A major in art history constitutes an excellent liberal arts education in itself. Many of our graduates go directly to employment in art museums, commercial art galleries and auction houses, historic house museums, historical societies and historic preservation agencies, libraries and other cultural institutions and organizations, and with professional conservators of works of art; others focus on art dealing, consulting, appraising, and independent curatorial work, among other fields Other students have used their liberal arts training in art history to pursue such varied careers as real estate, law, and foreign service.

However, about 20% of all art history majors go on to graduate school to further their career goals. Columbia University, New York University, University of Chicago, Yale University, Princeton University, University of Indiana, University of Kansas, Case Western Reserve University, and the University of Michigan are some of the schools entered by our graduates, who have been carefully advised by our faculty regarding graduate study and its relation to career opportunities. Each year the department organizes an event for interested students at which career possibilities in art history are discussed; a graduate of our program who has pursued a career in an art historical field is invited to campus to discuss her or his experiences with current majors.