What is experiential learning?

Experiential learning is an engaged learning process whereby students "learn by doing" and by reflecting on the experience. Experiential learning activities can include, but are not limited to, hands-on laboratory experiments, internships, practicums, field exercises, study abroad, undergraduate research, and studio performances.

Study abroad for art history majors

Art history majors are encouraged to explore study abroad programs, especially those that permit the exploration of artworks in their original cultural contexts.

For information about study abroad programs in general, review these resources from UI International Programs (IP):

For planning your art history course sequence in particular, be sure to consider carefully how classes you might take abroad can relate to those that you will take at UI. For information about petitioning for art history credit for courses taken abroad, please consult the following:

Art history study abroad course equivalency

If you are seeking to fulfill an art history requirement with a study abroad course, you must get advanced approval. Provide the following information before you enroll in the course in order for it to be approved:

  1. Your UI major(s)
  2. Which UI art history requirement you are seeking to fulfill
  3. Name of the school where you plan to take the class
  4. Name of the class that you plan to take
  5. Number of weeks in the term and how many hours the class will meet each week
  6. Course description of the class (take this from the online catalog)
  7. Course syllabus of the class
  8. Degree held by the instructor, if known
  9. How many course hours is it approved for

Please send this information to Professor Amy Huang, the Director of Undergraduate Studies, at amy-huang-2@uiowa.edu.

Undergraduate Art History Symposium

We invite undergraduate students with an interest in art history to submit an abstract for the Undergraduate Art History Symposium, which will be hosted by the Art History Division at the University of Iowa on Wednesday, April 10 from 1:30 to 3:15 p.m. in 116 Art Building West (ABW).

Presenting your research at this symposium offers you the opportunity to engage in intellectual exchange not only with other young scholars throughout the region but also with graduate students and faculty at the University of Iowa. If your abstract is accepted, you will receive one-on-one mentorship from a University of Iowa graduate student mentor as you polish your paper in the weeks before presenting it. The symposium will be followed by a hosted meal for undergraduate speakers and graduate student mentors. 

We welcome abstracts for fifteen-minute presentations on any aspect of art history. Ideally, the presentation should be based on a paper that you have written for an art history course. But it could also be a paper you wrote for a course in a related discipline, like classics or history, that focuses on material culture.

Your presentation abstract should include your name, e-mail address, and title of the presentation. The abstract of the presentation should be no more than 200 words in length and summarize your topic and the key points of the research that you plan to present. If you have further questions about what should be included in the abstract or the presentation, please contact anna-isbell@uiowa.edu. 

Where do I submit my abstract?

Please submit your abstract via email to anna-isbell@uiowa.edu. Abstracts are due no later than Friday, Feb. 23, 2024.

University resources

Undergraduate research

Gain hands-on experience by participating in the research and creative discovery of faculty and staff.

Internships

Build on-the-job experience while connecting and networking with professionals in your field.

Study abroad

Enhance your degree, stand out to employers, shape your own perspective, and transform into a global citizen.

Community-engaged courses

Apply your academic skills and knowledge to help community partners solve real-world problems.