MA (Hons) Art History and International Relations Bachelor's degree at the University of St Andrews
MA (Hons) Art History and International Relations at University of St Andrews combines two complementary disciplines, allowing you to develop expertise across art historical analysis and international political systems.
About this course
Art history MA - Subjects - University of St Andrews Art History MA (Honours) 2026 entry Register your interest How to apply UCAS code V350 Course start September 2026 Duration Four years full time School School of Art History Why study this course? From the provider’s course page.
MA (Hons) Art History and International Relations is a Bachelor's degree (MA (Hons)) at the University of St Andrews. It runs 4 years, studied full-time.
For Politics graduates from this provider, 85% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 80% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £33,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for History, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Limited evidence Published sample: 25; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 85% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 95% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
First year 2 modules
- Art in Europe and Beyond 1600-1800
Module details
a survey of European art and architecture in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, as well as global networks of trade, exploration, and colonialism
- Art in Europe and Beyond to 1600
Module details
a survey of medieval and Renaissance painting, sculpture and architecture in Southern and Northern Europe, as well as key points of contact with the non-Western world
Second year 2 modules
- Modernity, Empire, and Revolution: Art from 1789-1900
Module details
explores the intersection of visual culture with modernity, empire and revolution in the long nineteenth century, predominantly but not exclusively in Europe
- Art, Culture and Politics, from 1900 to Now
Module details
examines the relationship between art and political struggle in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, exploring how practitioners around the globe have contributed to socio-cultural change and forged new ways of seeing
Honours 32 modules
- African Modernisms
- Ajab: The Aesthetics of Wonder in Islamic Art
- Approaches to Art History
- Art and the Ocean: Materiality, Representation, Ecology, 1500-1750
- Art in the Portuguese World, circa 1400-1750
- Art of the Ming and Qing Dynasties from a Global Perspective
- Art History and Environmental Crisis
- Art, Science and Technology 1700-1900
- Art, Theatre and Performance in France 1600-1800
- Aspects of Japanese Visual Culture 1820-1920
- Body / Politics: Performance Art since 1960
- Central European Art, Architecture and Design, c.1900
- Classicism in Western Art: The Legacy of Greece and Rome
- Collecting Chinese Art: Histories and Practices
- Contemporary Art and Resilience in the Arab World
- Dada and Surrealism
- Decolonial, Feminist, Queer: Histories of Art in Britain Since 1945
- English Art and Modernism
- Experiencing Sculpture in the Early Modern World
- European Gothic Architecture 1140-1540
- Histories of Photography (1835-1905)
- Images and Knowledge in Early Modern Europe
- Latin American Modernisms
- Leonardo da Vinci, 500 years later
- Michelangelo: Sculptor, Painter, Architect
- Modern and Contemporary Fiber Art
- Objects of Devotion: The Art and Material Culture of Medieval Christianity
- Palm Leaf, Poem, and Portrait: the art of painting in India
- Raphael and His Reception
- Rubens and Rembrandt: Parallel Worlds
- Scotland and the Arts of Africa
- Sensory Histories of South Asian Art
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
You'll study art history and international relations together across four years. A course like this normally moves from foundational work in historical method and primary-source analysis, examining how historians construct arguments from archives and visual evidence, towards specialist options and an independent research project. You'll usually cover broad surveys of medieval, early modern and modern periods, then progress to focused study of particular themes or epochs through documents and artworks. Later years introduce advanced techniques in historiography and interpretation, alongside specialisations such as medieval studies, global and imperial history, social and cultural approaches, public history and heritage, and archival research. The final stages culminate in a dissertation drawing on original primary evidence of your choosing.
Who it's for
This course suits students with strong A-level qualifications or equivalent. Recent entrants typically held A-levels, and accepted students commonly had more than 240 UCAS tariff points. You should have genuine interest in both art history and international relations, and be prepared for sustained independent study alongside structured teaching. The four-year format allows deeper exploration than shorter degrees.
Careers & job market
Across History courses nationally, 85% of graduates are in work or further study within 15 months of graduating. Of those working, 55% are in highly skilled roles or pursuing further study. National earnings data shows graduates starting at £23,500–£31,000 (15 months post-graduation), rising to £25,500–£36,000 after five years. These figures reflect broader graduate outcomes rather than guarantees specific to this programme. Check the university's funding pages for bursaries and scholarships.
University & format
The University of St Andrews is a public university founded in 1413, located in Scotland. This MA (Hons) course runs for four years full-time and is taught in English. It leads to a Bachelor's degree, awarded as MA (Hons). St Andrews is a recognised UK degree-awarding body, and its degrees are nationally recognised. The UCAS course code is V350, with entry typically in September.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively. Overall student satisfaction: 93%.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 90% |
| a Baccalaureate | 7% |
| a foundation course | 2% |
| Other | 1% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accepted students typically held strong UCAS tariffs. Check how your predicted grades compare and whether a contextual offer applies.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course (code V350). One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Provider fee page. Set under Scotland's student-finance system; the provider's page is authoritative.
Check fees at University of St Andrews →If you normally live in Scotland
For eligible Scottish-domiciled students at an eligible Scottish provider, SAAS can pay tuition directly. Living-cost support can combine bursary and loan and depends on household income and student circumstances. Students from elsewhere use their home funding body.
Check the current amounts with SAAS →Paying for it
- SAAS tuition payment: paid directly to the university for eligible Scottish-domiciled students, applied for through SAAS.
- Living-cost support: a mix of bursary and loan from SAAS, depending on household income.
- Repayment: only above the Scottish repayment threshold, and written off at the end of the plan term.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
Scotland runs its own system through SAAS; check saas.gov.uk for current rates.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What History graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £33,000 | £30,000 – £36,500 | 25 |
| 3 years after | £31,000 | £26,500 – £40,500 | 65 |
| 5 years after | £41,000 | £34,000 – £64,500 | 65 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 25; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Graduate roleFirst role after the degree · 0–2 yrs
- 2Specialist / PractitionerWorking in history · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior / LeadLeading work and people · 5–10 yrs
- 4Head of / ExpertSenior leadership or deep expertise · 10+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs History nationally
National figures for History graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Limited evidence. Published sample: 25; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with History courses at the same study level.
Compared with 1,423 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Business, Research and Administrative ProfessionalsSOC 2020 243 · 20% of published destinations · ASHE median £48,746
- Elementary occupationsSOC 2020 9 · 20% of published destinations · ASHE median £19,087
- Media ProfessionalsSOC 2020 249 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £40,895
- Finance ProfessionalsSOC 2020 242 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £47,173
- Business and public service associate professionalsSOC 2020 35 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £38,760
- Artistic, literary and media occupationsSOC 2020 341 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £33,824
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 55; response rate: 65%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How History graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- Routine information gathering
- First-draft writing and summaries
- Standard analysis and admin
- Repetitive processing tasks
More human than ever
- Judgement and original thinking
- Working with and leading people
- Owning and sense-checking AI output
- Ethics and accountability
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where History graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Museums & archives
- Heritage bodies
- Schools
- Civil service & media
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit History graduates.
History & Humanities Lead, Flexible, Impactful TeachingChartereastdulwichHistory & Humanities Lead, Flexible, Impactful TeachingThe Charter Schools Educational TrustHistory Teachers in Kirklees and HalifaxCV-LibraryHistory TeachersSABIS NETWORK SCHOOLSIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
Fees for this course are set under Scotland's own student-finance system, not the England cap; check the provider's course page for the exact figure. Tuition for eligible Scottish-domiciled students is paid by SAAS directly to the university, applied for through SAAS and not Student Finance England. Living-cost support is a mix of bursary and loan, and you repay only above the Scottish threshold.
Where graduates go
85% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £33,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 9.0 out of 10: NSS 90.1% · in work or study 85% · continued 95%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
The University of St. Andrews
Historical, philosophical and religious studies across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Is History right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to University of St Andrews from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £33,250 / year for this course (from the provider’s fee page). You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check University of St Andrews’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with University of St Andrews and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at University of St Andrews
MA (Hons) Ancient History & Archaeology and Social AnthropologyMA (Hons) · University of St AndrewsMA (Hons) Ancient History & ArchaeologyMA (Hons) · University of St AndrewsMA (Hons) Ancient History and Art HistoryMA (Hons) · University of St AndrewsMA (Hons) Ancient History and Biblical StudiesMA (Hons) · University of St Andrews
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
Request information about MA (Hons) Art History and International Relations
Prospectus, key dates, entry and funding, free to your inbox.