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Studies & Degrees in Art Studies

Art studies is the academic study of the visual arts: what works of art mean, how and why they were made, and what role they play in society. Its core is art history and art theory. It differs from fine art, where the main activity is making work in a studio, although many colleges teach both in one department and let students combine them.

Students learn to look closely and to describe, date and interpret objects, images and buildings. Stanford University says its courses focus on the meaning of images and media, their historical development and their roles in society, and on links with literature, music and philosophy. The University of Washington describes the discipline as learning to read, interpret and synthesise evidence that ranges from written documents to the visual and material features of objects. Programmes usually cover several periods and regions, such as the arts of Asia, the Americas, medieval and early modern Europe, and modern and contemporary art, and they train students in research and writing.

Qualifications and levels

  • Bachelor's degrees in the United States. Art history is taken as a major or a minor within a Bachelor of Arts. Stanford's Department of Art & Art History offers the BA in Art History, Art Practice, and Film & Media Studies. The University of Washington offers a BA major in Art History with an honours option, and a minor for students of other subjects.
  • Bachelor's degrees in Spain. The subject is the Grado en Historia del Arte. Spanish bachelor's degrees (grados) have 240 ECTS credits. At the Universidad de Salamanca, for example, the degree lasts four years at 60 ECTS credits a year, covers the visual, audiovisual and spatial arts, and ends with a final project of 6 ECTS credits.
  • Master's and doctorate. Official Spanish master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. In the United States, the University of Washington offers an MA in Art History in a practicum track and a thesis track, and a PhD that prepares for university teaching, curatorial work in museums and scholarship.
  • Art and design schools. Where the name art studies covers studio practice, teaching is organised around projects. The Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, in Germany, calls its integrated, project-based approach the Weimar Model; its Faculty of Art and Design teaches fine art, fine art education, media art and design, product design and visual communication. London Metropolitan University teaches a Fine Art BA in Shoreditch.
  • Community colleges and short courses. Community colleges in the directory, such as Laramie County Community College and Northeast Community College, also list the subject. Ask the college which qualification its courses lead to and which universities accept its credits.

Where to study it

SpainExchange lists 158 active schools for art studies. The United States has 119 of them, followed by the United Kingdom (8), Spain (7), Australia (5), China (3), and Switzerland and Germany (2 each). Examples in the United States include Stanford University, the University of Washington in Seattle, The Ohio State University in Columbus, the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Dartmouth College and San Diego State University. Elsewhere the list includes London Metropolitan University, the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, Kathmandu University in Nepal and Deree – The American College of Greece.

The language of instruction follows the country: English in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, Spanish in most Spanish degrees, German in most German ones. Art history also rewards reading knowledge of other languages, because sources and scholarship are not all in English.

Choosing a programme

  • History and theory, studio practice, or both: read the course list, not only the degree name
  • The periods and regions the teaching staff cover
  • Museums, galleries and collections within reach, and whether internships are arranged
  • For studio programmes, whether a portfolio is required for admission

Careers

Graduates work in museums and galleries, heritage management, the art market, publishing, education and cultural tourism. The Universidad de Salamanca lists the protection and management of historic and artistic heritage, and the conservation, exhibition and sale of works of art, among the fields its degree prepares for. Teaching in Spanish secondary schools requires an additional master's degree in teacher training.

Museum careers usually need postgraduate study. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, archivists, curators and conservators typically need a master's degree, while museum technicians typically need a bachelor's degree, and experience from an internship or volunteering helps. Archivists, curators and museum workers held about 38,500 jobs in the United States in 2025, of which 14,200 were curators. The Bureau projects employment in this group to grow 4 percent from 2025 to 2035.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between art studies and fine art?

Art studies analyses works of art, their history and their meaning. Fine art trains students to make art. Many departments teach both, so check the course list of each programme.

How long does a degree in art history take in Spain?

Four years. The Grado en Historia del Arte has 240 ECTS credits, 60 a year.

Do I need a master's degree to work in a museum?

Often, yes. In the United States, curators and conservators typically need a master's degree, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Museum technicians typically need a bachelor's degree.

Where are most of the schools?

In the SpainExchange directory, 119 of the 158 schools that teach art studies are in the United States. The United Kingdom, Spain and Australia follow.