History of Art and Architecture (Graduate Certificate)

This intensive 1-year programme offers you the opportunity to develop your understanding of the history of art and architecture. You will learn to critically analyse and interpret art objects and buildings, and will engage with the concepts, values and debates that inform the study and practice of the history of art.

If you want to study history of art, or a similar course, at Master's level (either at Birkbeck or elsewhere) but have a first degree in another subject, then this programme can be used as a conversion course. You will acquire and develop skills and knowledge of the discipline up to final-year undergraduate level.

If you are not intending to progress to an MA, the programme will allow you to continue your exploration of the history of art and architecture at a higher level.

We offer taster events and information evenings for prospective students interested in our history of art programmes throughout the year.

As well as regular museum and gallery visits, the department offers an exciting study trip every spring.

Staff teaching on this programme

Charlotte Ashby
Prasannajit de Silva
Nick Lambrianou.

Why study this course at Birkbeck?

Arts and humanities courses at Birkbeck are ranked third best in London and 11th in the UK in the Times Higher Education 2015-16 World University Subject Rankings.
Prepares you for entry to Birkbeck's MA History of Art, MA Museum Cultures and other Master's programmes offered by the School of Arts.
Museum and site visits form a regular feature of the course.
Tutors have a first-class reputation for teaching and learning, and their teaching is informed by their research.
You will have access to the Birkbeck Library. Our location in Bloomsbury gives you easy access to specialist libraries of the University of London, including the Senate House Library, but also to a wide range of art institutions in central London, and to their collections and temporary exhibitions - from the British Museum and the National Gallery, to the Courtauld Institute of Art and the Institute of Contemporary Arts.
Keep up-to-date with our research on the Birkbeck History of Art blog.

Our research

Birkbeck is one of the world’s leading research-intensive institutions. Our cutting-edge scholarship informs public policy, achieves scientific advances, supports the economy, promotes culture and the arts, and makes a positive difference to society.

Birkbeck’s research excellence was confirmed in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework, which placed Birkbeck 30th in the UK for research, with 73% of our research rated world-leading or internationally excellent.

In the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF), Art and Design at Birkbeck achieved 100% for a research environment supporting world-leading and internationally excellent research.

Visit the History of Art and Architecture (Graduate Certificate) page on the Birkbeck, University of London website for more details!