Art History

Art history is the study of art and visual culture created around the world. We look at art and material culture in its historical context, taking into account the time, location, cultural ideals, philosophy, aesthetics, and techniques involved in its creation.

Our program offers a broad spectrum of courses covering art created in the earliest days of human culture to the contemporary art scene. You will delve into courses like Italian Renaissance Art, Chinese Painting, Islamic Art, and Latin American Women Artists, as well as thematic courses like Medieval Monsters and Nature into Art.

Through a bachelor's degree in art history you will learn to look closely, think critically and communicate effectively about the world's rich and diverse visual culture. We offer a flexible degree path and our dedicated faculty are eager to help you forge an individual course of study based on your interests and career goals.

We offer:

• Small classes of 15-35 students at the upper-division level
• Student research opportunities throughout the curriculum
• A senior year thesis project option
• Opportunities to apply for travel grants for independent research
• Faculty-lead group travel opportunities to visit museums and cultural institutions outside of Portland
• Guest lectures representing a variety of art historical themes
• Participation in the Portland Art Museum's College Creative License program, offering a reduced price annual museum pass.

Some students participate in internships with local arts and non-profit institutions.

Submit Your Application and $60 Application Fee

Go to Portland State University's online application system and select Create Account. If you have already started an application, or created one for a past term, select Log In.

Submit Academic Records

You are required to submit complete academic records. We accept high school transcripts, grades and other relevant academic records along with your graduation certificate, diploma or exam results or certificates. If you have taken any college or university classes, submit transcripts from all colleges or universities attended. You can submit unofficial transcripts from non-U.S. institutions for review of your application and to receive an admission decision. Official transcripts are required for enrollment, see our official records policy for details.

Electronic Submission: Transcripts may be submitted via Parchment or sent directly from a school official to [email protected].

In Person Submission: You can bring these directly to our office upon arrival to Portland State.

Mail Submission: Submit official transcripts in their original sealed envelopes from all schools attended and mail them to PSU at the address below.

Portland State University
Office of Undergraduate Admissions
PO Box 751
Portland OR 97207-0751

Submit Evidence of English Language Proficiency

Request official test results to be sent directly to Portland State University by ETS (TOEFL), PTE, or IELTS. Students who meet the academic requirements for admission to PSU, but have not yet met English proficiency requirements, will be admitted to PSU and placed into one of our ESL programs. Review PSU’s English Language Proficiency Requirements for more details.

• TOEFL Code: 4610, department code 00
• SAT Code: 4610

Check Your Application Status

If you have submitted an application to Portland State University, you can log in to PSU's application portal to review the status of your application. You will be notified via email for each document you submit and your admission decision.

If you are not receiving email communications from Portland State University, be sure to check your @pdx.edu email account. Once you set up your student account all communications will be sent to that email address. If you are not receiving information from us in any email inboxes, please contact us at [email protected].