History of art

Enrich and extend your knowledge with a part-time course

History of art and design aims at an historical understanding of the origins of artefacts, asking about the circumstances of their making, their design, their makers, the media used, the functions of the images and objects, their role in cultural development, their critical reception and their subsequent history. 

The Department has a strong offering in the history of art and design, offering students the chance for progression from a short course through to a part-time undergraduate or postgraduate programme.

Short courses for adult learners

Explore a new topic or revisit a favourite subject over the course of a few days, a few weeks or a term. Our short courses run in person or online, with some offered in both formats – so you can choose the study option best for you.

• Short courses in the history of art
• Ways to study: how our short courses work

Many of our short courses, including flexible online courses, weekly classes (both in Oxford and online) and some summer schools, can be studied for credit, which means they can count towards a recognised qualification such as our Undergraduate Certificate of Higher Education.

Part-time Oxford University qualifications

From undergraduate level study to advanced postgraduate courses.

• Undergraduate and postgraduate programmes