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.

ANU offers an outstanding variety of programs for Australia's next generation of language leaders, with more languages offered than at any other university in Australia. The ANU Bachelor of Languages is a wonderful way to take advantage of that, through the study of two (or more) languages, in combination with other areas of interest.

Your language education experience is designed to engage you with the structural, grammatical and idiomatic components of your chosen language or languages. This is further contextualised using cultural, social and historical concepts, issues and topics. You can start at beginning level, or at higher levels if you have past experience. Exciting opportunities exist for you to immerse yourself in your chosen language and culture through study abroad, and to combine your language study with a range of other areas.

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

1. identify and critique the historical, social, cultural and political contexts of art;

2. understand the relationship between art history, art theory and curatorial practices;

3. evaluate and investigate the structures and practices of public cultural institutions through active engagement with museums and galleries; and

4. demonstrate practical knowledge of the processes associated with caring for collections and developing exhibitions.

1. communicate proficiently and confidently in at least one language
2. identify the structure and uses of languages studied
3. recognise and contrast the societies and cultures of the languages chosen, and their socio-historical context
4. construct a global schema of the connections between the languages studied and their geographical, social and cultural origins
5. recognise the importance and value of intercultural communication.

Admission Requirements

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.

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 Languages 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:

Either

48 units from completion of one of the following language majors:

Ancient Greek

Arabic

Chinese Language

French Language and Culture

German Language and Culture

Hindi Language

Indonesian Language

Italian Language and Culture

Japanese Language

Korean Language

Latin

Persian

Sanskrit Language

Spanish

Thai Language

Vietnamese Language

OR

24 units from completion of the one of the following advanced 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

24 units from courses available in:

• the International Communication Major 
• the Advanced Minor
• the following language minors, which must be in a different language to the Advanced Minor:

Advanced English Language

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

24 units from completion of one of the following language minors, which must be in a different language to the major or advanced minor from the list above:

Advanced Ancient Greek

Advanced Arabic

Advanced Chinese Language

Advanced English 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

Literary Chinese

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

Mongolian Language

Persian

Russian

Sanskrit Language

Spanish

Tetum Language

Thai Language

Tok Pisin Language

Vietnamese Language

A minimum of 12 units and maximum of 18 units from completion of courses in the Linguistics major

A minimum of 6 units and maximum of 12 units from completion of courses in any of the following majors:

Asian Studies

Australian Indigenous Studies

Computer Science 

Contemporary Europe

English

International Communication

Mathematical Modelling

Mathematics

Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies

Pacific Studies

Majors

Bachelor of Languages Majors

Bachelor of Art History and Curatorship Majors

Minors

Bachelor of Art History and Curatorship Minors

Bachelor of Languages Minors

Study Options