See the bigger picture
There’s more to History of Art than meets the eye
In an increasingly visual world, History of Art can open up a wide range of exciting opportunities and career paths.
The seminars, lectures and workshops that are part of the History of Art degree at York teach students enviable visual analysis skills. Combine these with an art historian’s knowledge about global visual and material cultures and a creative approach to looking, thinking and writing, our students are well placed to apply for a diverse and international range of opportunities when they graduate.
But the History of Art degree at York doesn’t just take place in the seminar room. As well as immersing themselves in study of art and architecture from around the world, History of Art students are also accustomed to rolling up their sleeves and getting involved during their degree.
Louis, a third year student has certainly been making the most of his time at York. Louis says, “Last year I was the Director of the Norman Rea Gallery on campus, and I co-ordinated the curators to put on nine exhibitions in a year. In addition to that, I’ve also been involved in the York Festival of Ideas and in my second year curated the Samuel Beckett exhibition at the University’s Ron Cooke Hub.”
Other opportunities include taking life drawing classes at our campus art studios and giving public talks at York Art Gallery. The practical work experience and skills acquired by our History of Art students place them in an excellent position to apply for a range of careers upon graduation, with 81% of our graduates in work or study within six months of graduating.
In a world where connections are all important, the Department excels at putting our students in touch with key organisations and influencers, and has partnerships with arts organisations such as the National Gallery, Tate Britain and the Victoria and Albert Museum. What’s more, York History of Art graduates are well-travelled, as we run funded study trips within the UK and also further afield to locations such as Siena, Florence, Paris, Amsterdam and Berlin.
If you’ve been to York, you’ll know that in the city centre, both history and art are difficult to escape. We’ll be making the most of one of the city’s most historic locations, the Minster, in February 2013, to confer honorary doctorates on the artist David Hockney and Janet Barnes, Chief Executive Officer of York Museums Trust in an event to mark our 50th Anniversary.
If you’re thinking about applying for History of Art 2014 entry, do come to one of our Open Days and have a chat with staff and current students from the Department.
If you have been made an offer for 2013 entry, we look forward to welcoming you at one of our post-offer visit days.
If you have questions about our undergraduate programmes in History of Art, please e-mail us or call +44 (0)1904 323427.
Further information
- The Department of History of Art at York is an internationally recognised centre for study and research, offering world-class expertise in the visual arts, architecture and art theory.
- The recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) has confirmed History of Art at York as one of the top-ranking research departments in the UK, placing us 2nd for 4* or 'world-leading’ research in History of Art.
- See more on our BA History of Art programme and combined degrees