Art history courses

Art is everywhere. From cave paintings to the works of Rembrandt, Picasso, Monet and Renoir to contemporary pieces by artists like Tracey Emin, art offers a window into a time, place, and social context. Art history specifically examines art of the past, how it shapes contemporary art, and what it tells us about past societies.

Much can be learned about history by examining the art that emerged from that period, a skill you’ll hone in your art history studies.

Art history courses cover a wide range of topics. What you learn in any specific online art history course depends on whether art history is the focus of your course, your major, or a small component of it.

As an art history student, you’ll learn to appreciate art's historical, social and cultural contexts. Your course will typically cover:

• How to critique art

• How to reflect on art

• How to understand the context of particular art pieces

• Foundations of art curation

• Foundations of collection management

It depends what you study. An online art history degree will cover different styles and periods of art. Before you enrol, read through the subjects offered and consider whether you’ll have access to elective subjects that you can use to grow your expertise in a particular style or period.

Alternatively, consider studying single subjects in the areas that interest you most. You can complete as many as you like across universities, in isolation or in addition to a degree.

Single subject study is available on topics like:

• The Italian Renaissance

• Art in fashion

• Landscape and land art

• Modernism

• Art as activism

You’ll complete tasks as you make your way through your course, including presentations, essays, and tests. For some subjects, you may need to engage with the artistic process in more detail by producing your own art.

If you want to get even more hands-on with art, a course in fine art could be more appropriate for you.

It depends on the course and whether you choose something short or long-term. Here’s a general guide:

If you study a degree in art history through Open Universities Australia, you have the flexibility to choose how many subjects you take per term. This means you can complete your qualification at a faster or slower pace than you would on campus.

Entry requirements differ from course to course. It’s important to read the entry requirements for your chosen course carefully before you apply. If you don’t quite meet them, don’t worry. We can help you find a pathway in through open-entry subjects in art history, which anyone can study.

Book a consultation with our friendly team of student advisors to find out more.

Graduates of art history work across many interesting and diverse fields, including:

• Art history

• Art practice

• Curation

• Arts administration

• Art therapy

• Arts journalism and writing

• Cultural policy development

• Event management

• Education (with further study in the field)

• Museum and gallery collection management

Enrolling online is simple. Here’s how it works:

1. Find your course

• Browse the options on this page.

• Use our comparison tool to explore the different choices.

• Need help? Book a free phone consultation with a student advisor for personalised guidance.

2. Start your enrolment

• When you’re ready, click ‘Start studying now’ on the course page.

• Follow the prompts to begin your enrolment.

• You’ll need to provide supporting documents, such as:

  • Proof of identity

  • Your tax file number

  • A Unique Student Identifier (USI)

3. Wait for confirmation

Your chosen university will email you to confirm if your enrolment has been successful.

Note: Some courses have enquiries and applications handled directly by the university. If this applies, it will be clearly stated on the course listing page.

For more details, check our online self-service enrolment guide. And if you need help at any stage, contact us and we’ll talk you through it.

There are plenty of courses available in fields loosely related to art history. Use the table below to figure out which study area you want to explore in more detail.