The study of art is incorporated into the academic programmes available at King's.

Beginning in the Foundation Year Programme, King's students are called upon to consider major works of art and movements as part of a broader training in culture, aesthetics, society and philosophy in Western civilization. While King's is an academically focused university, and so does not offer studio art courses or Fine Arts degrees, students with an interest in art can explore these interests at the College.

In Foundation Year, gothic architecture is examined next to the scholastic philosophy whose tensions and scope find their aesthetic expression in the soaring Cathedral towers of Europe. Leonardo da Vinci's writings on paintings are considered next to his masterpieces and the Renaissance humanist philosophers who so influenced his work. In every era of study, students look beyond the surface of the great masterpieces of the Western tradition to the deeper meaning behind the images and methods used by the artists that made them.

Beyond FYP, students can indulge in their fascination with visual expression in courses from many different departments at Dalhousie and King's. The Early Modern Studies and Contemporary Studies programmes, especially, offer courses in aesthetic theory and art.

You may also supplement our offerings at King's and Dalhousie with non-studio courses offered at nearby Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University, located on the beautiful Halifax historic waterfront, a 20-minute walk from King's. Please note that, in the case of NSCAD classes, permission forms and approvals will apply, and those with a strong interest in formally incorporating art history into their degree through NSCAD classes should discuss their interests in advance with a staff member from the Registrar's Office.