No prior experience in the history of art is assumed for those studnets who take this course. Indeed, students who have done well in other humanistic studies such as history and literature or in any of the studio arts are especially encouraged to enroll. It is hoped that the special experience of the students in the practice of art and in the materials encountered in other humanistic courses will prove useful in enriching the context of the history of art.

While the course does not assume prior training or seek primarily to identify students who will major in art history in college, it does require a high degree of commitment to academic work and to the purposes of a program designed to meet college standards.