Course summary
The History of Art degree at The Courtauld introduces students to a wide range of visual art from the ancient period up to the present day. The curriculum – revised in 2022/3 – offers teaching across an unrivalled breadth of periods and cultures. You will have the opportunity to study art and architecture from late antiquity to the present, and from across the Globe: from Byzantium to the Early Modern Islamic World, from Medieval and Renaissance Europe to International Modernism, and from Contemporary China to the African Diaspora. Our objects of study include buildings, paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, performance and installation art, fashion history, design and more. Over three years of study, our BA degree builds up a broad, deep and multifaceted understanding of Art History, encouraging both range and specialism and fostering subject-specific and transferable skills and knowledge. It encourages you to study works of art at first hand, including The Courtauld’s own extraordinary collections, and to understand them in the light of the latest critical approaches and ideas. You will read resources from our world-class library, including books, exhibition catalogues, articles and primary sources and will learn to articulate your own ideas in relation to them both orally and in writing. All our teachers are researchers at the cutting edge of their areas of specialism and they bring their knowledge, discoveries and ideas to discuss with you in seminars, lectures, gallery visits and tutorials. You’ll also have the opportunity to study a language, and apply for dedicated funds to travel and see works of art you are studying. Courtauld students come from all kinds of backgrounds, and most are studying the History of Art for the first time. History of Art is a broad, exciting humanities degree that prepares students for many, diverse career routes, and our students have gone on to a range of careers both within the cultural and heritage industries, the art world and beyond.
Modules
Each year you will take a combination of required and optional modules totalling 120 credits, with the whole degree equalling 360 credits. The first year will establish solid foundations in the subject through modules that introduce you to a range of periods, places, and methods, and with classes taught in London’s art collections. You will also study a foreign language. In the second year, you will take two core modules that explore works of art as physical objects (Physical Histories) and examine the role that museums play in society (Critical Museology). Alongside these, a range of optional modules is offered, exploring different art histories and critical methods. In your final year, you will be able to express preferences for Special Options and other electives, and to pursue your own research project, culminating in a dissertation. We will accommodate your choice wherever possible, keeping in mind the value we place on research-led teaching in small seminar groups of ten to twelve students.
Assessment method
The BA course is taught through a combination of lectures, seminar and discussion classes, site visits and one-to-one tutorial meetings. Seminar classes are held in classes of up to 12 students to facilitate an intimate environment in which to study and engage with subjects in depth with your teacher and your classmates. Lectures are delivered and taught to the full student cohort, and are supported by discussion classes in which you are divided into smaller groups of up to 15 students. The discussion classes enable you to discuss and develop your understanding of topics covered in lectures in a setting where you are invited to actively participate in debates and discussion. In addition, you have timetabled meetings with your personal tutor at least once per term and you can always request further meetings with your personal tutor should you wish. Throughout your degree, you will be taught by a mixture of professors, senior lecturers, lecturers and doctoral researchers, who bring a rich diversity of knowledge and experience to the classroom. Our faculty come from many different backgrounds across the world and are among the leading experts in their field. They have published important works about their areas of expertise, and will introduce you to the excitement and dynamism of their cutting-edge research. The degree is assessed by a range of methods, including coursework, independent study, take-home and sat exams and a final-year dissertation. You must pass the first year in order to progress to the second year (pass mark: 40%). The second year counts towards 40% of your final degree average and the third year counts towards the remaining 60%.
How to apply
29Jan
This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.
Application codes
- Course code:
- V350
- Institution code:
- C80
- Campus name:
- Courtauld Institute of Art
- Campus code:
- -
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Year 1
Entry requirements
Qualification requirements
A level - ABB - AAA
The BA History of Art page of our website has the most up-to-date information on entry requirements both for Home students and those applying from the EU/overseas.
Please click the following link to find out more about qualification requirements for this course
https://courtauld.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/ba-history-of-art
Student Outcomes
Operated by the Office for Students
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
Go onto work and study
The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| England | £9000 | Year 1 |
| Scotland | £9000 | Year 1 |
| Wales | £9000 | Year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £9000 | Year 1 |
| EU | £9000 | Year 1 |
| International | £25700* | Year 1 |
*This is a provisional fee and subject to change.
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
No additional fees or cost information has been supplied for this course, please contact the provider directly.
Sponsorship information
We have undergraduate bursaries and scholarships - find out more: https://courtauld.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/undergraduate-fees-funding-and-scholarships/
Provider information
Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London
The Courtauld
Vernon Square
Penton Rise
London
WC1X 9EW