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Why

Studying art history is beautiful and rewarding: so is being able to make it a profession. The field of art history offers many job opportunities, and many are yet to be invented. We give you the tools.

The judgments that students give of our course and our lecturers are great. In the course you study art history from a European perspective: you can do part of your course abroad. The curriculum allows you to indulge your interests and preferences, your curiosities and expectations. In addition the teaching load is well balanced between the first and second semesters, making it easier for you to attend and prepare for and pass exams.

All of our faculty members conduct research, publish the results, and use them to make their teaching more lively and interesting. Many of our teachings offer laboratory or seminar activities and promote meetings, debates and conferences, trips of instruction and external lectures. Finally, all compulsory subjects are taught by structured lecturers, which is a guarantee for the student.

What will you study

The course aims to provide scientific, technical, methodological and operational skills related to the field of art history from the Middle Ages to the contemporary age; theoretical and applied knowledge of the problems of management and conservation and restoration of the historical-artistic heritage.

During the first year the teachings cover:

  • Themes of medieval art
  • Themes of modern art
  • Themes of contemporary art 
  • .
  • History of art criticism
  • Other elective teaching in archaeology or architecture and related to the Art History and Art Methodology Area or the Cultural Heritage Management and Law Area
  • An English language proficiency of B2 level
  • .

The second year is characterized by:

  • one optional teaching among the Historical-Artistic Disciplines
  • one optional teaching among the Methodological Disciplines
  • one optional teaching among the Historical and Literary Disciplines
  • two optional teachings from among the Related Disciplines choosing within the Historical-Artistic and Architectural Area, the Management and Legal Area of Cultural Heritage and the Historical-Literary and Social Sciences Area
  • two free-choice teachings of the student, for a total of 12 CFU
  • the dissertation

By the end of the second year you will also have to acquire 3 CFU of Compulsory Formative Internship and 1 CFU of Other Knowledge, which is suggested to be achieved by participating in one of the Laboratories activated by the Course of Study.

After graduation

Who is he?

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The art historian is a professional who knows how to read a work of art in its formal characters, knows how to investigate it in its material, historical, and semantic ones, and knows how to communicate all this in scientific and popular terms, so that it is understood and enjoyed by all, protected, enhanced, and preserved.
In its various applicative meanings, the figure of the art historian carries out activities, marked by high intellectual content, of identification, knowledge, protection, management, valorization, research, training, education inherent to the historical-artistic heritage, the field of art history and aesthetic production. 

What does it do?

The de facto art historian:

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  • identifies, analyzes, documents, protects, and preserves art historical assets
  • curates collections and exhibitions
  • carries out study, research, training and education activities in the field of art history and related disciplines. 
  • .

Where does it work?

He has various job opportunities in the public, private and freelance fields.

In particular: Schools and Universities, Superintendencies, museums (state or private), local authorities, church bodies, foundations, start-ups, companies organizing and managing exhibitions and cultural events, service and tour guide cooperatives, multimedia, antiques and national and international art market. 

Some of these fields require an additional level of university training, such as Level III courses aimed at research or professionalizing (Specialization Schools, PhD, Level II Masters), which can be accessed with a master's degree.

Who is it?

The art historian can be entrusted with the care of museum collections and exhibitions, whether of public or private relevance, in the senses of director, conservator, curator, collections manager, head of educational services, communication manager. 

What does he/she do?

The curator of a collection, public or private de facto:

  • uses bibliographic, documentary, and iconographic research methodologies
  • .
  • devises and applies criteria for selecting works for display
  • applies techniques and standards for the maintenance and periodic inspection of collections
  • performs editorial and editing activities for publications and scientific texts on the collections by defining and developing projects
  • predisposes, manages and conducts educational and communication activities. 
  • .

Where does she work?

The master's degree graduate will be able to work in professions in the areas of museology and curatorship, cultural and communication services in all their declinations, with functions of responsibility in the fields concerning knowledge, cataloguing, study, protection and recovery of historical and artistic heritage. He/she will be able to work in various professional and public contexts (with access according to current regulations). Superintendencies, State Museums, Culture Offices of the Regions, Municipalities, Dioceses, Cultural Centers, private museums, Foundations, and in general public and private institutions, both Italian and foreign, provide for curators, conservators, and collection managers on their staff. In particular, the profession of curator and conservator of public museums provides a specific post-graduate specialization course. 

Who is he?

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A specific skill of the art historian is the communication and enhancement of art historical heritage, that is, the ability to mediate, disseminate and promote to different audiences the scientific contents of works, collections and museums using supporting tools and technologies. 

What does it do?

The art historian who is an expert in art historical heritage enhancement in fact:

  • is able to independently develop art historical research
  • .
  • can identify the objectives of educational activities, diversifying them according to different categories of publics/visitors
  • concurs in the identification of solutions for the presentation and arrangement of historical-artistic assets that enhance their educational-educational potential
  • coordinates the activities and content of a museum's cultural communication.

Where does he/she work?

The master's degree graduate can work in professions related to the specific art-historical sector in public or private institutions, Italian or foreign, particularly in the fields of educational, cultural and communication services in all their forms.