www.st-andrews.ac.uk/subjects/art-historyarthist@st-andrews.ac.uk

Available degree options

Single Honours

Art History

Joint Honours

Art History and one of 24 other subjects

See Arts combinations, pages 172-173

Available degree options Previous knowledge of subject required? No

Youwillstudyartfromthemediaevaltothemodernperiods,focusingonpainting,sculptureandarchitectureaswellasappliedarts,graphicsandphotography.Youwilllearntoassessimagesbothcriticallyandperceptively.

“ The Art History programme starts with the Renaissance period and progresses up until the modern day, training us to look beyond the artwork and understand the political, historical and social context. The first two years serve as a foundation for the specialisation undertaken in Honours, where the focus is on narrower topics. The support from the staff is great; they are always available to offer guidance and advice.” Valeria (Chisinau, Moldova)

Art History

Entry requirementsWeconsiderallaspectsofeveryapplication,includingcontext,equivalentqualificationsandthePersonalStatement.Offersmaybehigherorlowerthanthegradesstatedhere.Seealsopage169.

www.st-andrews.ac.uk/subjects/entry

SQA Highers: AABBGCE A-Levels: AAB International Baccalaureate Points: 35

• ArtHistoryatStAndrewsislongestablishedandrenowned. • ArtHistoryatStAndrewstakesprideinbeingstudent-friendly,

andcultivatingacollegial,supportivelearningenvironment.• ArtHistoryatStAndrewsoffersawiderange oftopicsforstudy.• ArtHistoryatStAndrewsisledbyrecognised scholars in the

field.• ArtHistoryatStAndrewsoffersanarrayofapproachesto

learning.

What will I study?Weprovideacontextinwhichyouwillgainintellectualbreadthandlearntobecomeverballyandvisuallyarticulate.Youwilllearntoassessimages,artworksandarchitectureofall kinds, both critically and perceptively.Wedonotteachtechnicalorpracticalartskills–althoughpreviousexperienceinthese,perhapsinthecontextofaHigheroranA-Level,wouldcertainlyprovideausefulbackground.

Wefocusonthehistoriesoftheso-called‘majorarts’(painting,sculptureandarchitecture)butalsoencompasstheappliedarts,graphicartsandphotography.Awiderangeoffactorsareconsidered:theanalysisofstyle,contentandmeaning,politics,patronageandsocialsignificance,broadquestionsoftheoryandaesthetics.

First yearWeoffertwomainareasforstudy.ThefirstcomprisestheartofRenaissanceItalyandnorthernEurope.Thisprovidesyouwithachronologicalsurveycoveringpainting,sculptureand architecture in Italy and NorthernEurope1280–1580.ThesecondisasurveyofEuropeanartandarchitecturein

theseventeenthandeighteenthcenturies.ThisbeginswithastudyofBaroqueartandarchitecture in Italy and then movestotheLowCountries,Spain,FranceandBritain.

Second yearYou will study one course in the historyandtheoryofEuropeanart,architectureanddesignfromtheFrenchRevolutiontoVienna1900.Thisfocusesonthemostsignificantart-historicaldevelopmentsofthelongnineteenthcentury.Oursecondcoursecoversart,cultureandpoliticsfrom1900tonow.Hereyouwillexploresomeofthemostcompellingepisodesandissuesofinternationaltwentieth-andtwenty-firstcentury art.

Third and fourth years (Honours)Youcanchoosesubjectsfromawiderangeofoptions,mostofwhichcorrespondtotheresearchinterestsofindividualmembersofstaff.Inthethirdyear,allSingleHonoursstudents take a core course in thefirstsemester(optionalforJointHonoursstudents).Thisisdesignedtofurtheryourunderstandingofmajorart-historical issues.

School of Art History

MA MA

School of Art History

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www.st-andrews.ac.uk/subjects/art-history arthist@st-andrews.ac.uk

Art History

Thefollowingtopics(amongothers)arecurrentlytaught,althoughapplicantsareadvisedthatthislistissubjecttochangeinlinewiththeavailabilityandteachingcyclesofstaff:artofthemediaevalperiod,Gothicarchitecture,Renaissancepainting,sculptureandarchitecture,nineteenth-centuryart,historyofphotography,Orientalismandart,Russianart,Islamicart,twentieth-centurymodernism,contemporaryart.

Ifyouarethinkingofacareerinteachingyoucan also take the Communication and Teaching in Arts and Humanities course.

Study abroadArtHistorystudentsparticipateintheUniversity-wideStAndrewsAbroadprogramme.YoumayalsohavetheopportunitytoparticipateinourSchoolAbroadexchangeprogramme.Forinformationaboutstudyabroadoptions,pleasesee:www.st-andrews.ac.uk/study-abroad

CareersAdegreeinArtHistoryfromStAndrewswillprovideyouwithanexcellentfoundationforacareerinawiderangeoffields,notleastthoseassociated with the arts.

GraduatesinArtHistoryoftenworkinmuseumsandgalleries,artsadministration,thearttrade,orteaching.

Inaddition,manygoontocareersin:publishing,media,marketing,publicrelations,law,businessandfinance,retail,cateringandhospitality.

GraduatesinArtHistoryarepopularwithemployersbecausetheyhavenumeroushighlysignificanttransferableskills.AtStAndrewsstudentsaretrainedtopresentinvariousmedia(orallyandvisually,aswellasthroughwrittenwork),tomeetdeadlines,honetheireditorialskills,providecriticalappraisals,andtoworkcollaborativelywithotherstudents.

Inrecentyearsourgraduateshavesecuredemploymentinawiderangeofpositions,includingattheBBC,Sotheby’s,Christie’s,LegalandGeneral,NationalMuseumsScotland,theBritishLibrary,Phaidon Press, Country Lifemagazine,VertigoFilms,The Weekmagazine,TiffanyandCo.,aswellasnumerousregionalmuseumsandgalleries.

AgoodnumberofArtHistorygraduatesgoontofurtherstudy.Thiscanbeinthedisciplineitself,orinassociatedfields,orotherhumanities.Thoseseekingcareersinmuseumsandgalleries,particularlyascuratorsoradministrators,oftentakerelevantpostgraduatedegreesforthese,includingtheMuseumsandGalleryStudiesprogrammeatStAndrews.

“ Art History allows you to view the world and its history through an aesthetic and social perspective. We cover a huge breadth of western art history, from the Renaissance to the present. The course is also quite broad including lectures on Islamic art and includes field trips to galleries in Edinburgh and Glasgow.” Gemma (Hong Kong)

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