Art History as a first or second subject consists of eight modules – teaching and learning units that are self-contained with examinations taken during the program – amounting to 45 ECTS credits; these modules teach fundamental specialist knowledge of medieval, modern and contemporary art history as well as the ability to conduct independent academic work, including using the relevant methods. When taken as the first subject, eight additional compulsory electives with a total of 45 ECTS enable students to develop their individual profile (second subject: five modules with a total of 25 ECTS). Students taking Art History as their first subject also complete 20 ECTS credits related to key qualifications aimed at practical skills. Of these, 10 ECTS credits must be taken in the compulsory electives in art history, and a further 10 ECTS credits can be chosen freely from the wide range of other subjects offered by FAU.

Students acquire

• well-founded subject-related skills: knowledge of time periods, the most important artists and works, and artistic techniques, as well as of important monuments and museums with a special emphasis on the Nuremberg metropolitan region.
• fundamental methodological skills in art history, history, and cultural studies: formal description, content analysis, social history, philosophy of art, media history, and visual studies.
• the relevant media skills: searching for, preparation, and evaluation of visual and textual sources, especially digital images, and working with digital learning platforms.
• useful communication and presentation skills: considered and differentiated use of language and subject-specific terminology in spoken and written form with regard to the communication and presentation of visual phenomena in different media.

FAU’s Art History degree program is suitable for students who

• have a pronounced interest in art, culture and visual media
• are interested in the historical and intellectual contexts of art
• wish to read academic texts critically and in great detail
• would like to learn to understand the world and its history in coherent categories
• have good observation skills
• are interested in other related subjects (interdisciplinary approach)
• enjoy going to exhibitions and traveling
• are confident in speaking in front of other students.

Studying Art History does not just involve looking at pictures; writing and interpreting texts is equally as important. Art History is a degree program that requires active participation (field trips, presentations, visits to exhibitions). The degree program cannot be completed without a certain level of discipline as careful preparation and follow-up is required.

Our institute:

• is rich in tradition with over 100 years of history with close connections to museums and cultural institutions
• has its own library and media library
• has a broad range of courses covering topics and methods from late antiquity to contemporary art
• has freelance teaching staff from museums and the field of monument conservation

General information about the degree program:

• Students can choose a second subject from a range of subjects in the humanities and social sciences that is unique in Germany
• Research-oriented teaching and research-based learning
• Digital learning opportunities
• Teaching units with practical components (museums, monument preservation)
• Intensive and individual support due to a manageable number of students in lectures and seminars
• Provides students with the opportunity to form their own academic profile due to a strong range of compulsory electives

Practical orientation:

• Study days
• Study of original works of art over several days
• Internships
• Close collaboration with the university’s own collection of prints and drawings

The career fields listed below are only a selection of potential careers that are open to art historians. These include:

• Collections and exhibitions, museums (curator)
• Art and cultural institutions
• Public administration, private foundations and associations
• Journalism, publishing, communication
• Public relations, event management
• Monument preservation
• Art trade and auction houses
• Archives and libraries
• Academic areas: Research and teaching
• Tourism
• Cultural and art education

• Students can participate in the Erasmus exchange program at our partner universities in Bern, Córdoba, Leiden, Milan, Oviedo, Pisa, Poitiers and Sienna
• Workshops and lectures offered by international cooperation partners
• International field trips