This course presents art history majors with a roadmap to apply their research, critical thinking, and writing skills to a semester-long independent research project. Students in this course will select any topic or research question that interests them relating to art history and will develop this into a robust and intellectually engaging research project by the end of the semester. For most students, this project will result in a 20–25-page research paper, however hybrid proposals incorporating digital formats may be developed in consultation with the instructor.
In addition to pursuing their own original research projects, students will experience a fully funded trip during Spring Break, thanks to the generous donation of a donor and Davidson art history supporter. This trip allows students to experience art and architecture in person and view works firsthand which they will learn about over the course of the semester. Students will play a major role in planning the journey, and throughout the semester will complete assignments relevant to the trip that will help hone research and writing skills that will later be applied to their final projects. Most importantly, students will first study sites, artifacts, and cultures that they will then visit and explore in person, experiencing firsthand one of the most exciting and rewarding facets of art history!
- Teacher: Lyla Halsted