Art history courses

Art history degrees typically begin with the basics, such as understanding art and design principles, processes, and discipline areas. A key skill you'll explore early on is how to critically analyse art.

Once the basics have been laid down, you'll examine such areas as:

• Art history introduction – Gain a broad understanding of how historical and cultural context manifest in an artwork's aesthetic.
• Key artistic periods – Explore works of specific periods and movements, such as renaissance, baroque, rococo, art nouveau, and modernism.
• Major artistic movements – Understand not only the visual characteristics of movements such as cubism and surrealism, but the political and social motivations behind them.
• Aboriginal art history – Examine the works of indigenous Australian artists.

A deep knowledge and appreciation of the arts, particularly in a historical sense, is desirable when it comes to finding work in the arts industry. Common careers for arts history graduates include:

• Art curator - Plan exhibitions and manage acquisition of artworks.
• Marketing and PR - Promote the events of an arts organisation.
• Art conservation and restoration - Maintain and repair artworks susceptible to damage.
• Art appraisal - Determine the value of an artwork for sale.
• Art educator - Pass on knowledge to students and the general public.