Art History and Mediaeval History

Art history and medieval history is a combination that rewards students who want to understand the visual and material culture of the medieval world alongside the historical forces that shaped it. Art history develops your ability to analyse images and objects in terms of their history, context, style, and meaning, engaging with the complex role that visual culture plays in questions of aesthetics, politics, power, and identity. Medieval history gives you the contextual knowledge to understand the societies, belief systems, and power structures within which that visual culture was produced.

At the University of St Andrews, this four-year full-time degree develops visual literacy and critical engagement with theoretical frameworks alongside rigorous historical scholarship. You will explore how art and its display have both reflected and shaped human history and experience across the medieval period, from the Byzantine East to the Christian West and across the diverse cultures of Europe, the Near East, and beyond. The two disciplines complement each other particularly well in this period, since so much of what we know about medieval societies comes through the visual and material objects they left behind, and understanding those objects requires both art historical analysis and historical contextualisation.

The programme includes a year abroad, providing the opportunity to study in an international context that enriches both strands of your learning. The typical entry tariff is 200 UCAS points.

Graduates of art history and medieval history programmes find careers in museums, galleries, auction houses, heritage organisations, academic research, publishing, journalism, arts administration, and the cultural sector. The combination of visual literacy and historical depth is valued in any role that engages with the cultural legacy of the medieval world. Many graduates also pursue postgraduate study in art history, medieval studies, museum studies, or heritage management, and St Andrews' strong research environment makes it an excellent foundation for doctoral research in either discipline.