Art History

Is this programme for you?

Are you fascinated by art, architecture and landscapes? Do you want to know why art is important to society? Do you have good writing and language skills? As an Art History student, it is important that you don't label a work of art as "beautiful" or "ugly". Instead, you learn how to approach it with an open mind and analyse the underlying messages/concepts.

Why study Art History with the University of Groningen?

The Art History at the University of Groningen ranked first in Elsevier Best Study, the Dutch National Student Guide. 

The programme is unique as it combines the study of visual arts, urbanism, architectural history and the history of landscapes. It also examines the relationships between art, cities and landscapes.

During the programme, you will have the chance to take various field trips abroad. Examples of destinations include Florence, Berlin, London and Vienna. In your final year, you can spend a semester abroad at one of our partner universities or undertake an internship.

Programme curriculum

In the first year, you will be introduced to important works in the history of art from Classical Antiquity to Rembrandt, from Michelangelo to Mondrian, and Warhol to Ai Weiwei. From Gothic churches to Rietveld and Rem Koolhaas, from Italian gardens to the Dutch polder landscape.

You learn everything about the most important artistic periods and movements, you take courses in visual analysis, iconography, and materials and techniques. Fridays are usually reserved for excursions and you visit Florence for two weeks in the winter.

In your second year, you gain more insight into art-historical methods and art theory, and you focus on specific questions or a specific period. You also learn about the application of art history in society. You are introduced to the relevant art-historical institutions, from art academies, museums, galleries, and restoration studios to auction houses, and cultural heritage institutions.

The first semester of the third year is reserved for your electives.

After you have finished your elective, you go on a field trip to a major art or architectural metropolis, like Berlin, London, Vienna, or Brussels. You finish your degree with a thesis on a topic of your choice.

How to apply

The minimum entry requirements for this programme are three A-Levels.

Career opportunities

Curator, exhibition producer, policy advisor, restorer, jobs at a cultural institution, museum or auction house, conservation of monuments or natural landscapes.