Art History

Why study Art History at Aberdeen?

We are ranked 1^st for Art History in the UK in the 2024 National Student Survey and 1^st for overall student satisfaction (Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales).* This is the fourth time in five years that we have achieved this ranking.

*measured by % positive responses to UK-wide questions in the National Student Survey 2024 from a list of providers included in the Guardian University Guide 2024.

In our increasingly visual world, art historical skills have become indispensable for an ever-increasing range of professions, and for navigating contemporary culture more broadly. Aberdeen's Art History degree with its strong vocational focus offers an ideal pathway for careers in many areas of the art and culture sector. The programme teaches students critical skills in how to look, to think and to present ideas succinctly and persuasively.

Many of our students go on to pursue careers in the art gallery and museum sectors, arts education, auction houses, publishing and journalism, and fine art conservation, together with further postgraduate study. Employers of our most recent graduates include Christie's London, Sotheby's Zurich, the Weiss Gallery, London, Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museums, the Pier Arts Centre, Orkney, and the McManus Gallery, Dundee.

Art History students also acquire transferable skills during the course of their degree which are valuable across a range of career possibilities. These include teamwork, time management, and personal initiative, while focused historical study encourages the development of analytical and presentational skills. These abilities are consistently drawn upon and developed during the four years of undergraduate study in Art History, through the completion of essays and reports, seminar presentations, and the final year dissertation.