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What can I do with a degree in History of Art?

Illustration of a creative team working on painting exhibition in art museum.

Why Warwick?

  • Our graduates are some of the most targeted by the UK’s top graduate employers (annual Graduate Market report produced by High Fliers Research) 
  • Warwick is consistently ranked in the top 10 of major university league tables (Times and Sunday Times; Guardian) 
  • Employment destinations of recent graduates*: discoveruni.gov.uk/ 

What do graduate recruiters look for?

  • A good degree from a good university
  • Work experience
  • Involvement in extra-curricular activities
  • The ability to describe and articulate your unique achievements and skills

How does History of Art prepare students for the world of work? 

Here are some of the skills developed on this degree and valued by graduate recruiters: 

Advanced visual skills, Advanced communication skills (written and oral), Independent research skills, refined powers of analysis, and strongly developed logical thought processes.

You will also learn to interpret, assess, and evaluate sources, lead, and participate in discussions, deliver persuasive and professional presentations, and work independently and to deadlines. By studying the art and societies of different time periods, you will have developed the ability to enter the thoughts and worlds of others, which is a very useful skill in the workplace. 

What do History of Art graduates do?

Sectors where graduates were working include:

  • Administration
  • Management and consultancy
  • Creative and media
  • Education
  • Retail and distribution and technology

Occupations include art officers, producers and directors, marketing professionals, sales, and teachers. 

Sample employers include:

  • The British Library
  • Fellows Auctioneers
  • EF Education First
  • Lorimers and Philips
  • Better Libraries
  • Conde Nast
  • Fellows Auctioneers
  • Merlin Entertainment
  • Sotheby’s
  • London Business School
  • Media Arts Lab
  • National Trust
  • The British Museum

Further study options include:

  • Interior design
  • Journalism
  • History of art
  • Architectural history
  • Museum curating
  • Building history
  • Art business
  • Teaching
  • Arts policy and management

Opportunities available at Warwick include:

Careers support from our professionally trained staff, opportunities to meet recruiters and attend events, help finding work experience and free careers support after graduation.

Derived from the HESA Graduate Outcomes survey, carried out approximately 15 months after successful completion. Contains HESA Data: Copyright Jisc 2024. Jisc cannot accept responsibility for any inferences or conclusions derived by third parties from its data.

*discoveruni.gov.uk/ includes information from the national Graduate Outcomes survey, carried out approximately 15 months after graduates complete their course. For some career paths, graduates need to gain relevant experience, often at non-graduate level. It may therefore take some graduates longer than others to secure a graduate-level job.