You don’t need to know everything about the history of art before you apply – your personal statement is a chance to show tutors you have an appreciation of art and an interest in its place through history and cultures, and explain why you’ve got the attributes needed for a course like this.
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Think about why you want to study the subject
- Have you been inspired by someone, a news story, a documentary, or a podcast?
- Do you have career aspirations in this area of study?
- What interests you about the subject – be specific; rather than saying you enjoy it or are good at it, try to explain the ‘why’ behind your reasoning.
- What do you already know about the subject and what are you looking forward to learning more about?
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What makes you suitable to study the subject?
- Have you done projects or essays in this subject at school or college?
- Think about who you are as a person; your personality, your strengths, your experiences in life – how do these make you suited to study the subject?
- How have you shown an interest in the subject outside of school or college – have you done extra reading, online courses, been part of clubs or competitions?
- Your current subjects and grades will be included elsewhere in your application, so try to think about specific things you’ve learned during your studies that relate to the subject, rather than listing your grades and subjects.
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Look at the bigger picture
- Have you done any work experience, an internship or had a part-time job in this subject area or related? Most job or work experience will give you transferable skills, even if it’s in a different industry.
- Do you have any hobbies you can mention that might relate to your chosen subject? Many hobbies show that you can be motivated outside of school to achieve and succeed in something you’re interested in.
- Think about how your life and personal experiences have helped make you the person you are today, and how these challenges and experiences can support your application by evidencing essential qualities for certain subjects.
- If you’ve got ambitions and goals for your life and career, can you express how this subject will help you reach these goals?
In your personal statement we're particularly interested to know why you want to study history of art. Tell us about any galleries, exhibitions, buildings or cities you've been to and particularly liked. We don't expect you to have travelled the world: we're interested in what you have to say, rather than where you have been. Remember to keep it honest and personal – you’re not expected to love everything equally, so try to examine and then explain your own motivations for applying for the course.
Guidance and examples you can use
Question 1: Why do you want to study this course or subject?
This is your opportunity to showcase your passion and knowledge of your chosen subject area and to demonstrate to universities and colleges why it’s a good fit for you and your future ambitions.
Examples:
- Explain your ‘why’. Your inspiration to study history of art may have come from visiting historical homes, seeing portraits and landscapes adorning the walls, or from a library or church you’ve visited. Try and expand on what it was about the art or architecture, or a particular period in art, that sparked your interest.
- Pick one or two artists, pieces of art or architecture, and critique them. What is it about George Stubbs’ Whistlejacket in the National Gallery, for example, that made you want to understand more about his painting style and the era he painted in? If you like sculpture or ceramics, pick a piece and include something you’ve learned about how, where, and when it was created.
- Mention books or blogs you read, or organisations you follow that have taught you more about the history of art. Maybe you follow The Courtauld on Instagram and it has led you to research and analyse the work of Frank Auerbach. Make sure you relate what you’re saying to the course you’re applying for
Question 2: How have your qualifications and studies helped you to prepare for this course or subject?
This is your chance to shout about the relevant or transferable skills you’ve gained from your formal education and highlight your understanding of how they will help you succeed in this subject area.
Examples:
- Some courses will require you to have an A level (or equivalent) in an essay-writing subject, so highlight your written communication skills, and how you’ve learned to write persuasively.
- Elaborate on other relevant skills you’ve picked up, such as research skills, analytical skills, and independent thinking. These could come from other humanities subjects, or from a science subject, among others.
- Think about what else you’ve learned during your studies that will be relevant. You may have picked up good presentation skills in English or drama, and good time management when studying for exams or balancing your schoolwork with other activities.
- Have you done any online courses to boost your knowledge in the subject? For example, why not try Subject Spotlights or Virtual Work Experiences from Springpod to grow your skills and interest?
Question 3: What else have you done to prepare outside of education, and why are these experiences useful?
This is your chance to talk about any other activities you have undertaken outside of your formal education, or personal experiences which further demonstrate your suitability for the course. This section is likely to be highly personal to you and anything you do include should reflect on why you’re including it.
Examples:
- Mention any volunteering, work-shadowing, or part-time jobs you’ve done in any museums, churches, historical buildings or art galleries. What skills did you pick up whilst there? You may have observed how other people talk about art and architecture or you may have learned how to look more closely at particular works of art.
- You can also use part-time jobs and extracurricular activities to highlight your interpersonal and communication skills, which will help you when you’re writing or talking to others about works of art.
- You’ll need to be analytical and good at problem solving when studying history of art, so give examples if you play things like chess, board games or particular computer games. Or perhaps you’ve solved a problem in your personal life, whether it was how to save money for a trip you wish to go on, or how to get to an activity you enjoy when you don’t have your own transport.
Dos
- Do relate any examples back to the subject you’re applying to – make it relevant
- Do make it personal – admissions staff want to get to know who you are
- Do use a spell-checker and grammar-checker to ensure there are no errors
- Do ask people for feedback, whether that’s family members or teachers
- Do your research to find out what universities are looking for, and make sure you include evidence to show how you are suitable for the course
Don'ts
- Don’t just list out examples, subjects you study, or experiences you’ve had without any evidence
- Don’t copy something you’ve seen online or use AI to write something for you
- Don’t make things up just because you think they’ll make you look good on paper
- Don’t leave it until the last minute – you need time for several drafts
- Don’t worry about making each section the same length; as long as you hit the minimum character count, you can use the 4,000 characters across each answer in the way that suits you best
How to set yourself apart
The key to setting yourself apart in your application is to remember how important the ‘personal’ bit is to your personal statement. What makes you, you?
Perhaps you love Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year, and you’ve visited some of the historic sites where they filmed. Or maybe you follow Kate Bryan and you wrote to her to ask for her tips on studying history of art. If you can show you’ve got a bit of spark and originality it will help you stand out from the crowd, but there’s also no need to go overboard!
Show you’ve got a broad cultural knowledge, through referencing podcasts you listen to, TV programmes you watch – like Art That Made Us – books you’ve read, and exhibitions you’ve visited. Mention something you’ve seen recently that you did (or didn’t) enjoy. If you’re a fan of an artist like Banksy, perhaps you can say how you think his art will be viewed in 50 or 100 years’ time?
What else do you enjoy in your spare time?
If you love hiking or going camping, you’ll have picked up independence and problem-solving skills. It’s fine to have hobbies or jobs unrelated to history of art – just try and draw out some of the relevant attributes you’ve picked up, like creativity, curiosity, flexibility, and attention to detail.
It’s even better if you can relate what you’re saying in your statement answers back to something you’ve read in The Burlington, seen on the Ashmolean Museum Oxford website or in the Culture section of the BBC News website.
Some more tips to consider
- Research the course: Why do you want to study history of art, what specific aspects of the course interest you, how does it relate to your academic studies, and what additional reading or other activities have led you to apply?
- Make your work experience count: If you’ve workshadowed at a gallery, museum, historical venue, auctioneers, or book shop, that’s great, but make sure you also spell out what you gained from it.
- Creativity and curiosity: Try to give examples of when you’ve kept an open mind about art or been curious and decided to research something further. Relate it to the course you’re applying for.
- Transferable skills: Brainstorm what skills you’ve picked up through extracurricular or supercurricular activities, work experience, or a part-time job that are relevant to your course. Think laterally – if you play cricket, can you explain how that has given you self-motivation, team working skills, good time management, and perseverance?