Art History - using your degree
From CareersWiki
Contents |
Introduction
A degree from Scotland's first university is an excellent start to any future career. St Andrews has a reputation for excellence and the ability to attract the brightest students world wide. With this as a starting point you are well on the way to impressing future employers.
As art history is studied in social, geographical, cultural and psychological contexts, you will develop an understanding of how different societies evolve and how art impacts on our lives. Additionally, as well as acquiring a number of academic skills, you will also develop more general transferable skills, all of which are highly valued by employers across all sectors. Some example skills include:
- effective communication (both written and oral)
- analysing and interpreting a variety of information sources
- problem-solving
- visual and critical awareness
- time management
- the ability to work independently or as part of a team
Further study is a popular choice for art history graduates. In fact, if you wish to continue in a field related to your degree, a postgraduate qualification is, in fact, often necessary.
Graduates with an art history degree are equipped for a wide range of professional careers, including arts and heritage management, galleries/museums and archives, journalism, the media, publishing and a wide range of positions around the creative arts.
The Careers Centre has a very useful book entitled 'Careers in Art History' which provides information about the wide variety of careers available to art historians.
The Careers Centre can provide information on a comprehensive range of careers including those detailed above. There are specialist advisers for different occupational areas. We offer 20 minute drop-in sessions on a first come, first served basis. Drop-in is available for all students and recent graduates of the University of St Andrews on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 2.00pm - 4.00pm.
Students who are in their penultimate or final year and those studying for a Masters or Phd, can book an appointment with a careers adviser. Booked appointments generally last up to 30 minutes. Visit Careers advice for further details.
Student / Alumni Profiles
Emma graduated in 2005 after completing the PGDip Museum and Gallery Studies. She is now Museums Manager at the Black Watch Castle & Museum in Perth. Read her profile.
Where Our Graduates Go
| Year of Graduation | Organisation/Company | Position | Art History / Museum & Gallery Studies Required
|
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | SMG | Social Media Executive | Not directly |
| 2011 | Provenance Fine Wines | Portfolio Manager | Not directly |
| 2011 | Christies Auction House | Administrator | Yes |
| 2011 | Random House Group | UK Sales Graduate Trainee | Not directly |
| 2011 | University of St Andrews | PhD Art History | Yes |
| 2010 | Henry Gerrish Fine Art | Private Art Dealer | Yes |
| 2010 | The Penny Group | Financial Adviser - Wills Management | Not directly |
| 2010 | Claremont Studio | Gallery Assistant | Yes |
| 2010 | Phaidon Publishing | Graduate Trainee Publisher | Not directly |
| 2010 | Scottish Art Gallery | Assistant Manager | Yes |
| 2009 | Quintessentially Events | Events Manager | Not directly |
| 2009 | Institute for Contemporary Greek Art | Researcher/Archivist | Yes |
| 2009 | David Hick Interiors | Project & Design Co-ordinator and Trainee Interior Designer | Not directly |
| 2009 | National Museum of Scotland | Assistant Curator World Cultures | Yes |
| 2009 | PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP | Accountant | Not directly |
| 2009 | Scottish Fisheries Museum | Learning & Access Officer | Not directly |
| 2009 | Travel To Teach | English Teacher | Not directly |
| 2009 | The New Art Gallery Walsall | Archive Curator case study | Yes |
| 2006 (CAN) | Sotheby's New York | Cataloguer | Yes |
| 2005 | The Black Watch Castle & Museum | Museum Manager case study | Yes |
| 2004 (CAN) | Freelance | Curator/Creative Consultant | Yes |
| 2004 (CAN) | Jekyll Island Museum, Jekyll Island, USA | Museum Specialist | Yes |
| 2003 (CAN) | DDB New York | Advertising - Assistant Account Executive | Not directly |
| 2002 (CAN) | Museums Galleries Scotland | Membership Development Manager case study | Yes |
| 2002 (CAN) | Borges Architectural Group Inc, USA | Interior Design Project Manager | Not directly |
| 2000 (CAN) | John Lewis Partnership | General Manager case study | Not directly |
Careers Alumni Network (CAN) indicates these alumni are willing and keen to be contacted to help St Andrews students with their careers search.
Where Our Postgraduates Go
| Year of Graduation | Organisation/Company | Position | Art History / Museum & Gallery Studies Required |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Sidon Books | Publishing Trainee | Not directly |
| 2010 | Classic Bindings Ltd | Rare Book Dealership Assistant | Yes |
| 2010 | Glencoe Folk Museum | Curator | Yes |
| 2010 | University of St Andrews | Curatorial Trainee (Collections) | Yes |
| 2009 | Aberdeen City Council | Exhibition Officer | Yes |
| 2009 | Charitable Trust - Glasgow Life | Curator | Yes |
| 2009 | University of St Andrews Library | Project Team Special Collections | Yes |
| 2009 | Museum of Scottish Lighthouses | Museum Assistant | Yes |
| 2009 | Aarhus University | Researcher | Yes |
| 2009 | University of St Andrews | Senior Curator (Collections), Museum Collections Unit | Yes |
Popular Jobs for Art History Graduates Nationally
In 2010, six months after graduation, around 5% of history of art graduates were in paid employment in the UK or overseas. Of these, around 10% had entered professional roles in areas related to their field of study such as the arts, culture or marketing, 8% were in managerial roles in the public and private sector, and 3% had chosen to pursue careers in finance and business. Around 9% of graduates who were in employment had taken clerical or secretarial roles.
Source: Prospects
Summer Internships & Work Experience
It can be very valuable to gain experience of work in various areas, but particularly in those areas that you are considering as a future career.
- The University Careers Centre has information on vacation jobs and internships in the US
- If you'd like to stay in St Andrews over the summer, you might want to apply for the St Andrews Summer Internship Scheme.
- Remember to network with students in more senior years, tutors, family and friends they may have suggestions and contacts.
- The Undergraduate Research Internship Programme (URIP) was launched in 2008 by the University of St Andrews. Under the URIP scheme, the University funds 20 undergraduates to carry out research over ten weeks during the summer vacation. The students work on independent projects under the guidance and supervision of a member of academic staff. Look out on the website for application forms which normally have to be returned by the end of April.
- Several penultimate year students have been successful in getting a paid summer internship with the Saltire Foundation. These are global experiences in USA, Japan, Cayman Islands and others.
- Write an article for ha@sta, the School of Art History journal.
- Consider becoming a member of The Association of Art Historians. Benefits include funding opportunities and awards for students on internships in the UK plus listings for voluntary work placement opportunities.
- The Royal Society of Arts occasionally offers internships
- Read The Museums Journal (available at the Careers Centre) which contains occasional requests for volunteers in its Noticeboard section.
- Enhance your existing interests and skills and improve your overall marketability by learning a new language or undertaking an IT or word processing course. IT Services runs regular courses and workshops.
- If you are interested in teaching or other work with children the University runs schemes in partnerships with local education authorities which give students access to school pupils. To find out more contact the staff involved by e-mail, schools.access@st-andrews.ac.uk .More Schools are offering the UK Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme, which requires students to spend up to 25 hours working within a Primary or Secondary school or Science centre. The module is assessed and contributes towards the final degree outcome.
The table below gives an example of the experience of an Art History student.
| Year | Organisation/Company | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Teen Vogue, New York | Fashion Internship case study |
Employability Profile
Skills
The profile below identifies the skills that can be developed through the study of your discipline based on subject benchmark statements developed by UK higher education academic communities.
This table is able to help you to identify the valuable skills that you can offer to potential employers.
| A graduate in Art History typically will have the ability to: | Evidence: |
|---|---|
| understand aspects of the culture of more than one geographical region and/or chronological period | tbc |
| produce logical and structured narratives and arguments supported by relevant evidence | tbc |
| discriminate between alternative arguments and approaches | tbc |
| apply knowledge and experience so as to make appropriate decisions in complex and incompletely charted contexts | tbc |
| retrieve and organise information and carry out research with limited guidance | tbc |
| communicate information, arguments and ideas cogently and effectively as appropriate to particular audiences, and in written, spoken or other form using visual aids and IT resources | tbc |
| listen effectively and participate constructively in discussion | tbc |
| deploy visual material in conjunction with written, oral and other forms of communication, such as illustrated essays and seminars, slide, moving image or multimedia presentations | tbc |
| be open and receptive to new things and ideas | tbc |
| undertake and complete familiar and unfamiliar set tasks | tbc |
| work constructively and productively in groups | tbc |
| work to briefs and deadlines, including managing concurrent projects | tbc |
| take responsibility for one's own work | tbc |
| reflect on one's own learning, and to make constructive use of feedback | tbc |
Art History Careers/Employability Link
Each School has a Careers/Employability Link who "champions" employability. Yours is Dr Ulrike Weiss. If you have any information you consider important for your fellow students please let her know. Alternatively you can contact the Employability Coordinator for the University, Pamela Andrew, at pea1.
Links to Useful Resources
- Destination Statistics of St Andrews graduates
- Prospects: Options with History of Art
- Association of Art Historians
- H-ArtHist a discussion and information forum for art history
- Museums and Galleries wiki page
- Research Gate research jobs
