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Art History and Museum Professions

Bachelor of Arts

Explore how art reflects the people, cultures and ideas that have shaped our world. At Winthrop, you’ll study art from different periods and cultures while developing the research, writing and critical-thinking skills needed to understand and interpret what you see.

Your education extends beyond the classroom, too. Through internships, exhibitions, museum work, study abroad and other hands-on opportunities, you’ll discover the many ways art history connects to museums and the broader cultural sector. Whether you’re interested in curating, museum education, art galleries, cultural heritage or graduate study, you’ll build the knowledge and experience to take the next step.

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Labor Market Snapshot - Art History and Museum Professions

Area: US

Employed (est.)
162,900
Median Salary
$76,288
Job Postings (live)
13,800
Past Growth
(2018–2025)
4.4%
Projected Growth
(2024–2034)
2.6%

Related Occupations

  • Curators
  • Archivists
  • Museum Technicians and Conservators
  • Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary

View more labor market information and see other snapshots.


Potential Employers

Some of the graduates of this program have gone on to work for:

  • Americorps, Miami, FL
  • Arts Alliance, Miami, FL
  • City Gallery, Columbia, SC
  • Columbia Museum of Art, Columbia, SC
  • Davidson College, NC
  • Culture and Heritage Museums of York County, SC
  • Francis Marion University
  • Lancaster SC School District
  • Lifetime Television Network
  • Mint Museum, Charlotte, NC
  • Museum of Modern Art, NY
  • National Archive, London, UK
  • National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
  • Philadelphia Art Museum, PA
  • Spoleto Festival, Charleston, SC
  • Winthrop University, Rock Hill, SC

Career Paths

Graduates of this program have gone on to become:

  • Arts Administrator
  • Art Conservator
  • Art Critic
  • Art History Instructor/Professor
  • Business Strategist/Planner
  • Curator of Collections
  • Festival/Event Planner
  • Gallery Assistant/Manager/Director
  • Manager, Art Director
  • Marketing Director
  • Museum Educator
  • Product Development Manager
  • Small Business Owner
  • Teacher

Top Industries

Many of the graduates of this program find themselves working in:

 

  1. Museums and Cultural Heritage Institutions
  2. Higher Education
  3. Galleries
  4. Primary and Secondary Education
  5. Financial Services

Curriculum and Learning Opportunities

Art history and museum professions students at Winthrop are engaged learners. They might tour a medieval castle using virtual reality (VR) headsets, go on a behind-the-scenes field trip to a nearby museum, curate an in-person or virtual exhibition, create an ofrenda to celebrate the Día de los Muertos or study abroad.

The Winthrop University art history and museum professions degree includes courses covering the arts of the world, from Africa to Europe and Asia to the Americas. Create a flexible course of study around art history electives that have no ladder of prerequisites to climb:

  • Arts of Africa
  • Art Crime and Cultural Heritage
  • Women in Art
  • Art and Architecture of the Islamic Worlds
  • Transgender and Non-Binary Art Histories
  • Global Baroque
  • Art in the Age of Revolution
  • Contemporary Art and Criticism
  • Medieval European Art and Architecture

In addition, students will choose a minor that complements their interests, allowing them to gain the interdisciplinary perspective and breadth of experience that a liberal arts education is known for.

Curriculum

Why Winthrop?

Student restoring a painting

Real World Experience

Gain hands-on experience through internships with museums, galleries and arts organizations throughout the region and beyond.

Two students holding a Winthrop Eagles banner with a castle in the background

Study Abroad

Bring art history to life with short-term study abroad trips to France, Ireland, Japan and more, as well as programs with Winthrop’s partner schools in Italy, England, Spain, Germany, Sweden and Australia, among others.

Student wearing a virtual reality headset

Small Classes and Award-Winning Faculty

Winthrop's art history professors are award-winning experts in their fields, whose primary responsibility is teaching. And with class sizes that seldom reach more than 20 students, they'll get to know you, your interests and your career goals.


Hear From Our Students and Faculty


Beyond Graduation

Many of our graduates have found success working as gallery assistants, conservationists, librarians, and educators in art galleries, universities, and museums—including the Smithsonian American Art Museum, National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C., and National Archive in London, UK. In the past five years, 100% of art history majors who applied to graduate school have gone on to pursue master's and doctoral degrees in art history, museum studies, education, conservation, and more, at highly selective universities in the United States and beyond.