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UCL vs York for art history

Hi, I’m an international student who applied for art history and I got my UCAS offers. I’m deciding between UCL and York. UCL’s amazing for art history but I applied for art history and curating at York (also received a scholarship). Would love some thoughts and insights from current students at these units :smile:

Thanks!

Reply 1

artful_lounger

Clearing and Applications Advisor, Universities Forum Helper

What are you hoping to do after your undergraduate degree?

If you want to go into curation or museum/gallery work generally, or if you want to continue in academia, I think at least a masters is essential (or a PhD for the academia route, and maybe some museum work). I think in those contexts your undergraduate institution matters a bit less from what I've seen?

I'd probably be inclined to recommend the scholarship option in such a case, which will help defray the costs (and York is undoubtedly far cheaper to live in than London!). Doing your BA at York then MA in London (e.g. at the Courtauld or RCA or something) would save you money and still give you the experience of living and studying in the bubble of the London art world for example!

Debatably having gained a scholarship for your undergraduate degree may be favourable when applying to funded PhDs also if it was a competitive scholarship requiring a dedicated application (as you already have a track record of securing funds!). If it is automatically awarded funding based on means tested income though that would be neither here nor there I think.

That said if you wanted to go into non-art related fields, specifically if you wanted to go into e.g. investment banking or management consulting, UCL is a target uni and would probably be the better option on that basis alone :redface: