Skip To Top Navigation Skip To Content Skip To Footer
JCU Art History students in a museum

Art History

Build broad foundations, gain first-hand experience, and explore contemporary questions — all in Rome, one of the world’s most culturally rich cities. Join our international community for an Art History degree like no other.

Apply Now Our Department Watch the Video
Bachelor of Arts in Art History
Credit Hours 120
Entry Time Fall or Spring
Language English
Thinking in Four Dimensions

Study Art History and Archaeology

Art is an engagement with the world. It invites us to be moved by it — and to question it. Art History is the practice of seeing clearly, of learning to see critically and contextually. To be an Art Historian is to ask not only how and why, but also what if?

Central is the work itself and Art History approaches this through critical thinking in four dimensions: form and materiality, time and space. Studying in Rome means meeting art. And the spaces of art, directly — unmediated by a camera lens — and engaging with their materiality, reception, and display.

Our courses are research-led and inherently interdisciplinary in approach. History, politics, gender, law, curation, and more are intrinsic to the academic discourse. Combined with strong research and writing skills, this breadth equips Art History graduates with excellent employment prospects.

The structure of the Art History degree is intentionally designed to help students shape a program that reflects their intellectual and professional interests.

Four foundation courses introduce students to key issues — and exciting possibilities — in the study of art. Students explore and develop these through a wide range of mid- and upper-level Art History courses, many of which incorporate on-site teaching at museums, archaeological sites, and monuments. An Art and Design course offers experience in techniques, while research and methodology courses prepare students for the culmination of their academic journey: the Senior Thesis, an independent research project on a topic of their choice.

Our curriculum addresses all periods and is rich in choices: curation, art and politics, archaeology, gender studies, art crime, and more. Internships, guest lectures by leading scholars, and departmental events further create professional opportunities and networks.

See For Yourself

Art History at JCU

At John Cabot University, our research-led teaching will guide you from foundational courses to your own Senior Thesis in exploring possibilities in a curriculum that spans antiquity to the contemporary, and in developing your abilities and interests. Our courses are not traditional surveys, but issue-based investigations informed by current research and interdisciplinary approaches.

Our international arts community is inclusive and collegial; your professors know your name and mentor your strengths; and our small class sizes and discussion-based teaching actively engage students in the academic discourse from day one.

Discover how the BA in Art History sets you on course for the future!

Students admiring art in a church

Inside the Art History Program

A Degree in Art History

Professional Experience

The Art History department is like no other. I have endless admiration for all my professors – they are intellectually generous mentors." Meet Aleksandra Nasobina JCU Alumna, B.A. in Art History
Aleksandra Nasobina
Global Reach

A Degree in Demand

Art History professor speaking to students

Networks

More than two-thirds of our graduates are accepted to advanced degree programs or field-specific professions within a year of graduation.

Graduating from John Cabot University is to join a global network of engaged and accomplished individuals, and the Department places a strong emphasis on staying connected long after graduation through institutional platforms and events. We will always be your Art History home in Rome.

Two students talking and looking at a phone

Careers

Art History’s ability for critical thinking, complex analysis, insightful cultural engagement and powers of expression are in demand, and our alumni have found work in the following sectors: Cultural heritage management; Museum and gallery curation; Cultural tourism and outreach. Media, marketing and journalism; Art Technology consultancy; Events management. Art and culture law; Teaching, and education; Publishing and editorial work. Managerial positions at international non-governmental and non-profit organizations.

Student taking notes

Further Education

The richness and rigor of our degree, with its focus on student research, means that our graduates are accepted to top universities in the world.

Our alumni have gained Graduate and Doctoral degrees from: University of Oxford, St Andrews University, University College London, University College Berkeley, Tufts University, University of Manchester, Amsterdam University, University of Edinburgh, Courtauld Institute, University of Cambridge, Institute of Fine Art NYU.

BA in Art History

Featured Alumni

Flavia Frigeri

Flavia Frigeri

Class of 2007

Curatorial and Collection Director of the National Portrait Gallery in London since 2025, Flavia holds a B.A. from JCU, an M.A. from the university of Chicago, and a Ph.D. from University College London and has curated major exhibitions and published widely on Modern art.

Meet Flavia

Anna Bottinelli

Anna Bottinelli

Class of 2010

Director of the Monuments Men and Women Foundation since 2017 and named by Christie’s as one of the six most influential women in the art world in 2024, Anna gained a B.A. at JCU and an M.A. in Art History from the Courtauld Institute, London.

Meet Anna

Viviana Calvagno

Viviana Calvagno

Class of 2020

Director and Co-founder of Sol Creative since 2019, Viviana holds a B.A. and an M.A. in Art History from JCU. She was featured in Marie Claire in 2025 for her work as an educator, food culture researcher, and outstanding plant-based chef.

Meet Viviana

Natalia Stanusch

Natalia Stanusch

Class of 2022

Ph.D. candidate, School for Cultural Analysis at the University of Amsterdam, researching methodological approaches to AI models, Natalia holds a B.A. in Art History and Communications from JCU, and has published on the visual and physical in social media platforms.

Meet Natalia

 Back to Top
Come for the Community

Get Ready for the World