German and History of Art
German and history of art is a combination that places you at the heart of two traditions, literary and visual, that are particularly richly entangled. German-speaking Europe has been central to the development of Western art, from the religious paintings of Albrecht Durer and the Reformation woodcut to the Vienna Secession, German Expressionism, the Bauhaus, and the conceptual artists of the postwar decades. Studying German gives you direct access to the writing of artists, critics, theorists, and historians who shaped the way modern art has been understood, while history of art gives you the analytical tools to interpret what you find there.
At the University of Edinburgh, this four-year full-time programme trains you in German to a high level of accuracy and confidence, covering literature, culture, and the history of the German-speaking world, while the history of art strand takes a broad chronological and geographical approach that encompasses European and non-European traditions from the ancient world to the present day. Edinburgh's outstanding museum collections, including the Scottish National Gallery and the City Art Centre, provide regular opportunities to engage with original works, and the intellectual culture of the university is genuinely conducive to this kind of interdisciplinary study. A typical entry tariff of 152 points reflects the programme's rigour.
Graduates of German and history of art programmes work in galleries, museums, auction houses, the art market, arts journalism, publishing, heritage organisations, and roles with organisations operating in German-speaking markets. The combination is particularly distinctive for careers involving German-speaking Europe's extraordinarily rich cultural institutions. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in art history, German studies, museum studies, or a related discipline.
The strong written communication skills and cultural breadth the degree develops are also valued in the law, the civil service, and the creative industries.