University of York

What you'll study

This joint degree brings together core history of art modules with progressive Spanish language study and options in Iberian and Latin American cultural subjects. In the first year you establish foundations in art-historical methods and visual analysis alongside elementary to intermediate Spanish language tuition, grammar and oral skills. Core art history themes typically include introductions to medieval, renaissance and modern visual cultures, museums and collecting, and basic research methods.

In the second year you advance to specialised topics in art history — for example Renaissance and Baroque art, nineteenth-century visual culture, modern and contemporary art, architecture and urbanism, and theoretical approaches such as gender, visuality and colonialism — while taking higher-level Spanish language and literature or film modules that examine peninsular and Latin American cultures.

The third year is spent on a full-year supervised placement at a university, institution or workplace in a Spanish-speaking country. During the year abroad students continue language study and may take academic modules or professional placements in museums, galleries, cultural organisations, schools or media.

On return to York for the final year you complete advanced history of art options and a substantial dissertation or research project that allows you to develop a specialist topic, frequently drawing on material and contacts established during the year abroad. Typical assessment methods include essays, source analyses, language examinations, presentations, portfolios and a long dissertation.

• Core skills developed: visual and textual analysis, research design, fluency in Spanish (written and spoken), contextual and comparative thinking, curatorial and communication practice.
• Sample art-history modules: Introduction to Art and Visual Culture; Renaissance and Baroque Art; Modern and Contemporary Art; Architecture and Urban Space; Museums, Collections and Display; Theory and Methods in Art History; Dissertation.
• Sample Spanish/area-studies modules: Spanish language progression (elementary to advanced); Spanish and Latin American literature; Spanish cinema and visual culture; translation and professional Spanish; contemporary Iberian society.

Entry requirements

Admission is competitive and based on academic qualifications and evidence of language aptitude. Typical applicants hold A-levels or equivalent qualifications with strong grades in relevant subjects; a higher-level qualification in a humanities subject and demonstrable Spanish ability are advantageous. Applicants without formal Spanish qualifications should provide evidence of language study or an ability assessment; some candidates enter with GCSE/IGCSE Spanish or an equivalent competence.

International applicants must meet the University’s standard entry expectations for international qualifications and, where English is not the first language, provide proof of English proficiency through an accepted test or qualification. Selection may also consider personal statement, references and any relevant experience such as volunteering or work in heritage, cultural or language settings.

Career prospects

Graduates combine art-historical expertise with high-level Spanish and international experience, making them attractive to a wide range of employers. Common career paths include roles in museums and galleries (curation, collections management, education and outreach), heritage and conservation organisations, arts administration, publishing, journalism, cultural policy and digital media.

Other destinations include language-related careers such as translation, interpreting, international marketing, diplomacy and work with NGOs or cultural institutes. Many graduates also proceed to postgraduate study (MA/PhD) in art history, museum studies, cultural heritage, or applied language fields; others take professional training for teaching or specialised heritage conservation courses.

Why study at University of York

The University of York offers an interdisciplinary and research-informed approach to history of art, taught by staff with strengths across medieval to contemporary art, architecture and visual culture. The department benefits from strong links with local and national cultural institutions, including museums and historic sites in York and broader partnerships that support placements and study-abroad options.

York’s language teaching provision helps students progress quickly to confident communicative use of Spanish, and the year abroad is supported by established exchange agreements and a dedicated year-abroad team to help secure placements and academic study in Spanish-speaking countries. The city’s rich architectural and museum resources provide an immediate laboratory for studying visual culture, and the university aims to combine rigorous academic training with practical, career-focused experience.