Global Premodern Art: History, Heritage and Curation

This programme invites you to join one of the largest and most diverse concentrations of medieval, renaissance and early modern art historical expertise in the UK. Together, we will uncover neglected narratives and scrutinise assumptions that have often served as the foundations of art historical scholarship.

This programme aims to diversify art history, revealing meaningful connections and shared concerns by embracing a breadth of theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches to objects from across the world. You will cover a period from the third to the seventeenth century, with a far-reaching geographical scope, including:

• the British Isles
• the Mediterranean
• Latin America
• the Middle East and North Africa
• India, China and Japan

You will also study cultures from Christian to Islamic and Hindu to Buddhist.

The programme will allow you to conduct in-depth research projects in Edinburghs rich collection of archives and libraries, with behind-the-scenes access to world-leading galleries and museums.

You will also have the opportunity to spend a week in Rome, working closely with members of the programme team. 

Students who successfully complete this programme will be able to:

• Critically analyse, evaluate, and synthesise the study of global art histories informed by developments at the forefront of research

• Scrutinise the setting and display of art historical objects, taking account of their physical, institutional, cultural, and historical context

• Plan and execute a significant project of research, including defining research questions or problems and testing them against evidence and existing research

• Deploy a wide range of media to present art history to a broad public

• Pursue professional careers in art history and the cultural and heritage sectors

The wide-ranging nature of this programme will equip you for further, more specialised, study and potentially a future academic career.

The vocational element is the ideal stepping-stone to a career in art history, whether in the public or private heritage sectors, including:

• museums
• galleries
• libraries
• archives
• auction houses
• the media

Transferable skills

You will gain an array of highly transferable skills that employers look for in graduates. These include:

• communication
• project management
• problem-solving

More specifically, our approach means you will gain confidence in employing analytic skills especially attuned to the nuances of cultural exchange and a global outlook.

• Attend a pre-application information session
• Research partner institutions
• Read the relevant Exchange Application Guide
• Complete online application
• Peer marking (university-wide applications only)