American University of Beirut

Mission Statement 

The Department of Fine Arts and Art History educates students in the arts in all their dimensions, believing that an understanding and appreciation of this area of human endeavor is an essential element in the formation of well-rounded individuals. To that end, we offer courses in studio arts, history and theory of art, and music. Our goal is to educate students with the skills to create meaningful statements in art and equip them to deal with artworks critically, and with scholarship. The department offers three degrees: a BA in Studio Arts, a BA in Art History and an MA in Art History and Curating. The department also offers minors in Studio Arts, Art History and Music.

Studio Arts Program 

The Studio Arts (SART) BA Program provides undergraduate students with a strong foundation in studio skills: drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, analog and digital photography, video and new technology. The SART faculty members, while trained and skilled in studio techniques, do not espouse a conventional approach to the deployment of these techniques nor do they promote in their teaching a fidelity to the traditions of art. Rather, they all develop teaching methods through the lenses of their own current practices in which the past, present, and future of art are constantly being recomposed in dynamic constellations. The SART BA Program encourages a dynamical recalling of art from within current concerns and develops in students an ability to employ a large array of knowledge and skills with a readiness to open up towards post-studio art practices. The requirement for a BA degree in studio arts is 90 credits for students entering the department at the sophomore level. The distribution of these courses is as follows:

Degree Requ​​irements 

University General Education Requirements 

The General Education requirements are Understanding Communication - English (6 credits), Understanding Communication - Arabic (3 credits), Cultures and Histories (9 credits), Human Values (3 credits), Societies and Individuals (6 credits), Understanding the World and Quantitative Reasoning (9 credits with at least 3 credits from each), and Community Engaged Learning (3 credits).

At least one of the courses from Cultures and Histories or Human Values should be from the History of Ideas: CHLA. At least one course from your degree requirements (except Understanding Communication) should cover the theme of Social Inequalities (3 credits).

Free Electives Outside the Department 

SART 220 and music courses in the department may be allowed 3 crs. 

Major Courses 

These include: 

• 39 credits in Studio Arts: SART 200, SART 201, SART 202, SART 203, SART 204,  SART 205, SART 206, SART 207, SART 208, SART 209, SART 221, SART 222, SART 223.
• Field Electives: 9 credits in art history and/or theory.

The minor program in Studio Arts requires 15 credits:

• 3 credits from AHIS 250, AHIS 251, AHIS 252, AHIS 284, or approved alternate.
• 12 credits chosen from SART 200, SART 201, SART 202, SART 203, SART 204,  SART206, SART 207, SART 208, SART 221, SART 22 and SART 223 taken  according to sequence and following prerequisites.​

Course Descri​​ptions ​

Art History Program 

The Art History program seeks to train student’s skills and concepts needed for research, teaching, and curating. It offers a core program with flexibility in the choice of art history concentrations in various periods and areas, notably the Middle East. The requirement for a BA degree in art history is 90 credits for students entering the department at the sophomore level. The distribution of these courses is as follows:

Degree Require​​ments 

University General Education Requirements 

The General Education requirements are Understanding Communication - English (6 credits), Understanding Communication - Arabic (3 credits), Cultures and Histories (9 credits), Human Values (3 credits), Societies and Individuals (6 credits), Understanding the World and Quantitative Reasoning (9 credits with at least 3 credits from each), and Community Engaged Learning (3 credits). At least one of the courses from Cultures and Histories or Human Values should be from the History of Ideas: CHLA. At least one course from your degree requirements (except Understanding Communication) should cover the theme of Social Inequalities (3 credits).

Elective Requirements 

These requirements are any one course (3 cr.) from the following group: PHIL 217, GRDS 331, SOAN 250, ARCH 017, or equivalent.

Free Electives Outside the Department 

Music courses in the department may be allowed. 

9 cr. (12 cr. for students exempt from the Arabic requirement) 

Major Courses 

The major courses include 39 credits in the department as follows: 

• AHIS 203 or AHIS 204, AHIS 208, and AHIS 207 or AHIS 209, AHIS 210
• AHIS 224, AHIS 251, and AHIS 252
• AHIS 284 and AHIS 285
• Four further courses in Art History, of these, a maximum of two Studio  Arts courses may be taken to replace up to two Art History courses​

The minor program in Art History requires 15 credits: 

• 6 credits chosen from AHIS 203, AHIS 207, AHIS 208, AHIS 209, AHIS 210, or equivalents
• 6 credits chosen from AHIS 221, AHIS 224, AHIS 225, AHIS 226, AHIS 227, AHIS 249, AHIS 263, AHIS 281
• 3 credits from AHIS 250, AHIS 251, AHIS 252, AHIS 284, or approved alternate

Course Descriptions ​

• Art History Courses​
  

Music Program ​

The minor program in Music seeks to train students in skills and concepts needed to develop as musicians and enhance their capacities as performers, analysts, and audience members. It offers the fundamentals of higher education in music, seeking to balance historical, theoretical, and performance aspects.

The minor program in Music requires 15 credits: 

• 6 credits from MUSC 220, 221, 230, 235, 239, 250
• 6 credits from MUSC 200, 205, 231,
• 3 credits from MUSC 26​2, 263, 265, 266, 269

Course Des​​criptions ​

• ​Music Courses​​
  

BA in St​​udio Arts

BA in Art ​​History 

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