History of Art - 2012 entry
BA (Hons)
- single
BA (Hons)
/
BSc (Hons)
- combined (see 'Combine with...' tab for available combinations)
Typical A-level offer: BBC or equivalent
Overview
The Louvre Museum and Pyramid, Spring Paris Trip 2010 taken by Orlagh Dominique Muldoon-Janjcicm, History of Art alumna
The Louvre Museum and Pyramid, Spring Paris Trip 2010 taken by Orlagh Dominique Muldoon-Janjcicm, History of Art alumna
This course is run by the Department of History, Philosophy and Religion
The History of Art degree at Oxford Brookes combines creativity with a wide range of academic skills. Our course will enable you to acquire a broad knowledge of Western art, architecture and sculpture between the 15th and 20th centuries as well as more detailed knowledge of specific periods. We offer a very carefully structured degree course, aiming to provide you with a firm foundation of art historical knowledge and skills and then to encourage you to pursue your own enthusiasms and become an independent learner.
Oxford is a great place to study history of art and several modules make use of the resources in the Ashmolean Museum and Christ Church Picture Gallery. Final-year students doing dissertations have access to the world-class resources of the Bodleian Library and the history-of-art-focused Sackler Library.
Oxford Brookes offers a single honours degree in History of Art as well as the opportunity to study History of Art alongside one of a range of other subjects from the arts, humanities or social sciences in a combined honours degree. Whichever pathway you choose, you will join a course which is known for the excellence of its teaching, its emphasis on first-hand study of art and architecture, and the wonderful resources of the architecture, museums and galleries of Oxford and London.
Why Brookes?
The History of Art undergraduate programme at Brookes is known for:
- its excellent teaching (rated 23/24 in the most recent national assessment)
- the field trip to Paris
- the good employment record of our graduates
- the diversity and international standing of our research
- 100% student satisfaction with the quality of the course according to the National Student Survey (NSS).
We have an outstanding reputation for research and teaching excellence in the History of Art, with 15% of academic staff research rated world leading and 40% internationally excellent. Our teaching has consistently been rated as excellent in both external and internal reviews.
This course places a strong emphasis on working with original art objects and buildings, so we are ideally placed to make frequent use of the internationally important collections of paintings, drawings and sculpture in Oxford.
Teaching, learning and assessment
Teaching is by a mixture of classes, seminars and tutorials, in all of which a strong emphasis is placed on interaction between students and lecturers. Almost all modules feature a guided visit, reflecting the importance we place on the first-hand experience of art works and buildings. The Field Work module is taught entirely on site.
Assessment is predominantly through essays and exams, with a final-year dissertation compulsory for single honours History of Art and optional for combined honours.
All our History of Art tutors are active researchers with strong reputations in their fields; they regularly publish books and are involved with major exhibitions. Many of the modules, in particular the final-year advanced seminars, are closely based on staff research interests. In addition, the department staff are friendly, accessible, and committed to giving students the support and advice they need.
In detail
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Course content
In Year 1 you will gain a solid grounding in the key concepts and skills you need to study the History of Art from the Renaissance to the Modern period. You will also take four other modules from a wide range of subjects available at Oxford Brookes, including modern languages, English, history and publishing as well as social science subjects.
Years 2 and 3 include modules on wider thematic issues. You will be able to give your studies a period focus by choosing modules on topics from the 16th to 20th centuries. One of the Year 2 modules, Oxford Buildings, offers a unique in-depth exploration of Oxford’s rich architectural heritage. Also included in the course is a study trip to Paris, which for many students is one of the highlights of the degree.
In the third year, you choose from a range of Advanced Seminars which give you the chance to work in small groups and in considerable depth on topics which are closely linked to the research specialisms of staff. You also take a year-long discussion-based course called the History of Art Synoptic which, in its weekly classes, focuses on a different problem or controversy in art history and thus encourages students to reach their own overview of the discipline.
The synoptic is designed to complement the final module, the dissertation, which gives you the opportunity to conduct an in-depth investigation into a topic of your own choosing and, with staff guidance, write is up as an extended piece of academic work. It may be possible to pursue an independent study linked to a placement in a gallery or museum.
As courses are reviewed regularly, the module list you choose from may vary from that shown below. You can read detailed descriptions of module content here.
Year 1
- Making and Meaning in Western Art
- Making and Meaning in Western Architecture
- Museums and Society
- Modern British Art, from Impressionism to Brit Art
- Reading Art History (teaching key skills in the critical reading of art historical texts)
- Art in Oxford
Years 2 and 3
Topics in recent years have included:
- Themes in European Art 1450-1700
- Themes in Eighteenth and Nineteenth-Century European Art
- Themes in Modern Art
- Anthropology of Art
- Paris Field Trip
- Oxford Buildings
- Independent Study in History of Art
- Advanced Seminar in the History of Art I and II (concentrated study of a specialised topic - choice of topics available each year)
- History of Art Synoptic
- Dissertation
Field trips
The course includes regular trips to galleries, museums and architectural sites. London is just a one hour train ride away, and many modules feature guided visits to London museums.
A highlight for many students is the study trip to Paris, usually taken in the second year. It involves a week’s intensive study at first hand of great artworks and buildings under the guidance of your tutors.
Study abroad
The department has links with the Universities of Perugia and Madrid, and you will be able to spend a semester in either Italy or Spain as part of your Oxford Brookes degree.
More information about exchanges, European work placements and other study abroad programmes, is available here.
Departmental research highlights
Matthew Craske works on 18th and 19th-century British visual arts. He is currently working on a book, The Triumph of Art and Arms, which explores the effects of war in encouraging a revival in heroic subject matter in art.
Elizabeth Darling works on 20th-century British architectural history with a particular interest in inter-war modernism, the architecture of reform, and gender. She is currently writing a monograph on the architect Wells Coates.
Harry Mount works on British art and art theory from 1685 to 1850, the reception of Dutch 17th-century painting, and issues in reception, art theory and historiography. He is currently working on a major study of the problem of minuteness (detail and high finishing) in British art and art theory from the late 17th to early 19th centuries.
Christiana Payne works on 19th-century British landscape and genre painting. She recently published a monograph on the Pre-Raphaelite landscape painter, John Brett, and co-curated an exhibition of his portraits. She is currently working on a number of projects, involving images of emigration, paintings of the sea, and reviews of Royal Academy exhibitions.
Charles Robertson works on a range of Renaissance topics, particularly the relationship between painting and architecture and issues of representation with reference to printmaking. He is currently finishing a book Michelangelo's Last Judgement alongside a series of shorter studies. He is also completing a monograph study of the Milanese artist Bramantino and is planning a major project on the relationship between painting and architecture in the Renaissance.
Free language courses for students - the Open Module
Free language courses are available to all full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students who are studying any course on our Headington (including Marston Road), Harcourt Hill or Wheatley Campuses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.
Key facts
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Department
Department of History, Philosophy and Religion
Course length
Full-time: 3 years
Part-time: 6 years
Teaching location
Headington Campus, Gipsy Lane
Start date
September 2012
UCAS code
V350 BA/HD
Combine with...
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This course can be combined with one of the following subjects:
Anthropology
LV63 Mod/HAAN
Drama
WV43 Mod/HADW
English
QV3H Mod/HAEA
Film Studies
PV33 Mod/HAFM
French Studies
VR31 Mod/HAFC
History
VV13 Mod/HAHI
Japanese Studies
TV2H Mod/HAJB
Music
VW33 Mod/HAMS
Publishing Media
PV4H Mod/HAPJ
Religion and Theology
VV6H Mod/HARC
Sociology
LV33 Mod/HASO
Spanish (Minor Field)
V3R4 Mod/HASX
Fees / funding
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Tuition fees
UK/EU students
Full-time: £9,000
Part-time: £750 per module. You can take up to five modules per academic year.
International students
Full-time: £11,000
Questions about fees?
Contact Student Finance on:
+44 (0)1865 483088
finance-fees@brookes.ac.uk
Funding and scholarships
For general sources of financial support, see:
Apply / Entry reqs
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Typical offers
A-level: BBC or equivalent
IB Diploma: 30 points
Advanced Diploma: grade B, including A-level at grade B
Other typical offers include:
- grades BC at A-level plus grades BC at AS-level
- vocational A-levels are also accepted.
For combined honours, normally the offer will lie between the offers quoted for each subject.
Specific entry requirements
Please also see the university's general entry requirements.
English language requirements
Please see the university's standard English language requirements.
English language requirements for visas
If you need a student visa to enter the UK you will need to meet the UK Border Agency's minimum language requirements as well as the university's requirements. Find out more about English language requirements.
Full-time students should apply for this course through UCAS.
Part-time students should apply directly to the university.
Conditions of acceptance
When you accept our offer you agree to the conditions of acceptance. You should therefore read those conditions before accepting the offer.
Credit transfer
Oxford Brookes operates the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS). All undergraduate single modules are equivalent to 7.5 ECTS credits and double modules to 15 ECTS credits. More about ECTS credits.
Student experience
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Why Oxford is a great place to study History of Art
Oxford, with its outstanding museums and galleries and wealth of historical architecture, is a particularly good location for the study of history of art. Students will quickly become familiar with the Ashmolean Museum (recently reopened after an exciting redesign) and the Christ Church Picture Gallery, as well as Modern Art Oxford, which holds regular exhibitions of contemporary art. A notable feature of our Museums and Society course has been guest lectures by staff from Rick Mather Architects on their recent work in re-designing the Ashmolean Museum.
We have an excellent working relationship with the University of Oxford, with whom we run an art history seminar which meets several times a semester. Final-year Oxford Brookes History of Art students doing dissertations have access to the world-class resources of the Bodleian Library and the history-of-art-focused Sackler Library.
We also take advantage of Oxford's world-renowned architecture dating from Saxon to modern times, and make use of our proximity to London to make regular visits to important collections like the National Gallery, the Victoria and Albert Museum, Tate Modern and Tate Britain.
General support services
Supporting your learning
From academic advisers and support co-ordinators to specialist subject librarians and other learning support staff, we want to ensure that you get the best out of your studies.
Personal support services
We want your time at Brookes to be as enjoyable and successful as possible. That's why we provide all the facilities you need to be relaxed, happy and healthy throughout your studies.
Accommodation
At Brookes we understand that when you live away from home it's important to be somewhere that you feel comfortable and safe.
After graduation
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Career prospects
A History of Art degree offers a gateway into many art-related professions. Recent graduates have gone on to work in museums, commercial galleries, auction houses and arts journalism, and to teach art history in schools.
History of Art does not, however, only prepare you for arts-related professions. Like other humanities degrees, it offers a general training in analytical thinking, research skills, self-discipline and effective written and spoken communication. Our graduates enter a very wide range of careers, from librarianship to banking to advertising. History of Art students are encouraged to think about career opportunities throughout their course and to talk to tutors about their ideas.
Further study
Many of our students are inspired to undertake further study of art historical subjects at MA or PhD level.
Oxford Brookes offers the research degrees of MPhil and PhD in Art History. Current doctoral research topics include 'Don Fadrique de Ribera and the Casa de Pilatos in Seville, 1520-40', 'The Jacobethan Legacy, motive and practice in British architecture 1870-1914', 'Landscape painting and exhibitions in England, 1760-1790', 'Communicating Divine Beauty and Truth: the art of John Rogers Herbert. RA' and 'Brushing the Surface: The Development and Critical Reception of Watercolour Techniques in England 1851-1881'.
