MLitt in Art History
Saint Andrews, United Kingdom
DURATION
1 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
07 Aug 2025
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
GBP 25,880 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* overseas / home: £11,680
Introduction
The MLitt in Art History offers a diverse range of subject areas, from medieval art and architecture to contemporary performance art. Modules address major themes and concepts that connect different periods of art history.
Course details
The MLitt in Art History is designed to:
- Develop and enhance core research and writing skills
- Introduce and deepen knowledge of the theoretical and methodological foundations of art history
- Enable students to explore current critical debates, art media, and contextual questions.
Highlights
- The choice of modules allows wide-ranging study of thematic or methodological issues, as well as focused research pathways
- Small class sizes prioritize discussion with peers and interaction with the tutor
- Students often have the opportunity to attend class trips, and there is a research seminar with guest lecturers for all staff and students regularly during the teaching semester. Students may also apply to take part in exchange programs at our partner institutions
- Students have access to extensive library holdings including a major visual resources collection with over 150,000 images and a comprehensive database of past MLitt dissertations.
Admissions
Curriculum
The modules published below are examples of what has been taught in previous academic years and may be subject to change before you start your program.
Compulsory
Themes in Art History: introduces students to a selection of key issues, concepts, and writings in the field.
Optional
Art History students choose three postgraduate-level course modules, with the option to choose one of those modules from the undergraduate-level Honours program.
Here is a sample of optional modules that may be offered:
- Art and Technology
- Issues in Photographic Criticism
- Object Lessons in Photography
- Representation and the Body
- The 'New Vision' in Twentieth-Century European Photography
- The Book as Object and Idea
- The Classical Tradition
- The Documentary Impulse
- The Image of the Artist
- Writing on the Visual
The modules listed here are indicative, and there is no guarantee they will run for 2024 entry.
Dissertation
The final three months of your course will be focused on writing the major assessment piece, a 15,000-word dissertation. Across the two semesters, students participate in a series of skills workshops designed to help prepare for the dissertation element. Student dissertations will be supervised by members of the teaching staff who will advise on the choice of subject and provide guidance throughout the research process. The completed dissertation must be submitted by a date specified in August.
If students choose not to complete the dissertation requirement for the MLitt, there are exit awards available that allow suitably qualified candidates to receive a Postgraduate Diploma. By choosing an exit award, you will finish your degree at the end of the second semester of study and, assuming you have attained appropriate grades, receive a PGDip instead of an MLitt.
Teaching
Teaching format
The MLitt degree requires two semesters of full-time (or four semesters of part-time) coursework, normally equivalent to four modules.
Each module has a minimum contact time of 16 hours.
Optional modules are taught as small group discussion seminars, with an average size of five to ten students in each group.
Additionally, there may be class trips where relevant to the taught modules.
Assessment
The assessment for the taught modules is based on coursework including:
- Book reviews
- Critical bibliographies
- Visual analysis and object analysis essays
- Reading journals
- Research papers.
Scholarships and Funding
The University of St Andrews is committed to attracting the very best students, regardless of financial circumstances.
The University of St Andrews offers postgraduate scholarships and other financial awards. These may be held in addition to external funding or awards from a government body. These may also cover (fully or partially) tuition fees, maintenance (living costs including accommodation), or both.
Scholarships are available based on academic merit and financial need. There are scholarships available for both home and overseas fee status. The scholarship team recommends reading the terms of each award carefully and applying to a range of funding sources.
Postgraduate scholarships
Postgraduate study is an investment in your intellectual development and career potential. The University of St Andrews provides scholarships to help as many students as possible continue in higher education.
Scholarship availability may depend on your area of study or fee status (for example, whether you are a 'Home' or 'Overseas' student).
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
Recent postgraduates in Art History are employed in:
- Universities
- Archives
- Museums
- Galleries
- Auction houses
- Web design
- Publishing houses and magazines.
Further study
In addition to the MLitt, the School offers a two-year Art History Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degree option.
Many graduates continue their education by enrolling in PhD programs at St Andrews or elsewhere.