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History of Art DegreeTSR Wiki > University > Choosing a Subject > University Courses > History of Art Degree
IntroductionCourse StructureAdmissionsAcademic RequirementsUCAS Form & Personal StatementRead sample history of art personal statements. Course StructureLife as a History of Art StudentGraduate Destinations and Career ProspectsAs history of art is studied in social, geographical, cultural and psychological contexts, you develop an understanding of how different societies evolve and how art impacts on our lives. Alongside this, you acquire a number of skills which are predominantly academic but also have significance as ‘transferable’ skills. You learn how to understand, analyse and interpret different sources of information, form opinions based on critical judgement, formulate strong arguments and present information in an intelligent, coherent and balanced way. Your communication skills, particularly written but also oral and listening skills, will be second to none. Through your studies, you will develop excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, time management and the ability to work independently, as well as good teamworking skills through group projects and assignments. All of these skills are highly valued by employers across all sectors. It is worth noting that within the world of art galleries and museums, practical experience is often valued just as highly as the right knowledge and qualifications. Your course will probably provide an opportunity for work placements but you should try to gain as much experience as possible, during your studies in both vacation and term time, if you are serious about a career in a related field. Consider the skills developed on your course as well as through your other activities, such as paid work, volunteering, family responsibilities, sport, membership of societies, leadership roles, etc. Think about how these can be used as evidence of your skills and personal attributes. Then you can start to market and sell who you really are, identify what you may be lacking and consider how to improve your profile. Jobs directly related to your degree Museum/gallery curator - acquires, cares for, develops, displays and interprets a collection of artefacts or works of art in order to inform, educate and entertain the public. The emphasis of the role is moving away from a purely academic research function towards a wider-ranging career, which includes PR; fundraising; handling enquiries; and education. Fine arts auctioneer/valuer - combines considerable knowledge of works of art and antiques with commercial acumen. They advise clients on the valuation, sale, purchase and management of antiques, fine arts and collectable items in general. Commercial art gallery manager - responsible for the commercial and artistic success of a gallery. This involves overseeing the diverse activities involved in running a gallery space. Responsibilities range from dealing with clients to installing exhibitions and the role demands a combination of artistic awareness, business acumen, interpersonal skills and practical abilities. Heritage officer/interpreter - communicates to people the significance of a place or object, so that they may enjoy it more, understand their heritage and environment better and develop a positive attitude to conservation. They work in museums, historic houses, visitor attractions, cathedrals, national parks, local authority or conservation organisations. See also Heritage manager. back to top Jobs where your degree would be useful Arts administrator - provides support for arts and cultural organisations such as theatres, galleries, museums, arts festivals, arts centres, arts councils, regional arts boards, dance companies, community arts organisations, disability arts organisations and local authorities. Museum education officer - responsible for realising the potential of museum collections as learning resources for visitors and the wider community. They develop learning opportunities, which can be either informal or curriculum based. Picture researcher/editor - finds images for a range of print and electronic publications, including books, magazines, newspapers, television, multimedia products and internet websites. Employers include book publishers, multimedia firms, magazines, newspapers, TV and video production companies, advertising and design companies, art galleries and museums. Higher education lecturer - facilitates learning and carries out research activities in universities and some colleges of further education (FE). They teach academic or vocational subjects to undergraduate and postgraduate students aged 18 upwards, which may be in the form of lectures, seminars, practical laboratory demonstrations, or field work. See also Further education lecturer. Art/antiques dealer - buys and sells art and antiques, usually specialising in one or more of the following areas: ceramics; glass; paintings; sculpture; clocks; books. People commonly enter the business as a second career, having acquired the necessary expertise and financial backing. Marketing executive - involved in aspects of marketing, including: planning; advertising; promotion; public/media relations; product development; distribution; sponsorship; and research. As many organisations have marketing departments, marketing executives can be found in both the private and public sectors. Your understanding of visual culture, the way it is consumed and its impact, together with your research skills, not only mean that advertising and marketing would be suitable careers but also a range of roles in the media (including Television production assistant or Programme researcher, broadcasting/film/video). Your ability to analyse and interpret information sources and present reasoned arguments would also suit a career in law, although only 1% of graduates in 2007 actually chose to pursue legal careers. Although some of the jobs listed here might not be first jobs for many graduates, they are among the many realistic possibilities with your degree, provided you can demonstrate you have the attributes employers are looking for. Bear in mind that it’s not just your degree discipline that determines your options. Remember that many graduate vacancies don't specify particular degree disciplines, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here. In 2008, six months after graduation, around 60% of history of art graduates were in full-time or part-time paid employment. Of these, around 20% had entered professional roles in areas related to their field of study such as the arts, culture or marketing, approximately 10% were in managerial roles in the public and private sector and, perhaps surprisingly, almost 8% had chosen to pursue careers in finance and business. Just over 25% of graduates who were in employment had taken clerical or secretarial roles. This can be explained by the fact that, in order to gain relevant experience, history of art graduates take junior roles with galleries and museums with a view to moving into senior positions within these organisations. The agency responsible for assuring the quality of history of art degrees believe that your career options are varied and plenty. They claim that you will be well equipped for careers in ‘arts and heritage management, galleries/museums and archives, journalism and the media, publishing and a wide range of positions around the creative arts’. Careers in museums and galleries are an obvious choice. As their remit now includes public engagement, new opportunities have arisen in areas such as outreach/education, marketing and public relations (PR) and events management. Following an academic career in higher education is another popular option. Specialist booksellers, antique dealers and auctioneers are also key employers. For further details of some of the areas which may be of interest, see: Creative arts - refers to activities such as art, crafts and design, dancing, music, acting, writing, photography. The sector offers a diverse range of career opportunities. Advertising, marketing and PR - concerned with promoting and selling products and services. Aspects include planning, promotion, media relations, market research. Publishing - concerned with the production of a range of materials including books, journals, magazines, newspaper. You may also be interested in Education and Media. Kathy, museum communications officer Kathy earned a degree in history of art at the University of Toronto before coming to the UK to complete an MA in Museums Studies. Since graduation, she describes herself as having a ‘varied background in museums and galleries’. She started her career as a collections documentation assistant at a number of galleries and then decided to move into more strategic roles. She is currently a communications officer and her day-to-day responsibilities include developing communication tools, working with a website and delivering publications and other advocacy tools that demonstrate the impact of museums to governing bodies and other stakeholders. She also organises workshops, and develops and brokers partnerships. ‘Many people in the museum sector have a degree in the history of art,’ she explains. ‘My undergraduate degree in the history of art also included courses in languages, sciences and social sciences, which provided me with a well-rounded experience. More importantly, it taught me how to be critical and questioning.’ Kathy feels that her ability to demonstrate a range of knowledge and skills has definitely helped her in her career development. She also uses key skills developed by her degree course every day in her current role. These include research skills and time and project management. She notes that there does seem to be a move away from the traditional Masters route into careers at museums and galleries, as the sector is gradually recognising that it needs people with a whole range of skills and she reiterates that ‘work experience is just as important as formal qualifications, if not more’. Although her studies have definitely helped her in her career, the voluntary work she undertook as a student has played an equally important part. Emma, art gallery curator Emma studied art history at undergraduate level and then completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Museum Studies. Before her postgraduate studies, she undertook a year’s voluntary work in a gallery. After graduating, she secured a job as an exhibition coordinator within an art gallery, during which time she curated a show as a freelance. Subsequently, she has taken up a curatorial role with Manchester Art Gallery. Her current position involves curating and delivering exhibitions of art, including contemporary and historic and family friendly exhibitions. She manages budgets and installations, generates ideas for exhibitions and writes interpretations. The skills required for her role include good writing, organisational and people skills, knowledge of art and the art world, creativity and teamworking. ‘My degrees have definitely been necessary for securing my jobs. The skills of researching artists gained during my degrees were and are still invaluable. I now work with contemporary art and we didn’t cover that in my course but I use my historical knowledge in general. We also visited many museums and galleries and that really helped my knowledge of artwork and the need to see objects in the flesh. However, degrees are not enough on their own. You need practical experience of object handling, writing interpretations and curating exhibitions as it is such a competitive environment to get in to.' ‘I would like to head up an exhibitions programme in the future,’ she explains. ‘I am not particularly interested in management, which takes you away from art and artists.' See AlsoDiscussions
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