Art History and Museum Studies

Overview

The MA in programme in Art History and Museum Studies at Leiden University is a unique programme upholding a critical approach to the visual arts, decorative arts and architecture, as well as diverse cultures of collecting and presenting art. The programme is taught by a research-active staff and (former) curators from the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, the Frans Hals Museum, the Museum Volkenkunde, the National Museum of Antiquities and the RKD, among others. Our teaching and research are enhanced by collaborative partnerships with museums, heritage institutions and contemporary art venues. We regularly host leading voices within the field to introduce our students to emerging trends and world-class research. The programme also facilitates optional internships in the cultural sector, both within The Netherlands and beyond. Students can pursue their individual fascinations and explore a large range of topics studied from an interdisciplinary and critical perspective.

Career preparation

An MA in Art History and Museum Studies will qualify you for a wide variety of careers in the cultural sector – museums, galleries, heritage institutions, exhibition spaces – as well as careers in publishing, media, public relations, and education. You will also be qualified to pursue a PhD and a career in academia. Our graduates are currently working in museums including Kunstmuseum Den Haag, the Rijksmuseum and Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, and the Museum De Lakenhal in Leiden, in organisations including Hoogsteder & Hoogsteder, Valiz publishers, Groene Amsterdammer, Mondriaan fonds, Gavelers Auctioneers and Lyppens, and at art venues such as BAK Utrecht. Graduates have started their own enterprises as cultural entrepreneurs, such as Dürst Britt & Mayhew gallery while other students have continued their graduate studies at Cambridge University and the Courtauld Institute of Art.