Career prospects

The research Master's programme in Art History contributes in different ways to helping you find a job and navigate an international field and network.

Graduates of our research Master's programme will often find PhD positions, or jobs in: 

  • Museums (national and international)
  • Contemporary art institutions
  • Art galleries
  • Academia (PhD-positions)
  • Research libraries
  • Archives
  • The art trade/auction houses
  • Publishing

Academic careers

Our graduates have accepted curatorial and research positions in, for instance:
 |  |  |  |  |  I London, National Gallery |  

Read alumni stories

  • Ruben Suykerbuyk has done his PhD at Ghent ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ and is now the curator of old masters at Museum Boijmans van Beuningen.
  • Nelleke de Vries is curator at Rijksmuseum Twente.

Towards the job market

This programme does not only prepare for an academic career, but might also prepare for curatorial positions in museums. Our alumni found jobs as:

  • Curator of 19th-century Art at in The Hague
  • Assistant Curator Old Master Paintings at  (RKD) in The Hague
  • Curator 19th-century Art at the
  • Curator at
  • Project Coordinator bij  
  • Learning Developer bij

Alumni on LinkedIn

  • Associate bij PwC Nederland

    Art History: 2018-2020

  • Curator at Mauritshuis

    Art History: 2015-2017

Career development

Navigating an international field and network

The research Master's programme contributes in different ways to helping you find a job and navigate an international field and network, for example through symposia, individual supervision of papers and tutorials, access to the programme of the (OSK) and the ‘Thesis Lab’. If you envision the publication of your work, you may benefit from the network of our staff members, who are on the boards of many journals including the 'Netherlands Yearbook for History of Art', 'Simiolus', 'Nuncius' and more.

Career Services

Career Services offers events, tests, coaching and training in and outside your Master's programme, related to professional self-analysis, career orientation and job application skills. You can find more information about career services on or .

Other career events

  • is a monthly career orientation meeting for students and alumni of the Faculty of Humanities at Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ. 
  • The Faculty of Humanities organises a  with interesting partners who will illustrate the diversity in career opportunities for humanities graduates.
  • Once a year Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ organises a . This Careers Day offers the opportunity to sign up for workshops and trainings, and to meet recruiters at the careers fair.