It is usually taken in the spring of the junior year. On account of the extraordinary expertise of many of the visiting curators, theorists, and critics who are invited to give the seminar in different years, some students choose to participate in the seminar more than once. Occasional courses on special topics are offered, and student-initiated seminars and reading courses are available, just as in other departments. Many well-known and accomplished artists have been a part of the faculty of the visual arts program over the 25 years of its independent existence. With this in mind, a commitment has been made to maintaining a faculty that is continually reflective of a spectrum of views and ideologies within the art world.
Students can always count on having access to a wide range of influence and guidance.
The University's close proximity to New York City helps make this possible. The Princeton University Art Museum is one of the finest teaching museums in the world and is a resource of immeasurable value to students in visual arts as well as the entire University community. Gallery and museum trips and visits to artist's studios are also frequently arranged. An independent endowment brings distinguished photographers to the visual arts program each semester, where their work is often the focus of attention in the courses offered by the Department of Art and Archeology in the history of photography. Another endowed lectureship brings major filmmakers to campus.