History of Art/Business and Management

History of art and business and management is an unconventional but intellectually stimulating combination, pairing one of the humanities' most visually and culturally rich disciplines with the analytical and practical study of how organisations work and succeed. History of art asks how and why paintings, sculptures, buildings and designed objects come to look the way they do, examining the relationships between visual form, technical production, patronage, ideology and social context across centuries and cultures. Business and management provides the conceptual and practical tools for understanding markets, organisations, strategy and leadership.

The combination is particularly relevant to careers in the creative industries, cultural management, auction houses, galleries and any sector where aesthetic judgement and commercial acumen meet.

At the University of Glasgow the programme is studied part time, allowing you to develop your knowledge of both disciplines alongside work or other commitments. The course also includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to pursue your studies in a different academic and cultural environment, which is particularly meaningful in a discipline concerned with art and culture across different national traditions. The Glasgow art history department benefits from the proximity of outstanding public collections in the city.

You will develop skills in visual analysis, art historical research, critical writing, business analysis, strategic thinking and the professional communication skills that are valued across both arts and business contexts. The ability to move between aesthetic and commercial ways of thinking about objects and organisations is a distinctive and transferable competence.

Graduates from history of art with business and management programmes pursue careers in auction houses, commercial galleries, museum management, arts fundraising, heritage tourism, luxury brand management, cultural consulting and corporate art collections, as well as more conventional business and management roles. Postgraduate study in art history, cultural management, arts administration or business is also a well-established route.