16Nov
UndergraduateGoldsmiths, University of London has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.
Open days
Course summary
Why study BA History of Art at Goldsmiths Investigate modern and contemporary art, art theory and visual culture from around the world, and from a fresh perspective.
- This degree encourages you to develop an independent critical involvement with works of art and visual culture. You'll examine changing historical conceptions of art and the artist, and explore the visual arts in their wider cultural and political contexts.
- We'll explore visual culture in all forms to broaden your outlook. You’ll not only examine the kinds of artefacts you might see in museums and art galleries, but also those that make up our everyday environment: like architecture, city and landscapes, adverts, TV and film, websites, the body, and street style.
- You'll study history of art from a fresh perspective, investigating key areas of debate rather than traditional chronology.
- You’ll study in one of the world's best universities for art and design (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023) and you'll be based in London, which means you'll be able to take advantage of the many galleries, art spaces, museums, cultural facilities and specialist libraries the city has to offer.
- You’ll get the chance to put theory into practice with a work placement module, where you could gain experience at a public institution such as Hackney Museum or the Live Art Development Agency.
- Many of our recent graduates are now working as curators and exhibition managers with employers including Tate Modern, the V&A Museum and Edinburgh Castle, while others enter creative fields such as journalism and marketing.
Modules
Year 1 (credit level 4) In your first year you'll examine changing conceptions of art and the artist, historically and also in terms of context, ideas, and kinds of practice. You will also be introduced to history of art as a discipline and will engage in discussion of key aspects of contemporary visual culture. Each of our first-year modules is taught by a team of four or five different teachers from the permanent faculty. Our approach to learning, teaching and research is exploratory, innovative and rigorous. In this way, first-year students soon get to know many of the department’s core academic staff. You'll take the following compulsory modules: Modernities Seeing and Showing Space and Time Beyond Boundaries Please note that due to staff research commitments not all of the modules may be available every year. Year 2 (credit level 5) You will take the following compulsory modules: Contemporaneities The Goldsmiths Elective Situated Knowledges in Visual Cultures Option modules You also choose option modules to the value of 45 credits from an approved list available annually from the Department of Visual Cultures. Second and third-year modules are thematic in content, and the themes relate to five pathways running through the programme: Art and ideas Space and place The Curatorial Sound and image Embodiment Individual modules are identified with one or more of these pathways, to help you in defining your special areas of interest as you proceed. Recent examples of option modules include: Beckett & Aesthetics: Bodies and Identity Cohabitations Inhabitations The Fact of Blackness I Fashion as Dream Image Museums, Galleries, Exhibitions Popular Modernism Patterns of Perception Radical Imaginations and Speculative Voyages I The Goldsmiths Project Year 3 (credit level 6) In your third year, you will take the following compulsory module: Expanded Practices in Visual Cultures Option modules You will also take 2 to 4 option modules, chosen from an approved list that is available annually from the Department of Visual Cultures. One of the optional modules you may choose is the 'Visual Cultures as Public Practice' module. During this module, you will have the opportunity to link your studies to one of many interesting public institutions. Your research project could be based at the V&A, The Live Art Development Agency, Iniva, Hackney Museum, the Zoo, amongst many others. Recent examples of option modules include: Animating Architecture Archive and Spectacle Film Fables Documentary Lives Philosophy and... Sexual Poetics The Truth in Painting Counter Forensics Research Architecture Visual Cultures as Public Practice Please note that due to staff research commitments not all of the modules may be available every year.
Assessment method
You’ll be assessed by coursework only. Normally this consists of essays, sometimes accompanied by creative projects, group projects, multi-media projects, presentations, symposia, reviews, and studio work.
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
Please select a course option – you will then see the application code you need to use to apply for the course.
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Year 1
- Year 2
Entry requirements for advanced entry (i.e. into Year 2 and beyond)
120 credits at Level 4 and a 2:1 average in a comparable programme, and meet the standard qualification requirements for entry to Year 1 of the programme.
Entry requirements
Qualification requirements
UCAS Tariff - Not accepted
A level - BBB
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016) - DDM
Access to HE Diploma - D: 30 credits
Scottish Higher - BBBBC
Scottish Advanced Higher - BBC
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme - 33 points
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017) - H2, H2, H2, H2
T Level - M
English language requirements
| Test | Grade | Additional details |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 6 | With a 6.0 in writing and no element lower than 5.5 |
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
No fee information has been provided for this course
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
To find out more about fees and funding, please check our undergraduate fees guidance or contact the Fees Office https://www.gold.ac.uk/ug/fees-funding/
Provider information
Goldsmiths, University of London
New Cross
Lewisham
SE14 6NW