BA (Hons) History of Art and Sociology (joint honours)
Explore art and visual culture across periods and societies, developing skills in interpretation and critical analysis.
Key facts
- Duration
- Full time: 3 years
- Part time: up to 6 years
- Starts
- September 2027
- Level
- Undergraduate
- UCAS code
- LV33
- Location
- Headington
- School
- School of Social Sciences
- School of Education, Humanities and Languages
About this course
Our joint honours course allows you to pursue your own areas of interest within History of Art and Sociology whilst providing you with a solid foundation in both disciplines and a range of personal and professional skills which will serve as a springboard for your future career development. The programme is carefully designed to enable you to gradually develop your knowledge and skills to become an effective and independent learner.
The History of Art course emphasises the first-hand study of artworks and buildings, with most modules including visits to sites in Oxford or London. Sociology is a wide-ranging subject concerned with analysing social relationships and social institutions and the ways in which they shape people’s lives.
Links between research and undergraduate teaching are a distinctive feature of the programme, and the combined research experience and competencies of staff have shaped its design, content and delivery.
We are also Top 10 in the UK: History of Art and Sociology is ranked 8th in the Guardian History of Art subject league ranking 2025.
Study abroad
You may be able to go on a European or international study exchange while you are at Brookes. Most exchanges take place in the second year. Although we will help as much as we can with your plans, ultimately you are responsible for organising and funding this study abroad.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
| Qualification | Typical offer |
|---|---|
| UCAS tariff points | 112 |
| Contextual offer tariff points | 88 |
| A-level | BBC |
| BTEC Extended Diploma | DMM |
| International Baccalaureate | 27 |
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
If you don’t achieve the required tariff points you can apply to join a foundation course.
Fees and funding
Fees
| Fee types | 2026/27 | 2027/28 |
|---|---|---|
| Home full-time | £9,790 | £10,050 |
| Home part-time | £1,220 per single module | £1,255 per single module |
| International full-time | £17,250 | £18,500 |
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. Oxford Brookes University intends to maintain its fees for new and returning Home students at the maximum permitted level.
For further information please see our tuition fees FAQs.
Tuition fees for International students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students.
The following factors will be taken into account by the University when it is setting the annual fees: inflationary measures such as the retail price indices, projected increases in University costs, changes in the level of funding received from Government sources, admissions statistics and access considerations including the availability of student support.
How and when to pay
Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.
- For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.
- For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy page.
Questions about fees?
Learning and assessment
In your first year, you’ll develop the core skills and concepts needed for History of Art by studying an exciting range of topics, from Renaissance paintings and buildings to modern British art and museums. You’ll also explore social processes such as gender socialisation, urbanisation and education.
In your second year, you will be able to focus on specific art historical periods and have the option of going on a residential field trip (usually to Paris). You’ll explore how gender differences are theorised from different perspectives and you’ll learn about racism through the lens of housing, policing, and migration. You will also analyse different aspects of global social change.
In your final year, you’ll have the freedom to focus on what you care about most, including your dissertation subject. You can study a range of art historical topics and you will be able to explore the profession of curating and put on your own exhibition. You can also study the social impact of emergent technologies, the shaping of racial identities or international labour migration.
You’ll learn in a supportive and stimulating environment. You’ll be part of a close-knit programme where you’ll know everyone and get lots of support from both teaching staff and fellow students. Participation and discussion are important features of the course that promote individual creativity and effective collaborative learning.
Most modules combine lectures and seminar-style discussion based on weekly readings. We also use current news and developments as case studies. You'll have the chance to discuss and challenge a wide variety of critical views and perspectives as you explore contemporary issues in your seminars.
| Contact hours | Total workload | Timetabled |
|---|---|---|
| about 7 hrs a week | 1,200 hrs a year | Mon–Fri, 09:00–18:00 |
Assessment
Your assessments will be diverse, and will support different learning styles - you’ll have a real opportunity to showcase your strengths.
You might write a blog, create a video diary or give a presentation. You’ll be able to write essays, literature reviews or position papers. You will also have opportunities to produce short presentations and work in groups.
The assessments are designed to help you develop your confidence in using a wide range of skills, preparing you well for your future career.
Field trips
You will be given the option to go on a residential field trip (usually to Paris) as part of the second-year module Field Work in Art History. The cost of the trip is included within your tuition fees.
Information from Discover Uni
Full-time study
Part-time study
Careers
As you study, you’ll develop highly transferable skills and competencies in the areas that employers care about.
These include:
- critical thinking
- creative problem solving
- written, spoken and visual communication, in a variety of media and styles
- intercultural and interpersonal understanding
- research and analysis
- working independently and collaboratively.
You’ll graduate able to analyse issues, express your ideas, inform and influence others, and respond to challenges – critical skills for the 21st century workplace.
Our graduates go on to work in diverse areas like:
- NGOs and charities
- Social work
- Publishing
- Public relations
- Marketing
- Teaching
- Media and journalism
- The civil service
- Museums and galleries
- Art dealerships and auction houses.
Many pursue postgraduate study, often here at Oxford Brookes.
How to apply
Our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, so module availability and course structures may vary from what is listed here. On rare occasions, we may also need to make updates to our course programmes after publication; for full details, please visit our changes to programmes page (opens in a new tab)