Global Premodern Art: History, Heritage and Curation MSc

You will study three compulsory courses:

• Approaching World Objects - focuses on global material culture and heritage, exhibition design and interpretation (Semester 1)
• Global Rome - incorporates an optional study week in a place of global importance during the premodern period, such as Rome (Semester 2)
• Dissertation - on a premodern art subject of your choice (Summer).

You will also choose four option courses, from a range reflecting the expertise of the programme’s staff, as well as relevant courses in:

• music
• literature
• history
• languages
• architectural history

You will have the option to gain hands-on experience through our internship opportunities at national and local institutions that specialise in the display, documentation and social relevance of art and culture.

Find out more about compulsory and optional courses

We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

Students who successfully complete this programme will be able to:

• critically analyse, evaluate, and synthesise the study of global art histories informed by developments at the forefront of research
• scrutinise the setting and display of art historical objects, taking account of their physical, institutional, cultural, and historical context
• plan and execute a significant project of research, including defining research questions or problems and testing them against evidence and existing research
• deploy a wide range of media to present art history to a broad public
• pursue professional careers in art history and the cultural and heritage sectors.

The wide-ranging nature of this programme will equip you for further, more specialised, study and potentially a future academic career.

The vocational element is the ideal stepping-stone to a career in art history, whether in the public or private heritage sectors, including:

• museums
• galleries
• libraries
• archives
• auction houses
• the media.

Transferable skills

You will gain an array of highly transferable skills that employers look for in graduates. These include:

• communication
• project management
• problem-solving.

More specifically, our approach means you will gain confidence in employing analytic skills especially attuned to the nuances of cultural exchange and a global outlook.

Lauriston campus redevelopment

ECA are excited to be undertaking a capital redevelopment of ECA’s Lauriston campus over the next 3 years, from April 2024 to April 2027.

The project aims to maximise the use of existing space, improve accessibility, and create a vibrant campus that fosters collaboration and innovation.

The project involves refurbishing and repurposing various spaces across the Lauriston campus, including technical facilities, student and teaching spaces, and the relocation of the Reid School of Music from Alison House to the Lauriston campus. New social spaces, seminar rooms, and studios are being created to accommodate our growing community.

You can find more about the project at the below link:

Building work starts at ECA’s Lauriston campus | Edinburgh College of Art

These entry requirements are for the 2025/26 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2026/27 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2025.

Normally a UK 2:1 honours degree or its international equivalent.

Students from China

This degree is Band C.

• Postgraduate entry requirements for students from China

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country

English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency which will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 169 in each component.
• Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 73 with at least 59 in each component. We do not accept PTE Academic Online.
• Oxford ELLT: 8 overall with at least 6 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old at the beginning of your programme of study.

Find out more about our language requirements:

• English language requirements

Additional programme costs

The optional study trip abroad is not included in the programme tuition fees.

Tuition fees

Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.

Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:

• borrowing money
  • taking out a loan
  • family support
• personal savings
• income from work
• employer sponsorship
• scholarships

Explore sources of funding for postgraduate study

Featured funding

• Edinburgh College of Art scholarships

UK government postgraduate loans

If you live in the UK, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from one of the UK’s governments.

The type and amount of financial support you are eligible for will depend on:

• your programme
• the duration of your studies
• your tuition fee status

Programmes studied on a part-time intermittent basis are not eligible.

• UK government and other external funding

Other funding opportunities

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