The Courtauld Institute of Art

One of the most prestigious art institutions in the world, the Courtauld specializes in the history of art and in art conservation. The school has a small student body of under 500 students and is notable for the high proportion of its alumni which go on to work as directors of the world’s leading museums.

Founded in 1932, the Courtauld is located in Somerset House, one of London’s most iconic buildings. This site is currently undergoing a major regeneration project.

Only one undergraduate program is offered by the institute - a degree in history of art. The range of postgraduate degrees is wider and allows students to specialize in particular fields (e.g. Buddhist art). Students benefit from access to an extensive library collection (one of the UK’s largest holdings of art history books, exhibition catalogues and periodicals) and the institute’s gallery which contains about 530 paintings and over 26,000 prints and drawings. Access to the gallery is currently unavailable to members of the public.