What is it like being an Art and Archaeology major?
What are common misconceptions about ART majors?
What kind of internships and international experiences have majors had?
How will Art and Archaeology majors save the world?
Why would anyone want to date an ART major?
Art & Archaeology involves the study and criticism of visual art, as well as an investigation of material artifacts from a wide range of cultures and periods. The department at Princeton also allows students interested in the production of art to combine the creation and the in-depth study of visual art. Art & Archaeology is more than just the study of images, however; it fosters an understanding of global cultures not just aesthetically, but in sociological, anthropological, political, economic, philosophical, psychological, and even gender-based terms. These diverse insights into civilizations of the past also help us form important ideas about the present and future.
The study of Art & Archaeology is not just for future curators or academics. It is crucial in developing the ability to evaluate documentary, textual or pictorial evidence, form hypotheses, test data, and draw conclusions. Arguably no other department on campus provides such an interdisciplinary approach to learning. Whether your interests lie in more sociohistorically grounded studies or in a theoretical or semiotic approach to art, you will be applying theories and concepts from philosophers, historians, and linguists, among others. The attention to detail that one develops through the study of art history is crucial to any field, and these analytical skills have led majors into diverse professional fields, including museum studies, architecture, comparative literature, marketing, design, medicine, law, public policy and business.
What is it like being an Art and Archaeology major?
Being an Art and Archaeology major is really amazing — the department provides access to some of the best opportunities and resources on campus. To begin with, the Marquand Library is a fantastic resource for majors (probably one of the best art libraries in the world). We also have the entire art museum at our disposal, and are able to utilize its contents for many of our courses as well as for our independent work. In addition to being an excellent resource, the art library has some of the most comfortable and convenient study spaces on campus. This is especially important during senior year when majors are assigned carrels in Marquand, rather than in the incredibly dingy basement of Firestone!
Most art history classes will have regular precepts held in the art museum. This ensures that you are never confined to a lecture hall or classroom, or engaging only with digital images. With an impressive collection of art covering every period from Impressionism to ancient Greek and Roman, medieval to pop art, the museum caters to virtually every student's interests and provides the best hands-on opportunities for studies. Additionally, the University's collection of prints is extensive, and it is very easy to talk to a rare books specialist and have instant access to these prints, either for research or for your own enjoyment.
As for the workload, the art department is relatively flexible and allows you to shape your course of study to fit your interests. The junior seminars prepare us very well for our independent work, and then we are able to write on just about anything that interests us. All of the advisers and administrators in the department are extremely friendly and ready to assist you with your work whenever they can.
The fall JP consists of choosing a subject and engaging in a critique of the literature and methodologies already in existence on the chosen subject. This coincides with the extensive work the juniors do in the junior seminar, and students learn how to complete a thorough evaluation of existing methodologies to discover what gaps there are and which direction future research can go in. If the junior chooses, he or she can continue with this subject for the spring JP, or he or she can go in an entirely different direction.
Theses are expected to be between 60-80 pages. Topics in the past have ranged from iconographic studies of churches along an Italian pilgrimage route to the interaction of the financial markets on the 1960s pop art market. When it comes time to choosing a thesis advisor, majors have the benefit of being in one of the smallest departments on campus (measured by the number of majors, not professors). The fantastic student-to-professor ratio allows students to usually have their first pick of an advisor, rather than fighting over advisors in a department four or five times the size of Art & Archaeology. The department, however, is large enough that there is a variety of offerings in terms of courses, professors and opportunities. You will never find yourself looking through the course catalog and not finding a course that fits with your specific interests. In addition, majors have the option of taking up to two cognates that count towards the course requirements. In years past, courses in the Visual Studies program have counted, as has a popular engineering course on bridges and the urban environment.
What are common misconceptions about Art and Archaeology majors?
People commonly assume that art history is a very simple subject that only involves staring at pictures in a dark classroom followed by rote memorization. Majors have had countless questions about how difficult it is to memorize the hundreds of slides from lectures. In reality, it is a challenging yet highly rewarding field that exposes much about human history as well as the human experience in the present day. Princeton's art history courses will never involve pure memorization and regurgitation of artists, titles and dates.
What kind of internships and international experiences have majors had?
Many of the programs offered through the International Internship Program are perfect for Art and Archaeology majors. Students in the department have found summer internships with museums, auction houses, and art dealers around the world. Examples from recent years include Christie's, the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, and the Musée d'Orsay in Paris. Similar opportunities are found closer to home across the United States, and close to Princeton in New York. Many students also choose to attend summer art courses or language programs abroad. Additionally, students interested in field archaeology can find excavation opportunities through professors in the department or other programs abroad and in the U.S.
Many majors have also decided to pursue careers outside the art world. Examples include investment banking and consulting at top banks and firms. Art history majors have never found themselves to be at a disadvantage when applying to finance jobs in which they are "competing" against Economics majors. On the contrary, most employers look favorably on a major in which students are expected to develop such close attention to detail and different analytical tactics than an Economics or Politics major might have developed.
How will Art and Archaeology majors save the world?
We can teach the world to appreciate that which is truly beautiful.
Why would anyone want to date an Art and Archaeology major?
Art & Archaeology majors are intriguing and interesting. Most have international or multilingual experiences and could wow any lucky date. Plus we are fun on dates at art museums and galleries!
