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Art history degree

Will an undergraduate art history degree provide me with good and realistic employment opportunities in the UK? I have an offer from the University of Manchester and I am debating whether to study it or not, I would absolutely love the course but I am worried about how difficult it will be to find a job in relation to curation, museums, galleries, research etc. From my research online I have seen a lot of people say that you are far more likely to get a reputable position if you have a masters, and I don’t know if I could afford the money and time of doing that if I only have a slim chance at a job. I’d love if anybody could provide me any insight, or anyone who has studied art history share their experience, thanks :smile:
For roles specifically in the arts and heritage sector? Yes, it's very competitive and the roles themselves pay below average relative to similar roles in other sectors. That isn't anything to do with the degree but is just the nature of the entire heritage/culture sector - there's a significant "passion tax" and relatively few roles relative to how many people want to work in the area (hence the passion tax). Whether the trade off is worth it is ultimately an individual decision.

However the degree is also perfectly fine for pursuing other careers in e.g. banking, finance, accountancy, law, the civil service, the media etc, etc, many of which pay (much) more and/or have better benefits/work life balance etc.

Reply 2

If what you want is a career in curation in a gallery or museum or to work for an auction house like Sotheby's then a masters is a minimum realistically. If you want to be curator at something like the British Museum then a Ph.D. is probably required. A master's degree in curation or art business is highly competitive for entry. But as artful_lounger says it is a degree which is a good entry into other careers.

Reply 3

Adding onto what the others have said, it's also a transferable degree that could take you to other countries and work over there. It's also great for people to see that you can analyse well.

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