Art History

Our BA Art History offers you the opportunity to study the visual arts as a central element of human endeavour in an accessible, engaging and flexible way. It is taught by world-leading scholars and makes the most of the amazingly rich art collections, monuments and study facilities of London.

Why choose this course?

• On this course you will explore the cultural and political contexts of artworks, buildings and exhibitions, and think more broadly about the role of images within society.

• We teach art history as a rich and dynamic topic, encompassing architecture, installation, exhibitions, print culture and digital media as well as painting, sculpture and photography.

• You will be taught by experienced and skilled teachers who are also published writers of groundbreaking art history in periods from medieval to contemporary.

What you will learn

You will pursue a structured and progressive approach to the study of works of art understood as socially and politically engaged things. Working with active researchers with expertise ranging from the Middle Ages to the present day, and encompassing a range of media from painting, sculpture and architecture to photography, installations and digital, you will be guided towards a critical understanding of the fabricated world around you.

How you will learn

You will learn in a supportive environment which encourages exchange between both students and tutors, and between students, with a mix of interactive lectures and small-group seminars. Teaching is supported by rich online resources via our virtual learning environment.

This course is available to study full- or part-time, with lectures, seminars and classes taking place in the evening.

Foundation Year

If you opt for the Foundation Year route, this will fully prepare you for undergraduate study. It is ideal if you are returning to study after a gap, or if you have not previously studied the relevant subjects, or if you didn't achieve the grades you need for a place on your chosen undergraduate degree.

Highlights

• Birkbeck was ranked as one of the top four universities in the UK for its Art and Design research in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.

• The teaching and research of history of art was established almost half a century ago at Birkbeck. Today, we are an internationally respected centre in this area. We offer information evenings for prospective students interested in our art history courses throughout the year. As well as regular gallery and museum visits, we offer an exciting study trip abroad every spring.

• As a student here you are encouraged to become involved in our lively research culture through the Centre for Museum Cultures, the History and Theory of Photography Research Centre, the Architecture, Space and Society Centre and the Vasari Research Centre, which has pioneered the field of digital art history.

• We typically have some bursary funding available from our annual application to the Royal Female School of Art Foundation, which supports undergraduate students who are experiencing short-term financial hardship.

Careers and employability

On successfully graduating with this BA Art History, you will have gained an array of important transferable skills, including:

• a sophisticated use of written and spoken English

• an advanced critical ability in the use of theoretical perspectives

• the ability to use analytical tools

• the initiative to collect and organise complex materials and the ability to write up clear, well-presented reports or fluent critical arguments.

Graduates can pursue career paths in:

• arts management

• conservation and policy

• education

• marketing

• publishing

• the museums and heritage sectors

• research and academia.

Course modules

For information about course structure and the modules you will be studying, please visit Birkbeck’s online prospectus.