Art History

Art history is the study of visual culture across time and place. At its core, it asks how images and objects are made, what they mean, and how they reflect the societies and individuals that produced them. But it is also concerned with how we look at art, how museums and galleries frame our encounters with it, how markets and institutions shape which art we see, and how critical frameworks determine what is considered significant.

It is a discipline that combines close visual attention with broad historical knowledge and rigorous conceptual thinking.

At Aberystwyth University's School of Art, this three-year full-time degree offers something distinctive: you study art history in a building where art is actively made, curated, and exhibited. The School is housed in a magnificent listed building where the history and the practice of art coexist, meaning your engagement with the subject is not purely textual and archival but embedded in a living creative environment. You will develop critical thinking, visual analysis, and research skills alongside a broad and detailed knowledge of art history across cultures and periods.

The typical entry tariff is 120 UCAS points.

Graduates of art history degrees pursue careers in museums and galleries, auction houses, arts journalism, publishing, heritage management, arts administration, education, and cultural policy. The analytical, research, and communication skills the degree develops are valued across the cultural sector and beyond, in roles where close reading of complex visual and textual material matters. Many graduates also find their training applies in advertising, marketing, and media, where visual literacy and cultural awareness are increasingly prized.

Postgraduate study in art history, museum studies, curatorial practice, or arts management is a natural progression for those who want to develop specialist expertise.