A major declared after arrival
Columbia says students apply to Columbia College or Columbia Engineering. The pages read describe no separate admission to Art History.
Undergraduate · Columbia College
Columbia Art History: periods, regions and one studio course
Columbia College does not admit students to Art History. Applicants apply to the College or Columbia Engineering and declare a major later. What sets this major apart from a conventional history-of-art degree is the studio requirement, a course in the Visual Arts Department that can be taken Pass/Fail, alongside a distribution across four periods and five regions. It is eleven courses in total, and the Majors Colloquium cannot be replaced by a transfer course.
Official information · read 1 November 2026, no entry-year label
What Columbia says about Columbia Art History
Taken from the Columbia Bulletin entry for Art History and Archaeology in Columbia College and Columbia Undergraduate Admissions' Academics, Testing and International Applicants pages, read on 1 November 2026. The pages carry no entry-year label, so for a 2028-entry application every statement below is evidence for the previous cycle and may change; check Columbia's pages for the 2028-entry details.
Eleven courses
The Bulletin says the major needs eleven courses and ranges from 36 to 43 points.
Periods and regions
Courses cover three of four periods and two of five geographic regions.
One studio course
Any studio course in the Visual Arts Department meets the requirement.
The SAT or ACT is required from August 2027
Columbia says it will require first-year students to submit ACT or SAT results; it accepts A levels and the IB.
Official sources
- Columbia Undergraduate Admissions: Academicsundergrad.admissions.columbia.edu
- Columbia Bulletin: Art History and Archaeologybulletin.columbia.edu
- Columbia Undergraduate Admissions: Testingundergrad.admissions.columbia.edu
Read on 1 November 2026 on the Columbia Bulletin entry for Art History and Archaeology in Columbia College and Columbia Undergraduate Admissions' Academics, Testing and International Applicants pages, which describes 2027 entry. The pages carry no entry-year label. Columbia's department website, the full course lists and descriptions, deadlines and financial aid were not read and are not stated.
The major
How the Bulletin structures Art History
The major needs eleven courses: three covering three of four historical periods, two covering two of five regions, two more art history electives, two art history seminars, a studio art course and the Majors Colloquium. The Bulletin lists the periods as pre-400 CE, 400-1400 CE, 1400-1700 CE and 1700 to the present. Courses can be taken in any order, although seminars and the Colloquium usually come in junior or senior year. A year-long Senior Thesis Seminar is optional.
Is it the right major?
Art History beside History and Architecture
Columbia describes these separately, so the major is chosen after arrival. Avandy's comparison is general.
Art History fits if
you want visual and material evidence at the centre, with some hands-on studio work.
History fits if
you want to build depth in one field around texts and archives. Avandy's Columbia History guide covers it.
Architecture fits if
you want to study and design the built environment. Avandy's Columbia College Architecture guide covers it.
Admission and testing
Columbia College, an SAT or ACT and A levels or the IB
Columbia says students apply to either Columbia College or Columbia Engineering. It accepts all secondary school curricula, including the IB and Cambridge A Levels, and reviews applications within the context of the curriculum. It says that starting in August 2027 it will require first-year students to submit ACT or SAT results. The major is not a separate application. This guide states no score.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Columbia's.
Which periods and regions would you cover?
The distribution rules require breadth rather than one specialism.
Is a studio course appealing?
The studio requirement can be met by any Visual Arts studio course, including Pass/Fail.
Can you plan the SAT or ACT alongside your A levels or IB?
Columbia says it will require ACT or SAT results from August 2027.
Planning for 2028 entry
Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication
Columbia's pages carry no entry-year label, so nothing on them is confirmed for 2028 entry. Use them to understand the structure of the application, then check Columbia's own pages for the 2028-entry details.
The requirements and descriptions on the pages read on 1 November 2026, which carry no entry-year label
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Columbia has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
Deadlines, fees, financial aid and any department prerequisites not quoted here: not stated
This guide has not read them. Check Columbia for the values that apply to your application year.
What to do now
Read the Art History and Archaeology entry in the Columbia Bulletin and plan the SAT or ACT alongside your A levels or IB.
Support
Independent support with planning your own application
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with Columbia College or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here is limited to understanding the requirements and planning the applicant's own work; Avandy does not write or edit essays, does not submit any materials and has no partnership with Columbia College. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
Can I apply directly to Columbia Art History?
The pages read describe applying to Columbia College or Columbia Engineering. Majors are declared after arrival.
Do I need to make art to major in Art History?
The Bulletin requires one studio course from the Visual Arts Department, which may be taken Pass/Fail.
Is the senior thesis compulsory?
No. The Bulletin calls the Senior Thesis an optional project open to Art History majors.
Do I need the SAT or ACT?
Columbia says that starting in August 2027 it will require first-year students to submit ACT or SAT results.
Does Columbia accept A levels and the IB?
Columbia says it accepts all secondary school curricula, including the IB and Cambridge A Levels, and reviews applications within the context of the curriculum.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are Columbia's wording with no entry-year label. Check Columbia's pages again when Columbia publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about Columbia Art History
Tell us about the student's curriculum, which periods and regions interest them, whether a studio course appeals and their SAT or ACT plan, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.