Art History

Art history is the study of visual and material culture, asking how and why human beings have made images and objects across different periods and places, and what those objects have meant to the people who made them, commissioned them and encountered them. It trains you to look with precision and to argue with care: to consider formal qualities, historical context, cultural function, economic conditions and the politics of representation all at once. At Sussex the discipline takes a radically open approach, treating art not as a series of canonical masterworks to be appreciated but as a powerful force that shapes how people think, feel and act in the world.

This four-year full-time programme at the University of Sussex includes a professional placement year and a foundation year, which provides the critical and contextual skills needed to engage fully with the degree from the outset. The placement year gives you extended experience working in a professional context related to art, heritage, museums or the creative industries, which is built into the four-year structure rather than being optional. You will develop skills in visual analysis, archival research, critical theory and extended academic writing, engaging with art from a genuinely diverse range of cultural traditions and historical moments.

Graduates work in museums, galleries, auction houses, arts journalism, heritage organisations, arts administration, cultural policy, education and the commercial art world. The analytical and communication skills the degree develops also transfer well to roles in publishing, media, public relations, law and a wide range of graduate professions. Postgraduate study in art history, museum studies, curatorial practice, cultural heritage or visual culture is a common and well-supported next step for graduates who wish to develop specialist expertise.