By pursuing research in History of Art at Birmingham, you will joining a vibrant and dynamic research community thanks to the Department’s broad range of expertise, from medieval and Renaissance art and architecture, to contemporary global art.
You will also benefit from access to original works, a dedicated fine art library and collection of resources in the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, our acclaimed public gallery on-campus in which the Department is based.
The Department of Art History, Curating and Visual Studies offers promising candidates the opportunity to carry out research in one of the most dynamic institutions in Britain on its History of Art PhD/MA by Research programmes.
We give all possible support to our researchers, developing the resources available at the University and encouraging an active postgraduate environment for the exchange of information and concepts. Our expertise covers a broad range of themes and topics, from medieval and Renaissance art and architecture to contemporary global art.
The MA by Research programme requires you to prepare a thesis of up to 40,000 words on a topic of your choice under the expert guidance of an academic member of staff. The PhD, the most advanced research degree, comprises of a thesis of up to 80,000 words on a subject of your choice, again under the expert supervision of an academic member of staff.
You can study an MA by Research or PhD programme on campus or by distance learning. Please note that if you are studying with us by distance learning, there is a compulsory annual visit to campus (every two years for part-time PhD students).
Research interests of staff include:
Our research in the Department covers a broad range of themes and topics, from medieval and renaissance art and architecture to contemporary global art. Our work is multifaceted, and engages with historical issues as well as theoretical questions.
For full research interests of staff, please read our staff profiles or visit the 'Research' tab on the programme's webpage.
Funding Notes
Please visit the College of Arts and Law funding page for information on possible funding opportunities: View Website. You can find out about all the scholarships that are available on our Postgraduate Funding Database. If you find a scholarship that you are interested in, we would recommend you check the application guidelines as these can differ between funding schemes. For some of them, you can apply for funding as soon as you have submitted an application for the course. If you would like to start in 2024, applications for the AHRC Midlands4Cities Scholarship opened on 16 October 2023 and closes on 10 January 2024.