Art History (Master's Degree Subject)Up close to art, past and present

As a city of the arts, Basel is an excellent place for academic engagement with the visual arts – from painting, sculpture and the plastic arts to design, photography, video, installation, performance and media art – and with the architecture of European cultures. Basel’s Master’s Degree Program in Art History specifically aims to identify, investigate and convey the historical, social, political and aesthetic dimensions of artistic and cultural heritage. The program focuses on linking contemporary questions with historical research by promoting analytical engagement with visual and artistic media combined with historical reflection. Basel’s abundance of museums and the opportunity to work with original artworks play an active role in this approach. Students on the master’s program develop strong visual skills, which are in higher demand than ever in our image-suffused society.

Focal areas of teaching and research

The Department of Art History focuses on the art of the Middle Ages, Byzantine art, the reception of the Middle Ages, the art and architecture of the Renaissance, nineteenth- and twentieth-century art in Europe and areas influenced by Europe, contemporary art, and art and image theory. The department is divided into the following fields, each represented by one professor:

  • Medieval Art History (late antiquity, the early to late Middle Ages including Byzantine art until around 1500, reception of the Middle Ages)
  • Early Modern Art History (Renaissance and baroque, fifteenth to nineteenth centuries)
  • Modern Art History (modern and contemporary art, late eighteenth century to present day)
  • Theory of Art (Schaulager Professor)
  • Contemporary Art (Laurenz Assistant Professor)

These comprehensive thematic areas are complemented by teaching by research associates (for example on historical preservation, film and museum work), interdisciplinary lecture series, block courses. Teaching combines practical skills with comprehensive knowledge of historical works of art and discipline-specific theoretical skills. The master’s program also includes theoretical components in which students reflect on methods and art history as a discipline. In addition to historical skills, the program develops students’ visual and argumentative skills in particular, as well as their understanding of hermeneutics in critical interpretation. 

The master’s program is organized into three modules. «Art Theory and Methodology» is devoted to art theory and the history of the discipline, while «Work and Context» focuses on the work itself, both visually and analytically. The «Practice and Research» project module combines textual and practical approaches with the art history knowledge students have acquired. Students deepen their communication skills and their specialist knowledge through colloquiums and excursions as well as active involvement in teaching (tutorials) and current research projects.

Short profile

DegreeMA in Art History
TypeDegree subject
Start dateFebruary, September
Credit points120
Program structure

The Master's degree is the second degree after the Bachelor's degree and comprises a total of 120 credit points (CP). In addition to Art History, students choose a second, independent subject, whereby both subjects are studied for 35 CP each. The subject in which the master's thesis (30 CP) is written becomes a major, the other a minor. In addition, there are free electives (20 CP).

One ECTS credit point corresponds to approximately 30 hours of work

Subject combination

Students may choose a subject from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences or an extra-faculty subject as their second Master's degree subject. Students can choose it according to their interests and appointments.

The free electives pass freely selectable courses that can be used to deepen knowledge in the degree subjects, to gain insight into other degree subjects offered by the University of Basel or to acquire language skills.

Language of instructionGerman
Subject area

Art History

Master’s admission requirements

Admission to master’s programs is regulated by the university student regulations and the stipulations of the individual degree program descriptions. More details of the general master’s admission requirements are provided here.

For students to be admitted with no additional requirements, they must hold a bachelor’s degree worth 180 CP from a higher education institution recognized by the University of Basel.

Subject-related requirements are defined in the admission requirements (section 3) of the study program for the relevant subject. The guidelines may also contain further useful information that is key to successful studies.

Registration dates

Students must register for their bachelor’s or master’s degree program within a specified timeframe – even in cases of delayed registration.

Information events

The University of Basel organizes regular information events for bachelor’s and master’s programs. Details can be found on the <link de/fakultaet/aktuelles/ - external-link-new-window "Öffnet internen Link im aktuellen Fenster">events page</link> of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. 
Some subject areas also offer their own separate information or welcome events. Please consult the page for the relevant subject area for event dates and locations.

Master Prüfung & Abschluss

Fristen und Termine Masterstudium (siehe Merkblätter unter Dokumente und Merkblätter)

Masterarbeit
Semester Übernahme, Abgabe Übernahme HS 2023, Abgabe HS 2024Übernahme FS 2024, Abgabe FS 2025Übernahme HS 2024, Abgabe HS 2025Übernahme FS 2025, Abgabe FS 2026Übernahme HS 2025, Abgabe HS 2026
Anmeldeformular verfügbar ababgelaufen08.04.2430.09.2407.04.2529.09.25
Anmeldung Masterarbeitabgelaufen06.05. - 24.05.2428.10. - 15.11.2405.05. - 23.05.2527.10. - 14.11.25
Übernahmedatumabgelaufen24.05.2415.11.2423.05.2514.11.25
Abgabedatumabgelaufen24.02.2514.08.2523.02.2613.08.26
Abgabe Bestätigungsformular Masterarbeitabgelaufenspätestens bis 03.03.25spätestens bis 21.08.25spätestens bis 02.03.26spätestens bis 20.08.26
Gutachten Abgabe durch Dozierendeabgelaufen20.06.2519.12.2519.06.2618.12.26
Notenmitteilung und Gutachtenversand31.01.2531.07.2531.01.2631.07.2631.01.27
 
Masterprüfungen für Studierende des Studienfachs und Studiengangs
SemesterHS 2024FS 2025HS 2025FS 2026HS 2026
Anmeldeformulare (Studienfach / Studiengang) verfügbar ababgelaufen27.01.2518.08.2526.01.2617.08.26
Frist Anmeldung Prüfungen
(WICHTIG: ab FS 2025 Anmeldung per Phil Web App)
abgelaufen24.02. - 07.03.2515.09. - 26.09.2523.02. - 06.03.2614.09. - 25.09.26
Prüfungswoche16.12. - 20.12.2422.05. - 28.05.2515.12. - 19.12.2522.05. - 29.05.2614.12. - 18.12.26
Notenmitteilung10.01.2513.06.2516.01.2612.06.2615.01.27
 
Beantragung MA-Abschlussdokumente
SemesterHS 2024FS 2025HS 2025FS 2026HS 2026
Frist Antrag auf Abschluss
(WICHTIG: ab FS 2025 Anmeldung per Phil Web App)
13.01. - 14.02.2516.06. - 08.08.2519.01. - 13.02.2622.06. - 07.08.2618.01. - 12.02.27
Diplomfeier / Zeugnisvergabe22.03.2527.09.2528.03.2619.09.2620.03.27


Alle Daten vorbehaltlich nachträglicher Änderungen.

Career opportunities

The day-to-day work of an art historian involves investigating, preserving, cataloguing, securing, documenting, analyzing and interpreting works and objects from all genres of art history. Art history graduates are traditionally employed by museums and galleries, pursue academic careers and work in the fields of historic preservation, art education, publishing, journalism, cultural management and the art market. Art historians ensure that contemporary audiences have the means to understand their cultural heritage and serve as a critical voice for contemporary art production and image economies. This requires independent thinking, critical faculties, the ability to work independently and highly developed linguistic and analytical skills. Graduates of the master’s program may also pursue a doctorate in art history.

Teaching committee