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Art History, Heritage and Museum Studies

  • Bachelor of Arts (with Honours)
  • 3 Years
  • Full-Time
  • October 2027
  • Undergraduate
Colchester Campus
More about University of Essex

Course options

2026-20272027-2028
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Course summary

Who decides what statues are in our public spaces? How do museums and galleries decide what to collect and display? How can we save heritage that is under threat from war or natural disasters? What are the ethical problems in preserving and exhibiting objects from other cultures?

BA Art History, Heritage and Museums Studies offers a multidisciplinary foundation in the histories and theories of art history, heritage studies and museum studies. You will acquire a broad foundation in the history of visual culture, learning about the most celebrated forms of art and architecture and discovering what has been overlooked or marginalised. This degree will also introduce you to the critical study of heritage, including ethical and legal debates, and questions around how heritage is preserved, communicated, displayed, including issues of spectatorship and community engagement.

You will study topics including:

  • History of the museum

  • Curatorial ethics

  • Heritage management

  • Modern and Contemporary Art

  • Politics of Museums and Heritage

  • The role of new technologies and new media in heritage and museums

  • To study on our course, you don’t need an A-Level in Art or Art History. In fact, we believe that the best students of visual culture are those who bring fresh eyes and new perspectives to their objects of enquiry.

One of the major reasons for choosing Essex is the quality of the education you will receive. We are ranked 6th among Art History departments in the UK for research excellence (REF 2014, mainstream universities, THE 2014). You will be taught by our expert staff in your very first year, a rarity in the UK Art History courses.

Modules

Course Modules

Many of our courses offer a choice of optional modules to tailor your learning experience. More information about these can be found on the University of Essex website.

Ways to study this course

Campuses

  • Colchester Campus

Study options

  • Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) • Full-Time • 3 Years

Start dates

  • October 2027

Apply by
13 January 2027

This is the equal consideration deadline. You can still apply after this date, but your application may not receive guaranteed consideration.

Application codes

Course code:
VV40
Institution code:
E70
Campus name:
Colchester Campus
Points of Entry:
Year 1

University of Essex has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.

See why these ratings were awarded
What does this TEF outcome mean?

How to apply

Apply by
13 January 2027

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Course code:
VV40
Institution code:
E70
Campus name:
Colchester Campus

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

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Entry requirements

Typical qualification requirements

UCAS Tariff
112-120

Offers will be made from a minimum of the equivalent of 2 full A-levels.
We accept A Levels, BTECs, Access to HE Diploma, International Baccalaureate, T Levels, AAQs and most other qualifications within the UCAS Tariff.
Whilst International A-levels and BTECs aren't on the tariff calculator, we assign them the same tariff points as their UK counterparts.

https://www.essex.ac.uk/undergraduate/applying-to-essex

Contextual admissions

Universities and colleges consider more than grades when assessing applications and may make offers based on a range of criteria. Learn more about contextual offers.

At Essex we consider your whole application – not just grades. If you don’t meet the exact grade requirements, you may still be considered.
We’re dedicated to helping students from underrepresented groups to access an Essex education. We may give you a Contextual Offer up to two A-Level grades below our standard conditional offer based on where you live, your school, and other details from your application.

Learn more on the University of Essex website

Historical entry grades data

This section shows the range of grades that students who received offers were previously accepted on to this course with (learn more).

It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place.

Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.

Not enough data available

We are unable to show previous accepted grades for this course. This could be because the course is new, it's a postgraduate course, there isn't enough historical data, or the provider has opted out of sharing their entry grades data for this course - learn more.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

No fee information has been provided for this course

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.

Additional fee information

Our tuition fees for this course will be confirmed soon.

Related courses

At University of Essex

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