Harvard HAA Undergraduate Student Program Handbook

History of Art and Architecture, Harvard University

Concentration AY 2024-25

Professor Jennifer L. Roberts, Director of Undergraduate Studies (DUS)

Professor Carrie Lambert-Beatty, Director of Senior Theses

• Writing a Thesis

General Concentration

The History of Art and Architecture concentration offers training in the historical interpretation and critical analysis of the visual arts and architecture.   

The concentration is an effective core to a liberal arts education, and not merely pre-professional training for future art historians working in the academy or in the museum. The history of art and architecture is virtually unique among academic disciplines in studying the products of societies in every part of the world over the entire span of human history, from Paleolithic cave paintings to the works of our closest contemporaries. Furthermore, the concentration develops skills of visual discrimination and verbal expression fundamental to many fields of inquiry and action.

Art history is itself a multifaceted discipline embracing many different  methods, perspectives, and interests. Sometimes it deduces from works of art the time and place of their making, or the identity of their makers. Sometimes it examines how concepts, ideals, and sensibilities of people of the past are expressed in—and shaped by—their art. Sometimes it explores within large-scale fabrications (buildings, towns, cities) the dynamic between human and natural or technological worlds. These and other approaches are reflected in the teaching and scholarship of the History of Art and Architecture faculty.  

Training in the critical analysis of art seeks to clarify the perception—and understanding—of how artworks relate to the techniques and materials used in their making, and to the environment in which they are seen. It also fosters visual literacy and the ability to make and explain judgments of cultural resonance, social impact, and formal coherence. Instruction in critical analysis is aided by the department’s partnership with the Harvard Art Museums, one of the world’s greatest teaching museums, comprising the Fogg, Busch-Reisinger, and Sackler museums. This offers students a unique opportunity for first-hand study of original works of art in many media. Other collections on campus commonly used in teaching include those of the Peabody Museum, HMANE (Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East), and the Houghton Library. The Fine Arts Library also boasts expansive special collections which comprise unique books, facsimiles, albums, prints, and photographs. 

Concentration requirements ensure that students are well versed in both the historical and critical facets of the field. Generally, coursework offers coverage of the history of art and architecture, while a sequence of small-group tutorials develops critical skills. For students with a special interest in architecture, the concentration offers courses on architectural history and urban planning, while also helping to advise in, and coordinate, relevant coursework undertaken beyond the department. (Architecture Studies is a track within the concentration, jointly administered by the History of Art and Architecture and the Graduate School of Design. The track has its own requirements, which are detailed below.) Students wishing to pursue other specific interests may receive advising from appropriate faculty as arranged by the Director of Undergraduate Studies.  

Courses in the History of Art and Architecture undergraduate curriculum are structured as a three-tier system, consisting of a sequence of entry-level and field-specific introductory courses, upper-level courses, and tutorials.  

HUMAN 20, “A Colloquium in the Visual Arts,” and HAA 11, “Landmarks of World Architecture,” are general, conceptual introductions (to world art from pre-history to the present, and the history of world architecture, respectively), each of which could serve as a point of entry into the courses and concentration of History of Art and Architecture. Other double-digit lecture courses in HAA, or those offered by HAA faculty through the program in General Education, are also suitable points of entry into the concentration.  

Tutorials are small-group seminars which discuss the methodology of the discipline or examine a specific research topic in the discipline. These are intended to provide increasing expertise in critical and analytical thinking and serve as a basis for independent senior research projects. The senior thesis offers a student the opportunity to apply in greater depth one or more of the methods and aims developed in courses and tutorials, although theses often deal with subjects not included in class work.  

The concentration in History of Art and Architecture can be pursued in conjunction with several other concentrations, most commonly Art, Film, and Visual Studies, English, Anthropology, History and Literature, or Romance Languages. Together with the Departments of the Classics, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, and Anthropology, the Department of History of Art and Architecture initiates students in the study of archaeology.

Requirements for all concentrators, joint and full, provide exposure to a variety of areas within the history of art and architecture, as well as allow for the selection of a major field focus.

Students concerned with joint concentration, credit for work done elsewhere, and late transfer into History of Art and Architecture should consult with the Director of Undergraduate Studies. All concentrators should arrange advising appointments with the Director of Undergraduate Studies at the start of each term. General advising about course offerings and concentration requirements is provided by the Undergraduate Program Coordinator.   

Requirements

Requirements for General Concentration: 12 courses (48 credits)

1. Required Courses:

   1. Three courses from offered introductory courses, numbered HAA 1–89. GenEd courses and first-year seminars taught by HAA faculty will also be considered. HUM 20, “A Colloquium in the Visual Arts”, is also accepted towards this requirement. (Freshmen considering the concentration should normally take at least one of these in their freshman year, although this is not a prerequisite for the concentration.)  

   2. Three courses in a major field chosen from the list in item 5.c to be chosen from HAA courses with two or three-digit numeration or offerings by HAA Faculty.   

   3. Three courses in at least two different areas outside the major field to be chosen from HAA courses with two or three-digit numeration or offerings by HAA Faculty.  

   4. One course of HAA 97r (see item 2.a).  

   5. Two courses of HAA 98 (see item 2.b).  

   6. Note: Of the twelve courses required, a distribution requirement must be fulfilled as follows:  

      1. One course in items 1.a, 1.b, or 1.c must be in Asian, Islamic, African, or Latin American/Pre-Columbian if the major field is in any area of European or North American art or architecture; or one course in European or North American art or architecture if the major field is Asian, Islamic, African, or Latin American/Pre-Columbian.  

      2. Two courses in two different periods other than that of the major field.

      3. No more than five of the series of courses numbered HAA 1-89 may be taken for concentration credit, except with the approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies. The balance should be tutorials and upper-level courses.  

2. Tutorials:  

   1. Sophomore year: History of Art and Architecture 97r (one term); required. Letter-graded. This group tutorial is an introduction to the practice of art and architectural history through object-based teaching. The course is led by a graduate student, with individual weekly looking and discussion sessions led by Faculty members in HAA.  

   2. Junior year: History of Art and Architecture 98 (two terms); required. Letter-graded. History of Art and Architecture 98, a group tutorial, consists of weekly meetings with a graduate student, with regular reading and writing assignments. Under the 98 course number, four topics are offered annually. Concentrators select two of the four topic offerings to fulfill their two terms of HAA 98 (AR, BR, CR or DR). These include:

      1. HAA 98AR - Museums and Collections

      2. HAA 98BR - Architectural Methods

      3. HAA 98CR - Race and Aesthetics

      4. HAA 98DR - Writing Art History

3. Thesis: None. (The thesis is required only for students who wish to be eligible for honors. See Writing a Thesis).

4. General Examinations: None.  

5. Other information:

   1. Pass/Fail: Normally, no work taken Pass/Fail will be accepted as part of the concentration; however, the Director of Undergraduate Studies may make an exception for not more than one first-year seminar (graded SAT/UNS).  

   2. Exceptions: Although it is highly preferred that concentrators meet their concentration requirements using courses taught by HAA faculty, there are rare circumstances where their academic goals within the concentration are better served by other courses. In these circumstances, concentrators can petition no more than two non-HAA courses into the concentration. These include courses taken for credit via study abroad programs. For a course to be approved, it must meet the following criteria: The course's contents and focus must be primarily art-historical in nature; it must be instrumental in furthering a concentrator's academic goals; there must be no other similar course being offered by HAA faculty. To petition a course, please send a copy of its syllabus as well as a completed copy of this form to both the Director of Undergraduate Studies and the Undergraduate Program Coordinator. With the exception of first year students or second semester sophomores, approval should be sought prior to registering for the course.

   3. Major fields: Students elect one of the categories below as an area of focus.  

      1. African

      2. Black Art

      3. American

      4. Ancient

      5. Architecture

      6. Baroque and Rococo

      7. Byzantine

      8. Chinese

      9. European 18th and 19th centuries

      10. South Asian

      11. Islamic

      12. Japanese

      13. Latin American/Pre-Columbian

      14. Medieval

      15. Modern and Contemporary

      16. Photography

      17. Renaissance (Northern and Southern)

Requirements for Honors Eligibility: 14 courses (including thesis) (56 credits)  

1. Required courses: Same as General Requirements.

2. Tutorials:

   1. Sophomore year: Same as General Requirements.

   2. Junior year: Same as General Requirements.

   3. Senior year: History of Art and Architecture 99A & B (both terms). Graded SAT/UNS. In the fall term, History of Art and Architecture 99A includes several group tutorial meetings with the Director of Senior Theses, where assignments are aimed at facilitating the research and writing of a senior thesis.  

3. Thesis: Required, ordinarily written as part of HAA 99A & B. A student who does not complete the thesis but wishes to receive year-long 8-credit or semester-long 4-credit course credit for History of Art and Architecture 99 must submit a paper or other substantial piece of work. Only students with a minimum grade point average of 3.00 within the concentration are eligible to write a thesis.  (See Writing a Thesis for more information.)

4. General Examination: None.  

5. Other information: Same as General Requirements.

Joint Concentration Requirements:  10 courses (including thesis) (40 credits)

1. Required courses: 

   1. Two courses chosen from the introductory course offerings numbered History of Art and Architecture 1-89. GenEd courses and first-year seminars taught by senior HAA faculty will also be considered. HUM 20, “A Colloquium in the Visual Arts”, is also accepted towards this requirement.

   2. Two upper-level courses with three-digit numeration in a major field. See General Requirements 5.d for a list of major fields.

   3. Two upper-level courses with three-digit numeration outside of the major field.

2. Tutorials:

   1. Sophomore Year: HAA97r - Sophomore Seminar (one term). See General Requirements 2.a.

   2. Junior year: HAA 98 (AR, BR, CR or DR) - Junior Tutorial (one term). See General Requirements 2.b.

   3. Senior year: HAA 99A. See Requirements for Honors Eligibility.

3. Thesis: Required. HAA 99A & B (both terms). The thesis should be registered in the primary concentration, with the approval of the allied concentration. Students should register for the 99 course of their primary concentration. (See Writing a Thesis for more information.)

4. General Examination: None.

5. Other information:

   1. Students applying for a joint concentration must confer with the Directors of Undergraduate Studies of each department to establish a well-conceived three-year plan. The architecture studies track is not eligible for joint concentrators. However, architecture studies students may choose to undertake a double concentration.

   2. Exceptions: Although it is highly preferred that concentrators meet their concentration requirements using courses taught by HAA faculty, there are rare circumstances where their academic goals within the concentration are better served by other courses. In these circumstances, joint concentrators can petition no more than one non-HAA courses into the concentration. For a course to be approved, it must meet the following criteria: The course's contents and focus must be primarily art-historical in nature; it must be instrumental in furthering a concentrator's academic goals; there must be no other similar course being offered by HAA faculty. To petition a course, please send a copy of its syllabus as well as a completed copy of this form to both the Director of Undergraduate Studies and the Undergraduate Program Coordinator. With the exception of first or second semester sophomores, approval should be sought prior to registering for the course.

Double Concentrations

The double concentration facilitates in-depth, structured coursework in two separate concentrations. Students undertaking a double concentration should follow the requirements set in General Requirements or Requirements for Honors Eligibility. The coursework in these two fields may not substantially overlap with each other. A limit of 8 credits (generally two courses) may be double-counted between the two concentrations. Students may apply to write theses in both concentrations but may receive honors in only one concentration, which must be designated as the honors field. Departmental honors are determined solely by the designated honors field.

Students should consult the Harvard College Handbook for full details of the regulations regarding double concentrations. 

Architecture Studies Track  

Requirements

Architecture Studies is a track within the History of Art and Architecture concentration, jointly administered by the Department of History of Art and Architecture and the Graduate School of Design. It enables the study of the history, theory, and practice of architecture within the spirit of a liberal arts education. It is not intended as a pre-professional architecture degree. Required courses include a sequence of introductory studio courses designed especially for the track, as well as a wide variety of courses in the history and theory of architecture, including courses offered at the Graduate School of Design.

Within the Architecture Studies track, concentrators study architecture within the broader context of art and visual culture. Interested students should contact the HAA Undergraduate Program Coordinator for further information.

Architecture stands at the intersection of creative imagination, practical realization, and social use, comprising not only material structures of human occupation, but also the dynamic processes that shape human action and experience. The Architecture Studies track integrates technical and humanistic methods of inquiry with written and visual modes of representation. It includes the study of architecture, cities, landscapes, designed objects, ornament, architectural photography, and material culture throughout the centuries and across the globe, as well as areas of special contemporary concern such as issues of sustainability and social justice, new forms of urbanism, and the use of digital media for visualization and analysis.  

Basic Requirements: 12 courses

1. Required courses:

   1. HAA 11, “Landmarks of World Architecture”.

   2. Three courses in architecture or a related field from offered courses numbered HAA 12-89 and 100-199, adhering to the following guidelines: at least one course in Asian, Islamic, African, South Asian, or Latin American/Pre-Columbian architecture; one course in any area of European or North American architecture; and one course in architecture before 1800. See the Undergraduate Program Coordinator for a list of approved courses.  

   3. HAA 96a, “Architecture Studio 1: Transformations”. Studio may be taken sophomore or junior year. No prerequisites. Studio meets for six hours per week.  

   4. HAA 96b, “Architecture Studio 2: Connections”. Studio may be taken junior or senior year. HAA 96a must be taken as a prerequisite. Studio meets for six hours per week.  

   5. One course of HAA 98 (see General Requirements 2.a).  

   6. One course of HAA 97r (see General Requirements 2.b).  

   7. Four courses that investigate the history and/or theory of architecture, environments, and design media, from offered courses numbered HAA 100-299 or recommended courses at the GSD as specified by the Director of Undergraduate Architecture Studies, with approval by the Director of Undergraduate Studies.  No more than two of these four courses should be selected from GSD offerings. Courses at the GSD and courses in the HAA 200 range require permission of instructor. Other courses from the HAA or GSD rosters, or courses from other departments, may be substituted with approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies.

   8. Note: a list of approved GSD courses will be circulated each semester and made available on the HAA website. Courses not on this list require prior approval from the Director of Undergraduate Studies to count for concentration credit. Please note that GSD courses are evaluated in terms not equivalent to grades used by the FAS, and will not be used to compute either your college or departmental GPA. While these classes will fulfill concentration requirements, they will not count towards the 84 letter-grades of C- or higher required by the College. If a GSD course is joint-listed with the FAS, students should register for the FAS version of that course where possible. 

2. Tutorials:

   1. Junior Year: History of Art and Architecture 98 (one term) required. Letter-graded. Led by a graduate student, this tutorial offers concentrators the choice of several topics in the field of art and architectural history.   

   2. Sophomore Year: History of Art and Architecture 97r (one term) required. Letter-graded. History of Art and Architecture 97r is an introduction to the practice of art and architectural history through object-based teaching led by Faculty members in HAA.  

3. Thesis: None required. (The thesis is required only for students who wish to be eligible for honors). (See “Requirements for Honors Eligibility”)

4. General Examinations: None.  

5. Other information:

   1. The designation as a concentration course of any course taken outside of those listed above or on the program’s list of approved courses is subject to the approval of the Director of Undergraduate Studies. No more than two courses may be “imported” into the concentration by petition over and above those which are already cross-listed; exceptions for coursework done as part of study abroad programs will be considered on a case-by-case basis.  For more, see General Requirements 5.c.

   2. Pass/Fail: Normally, no work taken Pass/Fail will be accepted as part of the concentration. Exceptions are made for no more than one first-year seminar offered by HAA Faculty, and no more than two courses on the “Recommended GSD Courses” list (see 1.h).

   3. The architecture studies track is not open to joint concentration. However, it is available to pursue as part of a double concentration. Students pursuing a secondary field in HAA are welcome to pursue architectural interests through HAA courses, but may not enroll in studio courses (HAA 92r, 96a, or 96b) or in GSD courses for secondary field credit.

Requirements for Honors Eligibility: 14 courses (56 credits) and thesis  

1. Required courses: Same as Basic Requirements.

2. Distribution Requirements for Areas of Emphasis: Same as Basic Requirements.

3. Tutorials:  

   1. Junior Year: Same as Basic Requirements.

   2. Sophomore Year: Same as Basic Requirements.

   3. Senior Year: HAA 92r or HAA 99A. HAA 92r, “Design Speculations” provides support for students seeking to undertake a design project in lieu of a written thesis. Students in HAA 92r are encouraged to audit HAA 99A which includes several group tutorial meetings with the Director of Senior Theses, where assignments are aimed at facilitating the research and writing of a senior thesis. 

4. Thesis: Required, ordinarily prepared as part of History of Art and Architecture 99A or 92r. The student may choose to research and write a thesis or prepare a thesis design project. A student who does not complete the thesis but wishes to receive course credit for History of Art and Architecture 99A or 92r must submit a paper or other substantial piece of work. In the Spring semester, students in either course should register for HAA 99B which allows them to receive the full 8 credits for their year-long efforts. Only students with a minimum grade point average of 3.00 within the concentration are eligible to prepare a thesis.  (See Writing a Thesis for more information.)

5. General Examination: None.  

6. Other information: Same as Basic Requirements.

Explanation of Course Numbering

Note: 200-level courses may be open to advanced undergraduates with prior approval from the course instructor. 300-level courses are open to graduate students only.

Advising

Departmental academic advising is provided by the faculty, by the Undergraduate Program Coordinator (Marcus Mayo), and by the Director of Undergraduate Studies, Professor Jennifer L. Roberts, who meets individually with concentrators to discuss course selection and tutorials (usually at the beginning of each term and by appointment at other times). Students working on a senior thesis are advised by the Director of Senior Theses, Professor Carrie Lambert-Beatty. 

Students are reminded, however, that they are each ultimately responsible for the fulfillment of concentration requirements and should check regularly on the current status of their progress. Progress worksheets and sample plans of study are provided here. It is recommended that you complete the relevant progress worksheet and have it reviewed by the Undergraduate Program Coordinator before each semester. Procedural information and advice is available throughout the year in the Undergraduate Office. Please contact the Undergraduate Program Coordinator, Marcus Mayo at 485 Broadway,3^rd floor, Office 308, <marcus_mayo@fas.harvard.edu>. The Director of Senior Theses is Professor Carrie Lambert-Beatty and the Director of Graduate Studies is Professor Felipe Pereda. The Department Chair is Professor Ewa Lajer-Burcharth.

Resources

History of Art and Architecture concentrators benefit from the unusually rich University collections of Harvard’s five museums: the Fogg, Sackler, Busch-Reisinger (-the Harvard Art Museums), HMANE (Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East), and Peabody museums containing Western, Asian, and ethnographic art. Concentrators often have an opportunity to be involved in aspects of museum operations, working with curators and museum staff to research pieces in the collection and/or share in the mounting of exhibitions. Harvard’s library holdings in art and archaeology include more than 250,000 books and more than 1,500,000 photographs and slides.  

The Museum of Fine Arts, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and the Institute of Contemporary Arts are three of Boston’s great cultural resources.  Entrance to these institutions is free to undergraduates who show their Harvard ID cards at the door.

Two departmental funds are available to support senior thesis writers looking to travel as part of their research: The Matthew Abramson '96 Traveling Fellowship, and The Joseph Pulitzer. Jr. '36 Beneficiary Aid Fund. More information can be found on the Prizes, Grants and Opportunities page on the department website.

The department employs a Departmental Writing Fellow to support undergraduate concentrators in any aspect of art-historical writing. Kacper Koleda is the Departmental Writing Fellow for the spring semester of AY24-25. Undergraduate concentrators can find more information about her role and make an appointment on the Writing Center website.

Enrollment Statistics

History of Art and Architecture as a Secondary Field

The Department of History of Art and Architecture at Harvard University offers the broadest range of courses in the discipline available in North America today. The faculty offer courses covering the diverse historical and cultural geographies of the world—as well as their points of intersection, dialogue, and exchange—in the fields of African, African-American, American, Ancient, architectural history and theory, Baroque and Rococo, Byzantine, Chinese, European 18^th and 19^th centuries, South Asian, Islamic, Japanese, Latin American/Pre-Columbian, Medieval, Modern and Contemporary, Photography, and the Renaissance (Northern and Southern). The scope of art and architecture studied is matched in variety by both approaches and methods of study. The secondary field is structured to provide students with a balance between introductory and advanced courses of instruction and to promote understanding of the world's art traditions present and past. The secondary field offers students an opportunity to explore their interest in the history of art and architecture in the broadest of possible terms, or equally to pursue a focused academic interest for its own sake or that complements a course of study in their primary concentration. Courses of study are enhanced by direct access to the collections of the Harvard Art Museums, the Peabody Museum, HMANE (Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East), and the Houghton Library among others. 

Requirements: 6 courses (24 credits)  

• Three courses from the lower level of department offerings, selected from the catalogue range HAA 1 to 89 (these may include first-year seminars and General Education courses offered by HAA Faculty, and cross-listed courses).  

• Three courses from the upper level of department offerings, selected from the catalogue numbers of the HAA 100-299 range. (Students wishing to enroll in a 200-level seminar must request the instructor's permission.)  

• Of the 6 courses, a balance must be achieved chronologically before or after the year 1700 C.E. by a ratio of 2:4 or 4:2. 

• No exceptions are offered to secondary field requirements; all six courses must be HAA courses or taught by HAA faculty.

• Note. There is no secondary field in architecture studies. Studio courses intended for architecture-track students (ie. HAA 96A & B, HAA 92R) cannot be taken for secondary field credit. This also applies to GSD courses and non-HAA courses.

Other Information

In addition to first-year seminars and General Education courses taught by History of Art and Architecture faculty, Harvard Summer School courses in the history of art and architecture may also count towards secondary field credit. Those courses credited for the Secondary in History of Art and Architecture must be led by faculty holding a teaching appointment in the HAA Department. There is no grade minimum for courses to count towards the secondary field but, with the exception of first-year seminars, courses must be taken for a letter grade. Students pursuing a secondary field will not be given preferential access to limited enrollment courses, which in our concentration are generally undergraduate pro-seminars and seminars for graduate students. In limited enrollment courses, instructors will decide whether or not a secondary field student is admitted to the course based on such factors as level of preparation, stated interest, and/or need.  

Advising Resources and Expectations

Students pursuing the secondary field in History of Art and Architecture are strongly advised to contact your intended Secondary Field with a list of courses you plan to count towards the Secondary, inform the department using the secondary fields web tool and to seek academic advising from the Undergraduate Program Coordinator or Director of Undergraduate Studies before embarking upon this course of study. The initial meeting could occur at any stage after the concentration choice has been made, but ideally in the student's fourth or fifth semester. Academic advising and general mentoring in the course of secondary field study will also be provided by the Director of Undergraduate Studies and the Undergraduate Coordinator at the student's request. The Director of Undergraduate Studies is Prof. Jennifer L. Roberts; the Undergraduate Coordinator is Marcus Mayo.