USI Università della Svizzera italiana
Master of Arts in History and Theory of Arts and ArchitectureLugano, Switzerland
DURATION
4 semesters
LANGUAGES
English, Italian
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
30 Jun 2025*
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
CHF 4,000 / per semester **
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* 30/04/25 for non-EU/EFTA; 30/06/25 for EU/EFTA
** applicants whose official residence was in Switzerland or Liechtenstein at the time of the final high school exam - Maturità - pay a reduced semester fee of CHF 2,000 per semester
Key Summary
Introduction
The Master in History and Theory of Art and Architecture (MSTAA) includes the study of the history of both architecture and art. It is a complete Master which aims at counteracting the growing marginalisation of architecture in art history studies. At the same time, the study of the history of art and architecture in different eras (medieval, modern and contemporary) is complemented by in-depth studies on the theory and criticism of architecture, artistic literature, the history and practice of restoration (with moments of practice in the field), museology and digital humanities with an eye towards other artistic and cultural expressions like photography, cinema, theatre, and literature. Practical workshops and internships in affiliated institutions complete the Master's training offer.
Awarded Degree
Master of Science in History and Theory of Arts and Architecture
Gallery
Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Please check out the university website and find out more about our scholarships.
Curriculum
Structure and contents
The Master aims to bring architecture at the heart of the critical debate in universities and society as a whole. The context offered by the Faculty of Architecture is congenial for the study of art history and especially for the history of architecture.
Students of the Master in History and Theory of Art and Architecture will study together with future architects, attend projects critiques and most of all, they can take advantage of a direct exchange with world-renowned architects during dedicated conferences. Last but not least, it is important to know that the USI Academy of Architecture has a strong vocation and an important tradition in the field of humanities. The study plan of the Master also contemplates practical work such as internships or workshops in archives or other institutions, as well as study trips during individual courses to observe buildings and gain experience on the field.
For the Master in History and Theory of Art and Architecture, students can choose between a course entirely focused on historical-artistic subjects (MSTAA 120 ECTS) and a course divided into subjects dealing with historical-artistic subjects and subjects related to the history of literature and related subjects (Maior MSTAA 90 ECTS, Minor MLLCI 30 ECTS).
Language
The Master includes courses in Italian and English, a good understanding of both languages is assumed.
No certification is required for the admission.
Rankings
International Rankings
USI in the Times Higher Education (THE) and Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings (QS), which are amongst the world's most popular and well-known global rankings - latest available data:
- QS World University Rankings 2023
240th globally
(out of 1500 universities considered) - THE World University Rankings 2023
Range 201-250
(out of 1799 universities considered) - THE World's Best Small Universities 2022
15th worldwide
among small universities. - THE Young University Rankings 2022
57th worldwide
among ‘young’ universities (less than 50 years old) - QS Top 50 Under 50 2021
26th worldwide
among ‘young’ universities (less than 50 years old)
U-Multirank 2022
With 16 "A" in the indicators taken into consideration, USI ranks 3rd in the ranking of Swiss universities (Country Report Switzerland).
Rankings by Subject Area
In addition to the global university rankings, USI has made significant progress in subject area rankings:
- THE Subject Rankings
with important results in particular in Computer Science, Clinical and Health, Economics. - Forschungsmonitoring
with high scores in the rankings that measure the impact of research in Economics, especially when referring to the most prestigious academic journals of the field.
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
Career Prospects
By obtaining a Master of Arts in History and Theory of Art and Architecture, you will have access, after passing the relevant calls for applications (if any), to the following academic and/or work areas:
- Doctoral studies
- Superintendence, cultural heritage offices or equivalent institutions
- Museums
- Art and architecture criticism
- Art market
- Secondary and university education
- Information industry (journalist)
- Tourism sector (tourist guide)