Study the history of art online
Short online courses in the history of art
Our short online courses in the history of art include weekly classes, day schools, lecture series and self-paced online courses.
Get up to speed with the latest debates and methods to interpret works of art, particularly in the areas of politics, society, gender and identity, material culture and decolonising practices.
Upcoming courses
Online - live • Short courses • Lecture series • Hybrid - in person or online
Leonardo da Vinci advocated that painting was a form of visual knowledge. Discover his revolutionary ideas on the arts with Dr Juliana Barone, a leading expert on Leonardo da Vinci and the reception of his work in early modern Europe.
- Fri 24 Oct 2025 – 28 Nov 2025
- 11:00am – 12:30pm
Online - flexible • Short courses
This course explores the riches of northern European art from c.1480 - 1580; artists including Dürer, Bosch, Holbein and Bruegel will be studied.
- Mon 12 Jan 2026 – 27 Mar 2026
Online - live • Short courses
This course examines the social, economic, religious, and political contexts under which women have always made art, but have largely been marginalised in its formal histories and markets.
- Wed 14 Jan 2026 – 25 Mar 2026
- 10 meetings
- 4:00 – 5:00pm
Online - live • Short courses
Uncover the mysteries of the medieval afterlife through its art and architecture. Examine a range of objects from across Western Europe and the Mediterranean.
- Wed 14 Jan 2026 – 25 Mar 2026
- 10 meetings
- 6:30 – 7:30pm
Online - live • Short courses
The art of prehistoric Europe is rich with imagery such as cave paintings, carvings, body ornamentation and frescoes. This course considers a range of sites and artefacts in our exploration of the unique and creative ways people visualised their world.
- Wed 14 Jan 2026 – 25 Mar 2026
- 10 meetings
- 6:30 – 7:30pm
Online - flexible • Short courses
Examine the major concerns of artists such as Cézanne, Monet, Manet and Degas and their intimate interaction with modern life.
- Wed 14 Jan 2026 – 27 Mar 2026
Undergraduate Certificate in the History of Art
The part-time Certificate in the History of Art teaches students about the production and provenance of works of art in museums, as well as key skills such as how to view and describe works of art.Undergraduate Diploma in the History of Art (2027 entry)
A two-year part-time course in which you study two modules from a choice of four, each of which allows you to immerse yourself in a specific period of art history. Taught at second-year undergraduate level.MSt in the History of Design
This two-year part-time master's degree explores how ordinary things and places created since 1851 reveal fascinating traces of historical experiencMSt in Literature and Arts
An interdisciplinary programme which encompasses literature, history, art, architectural history, political thought and the history of ideas. Designed around 3 sequential periods of British history, from Early Modern to the early 20th century.