The subject of the History of Art at KIT deals with works of art and other products of artistic creation, from late antiquity to the present day.

The broad subject area of the History of Art includes works from the traditional genres of painting, sculpture and architecture as well as those from modern media such as photography and design and the "mixed media" environments, performances and electronic works that have recently emerged from the transgression of art genres. It is a theoretically working, discourse-oriented discipline. The repertoire of methods combines formal analysis and stylistic-historical classification with the interpretation of the content of the works of art. Art theory, art sociology and the history of aesthetics complement the spectrum of reflection on visual design. Cooperations with the Hochschule für Gestaltung, the Akademie der Künste and the Hochschule für Musik as well as the academic exchange with partner institutions such as the ZKM or the Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe expand the subject-specific and practice-oriented education of the students.

Bachelor's degree program History of Art
→ Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Master's degree program History of Art
→ Master of Arts (M.A.)

Career Profile

Possible fields of activity in the field of art studies open up after graduation, e.g. in the following professional fields: Museums, galleries, cultural management, exhibition management, tourism, journalism, publishing, radio and television etc. The prerequisite for this is early and continuous contact with the respective field of activity. The degree program offers motivated students the framework conditions for acquiring key qualifications relevant to the profession, such as personal responsibility and indepen- dence, sound knowledge of foreign languages, good articulation skills, the ability to concentrate on unfamiliar subjects and to analyse complex structures, as well as information acquisition techniques. Active participation in the student council, the organisation of study groups and events with a project character contribute to the development of social competence. The Bachelor's degree enables the acquisition of further academic degrees (MA, doctorate, etc.) and is thus also the foundation stone for a university career.

»We are in the midst of a long-term change in values. In the context of networking and digitalisation, art and art history are increasingly taking place in spaces that call for participation. This transformation, espe- cially of those groups that want to actively engage with art and its history, confronts us with the exciting task of facilitating a new culture of participation.«

Prof. Dr. Oliver Jehle
Professor for History of Art
Dean of Studies for History of Art

»After my voluntary year working in the field of the preservation of historic monuments, I knew that I wanted to study the History of Art with a special focus on Architectural History. At KIT, the inclusion of His- tory of Art within the Department of Architecture is a unique selling point for this. Since the third semester, I have been employed as a student assistant and later as a tutor at the institute. I think it's great to actively contribute to what's happening through my work.«

Eileen Purnama, B.A.
Master's student
Graduate of the Bachelor's degree program History of Art

Why study art history?
Students and lecturers of art history at KIT report why art history is an exciting field of research that is needed today more than ever.