Postgraduate courses and research opportunities

The Department of Art History at Nottingham provides an excellent environment to support postgraduate studies in art history and visual culture, with contemporary and historic art exhibitions at the Djanogly Art Gallery, and the DH Lawrence Pavilion – a newly-built drama, film, and performance space. Read more about art and performance at The University of Nottingham.

Outstanding success for Nottingham postgraduates

PhD students at The University of Nottingham are among the most successful in the country, according to a new report. Nottingham is ranked joint second in England on a measure of PhD completion rates, in a report that underlines the quality of its postgraduate education and the support available to doctoral students.

Data released by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) shows that 88 per cent of full-time Home and EU doctoral students at the University qualified within seven years. Read full article...

In recent years, the Department has grown in size and expanded the scope of its research expertise with new appointments in twentieth century art and visual culture. While embracing a broad range of traditional art historical material, from renaissance art, through to 18th- and 19th century European practice, the Department also boasts a unique range of specialists working on:

• avant-garde European art, 
• post-war American art,
• visual culture, 
• international contemporary artists.  

Why postgraduate studies?

A central aspect of postgraduate studies is the enhancement of methodological skills and awareness in specific areas.  These include:

• the use of information technology for research, 
• the handling of different types of ancient literature and historical evidence,
• the ability to work independently,
• the ability to think creatively about problems.

Although postgraduate study involves work in a fairly narrowly defined field, you will usually find that the deeper you delve into your area of research, the wider your interests become. Therefore, someone who gains a higher degree is not only a master of a narrow area but should end up with a good rounded education. This is one reason why postgraduate study can help gain employment. Furthermore, gaining a PhD is essential for anyone wishing to pursue an academic career.

Career opportunities

Studying art history gives students valuable transferable skills, an advanced qualification in the discipline and a rigourous foundation for further research and progression to PhD research, all of which are ideal for a range of careers.

Our MA programmes are particularly suited for those wishing to work in the contemporary art world. Our students have an excellent record of obtaining internships in major UK-based international galleries while they study, which is ideal preparation for future employment.

Typically, our students are in great demand for their extensive knowledge of the subject and go on to employment within art galleries and museums. We also have strong working relationships with both local and London-based commercial galleries, whose staff offer advice and assistance to students looking for careers in contemporary art.