Department of Art History (formerly Department of Craft Art History founded in 1983) has two majors: Design Art and Art Studies. Design Art was appraised as a state-level key discipline in 2001, and it is the earliest one to have master and doctoral degree programs among all Chinese colleges. The Art Studies major set up a master degree program in 2000, and a doctoral degree program in 2003.
The department has a strong teaching faculty, including six professors (five doctorate supervisors), six associate professors and one lecturer. They have made great contributions in their respective research fields. The book “Chinese Craft Art History” was awarded the Prize of Excellent Textbook by the Ministry of Education, and has been designated as the textbook by most art colleges in China. A series of research projects such as research in Chinese dynastic art and craft history, foreign art and craft history, art and craft introduction, and the history of Chinese art and craft theory, have respectively won lots of state and ministry level prizes. The department has also obtained outstanding academic achievements in fields like Western Art History, Russian Art History, Art Criticism, Art Theory and Buddhism Art History.
Specialized courses for undergraduates include: Painting Foundations, Design Foundations, Introduction to Art, Chinese and Foreign Art History, Chinese and Foreign Craft Art History, Chinese and Foreign Design History, Chinese Calligraphy History, Chinese Ancient Murals History, Buddhism Art Research, Art Archeology, Chinese Craft Art Historical Materials, Chinese Ancient Art Books and Records, History of Chinese Craft Art Aesthetic Thoughts, Folk Art Research, Chinese Modern Art Research, Public Art Research, History of Chinese Art Studies, Selected Readings of Art Design Theories, Selected Readings of Art Theories, Modern Western Literature and Art Theories, Aesthetics, Art Criticism, Editing Art, Specialized Writing, etc.
Research fields for postgraduate students include: Chinese and Foreign Craft Art History, Chinese and Foreign Art History, History of Mural Paintings, Public Art, Theory of Art Design History, Chinese Buddhism Art, Chinese Modern Art Research, Art Criticism, Art Market, Art Planning, Ethic and Folk Costumes. Research fields for doctoral candidates include: Theory of Chinese and Foreign Craft Art History, Theory of Chinese and Foreign Art Design History and Theory of Chinese and Foreign Art History.
Job opportunities for art history graduates include art history teachers in universities and colleges, researchers in art museums, editors in publishing houses, art editors and reporters in news agency, professionals in art market and galleries, advertising copywriters in the CI departments of enterprises, etc.
