Warwick’s History of Art Department is friendly and dynamic, with research expertise from the medieval period to the present day. It has an international reputation which was recognised by having 70% of its research output graded 3* or 4* in the recent RAE. Each member of staff is an active researcher and regularly publishes books with leading presses and articles in international journals. There is a vigorous research culture in which postgraduate students benefit from extensive contact with academic staff. The Department works closely with a number of research centres including the Centre for the Study of the Renaissance.
Research Areas
Departmental research interests range from the medieval period to the present day and include areas such as medieval art and architecture, renaissance and baroque art, British art and architecture, exhibition culture and museology, sculpture, art theory and visual culture.
Research Degrees
As a research student, your closest contact will be with your research supervisor, or supervisors, who will meet with you regularly (at least once a month during term-time) and agree a programme of research, reading and writing with you.
Candidates for a PhD will be registered for an MPhil in the first instance. Careful efforts are made to match research students with the expertise available in the Department and applicants are advised to read about the research interests of the Department and discuss their proposed research topic with a member of staff before applying.
Candidates for a PhD will be registered for an MPhil in the first instance. Careful efforts are made to match research students with the expertise available in the Department and applicants are advised to read about the research interests of the Department and discuss their proposed research topic with a member of staff before applying.
Research degrees are assessed on the basis of a dissertation and, in the case of a PhD, a viva voce examination. Dissertations are of the following maximum lengths:
- MA by Research: 40,000 words
- MPhil: 60,000 words
- PhD: 80,000 words
More information on Research Degrees in the Department of History of Art
Taught Master’s Degree
MA History of Art
Duration: 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time
Places available: 12
The MA offers two separate pathways. The first, ‘Venice and its Legacy’, examines the artistic production and cultural identity of Venice from the Middle Ages to the present day, and includes a term spent in Venice at our dedicated study centre.
The second pathway, ‘British Art’, focuses on art produced in the UK from the 18th century to the present, making use of the major collections of art in the London galleries. Both pathways share a core module in the spring term, Art History and its Methods, which provides methodological grounding in the discipline, and students on both pathways write a dissertation.
Diploma in the History of Art
Duration: 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time
The Diploma is offered as a bridging qualification for students from other disciplines or for those returning to study after an interval who wish to continue to the MA course.
