History of art : Your skills

As history of art is studied in social, geographical, cultural and psychological contexts, you develop an understanding of how societies evolve and how art impacts on our lives. Your subject will enable you to acquire a number of skills that are predominantly academic but also have significance as transferable skills, such as:

• analysing and interpreting information from different sources;
• using critical judgement to form opinions;
• formulating strong arguments;
• presenting information in an intelligent, coherent and balanced way;
• developing oral and written communication skills;
• developing listening skills.

The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) considers that a history of art degree equips you to appreciate the ‘politics and ethics of cultural diversity and difference’ and become a responsible citizen of an increasingly globalised world, as well as having well-developed visual skills.

Through your studies, you will develop analytical and problem-solving skills, time management skills and the ability to work independently, as well as good team-working skills through group projects and assignments. All these skills are valued by employers across all sectors.

Within the world of art galleries and museums, practical experience is often valued just as highly as the right knowledge and qualifications. Your course will probably provide an opportunity for work placements and, in addition, you should try to gain as much experience as possible, whether paid or unpaid, during your studies in both vacation and term time, if you are serious about a career in a related field.

Consider the skills developed on your course as well as through your other activities, such as paid work, volunteering, family responsibilities, sport, membership of societies, leadership roles, etc. Think about how these can be used as evidence of your skills and personal attributes. Then you can start to market and sell who you really are, identify what you may be lacking and consider how to improve your profile. Take a look at job application advice for some useful tips.