Dezeen Magazine

Bachelor of Arts in Art History at Virginia Commonwealth University

The Bachelor of Arts in Art History course at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar teaches students art history through a multicultural lens.


School: Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Qatar
Course: Bachelor of Arts in Art History
Location: Doha, Qatar
Course dates: August 2024 – June 2028
Application deadline: 15 January 2024

The Art History program at VCUarts Qatar offers a distinctive concentration in Islamic art within a global perspective.

It shifts a Western-oriented curriculum prevalent in most university art history programs to one that embraces a multi-cultural approach.

Aside from Islamic art, our program's global focus encompasses the visual cultures of Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas, providing students a comprehensive understanding of the world's diverse artistic and cultural heritage traditions.

Students on this pathway examine culture, past and present, develop visual literacy skills and develop the skills needed to be critical thinkers and cultural heritage stewards who understand the interrelatedness and complexity of global issues.

Students will also get opportunities to acquire detailed knowledge on visual and material culture from antiquity to the contemporary.

They learn from academics and other practitioners in the field of art, art history, museums and cultural heritage within Qatar, the Middle East and internationally.

Art history graduates go on to work as appraisers, art consultants, arts administrators, art dealers, conservators (courses in chemistry required), curators/archivists (advanced degree usually required), editors/writers, education coordinators, grants specialists, gallery assistants, arts lawyers and museum technicians.

Applications to this course have now closed.

Top image: Simon Mwaniki, University of Cape Town, speaks at the Emerging Voices in Indian Ocean Art and Culture: Flashtalks in Doha in 2022 in the VCUarts Qatar atrium, photograph by Markus Elblaus.

Dezeen Courses

Dezeen Courses is a service from Dezeen that provides details of architecture, interiors and design courses around the world. Click here for more information.

Dezeen Courses logo