Our Mission
UCD School of Art History and Cultural Policy is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in teaching and research. As Ireland’s oldest and largest academic department for the study of art history, we offer a varied and diverse curriculum that includes the study of Irish, European, American and non-Western art and architecture, and media such as painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, video and performance. Through its MA in Cultural Policy and Arts Management, the School also provides career pathways into the arts and heritage fields, not only for graduates in art history but also for others with primary degrees in the humanities.
We promote an educational environment that fosters original thought, interpretative and analytical skills, critical enquiry, and visual acuity. Staff make significant contributions to knowledge in specific areas of art history and cultural policy, and disseminate their research findings, nationally and internationally, through scholarly publications, lectures, conference papers, and digital and social media.
Our research informs our teaching and this synergy is essential to maintaining quality in both. The School makes important contributions to the wider cultural and artistic spheres, and promotes the disciplines of art history and cultural policy, through extramural teaching, public lectures, curating exhibitions, and membership of institutional boards and government advisory committees.