Taught Masters degrees in history of art

Whether you've studied art history before, or are new to the subject, our highly innovative and flexible MA programmes are curated to match your interests.

Why study history of art at York?

We boast one of the largest and liveliest art history postgraduate communities in the country, with a strong emphasis on collaboration and interdisciplinary study.

As a postgraduate student in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, you’ll have access to the Humanities Research Centre, a vibrant interdisciplinary research hub in the heart of campus. With dedicated study spaces, social and academic events, and an inspiring research environment, you'll have opportunities to make personal connections and to think beyond your own subject area.

Contact us

histart-admissions@york.ac.uk

Our courses

Cross-faculty courses

Art Law (LLM)

Or search all postgraduate taught courses.

Visiting students

Spend up to a year in York as a visiting student from an international university.

History of art modules for visiting students

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9ILH9SkgQo

Get a taste of what it's like to study and be a part of our stunning campus.

Scholarships and funding

Find out about scholarships and studentships that are available to students in the Department of History of Art.

Taught postgraduate funding

Ruth, MA Modern and Contemporary Art. Read Ruth's blog post.

1st in UK

for research impact and environment in history of art - the support we give to researchers (Times Higher Education’s ranking of the latest REF results, 2021).

Partnerships with museums and galleries

support your learning and research through jointly designed modules, privileged access to collections and studentship opportunities.

54th in the world

for arts and humanities (Times Higher Education World University Rankings, 2025).

Partnerships and internships

opportunities are available from a variety of local museums and galleries.

Our facilities

Make the most of an extensive range of resources on campus and in the city.

Scholarships and funding

Explore funding for postgraduates in the Department of History of Art.

Careers

Our graduates go on to a wide range of careers within and beyond the art world, to further study and to other pursuits. They include curators, museum educators and learning officers, conservators, art sales specialists and researchers.
Our degrees provide you with myriad valuable transferable skills, including research, interpersonal and time-management skills. These will benefit you both in your career and beyond.

Learn more about careers and employability