History of Art

As history of art is studied in social, geographical, cultural and psychological contexts, you develop an understanding of how different societies evolve and how art impacts on our lives. Alongside this, you acquire a number of skills which are predominantly academic but also have significance as 'transferable' skills. You learn how to understand, analyse and interpret different sources of information, form opinions based on critical judgement, formulate strong arguments and present information in an intelligent, coherent and balanced way. Your communication skills, particularly written but also oral and listening skills, will be second to none.

Over the course of your degree you develop a wide mix of subject-specific and technical skills, you should consider these skills developed on your course as well as through your other activities, such as paid work, volunteering, family responsibilities, sport, membership of societies, leadership roles, etc. Think about how these can be used as evidence of your skills and personal attributes. Then you can start to market and sell who you really are, identify what you may be lacking and consider how to improve your profile.

Prospects

In 2010, six months after graduation, around 5% of history of art graduates were in paid employment in the UK or overseas. Of these, around 10% had entered professional roles in areas related to their field of study such as the arts, culture or marketing, 8% were in managerial roles in the public and private sector, and 3% had chosen to pursue careers in finance and business. Around 9% of graduates who were in employment had taken clerical or secretarial roles.

The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA)believes that you will be well equipped for careers in: 'arts and heritage management, galleries/museums and archives, journalism and the media, publishing and a wide range of positions around the creative arts'.

Where are the jobs?

Careers in museums and galleries are an obvious choice. As their remit now includes public engagement, new opportunities have arisen in areas such as outreach/education, marketing and public relations (PR) and events management.

Following an academic career in higher education is another popular option.

Specialist booksellers, antique dealers and auctioneers are also key employers.

The following career areas are worth exploring:

• Creative arts - refers to activities such as art, crafts and design, dancing, music, acting, writing, photography. The sector offers a diverse range of career opportunities.
• Advertising, marketing and PR - concerned with promoting and selling products and services. Aspects include planning, promotion, media relations, market research.
• Publishing - concerned with the production of a range of materials including books, journals, magazines, newspaper.

Jobs directly related to your degree

• Museum/gallery curator
• Fine arts auctioneer/valuer
• Commercial art gallery manager
• Heritage officer/interpreter
• Heritage manager.

Jobs where your degree would be useful

• Arts administrator
• Museum education officer
• Picture researcher/editor
• Higher education lecturer
• Further education lecturer.
• Art/antiques dealer
• Marketing executive

Although some of the jobs listed here might not be first jobs for many graduates, they are among the many realistic possibilities with your degree, provided you can demonstrate you have the attributes employers are looking for. Bear in mind that it's not just your degree discipline that determines your options. Remember that many graduate vacancies don't specify particular degree disciplines, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here.

You can find more about the skills you develop during your course, the jobs listed above, plus case studies and where to find these jobs at Prospects.

Included with the permission of AGCAS. For the latest version of this publication, see www.prospects.ac.uk. For permission to reproduce, contact copyright@agcas.org.uk