The Department of History of Art and Architecture treats critically the major fields in world art, from the ancient period through today, and serves to connect the arts to the other humanities. Interdisciplinary by definition, the department encourages students to develop both visual and cultural literacy by extensive study of works of art and the historical contexts in which they were created. The ability to see, interpret, and evaluate visual images of all types is an increasingly important skill set in our ever more visual world. From cave painting to computer-generated virtual realities, we engage the visual and material legacies of the past to prepare our students to play critical and informed roles in interpreting and shaping the physical world around them. We offer a major and a minor in the discipline, as well as a minor in the history of architecture; and encourage students to take courses in such cognate disciplines as studio art, classics, history, psychology, English, and foreign language literatures. Our courses are offered at all levels and in most major subfields of the discipline.