Master of Arts in Art History
Utrecht University
Key Information
Campus location
Utrecht, Netherlands
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
2 years
Pace
Full time
Tuition fees
EUR 2,209 / per year *
Application deadline
Request info
Earliest start date
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* EU/EEA, Surinam or Swiss students; €17,500: International students
Scholarships
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Introduction
Utrecht: Gateway to the Multi-Faceted Field of Art History
Our specialized and intensive Master's program immerses you in traditional and innovative approaches to the history of art. Working in close connection with museums and heritage institutions in the Netherlands and abroad, you will acquire the theoretical insights and practical experience necessary for a career in academia or the museum world.
The program is not limited to a single period or geographical area but singles out important developments in the field. It is structured such that you can pursue your personal interests. You are encouraged to critically reflect on the past as well as imagine new possibilities in the study of art history, material culture, and museums.
Our Expertise
Our specialists cover the field from medieval to contemporary art, centered on Europe and the Netherlands in a global context. In addition to the core courses, focusing on technical, transcultural, and digital art history, you will explore subjects of your own choice. Utrecht allows you to benefit from the expertise of teachers and researchers across a wide spatial and historical range of material and visual culture, including the Heritage Lab, the Descartes Centre for the History of Science and the Humanities, the Institute for Cultural Enquiry, the Centre for Early Modern Studies and Centre for Medieval Studies. Our in-house heritage institution is Utrecht University Museum.
International Hands-On Experience
The program’s long-standing ties with major art museums and heritage institutions in the Netherlands and abroad ensure an integrated approach of theoretical and practical aspects. Dutch students often spend a semester in a major museum abroad while students from other countries usually intern at a major Dutch or Flemish museum. You may also choose to study at another university for one semester. Since the beginning of the Research Master's program in 2004, our students have completed internships at more than fifty museums and heritage institutions, mostly in Europe. You will have the opportunity to actively work on your career development.
Program Outcome
After Graduation
You will gain expertise in regard to objects of art and material culture that prepares you for a career in academia, museums, and other heritage institutions. This includes the practicalities of research design and fundraising.
Many of our graduates have accepted curatorial and research positions in, for instance, the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen Rotterdam, Kunstmuseum, The Hague, Dordrechts Museum, Groeningemuseum Bruges, and the Royal Castle in Warsaw (Zamek Królewski w Warszawie). Read more about possible career prospects.
Other graduates have continued with Ph.D. programs at Utrecht, Amsterdam, Groningen, and international universities, including Ghent University, KU Leuven, LMU Munich, University of Konstanz, Princeton University, Harvard University, Columbia University, Northwestern University, and the University of Toronto.
If you envision the publication of your work, you may benefit from the network of our staff members, who are on the boards of many journals including the Netherlands Yearbook for History of Art, Simiolus, Nuncius, History of Humanities, Prospettiva, Stedelijk Studies, and the Journal for the History of Knowledge.
Career Opportunities
Possible Prospects
After graduation graduates of our RMA program will often find Ph.D. positions, or jobs in:
- art galleries
- museums
- research libraries
- archives
- the art trade
- publishing
Some of our graduates have gone on as independent exhibition organizers.
Academic Careers
A substantial part of the graduates will move on to a Ph.D. program.
- Jessie Chen, for instance, found a Ph.D. position at Utrecht University.
- Ruben Suykerbuyk has done his Ph.D. at Ghent University and is now the curator of old masters at Museum Boijmans van Beuningen.
Other graduates found Ph.D. positions at:
- University of Amsterdam | KU Leuven | University of Groningen | LMU | Masaryk University in Brno | Harvard University | Princeton University | Columbia University
After their Ph.D., a number of alumni found positions in the Dutch academic world. Merlijn Hurx, Marjolijn Bol, and Eveline Deneer for instance work as Assistant Professors in the Department of History and Art History of Utrecht University; Tijana Žakula is a lecturer in art history at University College Utrecht; Janna Schoenberger teaches at Amsterdam University College.
Non-Academic Careers
This program does not only prepare me for an academic career. Several of our students have found curatorial positions in Dutch or Belgian museums or at the Netherlands Institute for Art History.