Art History and History (Including Foundation Year)

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Academic Year of Entry: 2024/25
Course overview
(BA) Bachelor of Arts
Art History and History (Including Foundation Year)
Current
University of Essex
University of Essex
Essex Pathways
Colchester Campus
Honours Degree
Full-time
History of Art, Architecture and Design
History
BA VV38
08/05/2024

Details

Professional accreditation

None

Admission criteria

UK and EU applicants:

All applications for degree courses with a foundation year (Year Zero) will be considered individually, whether you:

  • think you might not have the grades to enter the first year of a degree course;
  • have non-traditional qualifications or experience (e.g. you haven’t studied A-levels or a BTEC);
  • are returning to university after some time away from education; or
  • are looking for more support during the transition into university study.

Standard offer: Our standard offer is 72 UCAS tariff points from at least two full A-levels, or equivalent.

Examples of the above tariff may include:

  • A-levels: DDD
  • BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma: MMP
  • T-levels: Pass with E in core

If you are unsure whether you meet the entry criteria, please get in touch for advice.

Mature applicants and non-traditional academic backgrounds:

We welcome applications from mature students (over 21) and students with non-traditional academic backgrounds (might not have gone on from school to take level 3 qualifications). We will consider your educational and employment history, along with your personal statement and reference, to gain a rounded view of your suitability for the course.

International applicants:

Essex Pathways Department is unable to accept applications from international students. Foundation pathways for international students are available at the University of Essex International College and are delivered and awarded by Kaplan, in partnership with the University of Essex. Successful completion will enable you to progress to the relevant degree course at the University of Essex.

IELTS (International English Language Testing System) code

English language requirements for applicants whose first language is not English: IELTS 5.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each component, or specified score in another equivalent test that we accept.

Details of English language requirements, including component scores, and the tests we accept for applicants who require a Student visa (excluding Nationals of Majority English Speaking Countries) can be found here

If we accept the English component of an international qualification it will be included in the academic levels listed above for the relevant countries.

English language shelf-life

Most English language qualifications have a validity period of 5 years. The validity period of Pearson Test of English, TOEFL and CBSE or CISCE English is 2 years.

If you require a Student visa to study in the UK please see our immigration webpages for the latest Home Office guidance on English language qualifications.

Pre-sessional English courses

If you do not meet our IELTS requirements then you may be able to complete a pre-sessional English pathway that enables you to start your course without retaking IELTS.

Pending English language qualifications

You don’t need to achieve the required level before making your application, but it will be one of the conditions of your offer.

If you cannot find the qualification that you have achieved or are pending, then please email ugquery@essex.ac.uk.

Additional Notes

If you’re an international student, but do not meet the English language or academic requirements for direct admission to this degree, you could prepare and gain entry through a pathway course. Find out more about opportunities available to you at the University of Essex International College

Course qualifiers

A course qualifier is a bracketed addition to your course title to denote a specialisation or pathway that you have achieved via the completion of specific modules during your course. The specific module requirements for each qualifier title are noted below. Eligibility for any selected qualifier will be determined by the department and confirmed by the final year Board of Examiners. If the required modules are not successfully completed, your course title will remain as described above without any bracketed addition. Selection of a course qualifier is optional and student can register preferences or opt-out via Online Module Enrolment (eNROL).

None

Rules of assessment

Rules of assessment are the rules, principles and frameworks which the University uses to calculate your course progression and final results.

Additional notes

None

External examiners

Staff photo
Dr Dominic Paterson

Senior Lecturer in History of Art / Curator of Contemporary Art

University of Glasgow

External Examiners provide an independent overview of our courses, offering their expertise and help towards our continual improvement of course content, teaching, learning, and assessment. External Examiners are normally academics from other higher education institutions, but may be from the industry, business or the profession as appropriate for the course. They comment on how well courses align with national standards, and on how well the teaching, learning and assessment methods allow students to develop and demonstrate the relevant knowledge and skills needed to achieve their awards. External Examiners who are responsible for awards are key members of Boards of Examiners. These boards make decisions about student progression within their course and about whether students can receive their final award.

eNROL, the module enrolment system, is now open until Monday 21 October 2024 8:59AM, for students wishing to make changes to their module options.

Key

Core You must take this module.
You must pass this module. No failure can be permitted.
Core with Options You can choose which module to study.
You must pass this module. No failure can be permitted.
Compulsory You must take this module.
There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the degree if you fail.
Compulsory with Options You can choose which module to study.
There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the degree if you fail.
Optional You can choose which module to study.
There may be limited opportunities to continue on the course/be eligible for the degree if you fail.

Year 0 - 2024/25

Component Number Module Code Module Title Status Min Credits Max Credits
01  IA101-3-FY-CO  Introduction to the History of Art in Western Europe: From Classical Greece to Impressionist France  Core  30  30 
02  IA108-3-FY-CO  The United Kingdom During the Reign of Queen Elizabeth II (1952 – 2022)  Core  30  30 
03  IA145-3-FY-CO  Research and Academic Development Skills  Core  30  30 
04    IA111-3-FY or IA118-3-FY or IA121-3-FY  Core with Options  30  30 

Year 1 - 2025/26

Component Number Module Code Module Title Status Min Credits Max Credits
01  AR122-4-SP-CO  Writing and Researching Art History  Compulsory  15  15 
02  AR119-4-SP-CO  Art and Ideas: I  Compulsory  15  15 
03  HR173-4-FY-CO  Rebellious Pasts: Challenging and Creating Histories  Compulsory  30  30 
04    Recommend AR116-4-AU and/or Art History Option(s)  Optional  30  30 
05    Option(s) from list or Outside Option(s)  Optional  30  30 
06  CS107-4-SP-CO  Beyond the BA: Skills for the Next Step  Compulsory 

Year 2 - 2026/27

Component Number Module Code Module Title Status Min Credits Max Credits
01  HR242-5-FY-CO  Exploring History: Research Workshop  Compulsory  30  30 
02  AR220-5-SP-CO  Art and Ideas II: More Art, More Ideas - Critique and Historiography in the History of Art  Compulsory  15  15 
03    Art History option  Compulsory with Options  15  15 
04    History or Art History option(s)  Optional  30  30 
05    Art History option(s)  Optional  15  15 
06    CS200-5-AU or (CS207-5-AU and option from list)  Optional  15  15 

Year 3 - 2027/28

Component Number Module Code Module Title Status Min Credits Max Credits
01    CS307-4-AU and/or Art History option  Optional  30  30 
02    History option(s)  Optional  45  45 
03    Art History or History option  Optional  15  15 
04  AR383-6-SP-CO  Capstone - Art History / Curating / Heritage  Compulsory  15  15 
05  AR323-6-AU-CO  Art and Ideas III  Compulsory  15  15 

Exit awards

A module is given one of the following statuses: 'core' – meaning it must be taken and passed; 'compulsory' – meaning it must be taken; or 'optional' – meaning that students can choose the module from a designated list. The rules of assessment may allow for limited condonement of fails in 'compulsory' or 'optional' modules, but 'core' modules cannot be failed. The status of the module may be different in any exit awards which are available for the course. Exam Boards will consider students' eligibility for an exit award if they fail the main award or do not complete their studies.

Programme aims

  • To offer a varied, flexible and distinctive curriculum across the field of art history and history.
  • To provide the opportunity for an understanding of both artistic and historical events within a political, social, economic and cultural context.
  • To enable students to understand the relationship between the past and the present and to enable consideration of the ways in which this is documented visually.
  • To encourage both critical engagement with and enjoyment of the visual arts, particularly through first-hand observation.
  • To develop skills of research analysis and argument which bring the disciplines of history and art history together and to enable students to understand and to appreciate the relationship between them with a degree of critical awareness.
  • To enable students to undertake independent study in a dissertation on a topic of their choice.
  • To provide the knowledge and skills (critical inquiry and argument, imaginative understanding, written, spoken and visual interpretation, communication and presentation) that will not only stand students in good stead for more specialised academic careers, but will also enhance their opportunities for employment in a wide range of other careers.


  • Learning outcomes and learning, teaching and assessment methods

    On successful completion of the programme a graduate should demonstrate knowledge and skills as follows:

    A: Knowledge and understanding

    A1: Knowledge and understanding of History and History of Art from C14th - C21st (based on a choice of module options from each discipline.

    A2: Knowledge and understanding of the ways in which the visual is related to the broader historical and cultural context and vice versa.

    A3: Knowledge and understanding of description, comparative analysis and interpretation of primary and secondary source material.

    A4: Knowledge and understanding of some of the debates, concepts and values which inform study and practice within the fields of history and art history.

    A5: Knowledge and understanding of the ways in which the disciplines of history and art history can be inter-related and considered with relevance to one another and in order to enable the study of one through the other (and by means of the other) and vice versa.

    A6: Knowledge of some of the concepts, values and debates that inform study and practice in the field.

    Learning methods

    The degree is based on progression from introductory topics in the first year to a more specialised set of modules in the second and third years. Knowledge and understanding are developed via lectures, classes, coursework and examination. Individual and group presentation work develops A2-A5 in particular.
    Regular, detailed feedback from tutors, both oral and written, enables continued and measured progression.

    Regular museum, gallery and exhibition visits enable the development of knowledge and understanding within a geographical and historical framework and similarly covers A1-A6.

    Assessment methods

    Assessment is continual throughout each academic year and takes the form of written essays, literature reviews, take-home research papers, in-class slide tests, summaries of weekly readings, and unseen written examinations, including questions on visual material in photographic form.

    Similarly, more informal but regular contact with tutors, both in classroom discussion and tutorial sessions, enables continued reflection and improvement throughout the entire module.

    B: Intellectual and cognitive skills

    B1: To synthesise and analyse primary and secondary material and to identify significant elements and key issues within them.

    B2: To formulate and answer questions relating to history and/or art history.

    B3: To identify key issues which align art and histories, be they biographical, religious, social, political, economic and/or literary.

    B4: To consider and solve problems using knowledge and experience

    B5: To consider the ways in which histories have impacted upon art and visual culture and vice versa.

    Learning methods

    Intellectual and cognitive skills are introduced through background reading, class reading, in class discussion and by visual analysis of works of art in order to cover B1-B6.

    Similarly all skills B1-B6 are developed with feedback from tutors and in peer groups

    Assessment methods

    Assessment is continual throughout each academic year and takes the form of written essays, literature reviews, take-home research papers, in-class slide tests, summaries of weekly readings, and unseen written examinations, including questions on visual material in photographic form.

    Similarly, more informal but regular contact with tutors, both in classroom discussion and tutorial sessions, enables continued reflection and improvement throughout the entire module.

    C: Practical skills

    C1: To read and evaluate primary and secondary source material critically.

    C2: To assess, describe, analyse and interpret works of art visually.

    C3: To work effectively as part of a team or independently.

    C4: To write coherently and concisely within the boundaries of conventional academic scholarship.

    C5: To understand and compile relevant bibliographical material.

    Learning methods

    Preparation for and participation in seminar discussion develops C1-C6.

    The final year dissertation (capstone project), compulsory for the course, enables students to focus on all areas but especially C1 and C5 and as such introduces students to the demands of independent research which is a key indicator to the demands of, as well as any potential inclination towards postgraduate study.

    Assessment methods

    Assessment is continual throughout each academic year and takes the form of written essays, literature reviews, take-home research papers, in-class slide tests, summaries of weekly readings, and unseen written examinations, including questions on visual material in photographic form.

    Similarly, more informal but regular contact with tutors, both in classroom discussion and tutorial sessions, enables continued reflection and improvement throughout the entire course.

    C1 and C5 are assessed by analysis of documents and bibliographical materials.
    C1, C2, C3 are assessed as part of group work in particular.
    C1, C2, C4 and C5 are assessed by coursework in particular.

    Presentation work and examinations test the skills of working under pressure without notes and cover C1-C5

    D: Key skills

    D1: Effective communication of concepts and arguments in a range of contexts using a range of different resources; special ability to deploy visual material in a variety of media in the context of presentations or written work.

    D2: Appropriate use of IT for research and for presentation work.

    D3: ability to: analyse and explain materials and data;. To manage projects;. To apply knowledge in a way appropriate for judgement; and to offer ideas and solutions as pertinent to various contexts

    D4: Ability to accept and to reflect upon feedback, and to work independently and effectively to deadlines.

    Learning methods

    Participation in seminar discussion, group project work and essay writing develops D1, D4 and D6 in particular.

    Information technology (D2) is implicit to the module: in the form of visual media as visual media via (including the use of PowerPoint and visual imagery, as well as DVD). ,These visual media serve towhich is intended to inform students while developing their critical awareness of and to develop their critical awareness of itinformation technologies.

    Students are made aware of the Key Skills On-Line resources by means of the departmental handbooks and are expected demonstrate their IT skills during their group presentation.

    Assessment methods

    Assessment methods Assessment is continual throughout each academic year and takes a formal line: Coursework essays.
    Group and individual presentations.
    Literature reviews.
    Virtual Exhibitions.
    Examination.
    Similarly, more informal but regular contact with tutors, both in classroom discussion and tutorial sessions enables continued reflection and improvement throughout the entire module.


    Note

    The University makes every effort to ensure that this information on its programme specification is accurate and up-to-date. Exceptionally it can be necessary to make changes, for example to courses, facilities or fees. Examples of such reasons might include a change of law or regulatory requirements, industrial action, lack of demand, departure of key personnel, change in government policy, or withdrawal/reduction of funding. Changes to courses may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will also keep students informed appropriately by updating our programme specifications.

    The full Procedures, Rules and Regulations of the University governing how it operates are set out in the Charter, Statutes and Ordinances and in the University Regulations, Policy and Procedures.

    Contact

    If you are thinking of studying at Essex and have questions about the course, please contact Undergraduate Admissions by emailing admit@essex.ac.uk, or Postgraduate Admissions by emailing pgadmit@essex.ac.uk.

    If you're a current student and have questions about your course or specific modules, please contact your department.

    If you think there might be an error on this page, please contact the Course Records Team by emailing crt@essex.ac.uk.