History of Art, Theory and Display - MSc

This programme offers you a number of ways in which to explore your chosen field of study and is perfect for providing you with a comprehensive overview, prior to taking on more specialised studies.

You’ll examine art in its historical contexts, the theoretical frameworks of interpretation and their relationship as physical objects to practices and concepts of display. You have the opportunity to put your learning into practice through an optional internship within one of Edinburgh’s many museums or galleries.

Equally spread over the pre- and post-1800 periods, the programme content will allow you to develop an excellent knowledge of the discipline of art history, advanced research abilities and valuable vocational experience.

Programme structure

Teaching includes a mixture of small-group teaching, individual tutorials, research seminars, lectures, and an internship, subject to availability.

Half of the working week involves independent study and research.

Formal assessment is by means of essays, project work, poster session, presentations, and a dissertation.

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete the programme will:

• have studied courses offering them a thorough grounding in the History of Art
• if choosing the internship option, students will have valuable work experience in a field related to art history, and/or in writing art criticism
• have completed a major piece of original, independent art historical research
• have shown themselves to be capable of further research in the History of Art

History of Art is an interdisciplinary subject that provides transferable skills in the analysis of images and texts, research, academic writing, public presentations, and IT.

Career opportunities

The wide-ranging nature of this programme will equip you for further, more specialised study, and potentially a future academic career.

The vocational element of your learning is the ideal stepping-stone to a career in art history, possibly within one of the many institutions that make up Edinburgh’s rich cultural fabric.

You’ll also have gained an array of highly transferable skills, such as communication, curatorial practice and project management, which will prove an asset in any career.