Art History
You’ll develop the cultural awareness and critical thinking skills you need to analyze and produce a broad range of discourse in a full spectrum of careers — and to make a difference in whatever you do.
- 2 Years / Onsite
- Intakes: Jan, Apr, Jun, Oct
Overview
Art History at Auckland Royal Academy examines the visual arts as expressions of human culture, belief, power, and identity across civilisations and centuries. The programme spans prehistoric art through to contemporary practice, with particular emphasis on Pacific, Māori, and Asian art traditions alongside Western art historical canon. Students develop the analytical vocabulary and critical skills to interpret, research, and write about visual culture with authority.
Seminars take place in dialogue with Auckland's exceptional museum and gallery collections, including Te Papa Tongarewa, the Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, and a range of contemporary art spaces. Regular gallery visits, object-based learning sessions, and access to archival collections provide students with direct engagement with original artworks, ensuring that art historical study remains grounded in close looking and material culture.
Career Opportunities
Art History graduates pursue careers in museums and galleries, cultural heritage management, arts journalism, auction houses, publishing, and education. Many work as curators, art advisers, researchers, and cultural policy specialists, applying their visual literacy and research skills to careers that celebrate and preserve New Zealand's and the world's artistic heritage.
Program Learning Outcomes
Analyse works of art across diverse cultural traditions and historical periods using appropriate methodological frameworks, including formalist, iconographic, postcolonial, and feminist approaches to art historical interpretation.
Conduct original research in art history using primary sources — including artworks, archival documents, and oral testimonies — and communicate findings in written and oral formats to professional academic standards.
Demonstrate knowledge of Pacific, Māori, and global artistic traditions, applying an understanding of cultural context and cross-cultural exchange to interpret the significance of art within its social and political environment.
Programme
| Semester 1 | Credits | Number |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction to Art History | 4 | ARTH 101 |
| Foundations & Theory | 4 | ARTH 110 |
| Research Methods | 3 | ARTH 120 |
| Semester 2 | Credits | Number |
|---|---|---|
| Applied Art History I | 4 | ARTH 201 |
| Professional Practice | 3 | ARTH 210 |
| Industry Context NZ | 4 | ARTH 220 |
| Semester 3 | Credits | Number |
|---|---|---|
| Applied Art History II | 4 | ARTH 301 |
| Critical Perspectives | 3 | ARTH 310 |
| Ethics & Standards | 3 | ARTH 320 |
| Semester 4 | Credits | Number |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced Art History | 4 | ARTH 401 |
| Specialisation Elective | 3 | ARTH 410 |
| Art History Capstone Project | 4 | ARTH 490 |
| Total for the entire period of study | 11 |
Contact us
3/60 Federal Street, Auckland CBD, Auckland 1010, New Zealand
How to Apply?
- You Apply
Tell us a little about yourself and we’ll help with the rest. Our convenient online application tool only takes 10 minutes to complete.
- We Connect
After you submit your application, an admissions representative will contact you and will help you to complete the process.
- You Get Ready
Once you’ve completed your application and connected with an admissions representative, you’re ready to create your schedule.