Art History - BA (Hons)

Course structure

Duration: 3 years full-time (4 with a year abroad/in industry), 6 years part-time (7 with a year abroad/in industry)

The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation. 

On most programmes, you study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also be able to take ‘elective’ modules from other programmes so you can customise your programme and explore other subjects that interest you.

• Year in industry
• Year abroad

Teaching and assessment

All modules are assessed by coursework – essays, presentations, image or text analyses and other module-related activities. We do not schedule exams. This approach to assessment helps you to develop an in-depth knowledge of topics within modules that are most interesting and relevant to your study aims, and to acquire a wide range of generic and transferable skills.

Our programmes emphasise a close working relationship with students. The academic adviser system ensures that all of our students have access to a designated tutor for pastoral support and academic guidance throughout their time at Kent.

All modules include weekly lectures and small group seminars, but a distinctive feature is that many modules involve visits to London galleries, overseas visits to museums and other out-of-classroom activities. Helping students to acquire independence of thought and the skills of autonomous study are central to our teaching ethos.

Contact hours

For a student studying full time, each academic year of the programme will comprise 1200 learning hours which include both direct contact hours and private study hours.  The precise breakdown of hours will be subject dependent and will vary according to modules.  Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.

Methods of assessment will vary according to subject specialism and individual modules.  Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.

Programme aims

Our aims are to provide students with:

• a broad understanding of the history of art, as well as a critical and analytical approach to interpreting art and the opportunity to study selected areas of art history in depth
• an informed knowledge of the principles of art history, visual traditions and traditions of art historical writing
• teaching that is informed by current research and scholarship
• knowledge to enhance students' awareness of sensitivity to the context of the production and reception of the arts over a range of historical periods
• the ability to think, and work, independently
• a distinctive focus on interdisciplinary and practice-based learning
• the ability to interact with others and develop critical reflexivity in individual and group work
• opportunities to develop students' personal, communication, research and other key skills.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

You gain knowledge and understanding of:

• particular forms of the visual arts and the way in which they can be interpreted
• the historical evolution of visual traditions, artistic movements, media and genres of art
• the works of a range of significant artists, in particular from the Renaissance to the present day
• the cultural, social and historical contexts in which works of art are produced, and the uses to which they are put
• the techniques and processes through which artefacts are constructed in the cultures studied
• modes, formal conventions and styles of representation in the fine arts, photography and related visual media
• critical tools, theories and concepts that have evolved for interpreting works of art
• methodologies and approaches to the study of visual arts, including the terminology used in art history
• substantive areas of current research in history of art.

Intellectual skills

You develop intellectual abilities in the following:

• engaging critically with major thinkers, intellectual paradigms, scholarly literature and issues and debates within art history
• understanding the historical emergence of forms of visual culture and the discipline of art history
• undertaking informed examination of the social and historical context in which art is produced
• combining empirical and historical information with relevant concepts in articulating your knowledge and understanding of the discipline of art history
• applying your knowledge and experience to address problems within the subject
• analysing and interpreting works of art in a manner that demonstrates critical evaluation and contextual understanding
• critically reflecting upon your own work and your understanding of the subject in an open-minded and receptive manner to unfamiliar artefacts, issues and ideas
• conducting various forms of research for essays, projects, seminar assignments and dissertations involving independent inquiry
• formulating appropriate research questions and employing suitable methods and resources for exploring those questions
• drawing upon and evaluating a range of sources and the conceptual frameworks appropriate to researching in the chosen subject area
• reflecting upon the underlying cultural and epistemological assumptions that structure the understanding of the chosen subject.

Subject-specific skills

You gain subject-specific skills in the following:

• analysing and interpreting visual artefacts with an informed knowledge of the conventions of visual traditions
• critical skills of visual observation, description and analysis
• the effective deployment of terms and concepts specific to history of art
• locating and evaluating evidence from a wide range of primary and secondary sources (visual, oral or textual) and interpreting it in relation to relevant issues and inquiries
• drawing upon and bringing together ideas from different sources of knowledge, not only from the subject area but also from other academic disciplines
• articulating an understanding of visual media orally and in writing
• demonstrating the ability to marshal an argument, summarise and defend or critique a particular interpretation or analysis supported by relevant visual, textual or other evidence as appropriate
• evaluating a range of different methodologies and approaches within the subject.

Transferable skills

You gain transferable skills in the following:

• organising information clearly, responding to written sources, presenting information orally and adapting your style for different audiences, using images as a communication tool; presenting arguments cogently and effectively in written, spoken or other form
• IT – producing written documents, undertaking online research, communicate using email and process information using databases
• exploring your personal strengths and weaknesses, critical and analytical skills, self-discipline and self-direction, independence of thought, time management and develop specialist learning skills, such as foreign languages, seeking and utilising feedback and critically reflecting upon and improving your own performance
• working with others, in particular define and review the work of others, work co-operatively on group tasks and understand how groups function
• problem solving – identifying and defining problems, exploring alternative solutions and discriminating between them. Focusing and applying attention to detail and working diligently to fulfil briefs and deadlines and taking responsibility for your own work.

Careers

Graduate destinations

Our graduates have a very good record of finding employment in the visual arts. Recent graduates have gone into areas including:

• art dealing
• working in galleries
• arts administration
• arts therapy
• craft studio workshop management
• teaching
• journalism and the media
• picture research libraries
• photography.

A degree in Art History enables you to explore the history, meaning and nature of the visual arts, while also providing the skills for a career in the arts industries and elsewhere.

Help finding a job

Kent School of Arts has an excellent reputation and many links with institutions and individuals working in the field. This network is very useful to students when looking for work.

The University also has a friendly Careers and Employability Service which can give you advice on how to:

• apply for jobs
• write a good CV
• perform well in interviews.

Career-enhancing skills

As well as gaining skills and knowledge in your subject area, you also learn the key transferable skills that are essential for all graduates. These include the ability to:

• think critically 
• communicate your ideas and opinions 
• work independently.

Taking a year abroad demonstrates to employers that you are flexible in your outlook and have an understanding of other cultures. While going on a placement year gives you the relevant experience that many employers look for.

You can also gain extra skills by signing up for one of our Kent Extra activities, such as learning a language or volunteering.