Art History and English

Art History and English is a combination that reflects a genuine intellectual kinship between the two disciplines. Both are concerned with interpretation, asking what cultural objects, whether texts or images, mean, how they produce meaning, and what they reveal about the societies that created them. English literature trains you in close reading and the analysis of language, narrative and form, while art history develops your capacity for visual analysis and situates works of art within their historical and institutional contexts.

Studied together, they give you a rich set of tools for engaging with cultural production across a wide range of media and periods.

At the University of Aberdeen this four-year full-time degree draws on the strengths of both departments, combining literary study across a wide chronological and geographical range with the study of art, architecture and curation. You will develop skills in textual and visual analysis, independent research and critical writing, and you will gain exposure to a range of media and techniques that broadens your understanding of how different forms of cultural expression work. The degree includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to study in an international context and encounter different traditions and collections.

Aberdeen's art history provision is recognised for its strong student experience, and the English department draws on significant research activity to inform its teaching.

Graduates from Art History and English degrees pursue careers across a wide range of fields. Many go on to work in museums, galleries, auction houses, libraries and archives, where the combination of textual and visual expertise is especially valuable. Others find roles in publishing, journalism, education, arts administration and the cultural sector.

The analytical, critical and communication skills the degree develops also transfer well to careers in the wider public and private sectors. Postgraduate study in art history, literary studies, cultural heritage, museum studies or related fields is a common next step for those wishing to deepen their knowledge.