‌We are constantly surrounded by objects and images: things that have meanings, and which have an effect on our experiences. Art History helps you to find messages encoded within the visual world, including, but not exclusively, ‘fine art’ objects – in other words, to become visually literate. This is an extremely useful skill – highly applicable to many other subjects of study, and to a range of different career paths. Art History also provides windows onto histories and cultures. Artworks, buildings, and objects hold important clues and offer unique insights into the societies, places, and ideas from which they came, as well as telling us about the people who have interacted with them since they were made. Studying Art History therefore offers students the chance to develop expertise in how to look at things in detail, and to get the most out of what can be seen.

While some graduates work directly in the art world, career possibilities are diverse. Many Art History and Theory graduates enter careers which offer ample opportunity to use their understanding of art history, highly developed aesthetic sense, attention to visual details, analytical and research skills as well as verbal, written and thinking skills. Art History and Theory graduates are employed in such work places as museums, galleries, auction houses, educational institutions and libraries and in industries such as information services, publishing, journalism, marketing, heritage conservation, and tourism.