History/History of Art

History and history of art together form a pairing that brings analytical rigour and visual sensibility into productive dialogue. History studies change and continuity in human societies through time, developing skills in source analysis, argumentation, and the critical interpretation of evidence. History of art applies many of the same skills to visual objects and the contexts in which they were made and received, asking how art reflects, shapes, and contests the societies from which it emerges.

Studied together, they offer an unusually rich way of understanding how human cultures have represented themselves and how those representations relate to the social, political, and economic forces of their time.

At the University of Glasgow, this part-time programme draws on a wide-ranging history curriculum that spans medieval to modern times and reaches across the globe, with particular research strengths in Scottish, British, European, American, and global history, as well as in gender history, slavery studies, and war and intelligence. The art history dimension adds the skills of visual analysis and engagement with material culture that complement historical study in important ways. The programme includes a year abroad, giving you the experience of studying these disciplines in a different cultural and institutional context.

The part-time structure makes the degree accessible to those managing work or other commitments alongside their studies.

Graduates from history and history of art programmes are well prepared for careers in galleries and museums, heritage organisations, archiving, education, journalism, broadcasting, cultural policy, publishing, auction houses, and arts administration. The research, analysis, and communication skills developed across both disciplines are also valued in law, consultancy, the civil service, and a wide range of other fields. Many graduates pursue postgraduate study in history, art history, curating, or cultural studies.