Utrecht: Gateway to the Multi-Faceted Field of Art History
Our specialized and intensive Master's program immerses you in traditional and innovative approaches to the history of art. Working in close connection with museums and heritage institutions in the Netherlands and abroad, you will acquire the theoretical insights and practical experience necessary for a career in academia or the museum world.
The program is not limited to a single period or geographical area but singles out important developments in the field. It is structured such that you can pursue your personal interests. You are encouraged to critically reflect on the past as well as imagine new possibilities in the study of art history, material culture, and museums.
Our Expertise
Our specialists cover the field from medieval to contemporary art, centered on Europe and the Netherlands in a global context. In addition to the core courses, focusing on technical, transcultural, and digital art history, you will explore subjects of your own choice. Utrecht allows you to benefit from the expertise of teachers and researchers across a wide spatial and historical range of material and visual culture, including the Heritage Lab, the Descartes Centre for the History of Science and the Humanities, the Institute for Cultural Enquiry, the Centre for Early Modern Studies and Centre for Medieval Studies. Our in-house heritage institution is Utrecht University Museum.
International Hands-On Experience
The program’s long-standing ties with major art museums and heritage institutions in the Netherlands and abroad ensure an integrated approach of theoretical and practical aspects. Dutch students often spend a semester in a major museum abroad while students from other countries usually intern at a major Dutch or Flemish museum. You may also choose to study at another university for one semester. Since the beginning of the Research Master's program in 2004, our students have completed internships at more than fifty museums and heritage institutions, mostly in Europe. You will have the opportunity to actively work on your career development.