Archaeology/History Of Art

Archaeology and history of art is a degree that places two visual and material disciplines in dialogue, both of them concerned with understanding what human beings have made and what those things mean. Archaeology investigates the physical traces of the human past, examining how people interacted with their world through the objects, sites, monuments, and landscapes they left behind. History of art examines the history and meaning of painting, sculpture, architecture, and other visual and material forms, asking why art looks as it does and what it reveals about the societies and individuals that produced and consumed it.

Together, the two disciplines develop a rich and multidimensional approach to material culture across a vast range of periods and places.

At the University of Glasgow, this programme brings together the methods and perspectives of both disciplines. Through the archaeology strand, you will develop skills in the analysis and interpretation of material evidence, fieldwork methods, and the reconstruction of past lives from physical traces. Through the history of art strand, you will engage with visual and formal analysis, iconography, and the historical and cultural contexts that shape the meaning of art objects.

Glasgow's exceptional museum collections, including the Hunterian, and its connections to Scottish archaeological sites and heritage organisations give both strands of the degree a vivid practical dimension.

The programme is offered on a part-time basis, giving you flexibility to balance your studies with other commitments, and includes a year abroad, which allows you to engage with different scholarly traditions and material collections in another country.

Graduates move into careers in museums and galleries, heritage management, cultural organisations, education, publishing, and research. Postgraduate study in archaeology, art history, or museum studies is a natural route for those who wish to pursue research or professional specialisation.