Who is this course for?
The course is open to anyone with an interest in the subject area, and no previous experience is necessary.
What will I be studying?
The Certificate is divided into three termly units taught via remote delivery. Students are expected to attend all of the scheduled teaching sessions throughout the year.
Unit 1: Classical and Early Christian Art
This unit looks at the painting, sculpture, architecture (including the classical Orders) and applied arts of the Greeks and Romans. These diverse arts will be put into their social and historical contexts and will include study of the collections of the Museum of Classical Archaeology and the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge. The impact of Christianity on art and architecture will then be explored, in particular in relation to the Emperor Constantine and the period 330-1000 that saw the rise of several new styles including Byzantine and Anglo-Saxon across different art forms including illuminated manuscripts, ecclesiastical and monastic architecture.
Unit 2: The Medieval World
This unit traces the rise of Romanesque and Gothic art and architecture and its artistic influences, including its associated sculptural decorations, the rich resources of painting and other crafts such as metalwork, embroidery and ivory carving. The period 1000 to 1530 saw an international flowering of all the arts of painting, sculpture and architecture as well as new and original art forms such as narrative stained glass.
Unit 3: Renaissance to Baroque
This unit will examine the revival of interest in classical culture that constituted the Renaissance in Italy and other parts of Europe from the fifteenth to seventeenth centuries. This altered the very way in which people saw themselves and their place in the universe and, in turn, had a profound effect on the art, architecture and sculpture of the period. The unit will then explore the period of the High Renaissance to Baroque and what the “Baroque” was in terms of style and periodisation.
What can I go on to do?
The Institute offers two 60 credit complementary one-year Certificate courses in History of Art which are taught and awarded at first year undergraduate level (FHEQ 4). The Certificates will be taught in alternating years and can be studied independently of each other, and in any order.
Undergraduate Certificate in History of Art: Early Modern to Contemporary
The Undergraduate Certificate in History of Art: Early Modern to Contemporary planned for 2024-25 will include units on seventeenth to nineteenth-century British Art; twentieth-century European Art, and Postmodernism and Contemporary Art.
Students who have successfully completed the Undergraduate Certificate in History of Art: Classical to Renaissance (60 credits at FHEQ level 4) and the Undergraduate Certificate in History of Art: Early Modern to Contemporary (60 credits at FHEQ level 4) can apply to be awarded the Undergraduate Certificate of Higher Education in History of Art (120 credits at FHEQ level 4).
Undergraduate Diplomas in History of Art
The Institute also offers 2 part-time Diplomas in History of Art (FHEQ level 5) which will be taught in alternating years. For further details about both courses please visit the History of Art subject page of our website.
Credit awarded by the Institute can also be transferred into the degree programmes of other higher education providers. However, the amount of credit which can be transferred into degree programmes varies from institution to institution and is always at the discretion of the receiving institution.
Do I choose Certificate or Diploma level?
The Certificate and Diploma courses have been designed to provide a progression path for your studies. The Certificate level courses are ideal for those who are new to the History of Art and/or University level study. If you are still unsure which academic level to study please contact the Academic Director in History of Art, Dr Lydia Hamlett (lkh25@cam.ac.uk)
