Dr. Nicole Krup Oest is on leave for summer term and fall semester 2026.

ARTH C1100 - Survey of Art from Prehistory to the Medieval Era is an online course taught in Canvas with one field trip to the Legion of Honor museum in San Francisco (time and date tbd). If you cannot attend the field trip with the class, you can go to the museum on your own or participate in an online asynchronous field trip that will be listed along with more information about the field trip in Canvas.

Instruction and activities will take place fully online with regular weekly assignments, classroom discussions, and deadlines. Required participation in classroom discussions is asynchronous. There are no required meetings/conferences in real time. 

Instructor Contact/Course Communication

Nicole Krup Oest

Email: noest@ccsf.edu (preferred)

Phone: +1-415-239-3448

Note about communication response time: Starting spring semester 2027, I will respond to all course email and voicemail within 48 hours, Monday-Friday, exclusive of school holidays. If you do not hear back from me within 48 hours, assume I did not receive your communication and please resend it. Kindly send all communication from Canvas or your CCSF email account, include the name of the course and the CRN in your email subject line, and sign your email with your name as it appears on the course roster.

Schedule Information

ARTH C1100 - Survey of Art from Prehistory to the Medieval Era is a 16-week online class.

Course start date: tba

Course end date: tba

Please note that this 16-week course is equivalent to a normal, semester-long course and will require 157.5 hours of work in accordance with the course outline of record.

Course Description

ARTH C1100 - Survey of Art from Prehistory to the Medieval Era

3 units

This course introduces students to visual art and architecture from prehistory to the medieval era with a focus on art from Europe, North Africa, and the near East. The course will further consider global interactions involving these regions.

This course, formerly ART 101 Western Art History I, is part of the AA-T in Art History and  AA-T in Studio Arts. It also meets the requirement for broad survey knowledge toward a B.A. degree in Art History. CCSF GE Area 3; Cal-GETC Area 3A.

Prerequisites/corequisites: none

Method of grading: only letter

Repeatability: Course is not repeatable.

Location: This is an online course taught in Canvas, an online Learning Management System (see below).

Regular course meeting times: Asynchronous activities will occur online every week with regular deadlines.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, a student will be able to:

A: Identify, examine, and assess representative works of art and architecture from prehistory to the medieval era employing appropriate art historical terminology.

B: Analyze works of art and architecture in terms of aesthetic, socio-political, religious, historical, technological, and cultural contexts in which they were created.

C: Develop critical thinking, information literacy, and problem solving through an engagement with art, architecture, artists, and patrons from prehistory to the medieval era.

Important Dates

A midterm assessment will be conducted online. Refer to the course syllabus for details.

A final assessment will be conducted online. Refer to the course syllabus for details. The current syllabus will be available at the start of the new semester.

Field trip: Class field trip to the Legion of Honor in San Francisco on date and time TBD (see syllabus that will be distributed the first day of class)

If you cannot attend the field trip with the class, you can go to the museum on your own or participate in an online field trip that will be listed along with more information about the field trip in Canvas.

Course Syllabus

Follow this link to a sample past course syllabus in Canvas. (This is a sample course syllabus only. You will receive the current syllabus when the course begins). 

How do I access the course in Canvas?

Follow these steps to access our online course:

1. Bookmark and follow this link to our online classroom in Canvas: https://ccsf.instructure.com/. This is where you will complete and turn in all work, interact with peers, and be able to contact me.

2. Type in your CCSF ID for your username. Examples: W01234567 or @01234567.

3. Type in your RAM ID for your password. Are you new to RAM ID? See here for new user account activation. Need help with your RAM ID? Contact the CCSF Helpdesk at Email: helpdesk@ccsf.edu or submit a ticket: www.ccsf.edu/help-desk. 

4. Please note: You will not be able to log into the course until the course start date.

Required Textbook

• You do not need to buy a textbook for this course. Free Open Educational Resources (OER) will be delivered online via links in Canvas. For an example, please refer to excerpts from Myers, et. al,  Introduction to Art History I.

• Free library research resources such a books, articles, and online materials from databases such as EBSCOHost and ArtSTOR will be delivered online via links in Canvas.

Recommended Textbooks/Optional Further Reading

Kleiner, Fred S. Gardner’s Art Through the Ages: The Western Perspective, 16th ed. Vol. I. Kentucky: Wadsworth/Cengage, 2021. 

ISBN: 9780357702154

Copies of past editions of this text are on course reserve at the Rosenberg Library. It is not the responsibility of the instructor if the reserve textbooks are checked out, nor does an unavailable reserve book entitle a student to excused late work.

Barnet, Sylvan. A Short Guide to Writing About Art (classic text), 11th ed. New York: Pearson Longman, 2014.

ISBN-13: 978-0205886999

ISBN-10: 020588699X

Multiple versions and editions of this book are available at various CCSF libraries for your use.

Required Technology

• Reliable access to a fairly new Mac or PC with a current operating system

• Current browser (Chrome or Firefox are preferable)

• Reliable internet connection. Note that you have access to computers for free at CCSF. The main computer lab maintains regular hours during the semester and offers a positive study environment for completing online coursework. Find out more on the Academic Computing Resource Center website.

• Software for creating PDFs to submit assignments

Recommended Skills

• Basic computer skills (word processing, email, file management)

• Basic internet skills (use of browser, searches, uploading/downloading files)

• Time management skills and a growth mindset

How do I prepare myself for a successful start in this class?:

• Review the course syllabus in Canvas.

• Plan dedicated time to your online learning: This course will require several hours a day of work (157.5 hours for the entire course). Some students may require more or less time to complete tasks, so please use this number of work hours as an estimate.

• Plan to work fully online: We will not have any required on-campus or synchronous meetings besides the field trip with the alternative online field trip.

• Plan to ask questions. Need help? Not sure? Don’t wait to reach out to your instructor. My goal to support you and guide you to a successful completion of the course.

• Read the article, “What Makes a Successful Online Learner” to familiarize yourself with the demands and rewards of online learning. 

HELP! What do I do if I cannot login to Canvas or see this class in my dashboard?

You will not be required to log into the course until the first day of class.

If you are having trouble logging in on the first day of class and are enrolled in the course:

We are here to help you! You can find more support tips and resources in the CCSF Online Support Center.

For other Canvas-related questions, contact the Canvas helpdesk using the Canvas support live chat. or the hotline number available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: 844-592-2198.

If you added the course after the start date: You will be able to log in within one business day.

Accommodations/DSPS Statement

Students seeking disability-related accommodations are encouraged to register with Disabled Students Programs and Services located in Room 323 of the Rosenberg Library. DSPS can be contacted in person (Rosenberg 323), via phone (415) 452-5481, or via email at dspsacom@ccsf.edu. Please see the DSPS website for more information about office hours, and alternate locations.

As your instructor, I appreciate you contacting me at the start of the semester to alert me to your DSPS accommodations so that I may do my best to ensure the course format meets your specific needs. Please note that if you require DSPS accommodations on specific assignments or exams, you must submit your documentation at least two weeks in advance of the exam date or assignment deadline.