Washington, DC, is an exceptional place to study art history. As the home base of the federal government and all its agencies, and of the embassies and consulates of every country in the world, Washington is one of the world's great cultural and educational centers, whose museums, libraries, universities, music and concert halls, and historical archives are available as first-hand resources for study and research in the arts and humanities.

Consortium of Washington Universities

The Consortium of Washington Universities greatly enhances the course offerings and library holdings of American University. With the approval of their advisor, students may take graduate courses at renowned institutions such as the  University of Maryland, Howard University, the Catholic University of America, George Washington University, and Georgetown University. 

The joint holdings of the Consortium universities, which are accessible to all American University students, collectively constitute one of the top libraries in the country.

Museums and Libraries

Local world-class museums and libraries include:

• National Gallery of Art
• Library of Congress
• Smithsonian American Art Museum
• National Portrait Gallery
• Smithsonian Institution
• Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
• Renwick Gallery
• The George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum
• American University Museum
• National Museum of Asian Art
• Dumbarton Oaks
• The Phillips Collection
• National Museum of Women in the Arts
• Archives of American Art
• National Museum of African Art
• National Museum of African American History and Culture
• National Museum of the American Indian
• Folger Shakespeare Library