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Art History

MA-students starting in the autumn semester follow the regular Art History programme. MA-students starting in the spring semester have several options to compose a programme. They can choose from the courses and workshops on offer in the spring semester within the MA Art History and Reseach MA Study in Art and Literature. The practical component can be filled in and the literature exam as part of your thesis. This means that in the autumn semester you will need to follow the compulsory ‘Practices and Debates’, one additional course and finish your thesis.

Spring semester (February-August)

  • Literature exam (5 ects)

  • Practical component/ internship/ choice seminar (5 or 10 ects)

  • First draft of the MA-thesis (10 ects)

  • Course/ workshop/ seminar (10 ects)

Autumn semester (September-January)

  • Practices and debates (10 ects)

  • Elective course in the discipline of specialization (10 ects)

  • Final version of the MA thesis (20 ects in total)

Starting in February 2010? Check the programme overview and a list of courses to choose from in the spring semester of 2010.

Vak EC Semester 1 Semester 2
Practices and debates in Art History 10
History and Theory of Modern and Contemporary Art: ''Contemporary art and the art world after the fall of the Berlin Wall'' 10
History and Theory of Modern and Contemporary Art: ''Museums of Modern Art, Exhibitions and the Representation and Canonization of Modern Artists 10
Art and Visual Culture of the Early Modern Period: 'Early Netherlandisch Art: Rogier van der Weyden' 10
History of decorative Arts, Industrial Design and Domestic Culture: 'Approaches to the History of Decorative Arts, Industrial Design and the Interior' 10
History of decorative Arts, Industrial Design and Domestic Culture: "Textual sources and material objects of domestic life 10
History and Theory of Architecture: 'Piranesi and architectural history in Rome' 10
Art and Architecture of the Early Modern Period: 'Michelangelo: multimedial talent' 10
History and Theory of Collections: 'Museums, Collections and Cultural Politics' 10
History of Art and Material Cultural of China: "What Art History is in China" 10
History of Art and Material Cultural of South, Southeast and East Asia: 'Sharing the tales of the Buddha' 10
Master Literature Exam 5
MA-thesis 20
Workshop 'The Botanical Garden as Museum, the Culture of Natural Historical Collections' 10
MA/ResearchMA Workshop 'The Arts and Crafts Movement in Scotland and England' 5

Meer info

MA in Art History
Specializations
Program
Aims and objectives

2009-2010

Specializations

The program is taught in English. In addition to offering training in one of the areas of specialisation, the programme introduces students to current theories and methodologies of scholarly practice. The following specialisations are offered:

  • History and Theory of Modern and Contemporary Art / World Art Studies

  • History of Art and Visual Culture of the Late Middle Ages and Early Modern Period

  • History and Theory of Architecture

  • History of Decorative Arts, Industrial Design, and the Domestic Interior

Affiliated fields of expertise

  • History and Theory of Collections

  • History of Art and Material Culture of East Asia, and of South and Southeast Asia.

Throughout the programme students will have the advantage of Leiden University’s proximity to a number of major museums, collections, libraries and research schools, accessing a range of unique texts and works of art. These include:

  • The National Museum for Ethnology (Museum voor Volkenkunde)

  • Municipal Museum de Lakenhal/Scheltema, loca¬tion for contemporary art

  • Museum for the History of Science (Museum Boerhaave)

  • National Museum of Antiquities (Museum voor Oudheden)

  • Leiden University Library with its special collections of prints, drawings and photogra¬phy.

Aims and objectives

The aim of the Master program in Art History is to educate critical, self-reflexive and enthusiastic art historians who are ready to pursue a career in the field of art history, the art world, or beyond. In the course of the programme, students develop a thorough knowledge of the concepts, methods and techniques for studying art objects, design, and architecture within their chosen specialisation, whilst also gaining insight into the development and social relevance of the field in general. Up to 40-50 ects of the total programme of 60 ects can be devoted to the field of specialisation.

Graduates of the programme will be able to independently identify and collect specialist literature using both traditional and modern techniques (heuristic skills). They can analyse such literature and assess its quality and reliability, under professional supervision. They can formulate clear and well-argued research questions and subdivide them into orderly and manageable sub-questions. They can present research results in a clear and well argued manner, both orally and in writing. They will be able to plan and carry out a research project under professional supervision.

Upon completion of this programme, students will have the knowledge and competences required for positions outside the university that require an academic level of thinking, for an upper secondary teaching qualification or for a PhD candidature.