Central & East European Studies/History of Art

Central and East European Studies combined with History of Art at the University of Glasgow brings together a region of extraordinary historical complexity and an approach to visual and material culture that illuminates how societies express, contest, and remember themselves. Central and Eastern Europe encompasses an area that has experienced empire, revolution, occupation, partition, and dramatic reinvention across the twentieth century alone, and studying its cultures, languages, and histories gives you tools for understanding some of the most consequential dynamics of modern times. History of Art, meanwhile, asks how and why paintings, sculptures, buildings, and works of design in a variety of media come to look the way they do, situating objects within their social, political, and intellectual contexts.

This four-year full-time degree includes a year abroad, which is particularly significant given the regional focus. Spending time in Central or Eastern Europe allows you to develop language skills in context, encounter the cultural and artistic heritage you are studying directly, and build the kind of local knowledge that only direct experience can provide. At Glasgow, you will work across both disciplines, developing skills in close reading of both texts and visual objects, historical research, and critical analysis.

The combination trains you to think across disciplinary boundaries, which is a genuine intellectual strength.

Graduates of this kind of combined degree go on to careers in museums, galleries, heritage organisations, diplomacy, the civil service, international organisations, journalism, education, and the cultural sector. Those with deep regional expertise are particularly valuable in contexts where knowledge of Central and Eastern European politics, culture, and languages is at a premium. Postgraduate study in art history, European studies, or related fields is a natural continuation for those drawn to research.