BA History of Art
About this course
BA (Hons) in History of Art, a history of art degree exploring global visual culture, architecture and material production from multiple periods. Teaching incorporates regular on-site sessions in university museums and galleries alongside field trips to exhibitions and notable buildings. The first year introduces global and historical approaches through modules such as contemporary installation and performance art, medieval manuscript illumination, and Modernity and Coloniality. The second year expands into specialized periods and regions, offering papers like Imperial Art and Patronage in Early Modern China, The Global Eighteenth Century, and Rubens, alongside the methodological paper Approaches to the History of Art and Architecture. The third year centres on the compulsory paper The Display of Art, which investigates the history and theories of collecting and display. Students can further tailor their studies in the final year through options such as Film and Visual Culture: Histories and Theories, Global Renaissance Sculpture, and Painting and Patronage in Imperial Russia.
Written by AI from the university's course page and module list. It can get details wrong, so check the official course page before you rely on it.
Entry requirements
A level: A*AA IB: 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level . We don't ask for any specific subjects to apply to History of Art, and Art & Design is accepted. However, Colleges usually require A*/7 in an essay-based subject or language. We also recommend these subjects for a strong application: History History of Art English (language or literature) Languages (ancient or modern)
See the highest paying History, Philosophy & Religion degrees in the UK →
What students say
Based on about 8 final-year students who answered (a small group: a rough guide only)
- Teaching on my course: 90%
- Learning opportunities: 76%
- Assessment and feedback: 59%
- Academic support: 82%
- Organisation and management: 47%
- Learning resources: 98%
- Student voice: 63%
Do students stay on the course?
Based on about 35 students who started
- Continued on course: 100%
What graduates do next
Based on about 88 graduates who answered, across similar courses at this university
- Working: 60%
- Working and studying: 9%
- Further study: 11%
- Unemployed: 6%
Most common jobs
- Business and public service associate professionals: 19%
- Media Professionals: 12%
- Teaching Professionals: 9%
- Business, Research and Administrative Professionals: 6%
- Natural and social science professionals: 6%
- Find their work meaningful: 81%
- Feel on track for their future plans: 74%
- Use what they learnt on the course: 50%
Where graduates work (5 years on)
Based on about 370 graduates, across similar courses at this university
- North East: 1%
- North West: 3%
- Yorkshire and the Humber: 2%
- East Midlands: 2%
- West Midlands: 2%
- East of England: 11%
- London: 59%
- South East: 15%
- South West: 3%
- Wales: 1%
Who gets in
Based on about 35 students who started
- A levels: 80%
- Baccalaureate: 5%
- A degree: 5%
- Other HE qualification: 5%
- Other qualifications: 5%
- No formal qualifications: 5%
Accreditation & quality ratings
TEF 2023 (whole university): Gold overall, Gold for student experience, Gold for student outcomes.
Modules
- contemporary installation and performance art
- Chinese and Islamic ceramics
- medieval manuscript illumination
- Modernity and Coloniality
- current exhibitions in Cambridge (like 'Black Atlantic' at the Fitzwilliam Museum)
- Approaches to the History of Art and Architecture. This covers the history of the discipline and its critical methodologies from antiquity to the present day. The paper is typically assessed by a single final exam at the end of the year.
- Imperial Art and Patronage in Early Modern China
- New York Modern: Painting, History, Abstraction, 1945-1969
- The Global Eighteenth Century
- Contemporary Art, Community and Critique
- Paris 1715-1815: the Birth of the Modern Art World
- Rubens
- Global Modernisms: Art and Decolonisation
- Saints, Sinners and the Sensuous: Art and Architecture in Renaissance Italy and Beyond
- The Display of Art. This compulsory paper explores the history and theories of display and collecting. The paper is typically assessed by an exam at the end of the year.
- Film and Visual Culture: Histories and Theories
- Global Renaissance Sculpture
- Painting and Patronage in Imperial Russia
- The British City in its Global Context
- Encountering Jerusalem: Culture and Crusade between East and West, c.1050-1400
Questions about this course
How much do graduates of BA History of Art at University of Cambridge earn?
The median salary is £30,000 after 15 months, £31,500 after 3 years, £43,500 after 5 years. After five years the middle half of graduates earn between £33,000 and £66,000. The £43,500 median after five years is £14,000 more than the UK median for History of art, architecture and design.
What do graduates of BA History of Art at University of Cambridge do next?
81% were in work or further study 15 months after finishing (Graduate Outcomes 2023-24).
Are students happy with the teaching on BA History of Art at University of Cambridge?
90% of final-year students were positive about the teaching in the National Student Survey 2025-26.
What grades do I need for BA History of Art at University of Cambridge?
The typical offer is A*AA at A level, or 41 points in the IB. The average entrant had 186 UCAS points.
How many students continue on BA History of Art at University of Cambridge?
100% of students continued into their second year, and 0% left higher education.