Art, Architecture + Art History

The Department of Art, Architecture + Art History is committed to shaping the next generation of artists, designers, critics and creative thinkers. Dedicated to exploring creative practices at the forefront of our disciplines, we believe that art not only mirrors the society in which it is produced, but also shapes it: we are most interested in art's potential to offer a critique of culture, and embody in the present that which is yet to become.

Visual Arts Gain broad expertise in the languages and traditions of visual expression, and acquire advanced skills in one of seven visual sub-disciplines.

Architecture Get introduced to a wide range of art disciplines and creative architecture studio practices that contribute to an architect's breadth of knowledge and problem-solving skills.

Art History Learn how artistic practices both reflect and shape the societies in which they are produced. You'll delve into works of art, architecture and visual culture within historical contexts and experiential dimensions.

Why Choose Art, Architecture + Art History:

Advanced Comprehensive Coursework

Our curriculum prepares students for prestigious careers at graduate school and/or meaningful professional careers. Students learn to synthesize information from different sources and to refine their technical skills and aesthetic perspectives.

Committed, Professionally Active Faculty

Our faculty are committed to each students' success during their undergraduate experience at USD, as well as their endeavors beyond graduation. Faculty are professionally active, often offering students the opportunity to assist on major works of research, exposure to outside colleagues within the profession, or including students on projects here on campus, such as aiding in the exhibition of major works of art in the University Gallery spaces. Faculty are consistently advancing their programs to ensure that students continue to have the best, most comprehensive education possible.

Changemaker Focus

Embodying USD's Changemaker designation, our students understand how art and architecture can affect positive change. They are encouraged to think of art/ architecture as a mirror and shaper of societies.

Portfolio Building

Students will graduate with an expansive portfolio of work to prove their skill set to employers and graduate schools.

Interdisciplinary Programs

Unlike other technically focused programs, our art and architecture programs encourage awareness (cultural, societal and historical), so that our students are able to bring unique perspectives to projects that are desired by employers.

In the News

New Hoehn Galleries Curator Takes Modern Approach to Prints
// January 24, 2019
Curating one of his first shows, a look at radical "Red Art" during the Great Depression sparked John Murphy's interest in making prints the…
Professor John Halaka Selected as a PARC 2018-2019 U.S. Research Fellow
// January 23, 2019
Visual arts professor, John Halaka, was awarded a 2018-2019 Palestinian American Research Center (PARC), US Scholar Fellowship to develop th…
USD Announces New Robert E. ('82) and Darci M. O'Connell Scholarship for the Arts
// January 8, 2019
University of San Diego alumnus, Robert O’Connell, and his wife, Darci, have set up the Robert E. (‘82) and Darci M. O&rsqu…
The “Conscious” Campus: Alcalá Review Aims to Unite USD's Artistic Communities
// December 12, 2018
The Alcalá Review, the first literary journal hosted at USD, is publishing its Fall 2018 Issue on Dec. 13 to the delight of its growi…