MA History of Art

Upon completion of the MA History of Art, you will have:

• A sophisticated and in-depth grasp of a specific period or field of art history and the intellectual issues raised by its study.
• A sophisticated set of skills learnt from a wide range of leading art history professionals.
• An invaluable expertise in art history, visual culture and literary skills required for success in the art world.
• Competency in the methodological skills, research techniques and sophisticated understanding necessary for participation in a range of employment opportunities and preparation for further academic study
• A broad-ranging view and understanding of the careers available in the cultural and heritage sector.
• An extensive professional network.

Careers and Employability

The Courtauld’s MA History of Art programme addresses a wide range of interests and equips students with the expertise, research, and professional skills for an equally wide range of career paths. This course will ideally suit students interested in pursuing a career in art museums, galleries, the commercial art sector, heritage, publishing, marketing and communications, production, educational organisations, and other cultural institutions, and more.

Students from the programme will join an international network of Courtauld alumni who work across the cultural sector and benefit from the friendships, support, and mentorship available within that community.

Teaching and programme structure

The Courtauld MA History of Art combines a range of modules and teaching methods.

Special Options

These typically take the form of small group discussion seminars, but may also include exhibition or site visits, and – depending on topic – can include trips in or beyond London or the UK.

In some cases, Special Option groups cluster together in the Autumn semester for joint sessions on issues of common concern, before dividing into more specialised groups in the Spring semester. One-to-one tutorials ensure you get tailored feedback on ideas for your assessments from your Special Option tutor.

Critical Debates

In the Autumn semester, students from different Special Option groups come together for ‘Critical Debates’ around particular themes or problems of relevance to their Special Option – interrogating the idea of ‘The Middle Ages’, for example, or examining the migration of people, objects and ideas since the 19th century. Taught through a combination of lectures and discussion seminars, ‘Critical Debates’ provides opportunities for students to engage with issues of broad concern in their chosen art-historical subfield. Students will be taught alongside those from the MA Curating and MA Contemporary Art and the Moving Image, expanding your peer network.

Virtual Exhibition

The Spring semester group module focuses more heavily on questions of display, curation and exhibition, taking advantage of London’s museums and galleries, including The Courtauld Gallery. It is taught through lectures and discussion groups and culminates in a ‘Virtual Exhibition’, an exercise that encourages students to conceive an (imaginary) exhibition or display, judiciously selecting exhibits and writing, for example, a sample label and catalogue entry. The Virtual exhibition complements the assessed essays, as a visually-led exercise that allows students to develop arguments through the selection and juxtaposition of artworks. The Virtual Exhibition often produces some of our students’ most original and inventive work, and has served for many as a stepping stone into issues of museology and curating.

Dissertation

The final component of the MA is the 10,000-word dissertation, submitted in May. A series of classes and workshops help you to prepare for this independently researched assessment, complemented by one-to-one tutorials with a lecturer with specialism in your chosen field (typically your Special Option tutor). Courtauld MA dissertations are often highly original contributions to scholarship across a wide field, regularly commended by external examiners for being of publishable quality.

Assessment

The MA History of Art is formally assessed on:

• 2 x 4,000-word Special Option essays, submitted in the Autumn and Spring.
• A ‘Critical Debates’ portfolio of short written exercises, submitted in the Autumn.
• A Virtual Exhibition assignment, submitted in the Spring.
• A 10,000-word dissertation, submitted in May.

The MA is an intensive 9 month programme.

Entry Requirements

UK qualifications: Students will normally have achieved a good 2.1 in their Bachelor’s degree (typically in the Humanities or Social Sciences).

Overseas qualification: Equivalent to a good 2.1 in a UK first degree (e.g. US applicants should have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or above).

Please note that applicants are occasionally invited to interview on a case-by-case basis.

English language requirements: If your first language is not English, we require proof of English language proficiency –please see the English Language Requirements page.

Fees and Funding

Fees are subject to change each academic year. Fee information, including what qualifies as home, EU, and overseas fees, can be found here.

Financial support for your studies:

Postgraduate Master’s Loan: Please visit the Student Finance England website for further information and to apply online.

Courtauld Institute of Art Scholarships: Every year the Courtauld provides over half a million pounds in MA scholarships, which are awarded on the basis of academic merits. The average postgraduate scholarship is £6,000. Applications are welcomed from Home, EU and Overseas applicants and students. Find out more about our scholarships.

Alumni Loyalty Scheme: This scheme is open to any graduate of The Courtauld Institute of Art admitted to a taught postgraduate programme of study. Recipients will receive a 10% loyalty discount off their tuition fee for the duration of the course.

Further information about loans, grants, and bursaries to support you during your studies at The Courtauld can be found here.

Support

To support you through the degree, we offer:

Wellbeing support: We have a dedicated Wellbeing team, with counsellors and advisors.

Academic Skills training: The academic skills tutor offers group and one-to-one classes to help you to develop the skills and confidence you need to succeed on the degree. We also have two Royal Literary Fund fellows who will help you with your writing skills – concentrating on how to structure and improve your writing.

Careers advice: You can access bespoke, one-to-one career guidance throughout your studies. The Courtauld Careers Service offers advice and support on exploring career and further study options, finding internships, enhancing employability, understanding and navigating the jobs and self-employment market, and making successful applications. This service is available to all graduates for up to two years after graduation.