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Art History

BA (Hons)

Application options include:

Full-time Part-time
On campus
With or without Foundation Year

Course Overview

Our BA Art History offers you the opportunity to study the visual arts as a central element of human endeavour in an accessible, engaging and flexible way. It is taught by world-leading scholars and makes the most of the amazingly rich art collections, monuments and study facilities of London. 

Why choose this course? 

  • On this course you will explore the cultural and political contexts of artworks, buildings and exhibitions, and think more broadly about the role of images within society. 
  • We teach art history as a rich and dynamic topic, encompassing architecture, installation, exhibitions, print culture and digital media as well as painting, sculpture and photography.
  • You will be taught by experienced and skilled teachers who are also published writers of groundbreaking art history in periods from medieval to contemporary.

What you will learn 

You will pursue a structured and progressive approach to the study of works of art understood as socially and politically engaged things. Working with active researchers with expertise ranging from the Middle Ages to the present day, and encompassing a range of media from painting, sculpture and architecture to photography, installations and digital, you will be guided towards a critical understanding of the fabricated world around you.

How you will learn 

You will learn in a supportive environment which encourages exchange between both students and tutors, and between students, with a mix of interactive lectures and small-group seminars. Teaching is supported by rich online resources via our virtual learning environment.

This course is available to study full- or part-time. It has an evening timetable with lectures, seminars and classes taking place in the evening. 

Foundation Year

If you opt for the Foundation Year route, this will fully prepare you for undergraduate study. It is ideal if you are returning to study after a gap, or if you have not previously studied the relevant subjects, or if you didn't achieve the grades you need for a place on your chosen undergraduate degree.

Discover the career opportunities available by taking Art History (BA (Hons)).

Key information and modules

Pathways for Art History (BA (Hons))

This course has additional Pathways to offer you the chance to specialise depending on your interests and career goals.

Find another course:

Highlights

  • Birkbeck was ranked as one of the top four universities in the UK for its Art and Design research in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.
  • The teaching and research of history of art was established almost half a century ago at Birkbeck. Today, we are an internationally respected centre in this area. Keep up to date with our activities on the Birkbeck History of Art blog. We offer information evenings for prospective students interested in our History of Art courses throughout the year. As well as regular gallery and museum visits, we offer an exciting study trip abroad every spring.
  • As a student here you are encouraged to become involved in our lively research culture through the Centre for Museum Cultures, the History and Theory of Photography Research Centre, the Architecture, Space and Society Centre and the Vasari Research Centre, which has pioneered the field of digital art history.
  • We typically have some bursary funding available from our annual application to the Royal Female School of Art Foundation, which supports undergraduate students who are experiencing short-term financial hardship.
Come and meet us Request a prospectus Contact us

Birkbeck makes all reasonable efforts to deliver educational services, modules and programmes of study as described on our website. In the event that there are material changes to our offering (for example, due to matters beyond our control), we will update applicant and student facing information as quickly as possible and offer alternatives to applicants, offer-holders and current students.

Most of our courses are taught in the evenings, however some of our courses offer a daytime timetable. Where there is an option to attend daytime teaching sessions, this is stated in the Key Information section under Attendance.

  • Entry Requirements Entry Requirements

    Entry Requirements

    We welcome applicants without traditional entry qualifications as we base decisions on our own assessment of qualifications, knowledge and previous work experience. We may waive formal entry requirements based on judgement of academic potential.

    You may be required to attend an interview and complete a written exercise.

    For part-time courses, standard requirements are a minimum of two A-levels or equivalent.

    UCAS tariff points

    • 3 years full-time: 112 points (e.g. A-levels BBC)
    • 4 years full-time with Foundation Year: 48 points

    The UCAS tariff score is applicable to you if you have recently studied a qualification that has a UCAS tariff equivalence. UCAS provides a tariff calculator for you to work out what your qualification is worth within the UCAS tariff.

    Foundation year degrees

    Our 'with Foundation Year' route is designed to give you extra support as it provides you with an additional year (full-time) or two years (part-time) of supported study. This is an ideal route if you are returning to study after a gap, or if you have not previously studied this subject, or if you did not achieve the grades you need for a place on this degree. 

    Once you successfully complete your Foundation Year studies, you will automatically advance onto the main degree. 

    Alternative entry routes

    3 years full-time or 4 years part-time: students who successfully complete Birkbeck's Certificate of Higher Education in History of Art may progress on to this BA, with the possibility of exemption from the first-year modules. We also accept an Access to Higher Education Diploma with a minimum of 15 credits achieved at Merit or Distinction in social science or humanities units.

    3 years full-time: Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma - DMM

    English language requirements

    If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, our usual requirement is the equivalent of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Test) score of 6.5, with not less than 6.0 in each of the sub-tests. We also accept other English language tests.

    If you don’t meet the minimum English language requirements,  or see our international study skills page for more details of how we can help.

    Visit the International section of our website to find out more about our English language entry requirements and relevant requirements by country.

    Visa and funding requirements

    If you are not from the UK and you do not already have residency here, you may need to apply for a visa.

    The visa you apply for varies according to the length of your course:

    • Courses of more than six months' duration: Student visa
    • Courses of less than six months' duration: Standard Visitor visa

    International students who require a Student visa should apply for our full-time courses as these qualify for Student visa sponsorship. If you are living in the UK on a Student visa, you will not be eligible to enrol as a student on Birkbeck's part-time courses (with the exception of some modules).

    For full information, read our visa information for international students page.

    Please also visit the international section of our website to find out more about relevant visa and funding requirements by country.

    Please note students receiving US Federal Aid are only able to apply for in-person, on-campus programmes which will have no elements of online study.

    Credits and accredited prior learning (APL)

    If you have studied at university (or have an HND or Foundation Degree), you may have accumulated credits through the modules you studied. It may be possible to transfer these credits from your previous study to Birkbeck or another institution.

  • Fees Fees

    Fees

    Art History BA (Hons): 3 years full-time, on campus, starting in academic year 2025-26

    Academic year 2025–26, starting October 2025

    Full-time home students: £9,535 per year
    Full-time international students: £18,060 per year

    Art History BA (Hons): 4 years part-time, on campus, starting in academic year 2025-26

    Academic year 2025–26, starting October 2025

    Part-time home students: £7,145 per year
    Part-time international students: £13,545 per year

    Art History with Foundation Year BA (Hons): 4 years full-time, on campus, starting in academic year 2025-26

    Academic year 2025–26, starting October 2025

    Full-time home students: £9,535 per year
    Full-time international students: £18,060 per year

    Art History with Foundation Year BA (Hons): 6 years part-time, on campus, starting in academic year 2025-26

    Academic year 2025–26, starting October 2025

    Part-time home students, Year 1&2: £4,765 per year
    Part-time international students, Year 1&2: £9,030 per year
    Part-time home students, Year 3+: £7,145 per year
    Part-time international students, Year 3+: £13,545 per year

    Students are charged a tuition fee in each year of their course. Tuition fees for students continuing on their course in following years may be subject to annual inflationary increases. For more information, please see the College Fees Policy.

    If you’ve studied at Birkbeck before and successfully completed an award with us, take advantage of our Lifelong Learning Guarantee to gain a discount on the tuition fee of this course.

    Additional costs

    As well as fees, you should expect to pay other study-related expenses, for travel to and from College, books, stationery, etc. Birkbeck provides advice and financial support for students who experience hardship in meeting the travel costs of essential fieldwork or study visits.

    On this course, you will also have to pay for the following additional costs:

    An optional field trip is available as part of this course, for which the College does not charge a fee for attendance. Students are, however, responsible for paying all other costs, including travel, accommodation, food and drink and other subsistence costs, gallery fees, etc. The Murray Bequest offers a limited number of bursaries every year to students who would not otherwise be able to take the field trip. Details on how to apply are usually circulated to students in December or January.

    Tuition fee and maintenance loans

    Eligible full-time and part-time students from the UK don’t have to pay any tuition fees upfront, as government loans are available to cover them.

    Maintenance loans are also available for eligible full-time and part-time UK students, to assist with covering living costs, such as accommodation, food, travel, books and study materials. The amount you receive is means-tested and depends on where you live and study and your household income.

    Find out more about tuition fee and maintenance loans for full-time and part-time students at Birkbeck.

    Discover the financial support available to you to help with your studies at Birkbeck.

    International scholarships

    We provide a range of scholarships for eligible international students, including our Global Future Scholarship. Discover if you are eligible for a scholarship.

  • Teaching and Assessment Teaching and Assessment

    Teaching

    At Birkbeck, most of our courses are taught in the evening and all of our teaching is designed to support students who are juggling evening study with work and other commitments. We actively encourage innovative and engaging ways of teaching, to ensure our students have the best learning experience.

    Teaching may include formal lectures, seminars, and practical classes and tutorials. Formal lectures are used in most degree programmes to give an overview of a particular field of study. They aim to provide the stimulus and the starting point for deeper exploration of the subject during your own personal reading. Seminars give you the chance to explore a specific aspect of your subject in depth and to discuss and exchange ideas with fellow students. They typically require preparatory study.

    In addition, you will have access to pastoral support via a named Personal Tutor.

    Methods of teaching on this course

    A combination of interactive lectures, seminars and visits to art museums and galleries. 

    The Foundation Year studies is composed mainly of interactive lectures for large groups and tutorial-style classes that support the development of knowledge, skills, confidence and self-awareness.

    Staff teaching on this course

    Teaching hours

    Our evening hours are normally between 6pm and 9pm (6-7.30pm and 7.30-9pm). Some programmes also offer teaching during the day and this will be clearly signposted to you where it is available.

    On our taught courses, you will have scheduled teaching and study sessions each year. Scheduled teaching sessions may include lectures, seminars, workshops or laboratory work. Depending on the modules you take, you may also have additional scheduled academic activities, such as tutorials, dissertation supervision, practical classes, visits and field trips. On our taught courses, the actual amount of time you spend in the classroom and in contact with your lecturers will depend on your course, the option modules you select and when you undertake your final-year project (if applicable).

    Alongside your contact hours, you will also undertake assessment activities and independent learning outside of class. The amount of time you need to allocate to study both for taught sessions (this might include online sessions and/or in-person sessions) and personal study will depend on how much you are studying during the year and whether you are studying full time or part time.

    Birkbeck’s courses are made up of modules and allocated ‘credit’. One credit is equivalent to ten hours of learning time. Modules are usually in 15, 30 or 60 credit units. A 15-credit module will mean around 150 hours of learning, including taught sessions and independent study or group work. This is spread out over the whole period of that module and includes the time you spend on any assessments, including in examinations, preparing and writing assessments or engaged in practical work as well as any study support sessions to help you in your learning.

    On our distance-learning and blended-learning courses, discussion, collaboration and interaction with your lecturers and fellow students is encouraged and enabled through various learning technologies.

    Timetables

    Timetables are usually available from September onwards and you can access your personalised timetable via your My Birkbeck Profile online (if you have been invited to enrol).

    Indicative class size

    Class sizes vary, depending on your course, the module you are undertaking, and the method of teaching. For example, lectures are presented to larger groups, whereas seminars usually consist of small, interactive groups led by a tutor.

    Independent learning

    On our taught courses, much of your time outside of class will be spent on self-directed, independent learning, including preparing for classes and following up afterwards. This will usually include, but is not limited to, reading books and journal articles, undertaking research, working on coursework and assignments, and preparing for presentations and assessments.

    Independent learning is absolutely vital to your success as a student. Everyone is different, and the study time required varies topic by topic, but, as a guide, expect to schedule up to five hours of self-study for each hour of teaching.

    Study skills and additional support

    Birkbeck offers study and learning support to undergraduate and postgraduate students to help them succeed. Our Learning Development Service can help you in the following areas:

    • academic skills (including planning your workload, research, writing, exam preparation and writing a dissertation)
    • written English (including structure, punctuation and grammar)
    • numerical skills (basic mathematics and statistics).

    Our Disability and Dyslexia Service can support you if you have additional learning needs resulting from a disability or from dyslexia.

    Our Counselling Service can support you if you are struggling with emotional or psychological difficulties during your studies.

    Our Mental Health Advisory Service can support you if you are experiencing short- or long-term mental health difficulties during your studies.

    Assessment

    Assessment is an integral part of your university studies and usually consists of a combination of coursework and examinations, although this will vary from course to course - on some of our courses, assessment is entirely by coursework. The methods of assessment on this course are specified below under 'Methods of assessment on this course'. You will need to allow time to complete coursework and prepare for exams.

    Where a course has unseen written examinations, these may be held termly, but, on the majority of our courses, exams are usually taken in the Summer term, during May to June. Exams may be held at other times of the year as well. In most cases, exams are held during the day on a weekday - if you have daytime commitments, you will need to make arrangements for daytime attendance - but some exams are held in the evening. Exam timetables are published online.

    Find out more about assessment at Birkbeck, including guidance on assessment, feedback and our assessment offences policy.

    Methods of assessment on this course

    Short written exercises, essays which will develop in length and expected complexity as you progress through your studies, presentations.

  • Careers and employability Careers and employability

    Careers and employability

    On successfully graduating from this BA Art History, you will have gained an array of important transferable skills, including: 

    • a sophisticated use of written and spoken English 
    • an advanced critical ability in the use of theoretical perspectives 
    • the ability to use analytical tools 
    • the initiative to collect and organise complex materials and the ability to write up clear, well-presented reports or fluent critical arguments.

    Graduates can pursue career paths working in:

    • arts management
    • conservation and policy
    • education
    • marketing
    • publishing
    • the museums and heritage sectors
    • research and academia.

    Jobs gained by some of our BA and MA graduates include:

    • Head of Learning, Design Museum
    • Curator, Schools Programmes, Tate Modern
    • Curatorial Assistant, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
    • Curatorial Officer, National Army Museum
    • Head of Campaign Management, Science Museum
    • Curator, Handel House Museum
    • Head Curator, National Maritime Museum
    • Director, Foundling Museum
    • Curator, British Art 1850-1915, Tate Britain
    • Courses and Events Programmer, National Gallery.

    We offer a comprehensive careers service - Careers and Enterprise - your career partner during your time at Birkbeck and beyond. At every stage of your career journey, we empower you to take ownership of your future, helping you to make the connection between your experience, education and future ambitions.

  • How to apply How to apply

    How to apply

    You apply via UCAS for our full-time undergraduate courses or directly to Birkbeck for our part-time undergraduate courses.

    Full-time (UCAS entry)

    If you are applying for a full-time undergraduate course at Birkbeck, you have to apply through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). To apply, go to the UCAS website and click on ‘Sign in’. You will have to register, giving UCAS a few personal details, including your name, address and date of birth, and then you can start working on your application.

    The first UCAS deadline is in January, and the majority of university applications through UCAS are made by then. Find the exact deadline date on the UCAS website. We welcome applications outside of the UCAS deadlines, so you can still apply through UCAS after the January deadline, depending on the availability of places. We also take late applications via the UCAS Clearing system in August.

    Part-time

    If you are applying for a part-time undergraduate course (4 or 6 year), you apply directly to Birkbeck by using the Apply now button. You will need to prove your identity when you apply - read more about suitable forms of identification.

    You apply directly to Birkbeck for this course, using the online application link. Please note that online application will open in September.

    When to apply

    You are strongly advised to apply now, to ensure there are still places on your chosen course and to give you enough time to complete the admissions process, to arrange funding and to enrol.

    You don't need to complete your current programme of study before you apply - Birkbeck can offer you a place that is conditional on your results.

    You will also receive information about subject-specific induction sessions over the summer.

    Help and advice with your application

    Get all the information you need about the application, admission and enrolment process at Birkbeck.

    Our online personal statement tool will guide you through every step of writing the personal statement part of your application.

    Apply for your course

    Apply for your course using the apply now button in the key information section.

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Related courses

Pathways for Art History (BA (Hons))

Course structure

Course structure listing

Course structure and modules for Art History BA (Hons): 3 years full-time, on campus, starting October 2025

You must complete modules worth a total of 360 credits.

  • Year 1: three compulsory modules and a Level 4 option module
  • Year 2: one compulsory module and three Level 5 option modules
  • Year 3: three Level 6 option modules and a 10,000-word dissertation.

In any year, you may take up to 30 credits' worth of option modules in another subject area in place of art history option modules at the same level

Year 1 compulsory modules
Year 2 compulsory module
Option module - Level 4
Option modules - Level 5
Indicative option modules - Level 6
BA Art History dissertation

Course structure and modules for Art History BA (Hons): 4 years part-time, on campus, starting October 2025

You must complete modules worth a total of 360 credits.

  • Year 1: two compulsory modules and a Level 4 option module
  • Year 2: one compulsory module and two Level 5 option modules from a choice of three
  • Year 3: one compulsory module, one Level 5 option (whichever is not taken in Year 2) or one Level 6 option module, and a further Level 6 option module
  • Year 4: two Level 6 option modules and a 10,000-word dissertation.

In any year, you may take up to 30 credits' worth of option modules in another subject area in place of art history option modules at the same level

Year 1 compulsory modules
Year 2 compulsory module
Year 3 compulsory module
Option module - Level 4
Option modules - Level 5
Indicative option modules - Level 6
BA Art History dissertation

Course structure and modules for Art History with Foundation Year BA (Hons): 4 years full-time, on campus, starting October 2025

For the Foundation Year, you undertake three core modules and choose one option module: either The Arts: Questioning the Contemporary World or a language module.

If you successfully complete these modules, you will automatically advance on to our three-year, full-time, evening study BA Art History.

Foundation Year core modules
Foundation Year option modules

Course structure and modules for Art History with Foundation Year BA (Hons): 6 years part-time, on campus, starting October 2025

Our part-time Foundation Year degrees allow you to spread out your Foundation Year studies over two years. As the 'Foundation Year' is made up of 120 credits, as a part-time student you can take 60 credits in each of your first and second years before starting the main four-year BA Art History. This means that you can take six years to complete the part-time degree with Foundation Year.

In Foundation Year 1 you take two core modules and in Foundation Year 2 you take one core module and choose one option module.

If you successfully complete these modules, you will automatically advance on to our four-year, part-time, evening study BA Art History.

Foundation Year 1 core modules
Foundation Year 2 core module
Foundation Year 2 option modules