About

About the school

Founded by Françoise Henry, our department pioneered the teaching of Art History to degree standard in Ireland. For nearly sixty years, our teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate levels has pursued a cosmopolitan approach to the subject, embracive of a wide spectrum of cultures and periods. We see our discipline as an ever-widening gateway to looking and thinking in depth about the creative visual world. From the great works of art and architecture of history to contemporary culture, our extended classroom is the gallery, the museum, the city streets, and the landscape itself. We are also distinguished by our postgraduate Arts Management and Cultural Policy MA and, offered for the first time in 2022/ 23, our new Creative & Cultural Industries undergraduate degree. These programmes investigate how culture is managed and delivered, across all art forms (visual, performing, literary arts, creative industries, etc.).
Our school collaborates intensively with museums, galleries, and arts and cultural organisations as part of our research and teaching. Great emphasis is placed on first-hand interaction with art and architecture and with cultural professionals, and we make extensive use of site visits, field trips, and expert guest speakers. Our graduates hold many distinguished positions not only in cultural and art institutions in Ireland, but also in North and South America, Europe and Asia. One of our strengths is that we are a relatively small, and also a very collegial, department and we are very keen to foster a strong sense of subject identity and community among our students. This includes welcoming applicants of diverse backgrounds and mature and international students.

Associate Professor Philip Cottrell (Head of School)