Undergraduate awards: Diploma in History of Art: Renaissance and Baroque

Explore the visual culture of Renaissance Italy and the shift from Renaissance to Baroque, beginning with Italian Baroque and moving on to other European countries and then to Baroque’s global impact. Then do a deep dive into the art of Central Europe in the final term.

As part of our learning community, you will:

• enhance your understanding of Italy’s visual culture in the 1500s to 1600s through a range of topics, including court cultures across Italy, Medici patronage, and the art and architecture of Venice
• enjoy thematic or media-focused lectures on topics such as drawing and patronage
• examine the Baroque in more detail, through questions about its nature, how it manifested itself in visual culture, and why it spread across the globe
• learn how the Baroque was used to shape ideas and promote certain religious and political points of view
• explore the art and architecture of Central Europe, including Germany, Hungary and Poland
• master the skills and methodology needed to write analyses of art and architecture.

Course breakdown 

This course will run from Saturday 11th October 2025 to Wednesday 10th June 2026.

Each term's teaching usually takes place on Wednesday evenings, with occasional Saturday sessions. Exact teaching dates and times will be confirmed in the course guide upon enrolment.

Michaelmas term: Visual Culture in Renaissance Italy

• Course (unit 1) start date: Saturday 11 October 2025
• Unit 1 end date: Wednesday 7 January 2026

Lent term: Global Baroque 

• Unit 2 start date: Saturday 10 January 2026
• Unit 2 end date: Wednesday 25 March 2026

Easter term: Visual Cultures of Central Europe: Germany, Hungary and Poland, 1400–1800

• Unit 3 start date: Saturday 11 April 2026
• Unit 3 end date: Wednesday 10 June 2026

After the course

This course gives you an insight into specialist areas of art history and equips you with visual analysis skills that you can go on to apply in your life, whether personally or professionally.

Want to learn more? Consider moving on to the Diploma in History of Art: British Visual Culture. On completion of both diplomas, you can apply for the award of Diploma of Higher Education in History of Art. You may decide to study at a higher level, including the Advanced Diploma, and we would be happy to advise on this.

Entry requirements  

To be accepted onto a Diploma course, you will normally have passed a Certificate (level 4) qualification, or international equivalent, in a relevant subject.   

We are able to make exceptions, especially if you have evidence of relevant professional experience that demonstrates your suitability for the course.  

Please tell us about any previous study or relevant educational and professional experience when you apply. 

Your application will be reviewed by the Course Director or Academic Director, who will decide whether to make you an offer of a place.  

If you are still unsure which academic level to study, would like an informal discussion on academic matters before making your application, or would like to know more about the admissions process, please complete this enquiry form with your questions. 

English language requirements 

If English is not your first language, you need to be able to prove you meet the University of Cambridge English language requirements on application. Please refer to our English language requirements for Undergraduate Certificates, Diplomas and Advanced Diplomas pages for further information. 

IT requirements 

The course content will be delivered, and the learning outcomes met, through video-based teaching platforms and a dedicated course Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).  

You will therefore need to have access to:  

• the internet via a computer, laptop, tablet or other smart device 
• speakers or headphones in order to hear any pre-recorded material  
• a webcam and microphone for any interactive sessions which may be available 

Identity Check  

As part of your application, you are required to provide a copy of your ID. At the beginning of the course, you will be required to attend a live zoom session, so that we can verify your identity. Please note we will not be able to issue the award if an identity check has not been completed. 

The fee for this course is £3,300. You can either pay: 

• in full when you enrol, 
  or  
• Your account will be set up for you to pay in 3 equal instalments: the first when you enrol, the second by 1 January, and the third and final instalment by 1 April – (standard instalment plan). The exact dates will be confirmed in your booking details.

Important: your place on the course is not secured until we receive your first payment along with any required documents, such as proof of English language proficiency.  

If you are offered a place, you will receive instructions as to how to register and pay. Please note that places are limited and on a first-come first-served basis.  

Help with fees 

The University has many sources of financial help that you can explore. Please visit our pages on bursaries and sources of funding and Disabled Student’s Allowances (DSAs) for more information.   

Refunds 

This course will require a minimum number of students to run. In the rare event that the course is cancelled by us, due to minimum numbers not being met, or for any other reason, you will receive a full refund of any fees paid. 

If you would like to cancel your place on the course, please refer to our Cancellations and Refunds policy, which we encourage you to read in full before applying. 

Disability Support

The University’s Accessibility & Disability Resource Centre Non-Matriculated Service (ADRC NMS) provides advice, guidance, and resources to ICE award-bearing undergraduate and postgraduate students who have a diagnosed disability or medical condition, including mental health conditions. The support provided can include:

• appointments with a Senior disability adviser or Neurodiversity disability adviser ​
• reviewing/assessing medical or diagnostic evidence​
• production of a Student Support Document (SSD)
• signposting to sources of disability-related funds (Disabled Students’ Allowances [DSA], as well as other internal funds for home and international students)​
• coordination of human support, such as specialist mentoring or specialist study skills​
• neurodiversity screening service (Autism, Specific Learning Difficulties, ADHD)​
• signposting to disability library services 
• signposting to assistive technology and software support

If you would like to access support then please indicate this on your course application form and then complete the ADRC NMS online Student Information Form so they can work with you to fully support your studies. Please upload medical evidence (written in English) when prompted to within the Student Information Form. The following links to guidance on medical evidence or diagnostic evidence will help to answer any questions you may have. 

If you have any questions concerning disability support then please contact the ADRC NMS team via adrc.nms@admin.cam.ac.uk or view their website via https://www.disability.admin.cam.ac.uk/non-matriculated-students.

Wellbeing Support

It is important that all our learners feel safe in their learning environment and student wellbeing is a key priority at ICE. We have a dedicated Student Support team who can offer a variety of support mechanisms to those who are experiencing challenges maintaining positive mental wellbeing. The ICE Student Support Team are here to support you throughout the duration of your studies at ICE and can:​

• meet with you via teams/zoom (camera can be off) to discuss any concerns surrounding your wellbeing, mental health, academic pressures, or welfare​
• advise you on options and signpost you to appropriate sources of guidance which range from self-guided resources to wellbeing conversations
• direct you to specialist support and help concerning welfare, wellbeing, safeguarding and prevent​
• in specific circumstances (where there is a clear need unmet elsewhere) provide access to counselling ​
• provide access to study skills resources

If you have any questions concerning welfare support, then please contact the ICE Student Support team via studentsupport@ice.cam.ac.uk 

Are sessions recorded? 
Where teaching is delivered remotely (via Zoom, for example), and wherever possible, sessions are recorded. There may be some instances where we are not able to share a recording or part of a recording; for example, for technological, confidentiality or copyright reasons. 

What if I can't attend a session?  
We understand that you may need to miss a session from time to time. We would simply ask that you let your tutor and/or Course Director know, and ideally in advance of the session. We will do what we can to ensure that you are able to catch up on any work missed, and we encourage you to listen to recordings of sessions where available. 

Is any financial help available? 
Details of any bursaries available through ICE are listed on our website. 

Information about other sources of funding (including loans, Disabled Students’ Allowance etc.) may also be useful. 

Can I apply for/undertake multiple courses at any one time? 
You are welcome to apply for multiple courses. However, you would not normally be able to undertake more than two Certificate, Diploma or Advanced Diploma level courses in any one year. 

When considering whether to undertake more than one course, you will firstly need to ensure that there are no date clashes between teaching sessions. We would also advise you to carefully consider the workload of undertaking more than one course - consider any reading you will want to do as well as the time required to attend classes and complete assignments. You may also want to consider what commitments you have beyond your studies. 

If you would like to undertake a second course, we would ask you to contact us so that we can liaise with both Course Directors. They will need to approve your application on the understanding that you will be undertaking two courses simultaneously. 

If I complete a Certificate/Diploma/Advanced Diploma with ICE, does it guarantee me a place on another course at ICE, including an MSt? 
We are delighted that many of our students want to return to study with us again and again. Unfortunately, however, completion of one course does not guarantee that you will be offered a place on another. 

To ensure quality of teaching, places on courses are necessarily limited, and where an offer is made, places can only be confirmed subject to availability. 

A Course Director may also feel that a higher level course is not the best fit for you. In this case, the Course Director may recommend another more suitable Certificate-level course or a non-award bearing short course or online course. This is, by no means, a rejection, but a way for us to help you to prepare more fully for study at a higher level. 

Do I need to have completed the Certificate-level course before applying for a place on the Diploma? 

The Certificate and Diploma courses have been designed to provide a progression path for your studies, and some students on the Diploma will have previously completed the Certificate; however, completion of the Certificate is not a requirement for entry onto the Diploma. It very much depends on your experience, the information you provide in your Personal Statement, and on your writing sample.