The published course and module descriptions were accurate when first published and remain the basis of the course, but the University has had to modify some course and module content in response to government restrictions and social distancing requirements. In the event of changes made to the government advice and social distancing rules by national or local government, the University may need to make further alterations to the published course content. Detailed information on the changes will be sent to every student on confirmation in August to ensure you have all the information before you come to Oxford Brookes.
History of Art
BA (Hons)
Key facts
UCAS code
V350
Start dates
September 2021 / September 2022
Location
Course length
Full time: 3 years
Part time: 6 years
Department
UCAS Tariff Points
104
Overview
Do you have a passion for the history of art and a deep desire to develop your own expertise?
By studying History of Art at Oxford Brookes, you’ll be exploring issues in a collaborative and dynamic environment. Your studies will include museum visits, walk-arounds and special talks from visiting experts from the likes of:
- National Trust
- Ashmolean
- Modern Art Oxford
- The V&A
- Tate.
We are situated in the heart of a historic city, a mere stone’s throw from world-renowned museums and galleries.
A highlight of your study here will undoubtedly be your trip to Paris. This trip offers the opportunity to explore important art collections firsthand. You will experience major, influential works as well as more experimental pieces.
Your time with us will be exciting, stimulating and enriching. You’ll be amongst a close-knit and supportive department. You can expect to be taught by experts in their fields. And, our teaching staff will work with you to help you develop your own interests, specialising in:
- drawing
- painting
- prints
- architecture
- art theory
- sculpture.

Joint honours options
You can study this course as part of a joint honours degree. This course can be joined with:
How to apply
Wherever possible we make our conditional offers using the UCAS Tariff. The combination of A-level grades listed here would be just one way of achieving the UCAS Tariff points for this course.
For more information about how we are supporting applicants impacted by Covid-19, please see our information for applicants page.
Standard offer
UCAS Tariff Points: 104
A Level: BCC
IB Points: 29
BTEC: DMM
Contextual offer
UCAS Tariff Points: 88
A Level: CCD
IB Points: 27
BTEC: MMM
Further offer details
For combined honours, normally the offer will lie between the offers quoted for each subject.
Applications are also welcomed for consideration from applicants with European qualifications, international qualifications or recognised foundation courses. For advice on eligibility please contact Admissions: admissions@brookes.ac.uk
Entry requirements
Specific entry requirements
Please also see the University's general entry requirements.
English requirements for visas
If you need a student visa to enter the UK you will need to meet the UK Visas and Immigration minimum language requirements as well as the University's requirements. Find out more about English language requirements.
Pathways courses for international and EU students
If you do not meet the entry requirements for this degree, or if you would like more preparation before you start, you can take an international foundation course. Once you enrol, you will have a guaranteed pathway to this degree if you pass your foundation course with the required grades.
If you only need to meet the language requirements, you can take our pre-sessional English course. You will develop key language and study skills for academic success and you will not need to take an external language test to progress to your degree.
Terms and Conditions of Enrolment
When you accept our offer, you agree to the Terms and Conditions of Enrolment. You should therefore read those conditions before accepting the offer.
Credit transfer
Many of our courses consider applications for entry with credit for prior learning. Each application is individually assessed by our credit entry tutors.
If you would like more information about whether or not you may be eligible for the award of credit, for example from an HND, partly-completed degree or foundation degree, please contact our Admissions team.
We operate 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.
Application process
Full time Home / EU applicants
Apply through UCASPart time Home / EU applicants
Apply direct to the UniversityInternational applicants
Apply direct to the UniversityFull time applicants can also apply through UCAS
Tuition fees
Questions about fees?
Contact Student Finance on:
Tuition fees
Please note tuition fees for Home students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students in line with an inflationary amount determined by government. Tuition fees for International students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students.
Oxford Brookes University intends to maintain its fees for new and returning Home students at the maximum permitted level.
Financial support and scholarships
Additional costs
Please be aware that some courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. Specific additional costs for this course, if any, are detailed below.
We do not expect students to purchase any compulsory course books, as they are all available in the library. If students wish to purchase additional books to supplement their reading, this is at their own discretion.
For the Paris study trip, return travel from London to Paris, as well as accommodation in Paris, are paid for by the university. The cost of travel from Oxford (or your home) to London and back, meals, and any entrance fees to galleries or museums whilst in Paris are not included in your course tuition fees, you would need to cover these.
For other field trips we expect students to pay for their own travel (this is normally only as far as London, and some modules have visits to Oxford rather than London). We would not normally carry out visits to exhibitions which you have to pay to enter, and if we did it would be on a strictly voluntary basis. Travel to London from Oxford can be purchased for as little as a £10 period return on the Oxford Tube using the Brookes Key card discount.
Learning and assessment
We’ll give you a solid grounding in key concepts of the History of Art in your Year 1. Your studies will be focussed on art from the Renaissance to Modern-day art.
Your Year 2 will provide you with the opportunity to study wider thematic issues. You’ll be able to focus your studies on specific periods, choosing modules from the 15th to the 20th centuries. Additionally, the Curatorial Practice module will give you knowledge and direct experience of the theoretical and practical issues involved in curating displays and exhibitions. Year 2 also includes a fantastic study trip to Paris.
In Year 3, we offer you a range of advanced seminars. You'll be working in small groups, studying subjects in much greater depth. You'll also take the year-long History of Art Synoptic where you'll focus on a different controversy or issue in art history every week.
Independent study linked to a placement in a gallery or museum may be possible. Our exhibition space, the Glass Tank, offers two placements to History of Art students each year.

Study modules
Please note: As our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, the modules you can choose from may vary from that shown here. The structure of the course may also mean some modules are not available to you.
Learning and teaching
You will learn through a mixture of:
- lectures
- seminars
- tutorials.
First-hand experience of art works and buildings is important, so most modules feature a guided visit. We teach the fieldwork module entirely on site.
Many of the modules, in particular the final year advanced seminars, are closely based on staff research interests. You can find out more about our individual research and expertise on our staff pages.
Field trips
- The course includes regular trips to galleries, museums and architectural sites.
- London is an easy coach journey 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 of great artworks and buildings under the guidance of your tutors.
For the Paris study trip, the cost of the return trip to Paris, accommodation, breakfast and evening meals are all covered by your course tuition fees.
For return trips to London galleries or museums, mid-day meals, and any entrance fees are not included in your course tuition fees, and would need to be covered by the student.
In general, we recommend travelling to London and back on the Oxford Tube, which is £10 for a period return using a Brookes Key card. In addition we estimate a daily cost to the student of between €20-50 whilst on the Paris study trip to cover food and gallery entrance fees.
Assessment
Assessment methods used on this course
Assessment is by coursework and examination.
Coursework includes:
- essays
- group projects
- individual seminar presentations
- research projects.
Some modules involve an element of examination at the end of the semester, but others are assessed solely on the basis of your work during the semester.
Assessed work for the honours dissertation takes the form of a 10,000 word piece of work.
Study Abroad
You may be able to go on a European or international study exchange while you are at Brookes. Although we will help as much as we can with your plans, ultimately you are responsible for organising and funding this study abroad.
After you graduate
Career prospects
In addition to building a resource of discipline-based skills, International Relations and Politics encourages the development of abilities that will prove invaluable in future careers. Some of our graduates go on to postgraduate study, while others go directly into the workplace.
Our graduates from this course enter a variety of careers, such as:
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the diplomatic service
-
management
-
teaching
-
lecturing
-
publishing
-
journalism
-
local government
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law
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trades unions
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international organisations.
Further study
Many of our students are inspired to undertake further study of art-historical subjects at MA or PhD level.
You can choose to stay with us to continue your studies. We offer a MA by Research, MPhil and PhD in Art History. Current doctoral research topics include 'Henry VII's use of Visual Culture', 'Landscape painting and exhibitions in England, 1760-1790', 'Modern Art for Middle America: American Abstraction in Postwar Mass Magazines' and 'Paintings and Photographs of Fisherfolk in West Cornwall, 1860-1910'.
Find out more about postgraduate research degrees in our School.
Student profiles
Our Staff
Professor Christiana Payne
In her teaching, Christiana Payne encourages students to engage directly with original works of art in galleries and museums, to examine their physical characteristics, and the materials and techniques used to create them, as well as thinking about their function and meaning within the societies that produced them.
Read more about ChristianaFree language courses
Free language courses are available to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students on many of our courses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.
Information from Discover Uni
Full-time study
Part-time study
Programme Changes: On rare occasions we may need to make changes to our course programmes after they have been published on the website.
For more information, please visit our Changes to programmes page.