Course Prices
Inside UK
£400.00
Outside UK
£425.00
Instalments UK & International
£400.00 in 4 instalments at £100.00 each
International students will not be supplied with a paper copy
History of Art Diploma Course
Explore the fascinating world of Western art — from ancient civilisations to modern masters — in this comprehensive, self-paced online diploma. Whether you're reading about artworks in a book or viewing them in a gallery, you'll be amazed at how much deeper your appreciation becomes with a bit of guided insight.
Who is this course for?
This course is perfect for beginners, though students at all levels are welcome. Whether you're an aspiring artist, a lifelong learner, or simply curious about visual culture, you'll find the material accessible and rewarding. The tutor will adapt their feedback to suit your background and goals.
It's also an excellent introduction for those considering further education in the arts — and many students say the course has inspired them to experiment with new techniques in their own creative work.
What to expect
- Self-paced distance learning — complete in your own time, within up to two years
- A beautiful printed textbook delivered by post, featuring full-colour images
- Eight written assignments submitted online for tutor feedback
- Additional exercises to support your understanding (not submitted)
- No exams or practical work — this is a fully theoretical course
What you'll learn
The course focuses primarily on Western art but also explores connections to other world cultures. You'll gain an understanding of how techniques, styles and materials evolved — and how each era reflects the culture in which it was created.
- A concise yet meaningful overview of major periods, movements and artists in (Western) art history
- An understanding of how artistic techniques, styles and media have been used over time
- The importance of historical, cultural and personal context in interpreting works of art
- Broader analytical tools that will deepen your enjoyment and interpretation of visual culture
Meet your tutor
Your tutor for this course is Stewart Roberts, an experienced educator with a passion for bringing art history to life. His feedback is detailed, supportive, and always tailored to your learning style — helping you grow your understanding with each assignment.
Student feedback
This course consistently receives glowing reviews from students of all backgrounds — from complete beginners to those with an academic interest in the subject. Here's what some of them had to say:
"A first-class course with a first-class tutor. I greatly enjoyed and benefited from it."
— P. Barwell"I have loved every minute of this course. My tutor Stu has been so helpful, and his feedback helped me approach each new task with more confidence."
— K. Hayton"The course has given me a whole new fascination with art. I now have a list of galleries I want to revisit — with fresh eyes."
— M. Cooper"Stewart Roberts is a brilliant tutor. Always rigorous, always encouraging. I highly recommend both the course and Stewart himself."
— P. Arthur"I didn't expect to enjoy modern art — but now it's where my passion lies! I'll miss writing the assignments and reading your comments."
— Sue"I knew nothing about art when I started. Now I genuinely enjoy going to galleries and feel like a whole new world has opened up to me."
— J. Harrison
👉 Read additional student testimonials
FAQs
Do I need any background in art history to take this course?
No — the course is designed with beginners in mind. You don't need any prior knowledge to start, and your tutor will tailor feedback to your level.
Will I receive a qualification at the end of the course?
Yes — upon successful completion of your assignments, you'll be awarded the London Art College Diploma in the History of Art.
Is there any practical artwork involved in this course?
No. This is a theoretical course. All assignments are written, focusing on your understanding of art movements, techniques, and historical context.
Can I get feedback on every assignment?
Yes — you'll receive personalised tutor feedback on all eight submitted assignments, helping you improve and deepen your understanding.
How long does the course take to complete?
You can study at your own pace, with up to two years to complete the course. Most students finish within 12 months, depending on their schedule.
Students are able to upload their artwork to the 'The Art Room' on our website. Each student is
given a unique username and password on enrolment for their own private area in
The Art Room.
Students can upload their artwork for the tutor to collect and
critique. The tutor will then upload feedback for the student to download. If
you do not have facilities to upload your artwork, you can mail your artwork to
the tutors centre and receive your artwork back with your critique.
It is essential you label all
packages/artwork with your student number.
All our courses are written to be your comprehensive guide into
each of their subject matters. We understand that students appreciate
clarification about various aspects of their work from a course tutor, whom
provide reassurance that techniques are put into practice effectively.
Each courses has its own dedicated Tutor. The tutor keeps the
course up to date and relevant to today's students. They are available to the
individual student for advice and encouragement. Students are encouraged to submit the
assignment work to the college for the tutor to critique.
Coursework can be submitted online in your individual art room account and the tutor will upload their critique for you to download and retain forever. The college will use the assignments submitted as the basis for your award of a diploma.
On successful completion of this course you will have studied new skills and gained knowledge for your own enjoyment and development.
The following is an overview of some of the areas that are covered in the course. We also have a companion course to our history of Art Diploma Course called - Understanding 20th to 21st Century Art Course .
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Click the download button below to view a pdf sample course page which will open in a new tab. Alternatively right click and save the file. Please be patient for it to load.
Below are a few images from the course itself.
Having just received detailed and apposite feedback for my final assignment, as with all the preceding ones, the first thought that comes to my mind is that Stewart Roberts ('Stu') is a brilliant tutor. He is always rigorous and thorough with his comments, but at the same time also consistently sensitive and tastefully restrained with his encouragements and constructive criticism, 'rushing ahead' rather than 'rushing in' and always staying 'on point'. I was a little bit cautious about taking up the Western History of Art as I was not sure if it was prestigious enough and/or rigorous enough for my particular scholarly disposition. I need not have worried. The Western History of Art course is both eminently prestigious and rigorous enough for all student tastes, especially as Stewart always has something extra to say, no matter how considered and well thought-through one's comments are. I very highly recommend the Western History of Art course and I very highly commend Stewart Roberts. A relevant popular and long-standing adage is that "a good teacher is worth their weight in gold".... When I think of how much Stewart has inspired me to go on learning more about the wonderful world of art, how well I recognise its truth. Thank you so much, Stewart and London Art College. In closing, I look forward to pursuing the follow-up course, 'Understanding and Appreciating Art of the 20th. and 21st Centuries', in very due course.
I really enjoyed the course: History of Art. The tutor is super knowledgeable and insightful, and provided me with invaluable guidance. I always enjoy reading Tutor's engaging and insightful feedback. The admin team has been helpful and understanding. Appreciate their help.
I really enjoyed this course. The pace was perfect and not stressful at all which added to the enjoyment of the material. Stu Roberts was always very kind, and his feedback enriching and useful. Thank you for a wonderful course!
A first class course with a first class tutor, which I greatly enjoyed and benefited from.
I have loved every minute of this course. My tutor Stu has been so helpful and his feedback has helped me to move onto the next task with a clearer understanding. Will definitely look at doing another one.
I'm sorry this is the last assignment. I have greatly enjoyed the
projects, reading & your comments. I seem to have come a long way & it
certainly has enriched my appreciation of art.
Stewart has been a most
patient and uplifting tutor, constructively critiquing my work with further
suggestions that I might be interested in. That has set me up well, so that I now have a list of Art that I wish to see and galleries and museums that
I want to visit again, even more reason to be excited about coming out of
lockdown! I looked at my expectations
when I started the course and studying has certainly renewed my relationship
with art. The History of Art course has given me a new fascination for greater
understanding of the subject. My next step is to take
another online course as soon as possible.”
I just found your feedback for my final assignment and just
wanted to say a quick thank you for what has been a really enjoyable course.
I've found the format to be just right for my learning style and I've surprised
myself by finding my attitudes towards certain types of art changing and liking
them as I've come to understand them and the artists. Believe it or not I
didn't have much time for Constable (it was just landscapes, surely), thought
the Futurists were horrible artists and could only admit to liking a small
selection of Impressionists. Now I understand the lives and ideals of some of
the painters I now find all of these things fascinating. I think that only
piece of art that I didn't come to really appreciate by the end was Kandinsky's
but maybe that's because I couldn't hear the colours :)
I just wanted to say how much I have loved working with you Stu. I am really going to miss researching and writing these essays and reading your wonderful comments. What has surprised me, is just how much I’ve loved the modern works. I would go as far as to say that this is where my newfound passion lies! That was definitely unexpected.
Really enjoyed the course. It is very difficult to cover the History of Art from Cave paintings to 20th century in just 10 modules, but the structure of the course meant that one could research the overlaps between eras to put the modules in context, and thereby cover a wider historical setting than just the main subject, thus for instance 'Impressionism' took me to a range of other ideas. I enjoyed this approach. I also liked being able to work at my own pace, some weeks one is busy, others less so and being able to fit learning into to my schedule was good. Stuart was a great tutor. I researched my assignments diligently but he was always able to come up with interesting information I had missed, or that he thought would interest me further. I have printed out all his notes and added them to the file, and together with my own notes I now have a fairly comprehensive document, which I will enjoy browsing through in the months to come. Stuart's manner was always friendly and supportive, and I also enjoyed his sense of humour.
I thoroughly enjoyed the course. I knew nothing about art/artists before the course and now feel that a whole new area has opened up to me, and I now thoroughly enjoy going to galleries etc. Stu was great in that he encouraged and praised when appropriate and guided when help was needed.