The Bachelor of Art History and Curatorship bridges the gap between art history as an academic discipline and the practicalities of curating collections and exhibitions.
The degree locates the study of art in a range of historical, social, cultural and political contexts. You can focus on Australian, Asian and International art, both historical and contemporary, and participate in intensive art history courses taught overseas. You will be able to deepen your understanding of art practice through courses drawn from the School of Art & Design and be exposed to the museum environment through tutorials at national cultural institutions.
The Bachelor of Arts is the most diverse, most flexible, and most popular degree at The Australian National University. Each of its some fifty majors, in fields throughout the arts, humanities and social sciences, is taught by truly outstanding scholars to ensure that each student receives the very best education, is engaged with cutting-edge research, and learns to think like a researcher. These majors can be coupled with more than seventy minors and specialisations to broaden or deepen your study. Regardless of your choices, your Arts degree will provide you with core skills in critical analysis and in written and oral communication, while developing your adaptability and ability to help shape change and prepare you for a multifaceted career or further study.
Career Options
ANU ranks among the world's very finest universities. Our nearly 100,000 alumni include political, business, government, and academic leaders around the world.
We have graduated remarkable people from every part of our continent, our region and all walks of life.
Employment Opportunities
Art history and curatorship has a strong career orientation. Many of our graduates have taken up key positions in art galleries, museums and other cultural institutions. Some are in teaching positions relating to their specialisations, while others have entered the commercial world of culture and art. With a strong emphasis on critical analysis, research, problem solving and communicating with audiences in diverse ways, this degree provides valuable training for future managers in the arts, heritage and collections sectors, and more broadly across the public service and private enterprise.
Art history and curatorship has a strong career orientation. Many of our graduates have taken up key positions in art galleries, museums and other cultural institutions. Some are in teaching positions relating to their specialisations, while others have entered the commercial world of culture and art. With a strong emphasis on critical analysis, research, problem solving and communicating with audiences in diverse ways, this degree provides valuable training for future managers in the arts, heritage and collections sectors, and more broadly across the public service and private enterprise.
Learning Outcomes
identify and critique the historical, social, cultural and political contexts of art;
understand the relationship between art history, art theory and curatorial practices;
evaluate and investigate the structures and practices of public cultural institutions through active engagement with museums and galleries; and
demonstrate practical knowledge of the processes associated with caring for collections and developing exhibitions.
- critically apply theoretical frameworks and research techniques to understanding national and international issues and problems;
- identify, including through interrogation of databases, relevant sources of information from across a variety of media (print and digital, written and audio-visual) and judge the importance and reliability of those sources;
- evaluate ideas and develop creative solutions to problems, including through independent pursuit of knowledge and making connections between different disciplinary approaches and methods;
- communicate and debate both orally and in writing, and work with others, using a variety of media; and
- understand the ethical implications of ideas, communications, and actions.
Admission Requirements
- ATAR:
- 80
- International Baccalaureate:
- 29
Prerequisites
Adjustment Factors
Adjustment factors are additional points added to an applicant's Selection Rank (for example an applicant's ATAR). ANU offers adjustment factors based on performance and equity principles, such as for high achievement in nationally strategic senior secondary subjects and for recognition of difficult circumstances that students face in their studies.
Selection Rank adjustments are granted in accordance with the approved schedules, and no more than 15 (maximum 5 subject/performance-based adjustment factors and maximum 10 equity-based adjustment factors) can be awarded.
You may be considered for adjustment factors if you have:
- applied for an eligible ANU Bachelor degree program
- undertaken Australian Year 12 or the International Baccalaureate
- achieved an ATAR or equivalent at or above 70
- not previously attempted tertiary study.
Please visit the ANU Adjustment Factors website for further information.
Indicative fees
Bachelor of Art History and Curatorship - Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP)
Bachelor of Arts - Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP)
For more information see: http://www.anu.edu.au/students/program-administration/costs-fees
- Annual indicative fee for international students
- $43,790.00
Scholarships
ANU offers a wide range of scholarships to students to assist with the cost of their studies.
Eligibility to apply for ANU scholarships varies depending on the specifics of the scholarship and can be categorised by the type of student you are. Specific scholarship application process information is included in the relevant scholarship listing.
For further information see the Scholarships website.
Program Requirements
The Bachelor of Art History and Curatorship flexible double degree component requires completion of 96 units, of which:
A maximum of 36 units may come from completion of 1000-level courses
The 96 units must include:
24 units from completion of the following compulsory courses:
ARTH1006 Art and Design Histories: Form and Space
ARTH1007 Art and Design Histories: Making and Meaning
ARTH3001 Curatorial Practice
12 units from completion of curatorship courses from the following list:
ARTH2044 Art and Its Context: Materials, Techniques, Display
ARTH2045 Curatorship History and Evolution
ARTH3057 Art and Politics of Collecting
36 units from completion of art history and theory courses from the following list:
ARTH2043 After the Bauhaus: Design from the Interwar Period to the Age of Climate Crisis
ARTH2044 Art and Its Context: Materials, Techniques, Display
ARTH2045 Curatorship History and Evolution
ARTH2050 Photography and Art
ARTH2052 Art of the Multiple
ARTH2056 Art and Architecture of Southeast Asia: Tradition and Transformation
ARTH2059 Art of Asia: Histories and Traditions
ARTH2061 The Postmodern and the Contemporary: World art, 1970 to the present
ARTH2080 Art and Visual Culture of the Long Eighteenth Century, 1660-1815
ARTH2081 Art of the European Courts, 1500-1815
ARTH2082 Art, War and Conflict
ARTH2097 Art of the Long Nineteenth Century
ARTH2098 Australian First Nations Art and Culture
ARTH2104 Asian Art In-Country
ARTH2162 Art in the Digital Age
ARTH2166 Individual Research Unit
ARTH2167 Issues in Contemporary Craft and Design
ARTH2168 Renaissance and Baroque Art
ARTH2169 Introducing Asian Modernisms
ARTH2170 Contemporary Asian Art
ARTH2171 Australian Art: The Modern Period
ARTH2173 Art and the Moving Image
ARTH2174 Art, Medicine, Gender from the Renaissance until Today
ARTH2175 Across the Pacific: Australian Interactions with American Art and Art-Worlds
ARTH2176 Cross Currents in Australian First Nations and Non-Indigenous Art and Culture
ARTH3057 Art and Politics of Collecting
ARTH3004 City Sites: Studies in Art, Design and Urbanity
Either:
24 units from completion of one of the following language minors:
Advanced Ancient Greek
Advanced Arabic
Advanced Chinese Language
Advanced French Studies
Advanced German Studies
Advanced Italian Studies
Advanced Japanese Language
Advanced Korean Language
Advanced Latin
Advanced Persian
Advanced Sanskrit Language
Advanced Spanish Studies
Ancient Greek
Arabic
Burmese Language
Chinese Language
French Language and Culture
German Language and Culture
Hindi Language
Indonesian Language
Italian Language and Culture
Japanese Language
Japanese Linguistics
Korean Language
Latin
Literary Chinese
Mongolian Language
Persian
Russian
Sanskrit Language
Spanish
Tetum Language
Thai Language
Tok Pisin Language
Vietnamese Language
Or:
24 units from completion of courses listed in the following majors and minors:
Ancient History Major
Anthropology Major
Archaeology Major
Asian Art History Minor
Design Minor
Digital Humanities Major
English Major
History Major
Screen Studies Major
Visual Arts Practice Minor
In the case of the Bachelor of Art History and Curatorship courses will not be double counted. If the same courses are included in the study requirements of both programs within an FDD, Bachelor of Art History and Curatorship students are advised to seek course substitution advice from the relevant Convener.
The Bachelor of Arts flexible double degree component requires completion of 96 units, of which:
A maximum of 36 units may come from completion of 1000-level courses
The 96 units must consist of:
48 units from the completion of one of the following majors
MAJORS
Disciplines and Fields
Technology, Networks and Society
Languages
Geographically Defined Area Studies
Asian and Pacific Culture, Media and Gender
Indian and South Asian Studies
Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies
EITHER:
48 units from completion of a second major from the list above
OR
24 units from completion of one of the following minors, which must have a different name to the major
MINORS
Disciplines and Fields
Technology, Networks and Society
Languages
Geographically Defined Area Studies
Asian and Pacific Anthropology
Asia and Pacific Culture, Media and Gender
Asian-Pacific International Relations
Asian and Pacific Literature and Film
Indian and South Asian Studies
Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies
ANIP
ANIP3007 Australian National Internships Program D *
And 24 units from completion of elective courses offered by ANU
OR
48 units from completion of two of the above minors, which must have different names to the major
Majors
Bachelor of Arts Majors
- Ancient Greek
- Ancient History
- Anthropology
- Arabic
- Archaeology
- Asian and Pacific Culture, Media and Gender
- Asian History
- Asian Studies
- Australian Indigenous Studies
- Biological Anthropology
- Chinese Language
- Chinese Studies
- Criminology
- Development Studies
- Digital Humanities
- Economic Studies
- English
- Environmental Studies
- French Language and Culture
- Gender, Sexuality and Culture
- Geography
- German Language and Culture
- Global Security
- Hindi Language
- History
- Human Evolutionary Biology
- Human Rights
- Indian and South Asian Studies
- Indonesian Language
- Indonesian Studies
- International Communication
- International Relations
- Italian Language and Culture
- Japanese Language
- Japanese Linguistics
- Japanese Studies
- Korean Language
- Korean Studies
- Latin
- Linguistics
- Mathematics
- Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies
- Music
- Music Technology
- Musicology
- Northeast Asian Studies
- Pacific Studies
- Peace and Conflict Studies
- Performance
- Persian
- Philosophy
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Sanskrit Language
- Screen Studies
- Sociology
- Southeast Asian Studies
- Spanish
- Technology, Networks and Society
- Thai Language
- Vietnamese Language
- War Studies
Bachelor of Art History and Curatorship Majors
Minors
Bachelor of Art History and Curatorship Minors
Bachelor of Arts Minors
- Advanced Ancient Greek
- Advanced Arabic
- Advanced Chinese Language
- Advanced French Studies
- Advanced German Studies
- Advanced Italian Studies
- Advanced Japanese Language
- Advanced Korean Language
- Advanced Latin
- Advanced Persian
- Advanced Sanskrit Language
- Advanced Spanish Studies
- American Studies
- Ancient Greek
- Ancient History
- Anthropology
- Applied Linguistics
- Arabic
- Archaeology
- Archaeology of Aboriginal Australia in its Regional and Cultural Context
- Art History and Theory
- Asian and Pacific Anthropology
- Asian and Pacific Archaeology
- Asian and Pacific Culture, Media and Gender
- Asian and Pacific Linguistics
- Asian and Pacific Literature and Film
- Asian Art History
- Asian History
- Asian Studies
- Asia-Pacific International Relations
- Asia-Pacific Politics
- Australian Indigenous Studies
- Australian Politics
- Biological Anthropology
- Burmese Language
- Chinese Language
- Chinese Studies
- Climate Science and Policy
- Composition, Arranging and Sound Design
- Contemporary Europe
- Criminology
- Demography
- Design
- Development Studies
- Digital Humanities
- Economic Studies
- English
- English Language
- Environmental Policy
- Environmental Studies
- Forensic Anthropology
- Forensic Linguistics
- French Language and Culture
- Gender and Sexuality
- Geography
- German Language and Culture
- Global Security
- Health, Medicine and the Body
- Heritage and Museum Studies
- Hindi Language
- History
- Human Ecology
- Human Evolutionary Biology
- Human Rights
- Indian and South Asian Studies
- Indonesian Language
- Indonesian Studies
- International Communication
- International Relations
- Italian Language and Culture
- Japanese Language
- Japanese Linguistics
- Japanese Studies
- Korean Language
- Korean Studies
- Latin
- Linguistics
- Literary Chinese
- Mathematics
- Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies
- Mongolian Language
- Music
- Music Technology
- Musicology
- Northeast Asian Studies
- Pacific Studies
- Peace and Conflict Studies
- Performance
- Persian
- Philosophy
- Philosophy and Science
- Political Science
- Popular Music
- Russian
- Russian and Central Asian Studies
- Sanskrit Language
- Screen Studies
- Social Psychology
- Social Research Methods
- Sociology
- Southeast Asian Studies
- Spanish
- Sustainable Development
- Technology, Networks and Society
- Tetum Language
- Thai Language
- Tibetan Language Minor
- Tok Pisin Language
- Vietnamese Language
- Visual Arts Practice
- War Studies
Study Options
| Year 1 | ARTH1006 Art and Design Histories 1: Cultures and Meaning 6 units | Language Minor or Major/Minor List 6 units | Arts Major 1000 level Course 6 units | Arts Minor 1000 level Course 6 units |
| ARTH1007 Art and Design Histories: Making and Meaning 6 units | Language Minor or Major/Minor List 6 units | Arts Major 1000 level Course 6 units | Arts Minor 1000 level Course 6 units | |
| Year 2 | Curatorship List Course 6 units | Language Minor or Major/Minor List 6 units | Arts Major 2000/3000 level Course 6 units | Arts Minor 2000/3000 level Course 6 units |
| Curatorship List Course 6 units | Language Minor or Major/Minor List 6 units | Arts Major 2000/3000 level Course 6 units | Arts Minor 2000/3000 level Course 6 units | |
| Year 3 | Art History and Theory List 6 units | Art History and Theory List 6 units | Arts Major 2000/3000 level Course 6 units | Arts Elective 6 units |
| ARTH3001 Curatorial Practice 12 units | . | Arts Major 2000/3000 level Course 6 units | Arts Elective 6 units | |
| Year 4 | Art History and Theory List 6 units | Art History and Theory List 6 units | Arts Major 2000/3000 level Course 6 units | Arts Elective 6 units |
| Art History and Theory List 6 units | Art History and Theory List 6 units | Arts Major 2000/3000 level Course 6 units | Arts Elective 6 units |
Back to the Bachelor of Art History and Curatorship page
Course selection
Enrolling for the first time can seem like a big task. Below, you will find an example enrolment pattern for your first year of study.
There are a few items to note:
- Courses coded in the 1000 range are appropriate for first-year students. We strongly recommend that students new to tertiary study enrol in first-year courses during their first semester.
- We recommend you start a CASS Program Plan. This is a way to track how the courses you take fit within the overall structure of your degree and will help you pick your later year courses.
- The tables below represent only one possible combination. You are welcome to pick and choose from any other 1000-coded course found under the “Study Tab”.
- The tables below assume you are new to tertiary study and ineligible for course credit.
- A step-by-step guide on how to enrol in courses is available on the Enrol for the First time webpage.
Single degree
Students starting in Semester 1– single degree Bachelor of Art History and Curatorship, example
Semester 1
Language minor
Elective
Elective
Students
starting in Semester 2– single degree Bachelor of Art History and Curatorship,
example
Semester 2 24u major/minor list course Elective Elective Semester 1 24u major/minor list course Elective Elective
Other first year courses available: to find all other 1000-level courses, refer to the Catalogue of Programs and Courses. You may refine your selection on the right-hand column of the webpage.
Double degree
Students starting in Semester 1– double degree Bachelor of Art History and Curatorship, example
Semester 1
Language minor
Course from other degree
Course from other degree
Students starting in Semester 2– double degree Bachelor of Art History and Curatorship, example
Semester 2 24u major/minor list course Course from other degree Course from other degree Semester 1 24u major/minor list course Course from other degree Course from other degree
Important things to keep in mind when choosing your 1000-level courses
Study Options
Study Plan
Please refer to the "Study" tab.Study Options
| Year 1 48 units | ARTH1006 Art and Design Histories 1: Cultures and Meaning 6 units | Language minor | Elective | Elective |
| ARTH1007 Art and Design Histories: Making and Meaning 6 units | Language minor | Elective | Elective |
Study Plan
Please refer to the "Study" tabStudy Options
| Year 1 48 units | ARTH1006 Art and Design Histories 1: Cultures and Meaning 6 units | Language minor | Course from other degree | Course from other degree |
| ARTH1007 Art and Design Histories: Making and Meaning 6 units | Language minor | Course from other degree | Course from other degree |
Academic Advice
Course credit
If you have undertaken previous study that is relevant to your current academic program, you can request to receive course credit. For more information and how to apply, see the CASS credit application webpage, or contact the CASS Student Office.
Other important information for new students
Please refer to the New students page. You will find all the information you require to activate your ANU email account, enrol into courses and our O week details.
Need help?
If you would like further information or advice regarding your degree, please contact the Student Office. We offer appointments, and you can reach us at students.cass@anu.edu.au.
You can also check out our in person opening hours and location on the CASS Student Office webpageBack to the Bachelor of Arts page
Course selection
Enrolling for the first time can seem like a big task. Below, you will find an example enrolment pattern for your first year of study.
There are a few items to note:
- Courses coded in the 1000 range are appropriate for first-year students. We strongly recommend that students new to tertiary study enrol in first-year courses during their first semester.
- We recommend you start a CASS Program Plan. This is a way to track how the courses you take fit within the overall structure of your degree and will help you pick your later year courses.
- The tables below represent only one possible combination. You are welcome to pick and choose from any other 1000-coded course found under the “Study Tab”.
- The tables below assume you are new to tertiary study and ineligible for course credit.
Single degree
Students starting in Semester 1 or Semester 2 –single degree Bachelor of Arts, example
Semester 1
Arts major
Arts minor
Elective
Elective
Semester 2
Arts major
Arts minor
Elective
Elective
Search Programs and Courses for the full list of available Majors and Minors and select a 1000-level that contributes to that major/minor.
Other first year courses available: to find all other 1000-level courses, refer to the Catalogue of Programs and Courses. You may refine your selection on the right-hand column of the webpage.
Double degree
Students starting in Semester 1 or Semester 2 – double degree Bachelor of Arts, example
Semester 1
Arts major
Arts minor
Course from other degree
Course from other degree
Semester 2
Arts major
Arts minor
Course from other degree
Course from other degree
Electives
Study Options
Study Plan
Please refer to the "Study" tab.Study Options
| Year 1 48 units | Arts major | Arts minor | Elective | Elective |
| Arts major | Arts minor | Elective | Elective |
Study Plan
Please refer to the "Study" tab.Study Options
| Year 1 48 units | Arts major | Arts minor | Course from other degree | Course from other degree |
| Arts major | Arts minor | Course from other degree | Course from other degree |
Academic Advice
Course credit
If you have undertaken previous study that is relevant to your current academic program, you can request to receive course credit. For more information and how to apply, see the CASS credit application webpage, or contact the CASS Student Office.
Other important information for new students
Please refer to the New students page. You will find all the information you require to activate your ANU email account, enrol into courses and our O week details.
Need help?
If you would like further information or advice regarding your degree, please contact the Student Office. We offer appointments, and you can reach us at students.cass@anu.edu.au.
You can also check out our in person opening hours and location on the CASS Student Office webpage.