About the Department of Art at Goldsmiths

The department thrives on the diversity of cultures working within the field and benefits significantly from the University setting, which offers a thriving critical context. It is one of the leading University departments in the world, pioneering new approaches to fine art teaching and practice-based research.

Goldsmiths’ Art students form an important part of London’s dynamic art world, and the department’s reputation enables us to maintain links with many prestigious institutions and art departments internationally. The cosmopolitan nature of the student body and the thriving intellectual culture of the department together provide many and various opportunities to develop cross-cultural collaborations within the field.

The Head of Department is Dr Richard Noble.

In the department there are presently 472 undergraduates and 173 postgraduate students, as well as 59 research students. There are 64 full time / pro-rata academic members of staff. Since Goldsmiths became a College of the University of London, the department has developed and continues to develop its standing as an international centre of excellence for the teaching and study of art.

In addition to taught programmes at undergraduate and postgraduate level, the department continues to develop a thriving PhD programme. We promote the making and understanding of contemporary art through practical and critical engagement between staff, students and the professional art world.

We are committed to the idea that contemporary art is best taught through direct contact with artists, curators and writers, and our graduates develop careers shaped by their critical engagement with cutting edge artistic practice and research in these areas. We think it is crucial to see art as a continuing, transformative and trans-national undertaking taking place within the contemporary public world.