorial theory and practice.

Tory Fair, Undergraduate Advising Head in Studio Art
Sculpture.

Ariel Freiberg, Postbaccalaureate Program Coordinator
Drawing and painting.

Christopher Frost
Sculpture.

Muna Guvenc, Undergraduate Advising Head for Architectural Studies
Contemporary architecture and urbanism.

Lu Heintz
Sculpture and extended media. Interdisciplinary practices.

Peter Kalb, Undergraduate Advising Head in Art History
Twentieth century/contemporary art.

Camila Maroja
Modern and contemporary Art. Latin American art. Exhibition histories.

Sheida Soleimani
Digital media.

Jonathan Unglaub, Co-Chair
Renaissance and Baroque art.

Joseph Wardwell, Co-Chair
Drawing and painting.

Aida Yuen Wong
Asian art.

lauren woods
Interdisciplinary and post-studio practices, conceptual art, new genres.

Art History

Six courses are required for the minor in art history.

Studio Majors can minor in art history by adding any 3 art history courses to those required for their major. In a corollary manner, studio courses are not considered part of the art history minor.

All courses taken for the minor must receive a final grade of C- or better. No more than two courses taken in programs abroad or as transfer credit can be counted toward the minor. No course taken pass/fail may count toward the minor requirements.

Architectural Studies

Six courses are required for the minor in architectural studies.

1. Two courses in studio design: either FA 23b or FA 24a and either FA 4a.
2. Three core courses in architectural history: FA 30a, FA 80a, and FA 187a.
3. One course focused on themes and periods in the history of architecture including: FA 33b, FA 34a, FA 42b, FA 45a, FA 48a, FA 71b, FA 85a, FA 171b, FA 175b, FA 177b, FA 180a, FA 181a, FA 193a, FA 195a, FA/NEJS 43a, CLAS 111a, CLAS 133a, CLAS 134b, THA 125b, or one additional studio course including: FA 3a, FA 5b, FA 6a, FA 9a, FA 16b, FA 28a.
4. Students who minor in architectural studies and also major or minor in art history or studio art may double count three courses across the requirements for all their FA majors and minors. 

Students who minor in architectural studies and also major or minor in art history or studio art may double count three courses across the requirements for all their FA majors and minors. All courses taken for the minor must receive a final grade of C- or better. No more than two courses taken in programs abroad or as transfer credit can be counted toward the minor. No course taken pass/fail may count toward the minor requirements.

Studio Art

Six studio courses (to be picked in sequence with advisor) selected from FA 3a-FA28a; FA110a or FA110b; or a cross-listed course with approval of an advisor.

A. Applications to Senior Studio: Minors are able, but not required, to apply for consideration to be accepted into one semester of Senior Studio, FA 110a or FA 110b, in their last two semesters of study. Interested students should submit an application to the Undergraduate Advising Head no later than two weeks before early registration begins for a particular term. Minors approved by the UAH to enroll in Senior Studio will receive an invitation to take the course before early registration begins. The Senior Academic Administrator will approve permission requests in Workday. Students enrolled in Senior Studio will receive dedicated studio space in Epstein.

B. Students may take one course in the Division of Creative Arts outside of the Fine Art Department (cross-listed courses) to satisfy one course requirement.

C. No more than two transfer courses can count toward the minor.

D. All courses taken for the minor must receive a final grade of C- or better.

Majoring in art history with a minor in studio art is permitted (two of the studio minor courses can count toward the art history major).

Students may major in either studio art or art history. In courses fulfilling the requirements for the major, students must have received a C- or higher. All students are required to maintain a GPA of 2.0 or higher in course work taken in the major. Students may also double major in studio art and art history if the requirements of each major are fully met with a minimum of eighteen semester courses total. No more than two courses taken in programs abroad or as transfer credit can be counted toward the major. No course taken pass/fail may count toward any major requirements.

Studio Art

Studio Art majors are required to take twelve semester courses, including the following:

A. Emerging Studio Practice (4 Courses)

Four Courses taken in any method of production (2D, 3D, Lens-based/Interdisciplinary). Eligible courses include:

• 2D Courses: FA 3a, FA 7a, FA 11a, FA 11b, FA 12a, FA 12b, FA 13a, FA 13b, FA 14a, FA 14b, FA 17a, FA 17b, FA 27b, FA 28a
• 3D Courses: FA 4a, FA 5a, FA 5b, FA 6a, FA 16a, FA 16b, FA 18a, FA 23b, FA 24a, *COSI 164a, *MUS 196b, *THA 125b
• Lens-based and Interdisciplinary Courses: FA 8a, FA 9a, FA 10a

*Students may apply only one course outside of the Fine Art Department (a cross-listed course) toward the Emerging Studio Practice requirement.

B. Studio Focus (2 Courses)

Two courses intended to be taken after the Emerging Studio Practice courses (or alternatively, after the completion of at least two courses in a particular method of production). To satisfy the Studio Focus requirement, students take two courses in one method of production for in-depth study and exploration, thus taking a total of 4 courses in one method/area of production by the end of one’s third year.

Studio Focus must be completed before fourth year to be eligible to enroll in Senior Studio. For methods of production that do not currently have enough offerings to complete a sequence, students may register for an independent study that meets at the same time as an already listed course.  In this instance, students will develop an advanced work plan with the instructor to fulfill Studio Focus expectations. Eligible Courses for Studio Focus include:

• 2D Courses: FA 12a, FA 12b, FA 13a, FA 13b, FA 14a, FA 14b, FA 17a, FA 17b, FA 27b, FA 28a
• 3D Courses: FA 5a, FA 5b, FA 6a, FA 16a, FA 16b
• Lens-based and Interdisciplinary Courses: FA 8a, FA 10a, *MUS 196b, *THA 126b

*Students focusing on lens-based and interdisciplinary practices may take only one of the above listed cross-listed courses to satisfy a focus requirement.

C. Advanced Studio Practice (3 Courses)

Three advanced studio practice courses consisting of:

• FA 110a Senior Studio I
• FA 110b Senior Studio II 
• FA 118a Studio Seminar (open to third and fourth year students)

D. Cultural Production in Context:  History and Theory (3 Courses)

Three courses taken in Art History, Studio Art, and other history and theory courses in another discipline (Creative Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, particularly courses in the Creativity, the Arts, and Social Transformation program) with prior approval.  Eligible courses in Fine Arts:

• FA 30a – FA 86b
• FA 119b (open to advanced students; permission required) 
• FA 141b – FA 199a

E. Foundational Literacies

To satisfy the Brandeis Core foundational literacies, students will:

• Fulfill the writing intensive requirement by successfully completing FA 119b, or any WI-designated course approved for the Art History major.
• Fulfill the oral communication requirement with FA 118a
• Fulfill the digital literacy requirement with FA 8a, FA 9a, or FA 10a.

These courses also satisfy the major requirements and are taken concurrently, not in addition to the 12 courses that comprise the major. No single course may satisfy all three foundational literacies.

F. Honors

Fourth-year students can apply to complete an Honors Thesis Project in Studio Art.  If accepted, students must have space in their schedules to register for both FA 99a and FA 99b. These courses are completed in addition to studio production requirements.

All courses applied towards the major must be taken for a letter grade, receiving a final grade of C- or better; no pass/fail courses accepted. No more than two transfer courses can be counted toward the major.

Art History

Art History majors take eleven courses from among the Fine Arts and cross-listed course offerings:

1. Two Foundational Surveys (Western, Asian, Islamic etc., numbered FA 30-39). Qualifying AP Art History credit may replace one course in this requirement.
2. One Methods Seminar (FA 199a)
3. One Research Seminar (numbered FA 190-198)
4. One Studio Art Course
5. Six Electives (including a second optional Studio Art course)
6. Foundational Literacies: Foundational Literacy requirements are satisfied within, not in addition to, the eleven courses required by the major. As part of completing the Art History major, students must:
   • Fulfill the writing intensive requirement by successfully completing one of the following: FA 149a, FA 155a, FA 156b, FA 191b, FA 193a, FA 195a, or FA 199a.
   • Fulfill the oral communication requirement by successfully completing one of the following: FA 178b, FA 191b, FA 192a, FA 193a, or FA 197a.
   • Fulfill the digital literacy requirement by successfully completing one of the following: FA 23b, FA 24a, FA 169a, FA 181a, or FA 199a.

No single course may satisfy all three foundational literacies.

Prospective graduate students in the history of art are advised to acquire skills in foreign languages, which are necessary for graduate study.

Art History/Studio Art Double Major

Double majors take eighteen courses from art history and studio art:

1. Two foundational survey courses in Art History (Western, Asian, Islamic etc., numbered FA 30-39). Qualifying AP Art History credit may replace one course in this requirement.
2. One Methods Seminar (FA 199a)
3. One Research Seminar (numbered FA 190-198)
4. Five Electives in Art History.
5. Six electives in Studio Art, which should demonstrate a chosen area of focus. In their junior year, studio majors are encouraged to enroll in two studio classes that are topic driven or at the intermediate level.
6. FA 118a Studio Seminar taken in junior or senior year.
7. Two semesters of Senior Studio (FA 110a and FA 110b) in painting or sculpture.
8. Foundational Literacies: As part of completing the Art History/Studio Art double major, students must:
   • Fulfill the writing intensive requirement by successfully completing one of the following: FA 119b, FA 149a, FA 155a, FA 156b, FA 191b, FA 193a, FA 195a, or FA 199a.
   • Fulfill the oral communication requirement by successfully completing one of the following: FA 118a, FA 178b, FA 191b, FA 192a, FA 193a, or FA 197a.
   • Fulfill the digital literacy requirement by successfully completing one of the following: FA8a, FA 9a, FA 10a, FA 10b, FA 23b, FA 24a, FA 169a, FA 181a, or FA 199a.

No single course may satisfy all three foundational literacies.

Independent Interdisciplinary Major (IIM) in Architectural Studies

Please see the Fine Arts Department website for information about the Independent Interdisciplinary Major (IIM) in Architectural Studies.

Six courses are required: three in the fall and three in the spring.

1. Each semester, students should enroll in the appropriate postbaccalaureate studio course (FA 210a in the fall and FA 210b in the spring). Studio faculty are available to meet with students for individual critiques. Participation in these studio visits, as well as group critiques, visiting artists' lectures, and field trips are considered part of these courses.
2. In the fall, students enroll in FA 220a Postbaccalaureate Studio Critique.
3. In the spring, students enroll in FA 119b Professional Practices in Art.
4. Students should enroll in at least one elective per semester that is appropriate to their needs and interests. The courses are designed to cultivate independent studio work and to help build the student's portfolio.
5. There is a one-year in-person residency requirement that may be extended to an additional year with permission of the program chair.

Every student, whether or not currently in residence, must register at the beginning of each term. All graduate students will be evaluated by the program each semester. At this evaluation the records of all graduate students will be carefully reviewed with reference to the timely completion of coursework and non-course degree requirements, the quality of the work and research in progress and the student’s overall academic performance in the program.

AAAS/FA 74b Introduction to African Art
[ ca nw ss ]

Surveys the visual artistic traditions of Africa. Investigates the different forms of visual art in relation to their historical and socio-cultural context. Symbolism and complexity of Africa's visual art traditions are explored through analysis of myth, ritual, cosmology, and history. Usually offered every fourth year.

AAAS/FA 75b History of African American Art
[ ca deis-us ]

"Black art has always existed," stated artist Romare Bearden. "It just hasn't been looked for in the right places." This course examines how Black artists in the U.S. explore beauty, individuality, justice and other themes through personal, racial, and societal lenses. Usually offered every fourth year.

FA 23b Architectural Drawing and Digital Design I
[ ca dl ]

Intended to develop new skills in conceptualizing, designing, and communicating architectural ideas. Students will be exposed to conceptual strategies of form and space and site relationships within social and environmental factors. Students will study the basic techniques and concepts of architectural design and digital drawing, with two and three-dimensional representation skills. Usually offered every year.

FA 24a Architectural Drawing and Digital Design II
[ ca dl ]

Intended to develop new skills in conceptualizing, designing, and communicating architectural ideas. Students will be exposed to conceptual strategies of form and space and site relationships within social and environmental factors. Students will study the basic techniques and concepts of architectural design and digital drawing, with two and three-dimensional representation skills. Usually offered every year.

FA 30a History of Western Art I: From Antiquity to the Middle Ages
[ ca ]

Open to all students; first-year students and sophomores are encouraged to enroll.

Surveys the artistic and architectural traditions of the peoples of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East from prehistory to the end of the Middle Ages with an emphasis on their cultural context, meaning and stylistic characteristics. Usually offered every year.

FA 30b History of Western Art II: From the Renaissance to the Modern Age
[ ca ]

Open to all students; first-year students and sophomores are encouraged to enroll.

A study of the major styles in architecture, painting, and sculpture of the West from the Renaissance to the early twentieth century. Usually offered every year.

FA 33b Islamic Art and Architecture
[ ca djw nw ]

Through case studies of cities, sites, and monuments, the course presents an overview of the art and the architecture of the Islamic world beginning from the seventh century up to the present. Some of the themes include, but are not limited to, Islamic material culture, orientalist imaginations, systems of governance and the colonial present, search for the local identity, urban modernity and nationalism, and globalization. Usually offered every second year.

FA 34a History of Asian Art
[ ca nw ]

A selective survey of the art of the three major Asian areas: India, China, and Japan. Usually offered every second year.

FA 35a Latin American Art: From the Encounter to the Mexican Revolution
[ ca ]

Surveys Latin American art from precolonial times through the Mexican Muralist movement of the early 20th century. Students will examine how colonial conquest brutally reconfigured indigenous artistic traditions, exploring how artists developed distinctive visual languages under European imperial rule (1492-1821). The course then investigates art's role in independence movements and nation-building throughout Latin America, analyzing how artists responded to both local conditions and global influences. Special attention is given to art as a medium for cultural exchange, resistance, identity formation, and political expression across regions including Mexico, Peru, and Brazil. No prior knowledge of art history or Latin American studies required. Usually offered every year.

FA 42b The Age of Cathedrals
[ ca ]

Architecture, sculpture, and painting (including stained glass) in Western Europe from the twelfth to the fifteenth century, with particular attention to the great churches of medieval France. Usually offered every fourth year.

FA 45a Early Renaissance Art in Tuscany from the Age of Dante to the Medici
[ ca ]

Course to be taught at Brandeis program in Siena.

Examines the development of late Medieval and Renaissance Art and Architecture between 1200 and 1500, with an emphasis on the centers of Siena and Florence, and artists who worked in these cities. Usually offered every year.

FA 46b High and Late Renaissance in Italy
[ ca ]

Examines the major works of art produced in Italy in the sixteenth century. It focuses on the principal centers of Florence, Rome, and Venice. The foremost artists of the age, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Titian, receive in-depth coverage. The course also considers the social institutions, ecclesiastical, courtly and civic, that furnished the patronage opportunities and promoted the ideas that occasioned, even demanded, new artistic forms of grace and harmony, energy and torsion. Usually offered second year.

FA 47b Renaissance Art in Northern Europe
[ ca ]

A survey of the art of the Netherlands, Germany, and France in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Cultural developments such as the invention of printing, the Protestant Reformation, and the practices of alchemy and witchcraft will be considered through the work of major artists. Usually offered every third year.

FA 48a Age of Caravaggio and Bernini: Baroque Art and Architecture in Italy
[ ca ]

This course counts towards minors in Architectural Studies, Italian Studies, and Medieval and Renaissance Studies.

Immerse yourself in the spectacle of Papal Rome during the long seventeenth-century (1580-1730) when it was the artistic capital of Europe. We will study Caravaggio and Bernini in depth as the prevailing artistic forces, while considering the major contributions of the Carracci, Borromini, Poussin, Gentileschi, and Cortona. Apart from the patronage strategies of successive Popes and how they reshaped Rome with grand churches, palaces, and urban spaces, we will consider architectural and artistic production in such diverse centers as Venice, Naples, Bologna, and Turin. Usually offered every third year.

FA 49a Art and Revolution: Visual Culture in the Americas
[ ca djw ]

Explores how art and social transformation intersected in the Americas during the 20th and 21st centuries. Examines the dynamic relationship between visual culture and revolutionary movements, from the Mexican Revolution's muralist movement to contemporary social activism. Students analyze how artists, photographers, and filmmakers both documented and shaped pivotal moments of political change across Latin America, including the Cuban Revolution and responses to various dictatorships. The course emphasizes how artistic movements both emerged from and influenced political circumstances throughout the Americas. Usually offered every year.

FA 56a American Art
[ ca deis-us ]

A survey of American painting from the colonial period to the early twentieth-century. Usually offered every third year.

FA 59a Modern Art and Modern Culture
[ ca ]

A thematic study of modernism in twentieth-century painting and sculpture, emphasizing three trends: primitivism, spiritualism, and the redefinition of reality. Individual artists and art movements will be examined in the context of literature, politics, and aesthetic theory. Artists include Picasso, Matisse, Kandinsky, and Duchamp. Usually offered every second year.

FA 61a History of Photography
[ ca ]

The history of photography from its invention in 1839 to the present, with an emphasis on developments in America. Photography is studied as a documentary and an artistic medium. Topics include Alfred Stieglitz and the photo-secession, Depression-era documentary, Robert Frank and street photography, and postmodern photography. Usually offered every third year.

FA 62a Art since 1945
[ ca ]

Survey of developments in painting and sculpture since World War II. Consideration of major trends of the period, including abstract expressionism, pop art, minimalism, color field painting, and realism. Usually offered every second year.

FA 71b The Art of Japan
[ ca nw ]

A survey of Japanese art from antiquity to the modern period. Usually offered every second year.

FA 72b Introduction to Korean Art
[ ca nw ]

Surveys Korean and Korean American art, focusing on later historical periods from the Joseon dynasty to the present. We will examine art and social systems, material culture, and shifting artistic identities in the country’s transition to modernity. The latter part of the course will focus on modern and contemporary art of Korea as well as the works of Korean American artists. Usually offered every fourth year.

FA 73a Asian American Art
[ ca ]

Critically explores art practices made by and about people of Asian descent in the United States. Beginning in the nineteenth century and ending in the twenty-first century, this course traces specific artist, movement, and artwork case studies across the nineteenth and long twentieth century, including photography and visual cultures of exclusion, early twentieth century American modernism and abstraction, artmaking during and affected by the WWII era, postwar practices in new media and performance, and narratives of global contemporary art.

Far from attempting to create a comprehensive lineage of Asian American art, this course complicates unified histories or characteristics of Asian American art, and rather contextualizes specific case studies that bring forward questions around issues of race, identity, place (and its claims) in American visual culture as it pertains to works by Asian American artists. Artists and authors include ShiPu Wang, Marci Kwon, Isamu Noguchi, Chiura Obata, Miné Okubo, Rea Tajiri, Nam June Paik, Yoko Ono, Yasuo Kuniyoshi, Bernice Bing, Yong Soon Min, and Tseng Kwong Chi among others. Usually offered every third year.

FA 75a Asian Diasporic and Islander Art of the Pacific World
[ ca ]

Examines Pacific Islander and Asian diasporic art from the precolonial era to the present. Geographically situated in Oceania and the broader Pacific, the course centers themes of eastern and western imperialism, sovereignty, and migration through visual analysis and interdisciplinary approaches. Special one-time offering, fall 2026.

FA 77b Twentieth-Century and Contemporary Latin American Art
[ ca djw nw ]

This course is a selective survey of the outstanding figures and movements that have made significant contributions to the history of Latin American art. Special focus will be on Mexican, Argentinean, Brazilian, Venezuelan and Cuban artists. Usually offered every second year.

FA 80a Modern Architecture
[ ca ]

Explores major architectural developments from the19th to the 21st century. While tracing major stylistic developments and new building types that have characterized "modernism" in architecture, the course also studies new forms of global dominance (via colonialism), expression of new sovereignties around the world (via the nationalist movements) and the creation of the new spaces of capitalism and consumption (the highway, the mall, the suburb, etc.) Usually offered every year.

FA 86b Museum Studies
[ ca dl wi ]

May not be taken for credit by students who took FA 85b in prior years.

An experiential learning seminar focused on the art object in the context of the museum; the history of museums (architecture, educational mission, curatorial presentation); museum ethics and provenance studies; new theories of museums and their expanded role in the community. Usually offered every second year.

FA 92b Internship and Analysis in Art History

Students may petition to receive credit for internships completed in museums, galleries and arts institutions. Student must get a faculty sponsor with whom they will agree in advance on the internship and requirements for receiving credit. Art history credit can also be earned by completing one of several internships offered at the Rose Art Museum for which students apply in the spring semester for the following academic year. At the Rose, focus may center in the areas of education, registrar, exhibition installation, or curatorial work. All student applications to the Rose, with preference given to upperclassmen, must be endorsed by a faculty recommendation. Usually offered every semester.

FA 95a Research Internship

Instructor permission required. Yields half-course credit.

Research under the supervision of a Brandeis Fine Arts faculty member. Usually offered every year.

FA 96a Senior Research in Art History

Prerequisite: A minimum GPA in fine arts courses of 3.00. Art history students consult with faculty the second semester of their junior year and petition to enroll at the beginning of their senior year.

Usually offered every year.

FA 96b Senior Research in Art History

Prerequisite: A minimum GPA in fine arts courses of 3.00. Art history students consult with faculty the second semester of their junior year and petition to enroll at the beginning of their senior year.

Usually offered every year.

FA 98b Independent Study

Prerequisites: Normally open only to fine arts majors in their junior and senior years. As the number of times FA 98b may be taken is limited by department regulations, the interested student should consult the appropriate undergraduate advising head and his or her major adviser. Yields half-course credit.

Usually offered every year.

FA 149a The Age of Rubens, Rembrandt and Vermeer
[ ca wi ]

Explores the major figures of seventeenth-century painting in the Netherlands and Flanders: Rubens, Van Dyck, Rembrandt, and Vermeer. During this time, the ideal of Renaissance painter/courtier gives way to the birth of the modern artist in an open market, revolutionizing the subjects, themes, and styles of painting. Usually offered every second year.

FA 155a Impressionism: Avant-Garde Rebellion in Context
[ ca ]

Focuses on major 19th century artists in France, from the innovation of Edouard Manet to the formation of the group called the Impressionists. Study of the series of independent exhibitions, mounted between 1874 - 1886, and organized by the unlikely allies Edgar Degas and Claude Monet, including women artists Morisot and Cassatt. Also analysis of the influence of Japanese art from abroad, and the new 'objective' style, shaped in part by the invention of photography, will be a focus. The next generation - Cézanne, Gauguin, Seurat, and Van Gogh - develop stylistic ideas out of Impressionism, and re-shape its aims. Usually offered every third year.

FA 156b Postimpressionism and Symbolism, 1880-1910
[ ca wi ]

Artists Vincent Van Gogh, Gauguin, Seurat and Cézanne, first identified with Post-Impressionism, are contextualized with Toulouse-Lautrec and others who defined the French art world before 1900. Symbolism has its roots in the art work of Redon, Van Gogh and above all Gauguin, here studied in context with poetry and art criticism of the times. The Expressionist move toward an abstract idiom in Norway, Germany and Austria will focus on Edvard Munch and Gustav Klimt. Decorative styles such as Art Nouveau and Jugendstil define the bridge to the 20th century. The course ends with early 20th century masters, Matisse and the Fauves, and finally German Expressionism. Usually offered every fourth year.

FA 164a The Re-Invention of Art
[ ca djw ]

By the 1960s, the United States was the art-world capital. Radical art, however, appeared everywhere. Examines US art of the 1960's-1970s in light of artistic production in, among other places, Germany, England, Italy, Brazil, Argentina, Senegal, and Japan. Usually offered every year.

FA 165a Contemporary Art
[ ca ]

After theories of power and representation and art movements of pop, minimalism, and conceptual art were established by the 1970s, artists began to create what we see in galleries today. This course addresses art at the turn of the millennium with attention to intersections of art and identity, politics, economy, and history. Usually offered every third year.

FA 166b Representing Globalism
[ ca djw nw ]

For several decades, artists have been investigating the character and consequences of life under global capitalism. Through examination of writings by artists, theorists, and historians in the context of art since the turn of the millennium, this course seeks to uncover stories of the global present and possible futures. Usually offered every third year.

FA 169a Ecology and Art
[ ca dl ]

Provides a theoretical foundation and art historical background for discussion of contemporary art that draws attention to the ecologies, primarily natural but also cultural, of which it and we are a part. Usually offered every third year.

FA 171b Buddhist Art
[ ca nw ]

Surveys Buddhist art and architecture in different parts of the world. Primarily, religious buildings, artworks, and monuments from South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia will be examined within their historical, cultural, and social contexts. Usually offered every fourth year.

FA 175b Asian Modernisms
[ ca ]

Examines the diverse trajectories of artistic modernisms across China, India, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong from the latter half of the 19th century to the 1980s. Spanning painting, architecture, print culture, clothing, and photography, we investigate how Asian communities engaged with global modernist currents while forging locally specific forms. Rather than viewing “modernism” as a singular, Western-derived movement, the course emphasizes plural modernisms shaped by complex exchanges: contact with European and American art, regional ideas, and innovations within longstanding traditions including ink painting and calligraphy. We will analyze how artistic practices responded to—and were shaped by—nationalism, imperialism, colonialism, democratization, and the shifting geopolitics of the modern era. Case studies range from Japanese surrealism and Indian Santiniketan experiments to modern architecture in Shanghai and the revival of literati aesthetics in Republican China and colonial Taiwan. Readings and visual analysis will guide students to critically evaluate the intersections of art, politics, and identity. Usually offered every third year.

FA 176a Fashion History of China
[ ca ]

Examines the evolution of garments, ornaments, accessories, shoes, and other bodily adornments in China through the lens of art history. Ancient murals, tomb figurines, and representations in painting will be the primary materials of investigation. Students learn about the importance of dress and fashion (and their visual representations) in shaping identities through the ages. Usually offered every third year.

FA 177b French Connection in Modern East Asian Art
[ ca djw ]

Examines the encounter of East Asian artists with France, Paris in particular, since the late nineteenth century. It deals with a range of artistic expressions, focusing on painting, but also covering fashion design, architecture, and conceptual art. Usually offered every second year.

FA 178b Seminar on Chinese Calligraphy and Practice
[ ca nw oc ]

Prerequisite: Some knowledge of reading Chinese or Japanese.

Introduces the major scripts and canonical works of Chinese calligraphy. Besides studying historical developments, students gain hands-on experience with producing their own works. The class combines theory and practice to advance understanding of the aesthetic, critical language, and the functions of this enduring art. Usually offered every second year.

FA 180a Contemporary Architecture
[ ca ]

Presents major innovations and stylistic developments in world architecture in the aftermath of World War II. Examining the larger social, political and cultural contexts within which architecture operates, the course will trace the diverse positions that characterize contemporary architecture across the globe. Special attention will be paid to the relationships between theories, debates, and the creative capacity of design and practice in architecture since the mid-twentieth century. Usually offered every fourth year.

FA 181a Housing and Social Justice
[ ca deis-us dl ss ]

Employs housing as a lens to interrogate space and society, state and market, power and change, in relation with urban inequality and social justice. It trains students to become participants in the global debates about housing. In doing so, it teaches students about dominant paradigms of urban development and welfare and situates such paradigms in the 20th century history of capitalism. It will explicitly adopt a comparative and transnational urban approach to housing and social justice, showing how a globalized perspective provides important insights into local shelter struggles and debates. Usually offered every second year.

FA 187a Approaches to Architecture and the City
[ ca ]

Trains students in developing the ability to conduct architectural and urban analysis of the built environment. Through a comparative case-study approach, based on selected readings, real spaces, and creative projects, students will better understand architectural and urban design in relation to social, cultural, human, and political aspects. Usually offered every year.

FA 191b Studies in Renaissance and Baroque Art
[ ca oc wi ]

Preference to Fine Arts majors and minors, Italian Studies minors, and Medieval and Renaissance minors only. Topics may vary from year to year; the course may be repeated for credit as topics change.

Usually offered every third year.

FA 192a Studies in Modern and Contemporary Art
[ ca oc ]

Topics may vary from year to year; the course may be repeated for credit.

Usually offered every third year.

FA 193a Studies in Modern and Contemporary Architecture
[ ca oc wi ]

Topics may vary from year to year; the course may be repeated for credit with permission of the instructor.

Usually offered every third year.

FA 194a Studies in Latin American Art
[ ca djw oc ]

Builds a theoretical foundation and art historical background for discussing art and theories coming from Latin America. The subject matter (specified in the topic that accompanies the title) in this seminar may vary depending on the instructor and year. Examples of topics include: Indigenous Art; Women Artists, Latinx Art, and Colonialism and Geopolitics.Usually offered every third year.

FA 197a Studies in Asian Art
[ ca nw oc ]

Topics may vary from year to year; the course may be repeated for credit with permission of the instructor. Usually offered every third year.

FA 199a Methods and Approaches in the History of Art
[ ca dl wi ]

Prerequisite: One course in Art History and instructor permission.

Explores various ways of analyzing works of art and provides an overview of the historical development of the discipline. Designed specifically for junior and senior art history majors. Usually offered every year.

FA/NEJS 43a Middle Eastern Cities: Navigating the Transition from Empires to Nation-States and the Globalized Wo
[ ca djw hum ]

Offers an integrated exploration of Middle Eastern literature, urbanism, and architecture. It delves into the vibrant urban heritage of the Middle East, spanning from ancient metropolises like Cairo, Damascus, Istanbul, Jerusalem, and Baghdad. By engaging in a comprehensive examination of Middle Eastern cities, students will acquire profound insights into the region's multifaceted histories, including the impacts of colonialism, imperialism, nation-state formation, and the dynamics within our increasingly globalized world. Usually offered every second year.

FA 3a Introduction to Drawing I
[ ca ]

Beginning-level course. No previous drawing experience necessary. Preference to first-year students and sophomores. May be repeated once for credit if taught by different instructors.

A studio class that introduces a range of drawing materials and methods, intended for both studio majors and non-majors. Students will draw from direct observation of still-life, landscape, and the human figure. Drawing media may include graphite, charcoal, ink, and collage, as well as watercolor and pastel. The drawings of great artists throughout history will be studied to provide examples of what is possible within this broad and expressive visual language. Usually offered every semester.

FA 4a Sculpture Foundation: 3-D Design I
[ ca ]

Beginning-level course. Preference to first-year students and sophomores. May be repeated once for credit if taught by different instructors.

Exploration of three-dimensional aspects of form, space, and composition utilizing a variety of materials and sculptural techniques. Emphasizes students' inventing of images through the use of modern materials and contemporary ideas about sculpture. Assignments are based on abstract thought and problem solving. The intent of this course is to give students a rich studio experience and promote a fresh and meaningful approach to visual concepts. Usually offered every semester.

FA 5a Sculpture: Utilizing Waste Stream Materials
[ ca ]

Encourages students to consider their studio practice through the lens of sustainability. Through out the semester, we will collaborate with the waste stream culture on campus to access materials for fabricating sculptural ideas and installations. Projects will be introduced through images and videos from contemporary artists that help inspire conversations as we move through the semester. A significant part of the course is participating in critique and trying to articulate what we see. Your skills will advance as a maker, and also as a more informed viewer. Usually offered every second year.

FA 5b Sculpture: Blurring the Boundaries
[ ca ]

This studio course is an opportunity to work both in painting and in sculpture. Students are expected to create a dialogue between methods of collage, drawing, monotype, painting, and methods of constructing three-dimensional objects, including mixed media and installation. We use paintings as a source for sculpture, and sculpture as a source for painting. There will be an additional two hours of monitored shop time that students are required to attend weekly outside of scheduled class time. Usually offered every year.

FA 6a Sculpture: Body as Source
[ ca ]

Explores how the body can be involved in the subject of making sculpture. Examines different ways in which the body is used as a source, including observation, process, fragmentation, narrative, and performance. Projects are introduced through slides from contemporary artists implementing the concepts put forth. Usually offered every second year.

FA 7a Drawing Under the Influence
[ ca ]

This course is intended for first-year students and sophomores.

Explores various historical and contemporary ideas and techniques. Through differing art practices, students create unique works of art that integrate genres and time periods in the service of self-expression. Students will examine, study and recreate facsimiles from the Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassic eras as well as from Pop, Photorealist, Abstract Expressionist, and Minimalist movements. Usually offered every semester.

FA 8a Introduction to Video Art
[ ca dl ]

Explores producing moving images as fine art. While a basic overview of Adobe Premiere software is offered, emphasis is on conceptual framework and cultivating methodologies that best suit ideas. Students will experiment with materials, modes of production (performance, experimental documentation, appropriation, non-linear narrative), and exhibition (video monitors, projection, theatrical, installation, Internet) in order to consider the effect of these decisions on generating meaning and to better communicate one's statement through the genre. Usually offered every semester.

FA 9a Introduction to Digital Photography: Ethics of Photography
[ ca dl ]

Prerequisite: One studio art course, FA 3a - FA 28a. May be repeated for credit with permission of the instructor.

An introduction to the visual forms and concepts of the photographic image. A range of digital techniques is covered along with aspects of the history of photography. Students must provide their own digital camera. Field trips and image presentations supplement the studio aspect of the course. Usually offered every semester.

FA 10a Intermediate Photography: Constructing Imagery
[ ca dl ]

Prerequisite: FA 9a.

This photo is a fake! Through examining the notion of artifice, the creation of a photograph can adopt an interdisciplinary practice. By constructing the subject of an image, we are able to mediate the idea of what exactly a photograph can be. We will be examining the history of the constructed image alongside artistic approaches to image making, involving intervention and manipulation of a subject. In direct opposition to the methods of the candid and documentary genres in photography and film, the constructed image depends on artifice and invention to create or manipulate the subject. This genre makes use of a vast range of techniques including staging, directing, collaging, sculpting and painting, as well as creating a performative studio-based practice, where images are fabricated instead of being "found."

Students will work independently to produce visual works demonstrating the concepts learned in class. Topics will include: the history and theory of the constructed image, lighting equipment and techniques, intro to film software, as well as philosophical and political perspectives in the history of the constructed image. By the end of this class, students are expected to have a series of images (still or moving) that utilize these techniques to create a coherent body of work. Through constructing these images, students will be able to create their own visual language to convey personal narratives and ideologies. Usually offered every third year.

FA 11a Beginning Painting: Visual Concepts
[ ca ]

Previous drawing experience recommended.

A 6-hour per week class recommended for Studio Art majors and minors, and other students with drawing or pre-college painting experience. Concepts of form, color theory, and composition will be introduced while working from landscape, still life and the figure. Museum trips and slide lectures will augment studio work. Usually offered every fall.

FA 11b Beginning Painting: Visual Possibilities
[ ca ]

Previous drawing experience recommended.

This is a six-hour per week studio class recommended for sophomore studio art majors or other students desiring an in-depth painting course. Color theory and various methods of oil painting will be introduced while working from landscape, still life, and the figure. Museum trips and slide lectures will augment studio work. Usually offered every spring.

FA 12a Printmaking: Intaglio
[ ca ]

Using the etching press in the Printmaking Studio, this course is an introduction to basic intaglio processes of drypoint and etching as well as monotype, carborundum prints and collograph. Students will work on metal, plastic or cardboard plates and make experimental, painterly images in both black and white, and color. Usually offered every year.

FA 12b Printmaking: Woodcut and Relief
[ ca ]

Introduction to relief printmaking using linoleum and woodblock. Students become familiar with working in a print shop, how to use color in printmaking, planning images, direct drawing on wood, and how to critique printmaking in a group setting. Usually offered every year.

FA 13a Intermediate Drawing I
[ ca ]

Previous drawing experience recommended.

Intended for students seeking drawing experience beyond FA 3a and for studio art majors. Various materials and methods of drawing are used, as historical and contemporary works are studied through slides and museum strips. Students hone basic skills and use drawing as an increasingly personal language. Usually offered every fall.

FA 13b Drawing: Advanced Visual Concepts
[ ca ]

Previous drawing experience recommended.

Offers a wide range of experience in drawing. Perceptual and conceptual issues will be pursued, and students will be encouraged to concentrate on the more complex and creative aspects of drawing. Usually offered every spring.

FA 14a Intermediate Painting: On Location
[ ca ]

An intermediate-level painting course emphasizing the plastic and formal means necessary to create work that will become an increasingly personal statement. Usually offered every fall.

FA 14b Intermediate Painting: The Figure in Context
[ ca ]

Prerequisite: FA 11a or FA 11b, or permission of the instructor.

An intermediate-level painting course emphasizing the plastic and formal means necessary to create work that will become an increasingly personal statement. Usually offered every spring.

FA 15b 4D: Body, Space, Time, Relation
[ ca ]

Introduces experiential, intermedia art forms incorporating practices from sculpture, installation, video, sound, performance, and digital media. Students will be encouraged to construct objects or environments that exist within, or provide the container for, time-based projects. The Body will be approached as a subject of theoretical discourse as well as a lived experience –experience that is always situated in particular physical space, changing within unfolding time, and in relation to other bodies and objects. The sensory, affective experiences of the body will be emphasized, particularly those outside of traditional visual art forms–touch, smell, sound, taste and proprioception. Students will play with interactive modes of presentation, ephemeral art, and relational aesthetics. Technical instruction will include 3D making, sound/video editing, and spatial installation practices. An art historical survey of intermedia praxis will span from 1960s Fluxus Art to our contemporary moment. Relevant inspirations from outside the artworld canon will pull from the realms of science, music, dance, film, theater, literature, poetry, cultural studies and pop culture. This course nurtures an interdisciplinary lab environment where students participate collaboratively in activities and experiments during class time. Usually offered every third year.

FA 16a Off The Pedestal: Explorations of Installation Art
[ ca ]

Takes students through the processes of creating artworks outside of the studio or gallery. The course is designed to introduce concepts and practices of installation and site-specific art. We will focus on how artists use location and site as basis for artistic expression. Students will examine the intersections of object, environment, and audience. In completing a series of projects, readings, discussions, and critiques, students will engage in contemporary art practices that explore the boundaries between sculpture, landscape/architecture, and performance. Students will work independently and/or collaboratively to create site-specific works that transform the viewer’s experience of a space/locale. Focus will be on conceptual development, material experimentation, and engagement with the history and theories of installation and site-specific art. Usually offered every year.

FA 16b Sculpture: Object in Clay
[ ca ]

With clay as the focused material, this course offers an in-depth examination of sculptural concepts ranging from object-making to site-specific works. Numerous techniques and processes will be introduced including hand-building, wheel-throwing, and working from the figure. Students will be encouraged to develop their own visual vocabulary and to understand their ideas in the context of contemporary sculpture. Usually offered every semester.

FA 17a Printmaking: Monotypes
[ ca ]

Offers a hands-on experimentation with Monotype Printing. Monotypes are unique images produced using a plate/matrix. Monotypes can be created on metal, glass, plexiglass or cardboard using subtractive, additive or a combination of multiple processes. Students will also explore collagraphs; a collagraph print is made from a collage of various materials glued together and inked, using relief, intaglio and embossing printing techniques on an etching press, creating dimensional prints. Usually offered every second year.

FA 17b Printmaking: Silkscreen
[ ca ]

Explores silkscreen using photographic stencil techniques. Students learn how to create stencils that are handmade and computer-generated. The relationship between fine art and commercial printing is discussed. Usually offered every second year.

FA 18a Experimental Threads
[ ca ]

Prerequisite: Instructor permission.

Guides students through spinning, felting, sewing, weaving, mending, and embroidery techniques to promote inventive approaches with fibers across the disciplines of sculpture, textiles, fashion, painting, and book arts. Material possibilities include supple materials that can respond similarly to cloth and fibers such as plastic, rubber, wire, paper, and more. Students refine skills in design, armature making, and various textile practices while exploring materials in a hands-on, lab environment. Experimental Threads is a studio class complemented with historical background, theoretical texts, and autobiographical accounts. Lectures and readings uplift the marginalized histories of textile crafts, domestic labor, and outsider art. Visits to the Rose Art Museum provide exposure to an array of textile-based contemporary artworks. Discussions consider fiber arts in multiple contexts–cultural, domestic, industrial, art historical, decolonial, queer, and feminist. Usually offered every second year.

FA 23b Architectural Drawing and Digital Design I
[ ca dl ]

Intended to develop new skills in conceptualizing, designing, and communicating architectural ideas. Students will be exposed to conceptual strategies of form and space and site relationships within social and environmental factors. Students will study the basic techniques and concepts of architectural design and digital drawing, with two and three-dimensional representation skills. Usually offered every year.

FA 24a Architectural Drawing and Digital Design II
[ ca dl ]

Intended to develop new skills in conceptualizing, designing, and communicating architectural ideas. Students will be exposed to conceptual strategies of form and space and site relationships within social and environmental factors. Students will study the basic techniques and concepts of architectural design and digital drawing, with two and three-dimensional representation skills. Usually offered every year.

FA 27b Book Arts and Editions
[ ca ]

Hands-on exploration of the book format and artist book editions, including a brief introduction to the history and aesthetics of bookmaking. Students will learn about the form and structure of the book, sequencing, page layout and binding techniques, by doing their own books in class. The class includes demonstrations of various techniques, adhesive and non-adhesive bindings, sewn binding (single/multiple structures), experimental object-book formats and the preparation/layout of a book editions. No previous experience required. Usually offered every year.

FA 28a Painting Siena
[ ca ]

Course to be taught at Brandeis program in Siena.

Explores the unique cultural and artistic contributions of Siena, Italy. Students will study and practice traditional and contemporary painting techniques with excursions to visit masterworks and experience the cultural life of the medieval city. Usually offered every year.

FA 92a Internship and Analysis in Studio Art

Usually offered every year.

FA 98a Independent Study

Prerequisites: Normally open only to fine arts majors in their junior and senior years. As the number of times FA 98a may be taken is limited by department regulations, the interested student should consult the appropriate undergraduate advising head and his or her major adviser.

Usually offered every year.

FA 98b Independent Study

Prerequisites: Normally open only to fine arts majors in their junior and senior years. As the number of times FA 98b may be taken is limited by department regulations, the interested student should consult the appropriate undergraduate advising head and his or her major adviser. Yields half-course credit.

Usually offered every year.

FA 99a Senior Research in Studio Art

Prerequisites: A GPA in fine arts courses of 3.00.

Usually offered every year.

FA 99b Senior Research in Studio Art

Prerequisites: A GPA in fine arts courses of 3.00. Interested studio students must take FA 99a in the fall semester of their senior year, in addition to FA 110a and 110b. At the beginning of the spring semester, students wishing to pursue honors will have their artwork reviewed by studio faculty. Based on this review, eligible students will be given permission to enroll in FA 99b for the spring semester.

Usually offered every year.

FA 110a Senior Studio I
[ ca ]

Enrollment limited to senior studio art majors. Senior studio art minors may enroll with instructor permission on a space available basis.

FA 110a and FA 110b are considered two halves of a full-year experience required for studio art majors. Heuristic in nature, this course culminates in a final studio faculty review of the work produced. Review will take the form of an exhibition. Student work can be undertaken in sculpture or painting or a combination of both. Usually offered every fall.

FA 110b Senior Studio II
[ ca ]

Prerequisite: FA 110a, or Instructor permission.

FA 110a and FA 110b are considered two halves of a full-year experience required for studio art majors. Heuristic in nature, this course culminates in a final studio faculty review of the work produced. Review will take the form of an exhibition. Student work can be undertaken in sculpture or painting or a combination of both. Usually offered every spring.

FA 118a Studio Seminar
[ ca oc ]

Prerequisites: Enrollment open to junior and senior studio art majors.

Introduces students to crucial facets of a successful studio practice that happen concurrently, and in dialogue with art making. Writing, reading, communication, and professional practices will be explored as ways of bolstering students' understanding of their own studio practice within the wider history of art and particularly within the context of contemporary art. Usually offered every year.

FA 119b Professional Practice in Art
[ ca wi ]

Prerequisite: Instructor permission.

This is an introductory course to business practices of working artists and arts professionals for students who plan to pursue cultural work/production professionally. Part seminar, part laboratory, students will gain practical experience through hands-on writing exercises while contemplating the philosophical ramifications of what it means to be a contemporary practicing cultural worker through the course's curated reading material and discussion. We will explore diverse modes of professional engagement as well as various opportunities/possibilities, in and outside of traditional art world structures. Usually offered every year.

FA 220a Post Baccalaureate Studio Critique
[ ca ]

Introduces Post Baccalaureate students to crucial facets of a successful discussion and critique practice that happen concurrently, and in dialogue with art making. Communication will be explored as ways of bolstering students' understanding of their own studio practice within the wider history of art and particularly within the context of contemporary art. During group critiques, students are expected to critique both their own work and that of their peers. Students will be engaged in weekly active critique of their work and the work of their peers. Developing good critique skills will involve both one-on-one studio visits and group critique. Usually offered every year.

ANTH 184b Art in the Ancient World
[ djw nw ss ]

A cross-cultural and diachronic exploration of art, focusing on the communicative aspects of visual aesthetics. The survey takes a broad view of how human societies deploy images and objects to foster identities, lure into consumption, generate political propaganda, engage in ritual, render sacred propositions tangible, and chart the character of the cosmos. Usually offered every second year.

CAST 160a Provocative Art: Outside the Comfort Zone
[ ca ]

Presents, analyzes, and discusses art that provokes controversies, discomfort, and other strong responses. This class will focus on a broad range of artistic expressions, including visual art, theater, film, music, and literature with Brandeis faculty as well as visiting artists. Final project consists of students finding, articulating, and advocating for provocative art from multiple perspectives. Note: Students are responsible for attendance and assignments during the shopping period and must be present in those classes to be enrolled off the waitlist. Usually offered every semester.

CLAS 105b Introduction to Mediterranean Archaeology
[ hum ]

The Mediterranean region stands as a testament to the intricate tapestry of human history and culture. "Introduction to Mediterranean Archaeology" is an immersive and comprehensive exploration of this diverse and dynamic region. This course offers an interdisciplinary approach, integrating anthropology, history, art history, and environmental studies to unravel the mysteries of the Mediterranean's past. Topics in this course are intended to provide and understanding of the archaeology of the civilizations in the Mediterranean world from the Bronze Age through the Byzantine period. It will emphasize the contributions of studies of material culture to our understandings of social, economic, religious, and political activities and their changes over time. The study of ancient world provides us with a series of snippets of the past into the lives of people within a rich material world, filled with complicated societies remarkably similar to our own. By analyzing their remains, archaeologists investigate ‘big questions’ such as: How did religious practice intersect with political life? Was gender and identity just as dynamic in the ancient world? How was status communicated? The archaeology of ancient Mediterranean provides material evidence for understanding life in a complex past that also illuminates our own world today. Usually offered every year.

CLAS 111a Art and Archaeology of the Hellenistic World
[ hum ]

Surveys the art and archaeology of the Hellenistic world (including Greece, western and central Asia, north Africa, and Italy) focusing on the 4th century Mediterranean leading up to the conquests of Alexander the Great (336-323 BCE) and the kingdoms of his successors until the death of Cleopatra in 30 BCE. A major theme throughout this course will be the global culture of the cosmopolitan world created by Alexander the Great. Other themes will include encounters between varying cultural traditions, how material correlates of identity played out in all levels of society, and how the art, artifacts, and architecture of the Hellenistic communities were used to assert themselves in a rich multi-cultural environment. We will cover the elite, domestic, and funerary architectural remains associated with the Hellenistic kingdoms, as well as their material culture in the forms of mosaics, sculpture, and other portable artifacts. Usually offered every second year.

CLAS 116b The Archaeology of Imperialism
[ hum ]

Provides an in depth survey of the archaeological material and theory of empires across the ancient world. Usually offered every third year.

CLAS 133a The Art and Archaeology of Ancient Greece
[ ca hum ]

Surveys the main forms and styles of Greek art and architecture from the Bronze Age through the Hellenistic period in mainland Greece and on the islands of the Aegean. Archaeological remains and ancient literary evidence help explore the relationships between culture, the visual arts, and society. Usually offered every second year.

CLAS 134b The Art and Archaeology of Ancient Rome
[ ca hum ]

Surveys the art and architecture of the ancient Romans from the eighth century BCE to the end of the empire in Sicily, mainland Italy (with focus on Rome, Ostia, Pompeii, and Herculaneum), and in the Roman provinces. Usually offered every second year.

CLAS 136b Ancient Technology and Modern Approaches
[ hum ]

Examines the greatest technological discoveries from the classical world. How did these engineering and technological marvels turn the tides of war and alter the trajectory of civilizations? In hands-on modules, this course will introduce modern technology such as 3D Scanning & Printing, XRF, Virtual Reality, Drones and others, as a means of analyzing the ancient world. Usually offered every third year.

CLAS 145b Topics in Greek and Roman Art and Archaeology
[ ca hum ]

Topics vary from year to year and the course may be repeated for credit. Topics include daily life in ancient Rome; Greek and Roman technology and art; Rome, City of Marble; and Athens and the golden age of Greece. See Schedule of Classes for the current topic and description. Usually offered every second year.

CLAS 150b Pompeii: Life in the Shadow of Vesuvius
[ ca hum ]

Examines Pompeii and Herculaneum, buried by Vesuvius in 79 CE, using the ancient cities' art, architecture, and wall writings to understand the social, political, economic, and religious realities of Roman life on the Bay of Naples, especially in the first century CE. Usually offered every third year.

CLAS/NEJ 112a Holy Christian Threads! The History and Craft of Making Early Christian Clothing
[ dl hum oc ]

Course explores the history of wool, linen, silk, and cotton fabrics, the raw materials needed for making cloth, and the clothing that Christian communities wore from 300 to 900 CE. Through a combination of research at the Museum of Fine Arts’ Textile Collection, visits to historical farms in the area, visits to active monastic communities, and scholarship on textile history, students will explore the maker culture of early Christian textiles. Class participants will participate in experimental archaeology through designing spindle whorls, needles, and papyrus patterns as well as design a hologram space with 3D images to display and study early Christian textiles. Usually offered eery second year.

FREN 146a Picturing Versailles: Portrait, Space, and Spectacle Under the Sun King
[ fl hum ]

Prerequisite: FREN 105a or FREN 106b or the equivalent, or permission of the instructor.

Examines bodies of literature, visual arts, and courtiers at Versailles in the theatrical society of intrigue and exile under Louis XIV. Concentrates on how the texts, maps, and art of the palace fashion a global portrait of absolutism: the Sun King. Usually offered every third year.

FREN 149b Le Livre Illustré: Word and Image in Francophone Texts from Bestiaries to Bandes Dessinées
[ fl hum wi ]

Prerequisite: FREN 105a or FREN 106b or the equivalent, or permission of the instructor.

Explores the theories and practices of text-image interactions in illustrated francophone books of the past and present by addressing themes such as learning, travel, sentimentality, pornography, politics, and humor. This course will include archival work in the Brandeis library. Usually offered every third year.

PHIL 113b Aesthetics
[ ca hum wi ]

Examines the nature of art and aesthetic experience. Questions considered include: Is there an objective standard of taste? What is beauty? What counts as art? Are multiple performances of a play the same work of art, or different works of art? What is the role of emotion in art? How can something we know to be fictional make us have real feelings? What is the relationship between aesthetics and ethics? Does a work of art suffer aesthetically if it is about something morally vicious? How do public monuments reflect and shape our way of thinking about history and political society? Readings include historical and contemporary philosophers. Usually offered every second year.