Art History MA (Honours) 2024 entry

Entry requirements

The University offers different entry requirements, depending on your background. Find out more about Standard, Minimum and Gateway entry requirements using academic entry explained and see which entry requirements you need to look at using the entry requirements indicator.

For degrees combining more than one subject, the subject with the higher entry requirements determines the grades you need. You will also need to meet any further subject-specific entry requirements as outlined on their pages.

• SQA Highers

  Standard entry grades:

  AAAB

  Minimum entry grades:

  AABB

  Gateway entry grades:

  Applicants who have narrowly missed the minimum entry grades, but meet the University's contextual criteria, may be interested in one of the University’s Gateway programmes.

• GCE A-Levels

  Standard entry grades:

  AAA

  Minimum entry grades:

  ABB

• IB points

  Standard entry grades:

  36 (HL 6,6,5)

  Minimum entry grades:

  36 (HL 6,5,5)

General entry requirements

All applicants must have attained the following qualifications, or equivalent, in addition to the specific entry requirements for individual programmes.

• SQA qualifications

  SQA National 5 (B) in English and one SQA National 5 (B) from the following:

  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Computing science
  • Geography
  • Lifeskills Mathematics (A grade)
  • Mathematics
  • Physics
  • Psychology.

• GCSE qualifications

  GCSE (5) in English language or English literature, and one GCSE (5) from the following:

  • Biology
  • Chemistry
  • Computing Science
  • Geography
  • Mathematics
  • Physics
  • Psychology.

Other qualifications

We accept a wide range of qualifications for entry on to our programmes. Please see our entry requirements for more information.

More information on how to apply via other entry routes or accreditation of prior learning and experience can be found on the University’s entry requirements web page.

Do I need to have studied this subject before?

No previous knowledge of art history is required.

Alternative study options

Students interested in this course may also be interested in the following:

Gateway programmes

Applicants who have narrowly missed the minimum entry grades but meet the University's contextual criteria may be interested in the Gateway to Arts programme.

Study abroad

Art history students can apply to participate in the University-wide St Andrews Abroad programme. You may also have the opportunity to apply to participate in the School Abroad exchange programme. For information about study abroad options, please see the study abroad site. 

International applicants

If English is not your first language, you will need to provide an English language test score to evidence your English language ability. Find out more about approved English language tests and scores for this course.

Course details

The MA (Hons) in Art History is a four-year course run by the School of Art History. Art history is a well-rounded discipline that embraces aspects of economic, social and political history, languages and literature, philosophy and psychology, and provides relevant contexts and critical approaches with which to analyse works of art.

In your first year, you will cover two main areas of study. The first comprises medieval and Renaissance art in Europe and beyond. It has a particular focus on the social, political and religious conditions under which art was produced, and examines points of contact with the wider world. The second course analyses art and architecture in the 17th and 18th centuries, primarily (but not only) in Europe, addressing technological advances, widening audiences, and processes of colonisation.

In second year, you will take two modules. The first explores the intersection of visual culture with conceptions of modernity, empire and revolutionary resistance in the long 19th century, predominantly but not exclusively in Europe, paying particular attention to the constructs of gender, race and class. The second course expands on the relationship between art and political struggle in the 20th and 21st centuries, examining how practitioners around the globe have contributed to socio-cultural change.

Alongside art history, in the first year of your studies, you will be required to study an additional two subjects. In the second year you will usually carry on at least one of these subjects, sometimes two. Find out more about how academic years are organised. 

During your final two years, you may either retain this chronological breadth of study or choose a more in-depth focus on particular periods or topics. Specialist subject areas may include:

• 19th-century art 
• 20th-century Modernism 
• Art of the medieval period 
• Contemporary art 
• Gothic architecture 
• History of photography 
• Islamic art 
• African art 
• Orientalism and art  
• Renaissance painting, sculpture and architecture 
• Russian art.

Final year students will also write either a 6,000 or 12,000-word dissertation on an art history topic chosen in consultation with teaching staff.

Graduates in art history from St Andrews can expect to have a highly developed sense of independent critical thinking and judgement, as well as a broad and in-depth knowledge of art and its historical and critical contexts. 

The University of St Andrews operates on a flexible modular degree system by which degrees are obtained through the accumulation of credits. More information on the structure of the modules system can be found on the flexible degree structure web page.

Modules

In the first two years of your degree (known as sub-honours) you will take the required modules in art history alongside modules in at least one other subject.

Typically, you will take one art history module per semester during your first two years, and two modules per semester during your third and fourth year (known as Honours).

Fees

Scotland
£1,820

England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland
£9,250

Channel Islands, Isle of Man
£9,250

EU and overseas
£30,160

More information on tuition fees can be found on the undergraduate fees and funding page.

Accommodation fees

Find out about accommodation fees for University accommodation.

Funding and scholarships

The University of St Andrews offers a number of scholarships and support packages to undergraduate students each year.

Joint Honours degrees

You can also take Art History as part of a joint Honours degree in which you will take core modules of your chosen subjects.

Joint degrees taken with Arabic, Chinese Studies, French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish are also available 'With Integrated Year Abroad'. 

"With" degrees

You can take Art History as part of a "with" Honours degree in which the majority of the course deals with the first name subject. St Andrews offers the following "with" degrees in Art History:

• Master of Arts (Honours) Art History with Bible and Culture - UCAS code AB01

Careers

A degree in art history provides an excellent foundation for a career in museums and galleries, arts administration, the art trade or teaching. As art history is studied in social, geographical, cultural and psychological contexts, you will develop an understanding of how different societies evolve and how art impacts our lives.

Popular career areas for art history students include:

• business and finance 
• catering and hospitality  
• cultural institutions 
• curatorship  
• law 
• marketing  
• media  
• public relations
• publishing.

In recent years, art history graduates at St Andrews have secured employment in a wide range of positions at various companies, including:

• BBC 
• the British Library 
• Christie’s 
• Country Life magazine
• Legal and General 
• National Museums Scotland 
• Phaidon Press 
• Royal Archives 
• Sotheby’s 
• Tiffany and Co. 
• Vertigo Films 
• The Week magazine

In your degree, you will also gain a number of transferable skills which are highly valued by employers across all sectors. These include the ability to:

• understand aspects of culture and history in different time periods and geographical locations. 
• produce logical and structured narratives and arguments supported by evidence. 
• effectively communicate ideas by deploying visual material in conjunction with written or oral presentation. 
• work constructively and productively in groups. 

The Careers Centre offers one-to-one advice to all students as well as a programme of events to assist students to build their employability skills.

What to do next

Online information events

Join us for one of our information events where you can find out about different levels of study and specific courses we run. There are also sessions available for parents and college counsellors.

Undergraduate visiting days

We encourage all students who are thinking of applying to the University to attend one of our online or in-person visiting days.

Contact us

Phone

+44 (0)1334 46 2399

Email

art.history@st-andrews.ac.uk

Address

School of Art History
79 North Street
St Andrews
KY16 9AL

School of Art History website

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