美术（艺术史）是一门检查视觉艺术在人类社会发展中的作用的学科。美术试图理解艺术的本质
Fine Arts (art history) is a discipline which examines the role of the visual arts in the development of human society. Fine Arts attempts to understand the nature of art, its origins and evolution, and the role it plays in various civilizations. While the task of the artist is the creation of works of art, that of the art historian is their systematic study, analyzing and understanding the products of creative expression. Studies of the Fine Arts can involve the examination of economic, social, and political issues, problems of patronage, taste, style, and iconography, and questions of literary influence, philology, philosophy, psychology, and religion. At the same time, how works of art are made, their conservation and/or restoration and theories of perception or optics are also investigated. The study of Fine Arts helps to enhance our aesthetic aware- ness and our ability to ''see'' and describe and to search for new meanings and explore new ideas in our environment. The Department of Fine Arts offers a range of art history courses, especially Western art, from ancient times to the present. The art history courses concentrate on the study of architecture, sculpture, painting, and minor/decorative arts. The studio arts course offered by the Department (FAS 111) provides an introduction to basic artistic techniques.