Lecture courses in the history of art are open to majors and nonmajors alike without prerequisites, although many students prefer to begin their study of art history with the introductory surveys. Introductory courses in design have a maximum enrollment of 25 students. Because of its emphasis on teaching, the Department of Art and Art History has grown rapidly in recent years, both in terms of faculty and students. New colleagues joining the department in art history and design have expanded the course offerings in both areas. In addition, the curriculum in art history and design has benefited from the recent growth of the Duke University Museum of Art.
Faculty emphasize the study of objects in the museum's collections.
Under the guidance of art history faculty, undergraduate majors have the opportunity to curate exhibitions of contemporary art as part of the undergraduate curated exhibition series. The students are responsible for selecting and installing the works as well as writing the exhibition catalogue. Many of our students have participated in internships at major museums across the country, including the Whitney, Metropolitan, and Guggenheim Museums in New York. The department also benefits from the outstanding collections nearby at the Ackland Museum in Chapel Hill and the North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh. Other important resources for the study of art and art history at Duke include an excellent research library, an extensive slide collection, and the photograph study collection.