The MSc by Research programme is for students looking for a one-year Masters degree, who have strong research skills and wish to include a substantial research element within their study, and those who also wish to focus their interests and deepen their knowledge of a specific topic.

The History of Art department at Edinburgh College of Art provides a dynamic and supportive research environment for your MSc by Research studies.

The research topics that we can supervise include but are not limited to:

• modern and contemporary art history
• artists’ film and video
• digital culture and internet art
• medieval art history  
• South Asian art history
• premodern visual and material cultures
• eighteenth-century history of art
• Islamic art  
• nineteenth-century art
• curatorial theory and practice
• Scottish visual culture
• Chinese art

History of Art PhD and MPhil option are for those who wish to advance their expertise in a specific area. Our graduates gained a diversified and advanced knowledge in historical and critical understanding of art. Jobs as academic in higher education, curators in museums and galleries, and art managers and heritage officers in cultural and creative industries are popular. Careers in National Trust, art conserving, education, commercial auction houses, and art management are common. 

 you'd like to study on a postgraduate research programme at Edinburgh College of Art, you must apply through EUCLID, our online application system. You can find out how to do this on the University of Edinburgh website, where you'll also be able to:

• See detailed entrance requirements for each programme on the Degree Finder
• Get information on what to expect after you apply
• Find out about study modes, start dates and fees
• Find out if, and how, you need to submit a portfolio, showreel or research proposal
• Find out where to go for further advice and guidance.

Read the University of Edinburgh's student terms and conditions

Before you apply

Students are assigned two research supervisors, the second of which may be from another discipline within ECA, or from somewhere else within the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences (CAHSS) or wider University. 

Please ensure that at least one member of staff (see below) maintains an active research programme that aligns with the themes of your proposed project.  

Prospective students are strongly encouraged to make contact with the relevant member(s) of staff via email to explain your research interests prior to submitting an application. Please note that we only accept applications and review application materials submitted through the official EUCLID application portal.

After you apply

Once your application has been submitted for consideration, it will be sent to a team of academic reviewers for their attention. They will then make a decision about your application and research topic, and decide whether it is possible to make an offer of a place to study with us. You may be asked to attend a brief online interview but if this is the case, you will be notified in advance.