Graduate Diploma in the History of Art

The Graduate Diploma is a concentrated form of the undergraduate degree and gives graduates of other disciplines the opportunity to apply their existing skills to the study of Art History. According to the prestigious QS World University Rankings 2023, The Courtauld has been ranked as one of the top three universities worldwide for the study of History of Art. The curriculum – revised for 2023/4 – offers teaching across an unrivalled breadth of periods and cultures. You will have the opportunity to study art and architecture from late antiquity to the present, and from across the globe: from Byzantium to the Early Modern Islamic World, from Medieval and Renaissance Europe to International Modernism, and from Contemporary China to Black art histories. Our teachers are researchers at the cutting edge of their areas of specialism and they bring their knowledge, discoveries and ideas to discuss with you in seminars, lectures, gallery visits and tutorials. The modules we teach are directly shaped by the tutor’s research and partly for that reason, they change from year to year – modules outlined below are therefore indicative of subjects that may be on offer.

In each semester, you will take a ‘Foundations’ module, offering a broad picture of art historical themes and methods. You will also take two further core modules, examining works of art as physical objects (Physical Histories) and scrutinising the role that museums play in society (Exhibiting Art). Alongside these, you will take a selection of modules across the two semesters, devoted to looking in depth at themes, periods and approaches in the History of Art. Finally, you will write a 5,000-word assessed essay, supported by a supervisor, which allows you to explore a particular issue and develop your independent research skills. The teaching is a mixture of lectures (with up to 150 students) and seminars (in groups of 10–15 students).

The programme is supported by a personal tutor and by study sessions and workshops on topics such as reading art historical texts and essay writing. Students have access to all that The Courtauld has to offer, including world-class events run by the Research Forum, careers events and one-to-one sessions with professional writers. In addition to the compulsory elements of the programme, you are welcome to attend lectures from other programmes, including other optional modules which range across art historical periods and approaches to the discipline.

The Diploma is particularly suitable for people coming back into higher education after a period away, or those who want to gain a broad overview of the possibilities of Art History before moving on to more specialised study. It provides a rigorous and solid foundation for further postgraduate work, and many graduates from the programme continue to an MA at The Courtauld or elsewhere. Others go on to careers in the art world, such as art education or publishing, or combine skills and knowledge from a previous career with Art History to take an entirely new path. There are others who take the Diploma purely for their own satisfaction and personal development. Whatever your motivation, you will become part of a diverse and rich cohort, ready to share experiences and knowledge in a way that fosters high levels of engagement, academic achievement and a unique sense of community that often long outlasts the taught programme itself.