MA Art History
About this course
MA (Honours) in Art History, an arts degree centred on the historical and theoretical study of visual culture. Core topics include Global & Comparative Perspective. The course is taught over four years full time. The first year covers the foundations through Art in Europe and Beyond to 1600 and Art in Europe and Beyond 1600-1800. The second year shifts to later periods through Modernity, Empire, and Revolution: Art from 1789-1900 and Art, Culture and Politics, from 1900 to Now. Optional modules allow students to explore diverse topics such as African Modernisms, Leonardo da Vinci, 500 years later, Ajab: The Aesthetics of Wonder in Islamic Art, and Histories of Photography (1835-1905).
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: AAA IB: 36 (HL 6,6,5)
See the highest paying History, Philosophy & Religion degrees in the UK →
What students say
Based on about 19 final-year students who answered, across similar courses at this university (a small group: a rough guide only)
- Teaching on my course: 97%
- Learning opportunities: 96%
- Assessment and feedback: 92%
- Academic support: 99%
- Organisation and management: 95%
- Learning resources: 96%
- Student voice: 94%
Do students stay on the course?
Based on about 25 students who started, across similar courses at this university (a small group: a rough guide only)
- Continued on course: 100%
What graduates do next
Based on about 9 graduates who answered, across similar courses at this university (a small group: a rough guide only)
- Working: 50%
- Working and studying: 20%
- Further study: 20%
Most common jobs
- Elementary occupations: 25%
- Media Professionals: 15%
- Artistic, literary and media occupations: 10%
- Administrative occupations: 10%
- Business and public service associate professionals: 10%
- Find their work meaningful: 75%
- Feel on track for their future plans: 80%
- Use what they learnt on the course: 60%
Where graduates work (5 years on)
Based on about 35 graduates, across similar courses at this university
- North East: 5%
- North West: 5%
- Yorkshire and the Humber: 5%
- West Midlands: 5%
- East of England: 5%
- London: 30%
- South East: 10%
- South West: 5%
- Scotland: 35%
- Northern Ireland: 5%
Who gets in
Based on about 25 students who started, across similar courses at this university (a small group: a rough guide only)
- A levels: 75%
- Baccalaureate: 20%
- Other qualifications: 5%
Modules
- African Modernisms
- Ajab: The Aesthetics of Wonder in Islamic Art
- Approaches to Art History
- Art and the Ocean: Materiality, Representation, Ecology, 1500-1750
- Art in the Portuguese World, circa 1400-1750
- Art of the Ming and Qing Dynasties from a Global Perspective
- Art History and Environmental Crisis
- Art, Science and Technology 1700-1900
- Art, Theatre and Performance in France 1600-1800
- Aspects of Japanese Visual Culture 1820-1920
- Body / Politics: Performance Art since 1960
- Central European Art, Architecture and Design, c.1900
- Classicism in Western Art: The Legacy of Greece and Rome
- Collecting Chinese Art: Histories and Practices
- Contemporary Art and Resilience in the Arab World
- Dada and Surrealism
- Decolonial, Feminist, Queer: Histories of Art in Britain Since 1945
- English Art and Modernism
- Experiencing Sculpture in the Early Modern World
- European Gothic Architecture 1140-1540
- Histories of Photography (1835-1905)
- Images and Knowledge in Early Modern Europe
- Latin American Modernisms
- Leonardo da Vinci, 500 years later
- Michelangelo: Sculptor, Painter, Architect
- Modern and Contemporary Fiber Art
- Objects of Devotion: The Art and Material Culture of Medieval Christianity
- Palm Leaf, Poem, and Portrait: the art of painting in India
- Raphael and His Reception
- Rubens and Rembrandt: Parallel Worlds
- Scotland and the Arts of Africa
- Sensory Histories of South Asian Art
- The Art of the Apocalypse from the Middle Ages to the Present
- The Art of War: Battle, Rivalry, Paragone, 1400-1700
- The French Avant-Garde: From Realism to Impressionism
- The Portrait in Western Art
- The Scandinavian Art of Building and Design: Identity and Myth
- Timurid Art and Architecture (ca. 1370-1507)
- Art in Europe and Beyond 1600-1800
- Art in Europe and Beyond to 1600
- Art, Culture and Politics, from 1900 to Now
- Modernity, Empire, and Revolution: Art from 1789-1900
Questions about this course
How much do graduates of MA Art History at University of St Andrews earn?
The median salary is £31,500 after 15 months, £24,500 after 3 years, £32,000 after 5 years. After five years the middle half of graduates earn between £27,500 and £38,500. The £32,000 median after five years is £2,500 more than the UK median for History of art, architecture and design.
What do graduates of MA Art History at University of St Andrews do next?
90% were in work or further study 15 months after finishing (Graduate Outcomes 2023-24).
Are students happy with the teaching on MA Art History at University of St Andrews?
97% of final-year students were positive about the teaching in the National Student Survey 2025-26.
What grades do I need for MA Art History at University of St Andrews?
The typical offer is AAA at A level. The average entrant had 198 UCAS points.
Does MA Art History at University of St Andrews include a placement year or year abroad?
The course has an optional year abroad.
How many students continue on MA Art History at University of St Andrews?
100% of students continued into their second year, and 0% left higher education.