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Art History Schools and Programs in Spain

30 schools in Spain teach Art History.

Art History

Examining the significance of art across cultures and throughout history is the basis of art history at SLU-Madrid, you’ll explore the social, historical and cultural contexts of art. At SLU-Madrid, whether you major or minor in art history, you can complete all of your courses on the Madrid campus or choose to study for a semester in St. Louis. You will have the opportunity to apply for internships at cultural and art centres in Madrid, including Sotheby's and Christie’s auction houses. The Bachelor of Arts in Art History entails a total of 120 credit hours, 36 of the credit hours must be within the art history major and 18 must be at the 3000/4000-level. Students may not transfer more than 12 credits to fulfil individual courses or elective courses that work towards the achievement of the 36 credits required for the major in art history.
Level: Undergraduate Bachelors  
Language of instruction: English  
Location: Madrid

Art History

Bircham University’s Art history program studies the origin of art from cave paintings to the experimental art. It encompasses the Western culture and the traditions of the East Asia, Africa, Middle East, South Asia, the Pacific Islands and the Americas. This degree program combines both wisdom and knowledge to bring clear order into the abundance of periods, names and styles that surrounds us. Studying the visual arts from a psychological viewpoint, the course makes students see the history of art as an incessant weaving and changing of customs in which each artwork refers to the past and points to the future. Subjects covered on this course include: Art History, Classic Art & Architecture, Medieval & Byzantine Art, Gothic Art & The Renaissance, From Baroque to Romanticism, Realism & Impressionism, XXth Century Art, Chinese & Japanese Art, Contemporary Art, Art & Philosophy and Art & Religion. Subjects account for 3 academic credits each. The Art History program is available at Specialist, Expert, Bachelor's, Master's & Ph.D. (Doctoral) Degree Program levels.
Level: Undergraduate Bachelors  
Language of instruction: English  
Location: Villanueva de la Cañada

Art History Studies in Spain

Art history has a long academic tradition in Spain. According to the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, it has been taught as a university discipline since the Moyano Law on public education of 1857 and became a separate degree in 1993. Today it is an official bachelor's degree, the Grado en Historia del Arte, taught at most public universities, and a field where students can learn in front of the works themselves, in the monuments and museums of Spanish cities.

How the degree is organised

The Grado en Historia del Arte has 240 ECTS credits over four years. At the Universidad de Salamanca, for example, the first year is made up of 60 credits of basic training. Compulsory subjects (138 credits) follow in the second to fourth years, in three blocks:

  • general history of art
  • historic and artistic heritage
  • systematic study of the work of art

Optional subjects (36 credits) are taken in the last four semesters, and a final project (6 credits) in the last semester. Spanish art has its own subjects: the Universidad de Sevilla, for example, includes ancient Spanish art in the first year, and it encourages direct contact with works of art through visits to historic monuments, museums and exhibitions. The degree also connects with tourism, museology, music history and audiovisual communication, as the Universidad de Murcia points out.

Admission and language

Students who completed secondary school outside Spain usually apply through UNEDasiss, the UNED service that assesses international students' academic records and runs the tests needed to enter a Spanish bachelor's degree. Documents must be legalised and translated, and the application for a place is then made to each university within its own deadlines.

The degree is taught in Spanish at the universities checked for this page, so international students need a good command of the language. Places and cut-off marks vary: Salamanca offers 70 places for 2026-27, and Murcia offers 80, with a cut-off mark of 6.413 for 2025-26 admission. Sevilla requires a foreign language at level B1 before the degree certificate is issued.

Where to study art history in Spain

A search of the ministry's Register of Universities, Centres and Degrees (RUCT) for "historia del arte" returns 39 bachelor's degree records, including degrees being phased out. Universities in our directory that offer the degree include the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, the Universitat de Barcelona, the Universidad de Salamanca, the Universidad de Sevilla, the Universidad de Granada, the Universidad de Jaén, the Universidad de Murcia, the Universidad de Oviedo, the Universidad de Valladolid, the Universidad de Zaragoza, the Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela and the Universidad de La Laguna. Madrid has the most schools for this subject in our directory.

The RUCT lists 17 records for official master's degrees with "historia del arte" in the title, among them the Máster Universitario en Estudios Avanzados en Historia del Arte Español at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, the master's in advanced studies in art history at Salamanca and at Oviedo, the joint Máster Universitario en Historia del Arte Contemporáneo y Cultura Visual of the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and the Complutense, the joint master's in art history and visual culture of the Universitat Jaume I and the Universitat de València, and the Máster Universitario en Teoría e Historia del Arte y Gestión Cultural at La Laguna. Official master's degrees have 60, 90 or 120 credits.

Recognition of the qualification

Art history is not a regulated profession in Spain, so a foreign degree in the subject cannot be homologated; homologation only applies to regulated professions. Holders of a foreign degree can instead ask the ministry for a declaration of equivalence.

Careers

The Universidad de Sevilla lists five main fields for graduates:

  • protection and management of historic, artistic and cultural heritage
  • conservation, exhibition and the art market: museums, art centres, archives, auctions, antiques, curating
  • heritage interpretation, cultural tourism and educational programmes
  • research and teaching
  • publishing, media and digital content

To teach in Spanish secondary schools, graduates must also complete the official master's degree for secondary school teachers, as the Universidad de Salamanca notes.

Frequently asked questions

How long does an art history degree take in Spain?

Four years and 240 ECTS credits. An official master's degree adds 60 to 120 credits.

Is art history taught in English in Spain?

At the public universities checked for this page, Salamanca, Sevilla and Murcia, the degree is taught in Spanish. Check the language of each programme before applying.

Can I teach art history in a Spanish secondary school?

Yes, after the degree and the official master's degree for secondary school teachers (Máster Universitario en Profesor de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria y Bachillerato, Formación Profesional y Enseñanza de Idiomas).

Can I get my foreign art history degree recognised in Spain?

Art history is not a regulated profession, so homologation does not apply, but you can ask the ministry for a declaration of equivalence.