Academic Catalog

Visual & Performing Arts

Art History for Transfer (AA-T)

The Associate in Arts in Art History for Transfer degree prepares students to transfer to CSU campuses that offer bachelor's degrees in Art History.  Students earning the Art History AA-T will be granted priority for admission as an Art History major to a local CSU, as determined by the CSU campus to which the student applies. A bachelor's degree in Art History prepares students for employment in curatorial work for the gallery and museum system. In addition, a bachelor's degree in Art History provides a solid foundation for advanced training in the more technical areas of art restoration and conservation, as well as branches of learning that are key to the study of art at the post-graduate level, including art theory, methodology, and criticism.

The Associate in Arts in Art History Transfer Degree educates students on the history of art and its function as a global language. Courses are designed to foster an understanding of visual communication by studying context, culture, social, political, economic, and religious conditions in different eras.

The following is required for the Associate in Arts in Art History for Transfer degree:

  1. Minimum of 60 semester or 90 quarter CSU-transferable units.
  2. Minimum grade point average (GPA) of at least 2.0 in all CSU-transferable coursework.
  3. Minimum of 18 semester or 27 quarter units in the major.
  4. A grade of “C” or higher or “Pass” in all courses required for the major.
  5. Certified completion of the California State University General Education (CSU GE) Breadth pattern or the Intersegmental General Education Transfer Curriculum (IGETC) pattern; see Degree Requirements and Transfer Information section for more information. Note: If following IGETC, IGETC-CSU must be followed for admission to a CSU.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

  • Analyze and evaluate works of art, architecture, and design from various histories, periods, and global cultures to critically examine these artworks within their racial, gender, sociopolitical, ethnographical, and cultural milieu.
  • Analyze, interpret, and evaluate artworks to derive contextual significance according to the elements of art, the principles of design, and their aesthetic qualities.
  • Contextualize the role of the arts in understanding the past by analyzing and evaluating the significance and application of art historical periods, cultures, styles, genres, themes, artists, and relevant vocabulary in art and design.

Associate in Arts Degree Requirements

Core Curriculum
ART-140Survey of Western Art I: Prehistory through Middle Ages3
or ART-141 Survey of Western ART II: Renaissance through Modern
ART-124Drawing I3
ART-151Chicanx Art3
List A
Select one of the following:3
Art of Africa, Oceania and the Americas
Asian Art
List B
Select one of the following:3
Two-Dimensional Design
Painting I
Three-Dimensional Design
Watercolor I
Figure Drawing I
Graphic Design Principles
List C
Select one of the following:3
Any List B course not already used
Modern Art
Contemporary Art
Principles of the Humanities
Arts & Culture of San Diego
Kumeyaay Arts and Culture I
Units for the Major18
6-9 units may be double-counted with GE
Plus General Education Requirements (CSU GE or IGETC-CSU)39/37
Total Transferable Elective Units9-12/11-14
Total Units60