Course summary

Art History & Visual Culture may be studied alongside Classical Studies, providing a wonderful opportunity to explore the culture and thought of the ancient world through its literature and artefacts, with the study of historical arts and contemporary visual forms. In Art History & Visual Culture, you will learn how to interpret works of art (including architecture and design) and images, objects and practices in order to understand contemporary and past societies. You will be able to follow your interests through a wide range of optional modules: you can choose to study art and material culture in ancient societies; look in detail at the way art history works; or focus on visual culture within a specific society or time period right up to the modern day. You will have the opportunity to take part in field trips to collections in London and elsewhere, including an intensive study trip to immerse yourself in the art, architecture and visual culture of a specific location in Europe. Classical Studies modules combine the best traditional rigour and attentiveness with the latest approaches to ancient literature. You will acquire a number of skills that are transferable to many situations in life and employment including a detailed awareness of the way language systems work; an understanding of some of the most brilliant and complex works written in any language; and an ability to unpack the meaning of all manner of texts, from political speeches to advertising slogans. You will study half of your modules from the Classical Studies programme, including the core modules Greek and Roman Narrative or Drama, and the other half from the comprehensive Art History & Visual Culture selection. For Classical Studies, all texts are usually taught in translation so there is no requirement to study Latin or Greek language modules unless you choose to. For full details about the degree structure and module selection, please refer to the section on modules

Course details