Art and History of Art

Art and History of Art degree is the best choice for those who dream of studying art at a university, want to learn the history of art and its academic component, or want to develop their drawing and artistic skills. A degree in Art opens a variety of opportunities for its graduates.

Why study Art?

A Degree in Art is an unique experience, which combines theoretical knowledge and practical skills. One of the advantages of education in the field of art: it is very diverse, and students can choose the exact area which is will be the most interesting for them. Sculpture, painting, graphics, applied art - you can find a curriculum dedicated only to one of these areas, and  you will not be distracted by disciplines you don’t need.

Another advantage of a degree in Art is travel opportunities - usually universities encourage Art students to spend a year abroad.

Besides education and knowledge, students get a massive work portfolio during the education period, which helps in future employment.

Art graduates can find a highly paid and perspective job in a variety of fields, from museums to TV broadcasting. See Career Options for Art Graduates for further information about future employment.

Program structure

The curriculum of study programs in Art depends on the chosen specialization, institution and country. The emphasis of study program may be placed either on the research activities and or the the creation of art. Thus, some programs (for example, Bachelor of Fine Arts) are rather applied, and some programs are rather theoretical.

Graduation work is one of the main differences between theoretical and practical educational programs in the field of Art and  History of Art. Graduates of practical programs provide a portfolio or one piece of art,  which they were creating during the last year at the university. Graduates of theoretical programs usually provide a traditional dissertation.

The length of the study programs in Art depends on the chosen university and country. Undergraduate study program can last from two to five years, graduates study program - from one to two years.

Some universities allow to complete a degree part-time, which will take up to eight years.

Entry requirements

Usually universities require basic artistic skills from applicants for Art and History of Art undergraduate study programs. These skills can be proved with a work portfolio, work samples or/and recommendation letters - it depends on the list of special entry requirements of the chosen institution. A lot of universities also require high GPA scores (especially Mathematics).

Since most of the programs you can find on our website are taught in English, a language proficiency is always required. All universities accept TOEFL or IELTS results.

Best universities

According to QS Top Universities Ranking by Subject 2016-2017, the best institution hosting Art study programs is Royal College of Art in UK. You can find information about this college’s entry requirements in its profile on our website. Other world leading universities hosting Art study programs are MIT, Parsons School of Design at The New School, Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and many others.