Social History of Art

We offer an exceptional range of choice in the areas you can specialise in, and the knowledge you build throughout core and optional modules leads to a major independent research project.

On this course you'll benefit from studying in a research-intensive Russell Group university, where art historians study alongside fine artists and others studying galleries, museums and heritage.

Across the areas we teach, we attend critically to the institutions and spaces in which art is encountered. We’re able to draw on professional collaborations and long-standing expertise among many of our staff who have worked in major museums, galleries and arts and cultural organisations, locally, nationally, and internationally.

Specialist facilities You’ll be based within a purpose-built space that includes studios and a gallery alongside seminar rooms, and a shared student common room, which is often used for film screenings, talks and other events.

In addition to the wide range of museums and galleries in the city and beyond, the University campus features:

The University Library offers online books, journals and databases, has a wealth of archive material in its Special Collections, including manuscript, archive and early printed material, and provides a range of spaces for individual study or group work. You’ll also benefit from access to Box of Broadcasts, an archive of over 2 million TV and radio broadcasts.