BA (Hons) Art History

UCA’s Integrated Foundation Year is designed to give you the skills you’ll need to start your degree in the best possible way – with confidence, solid knowledge of creative practice, study skills and more.

You’ll explore a range of creative techniques and develop your portfolio, with your chosen subject in mind. We’ll work with you throughout the year to ensure you’re on the right track and give you the tools to achieve your highest potential on your degree.

Find out more about the Integrated Foundation Year

For our students coming from a non-UK educational background, UCA has launched an Integrated International Foundation Year, based at UCA Farnham to bring students from around the world to one hub of creativity.

This year of preparatory study is designed to give you the skills you’ll need to start your degree in the best possible way – with confidence, solid knowledge of creative practice, study skills and the English speaking and writing skills you’ll need to succeed.

You’ll explore a range of creative techniques and develop your portfolio, with your chosen subject in mind. We’ll work with you throughout the year to ensure you’re on the right track and give you the tools to achieve your highest potential on your degree.

Find out more about the Integrated International Foundation Year

Launch
This is your introduction to the Campus and to the Course. As well as to the contexts and forms relevant for the Fine Art programme. You will be asked to make an impactful and meaningful collaborative project.

When was art?
You’ll examine how the term ‘art’ has been used in a variety of institutional and disciplinary ways, including the western discipline of art history and its development from the late nineteenth century, together with an analysis of contemporary art ideas, theories and practices since the 1990s.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion 1
By exploring what is meant by gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion and social class, you will have the opportunity to explore how dominant culture mindsets contribute to the inclusion or exclusion of individuals or groups, and the ways in which divisive practices of ‘otherness and belonging’ are enacted, questioned and challenged in the context of contemporary Fine Art practices and a wider global arena.

Independent project 1: starting writing
You’ll research an independently chosen subject relating to art history, theory, and contemporary culture, and then develop and share your ideas with a clear and sustained argument.

Opportunity
For Opportunity Week, you’ll respond to a Call Out – where creative responses are asked for around a given theme, before being presented and celebrated across campus.

What is the object of art?
You’ll explore the relationship between art movements and various works of art – material and conceptual – with a focus on 20^th century modernism, postmodernism and global contemporary art.

Industry focus – writing modes 1: voice
You’ll be introduced to a range of writing modes and practices to widen your sense of how interpretation, criticism and curation intersect with publication. In the practice of art history, a writer may assume a neutral voice to describe an objective reality. You’ll consider and critique models of writing that not only describe works of art but also show the writer’s views.

Independent project 2: partnerships, interdisciplinarity
You’ll have the opportunity to focus on and research the range of work opportunities in the global contemporary art world. A wide range of institutions and businesses comprise the art world - museums, galleries, art centres, commissioning agencies, auction houses, archives, magazines and journals - and in this unit, you will begin to map and analyse this field.

ATOM Activities
ATOM activities are small pieces of individual learning that facilitate interdisciplinary exposure across UCA, and offer a flexible, impactful learning experience. They expand your creative horizon by accessing learning topics that would not otherwise be scheduled on your course specific timetable.

PLE Digital Outcomes
The PLE Digital Outcome is a purposefully edited, self-directed record of your constructive, level 4 engagement with and presence on, digital media platforms across the year.

Progression Portfolio
Over the course of your degree you'll be expected to build, maintain and evolve a Progression Portfolio. This will involve you undertaking extra curriculum work to create one ‘enhancement project’ during each academic year to add to your portfolio.  

Launch
As you return to campus, you’ll make an impactful and meaningful collaborative project following themes developed alongside your tutors.

From the local to the global
You’ll be introduced to the ways in which art today is connected to a structure of art fairs, biennials and globally oriented museums. You’ll also consider how art and theory are bound to a history of migration and international cross-cultural influences.

The Conscious Practitioner
Building on your Equality, Diversity and Inclusion unit from Year 1, this unit progresses your understanding of these issues in a contemporary arena, and explores the issues around the ethics of diversity in the contexts of sustainability and current environmental concerns.

Independent project 3: interdisciplinary elective
Collaborate, experiment and realise creative responses to briefs alongside students from other courses on campus in this elective unit – with the aim of building on your experiences within your chosen sphere of focus.

Opportunity
For Opportunity Week, you’ll respond to a Call Out – where creative responses are asked for around a given theme, before being presented and celebrated across campus.

Human/Nature
You’ll explore the art and the theory that explores the human, and the relationship of humans within the environment. You’ll also explore how art and theory have addressed issues of the environment and the non-human. You will examine the impact of art on its environment, from industrial modernism in the 20th century to contemporary thought on the agency of the non-human (such as plant and animal life).

Industry linking – writing modes 2 – contemporary art publication
You’ll examine the profession of writing within art history, theory, and contemporary culture and learn about innovations within critical and creative writing in the context of art.

Independent project 4: placement
You’ll enhance your awareness of organisations whose work relates to your subject of study – from regional arts organisations, galleries, publishers, and education providers. This will give you an essential insight into the global art world working environment.

ATOM Activities and PLE Digital Outcome
These units are an extension of the Year 1 ATOM Activities and PLE Digital Outcome.

If you opt to complete a professional practice year, this will take place in year three. You will undertake a placement within the creative industries to further develop your skills and CV.

While on your Professional Practice Year, you will be required to pay a reduced tuition fee for that year. This fee will be determined using government funding regulations. Based on current regulations, we expect this to be a maximum of 20% of the tuition fee rate that you are charged for your second year of study. You will also incur additional travel and accommodation costs during this year. The University will provide you with further advice and guidance about this as you approach your Professional Practice Year.

Please note: If you are an international applicant, you will need to enrol onto the course ‘with Professional Practice Year’. It will not be possible to transfer onto the Professional Practice Year after enrolment

Launch
This is your introduction to the Campus and to the Course. As well as to the contexts and forms relevant for the Fine Art programme. You will be asked to make an impactful and meaningful collaborative project.

Artistic futures
You, the students, will lead this unit, with the help of your tutors, with seminars and reading groups discussing and unpacking ideas that will lead to a final resolution in the following unit. You will have the opportunity for prolonged research, peer discussion and exploration of emerging themes. This is your opportunity to explore and work through ideas and theories that will prepare you for the final phase of your course.

Themes and theories
You’ll explore, through lectures and seminars, several key themes to help orient and guide your thinking about relevant issues for your final project. You’ll develop your own approach and position in regard to some of the issues raised over the previous two years, while also returning to some of those issues in greater depth.

Opportunity
For Opportunity Week, you’ll go on visits to locations, attend a range of events both course-specific and independently led, and respond to a Call Out – where creative responses are asked for around a given theme, before being presented and celebrated across campus.

Final independent project
For the culmination of your studies at UCA, you’ll be supported in completing a major final independent project on a subject of your choice within the field of art history, theory and contemporary culture. You’ll be encouraged to be ambitious and intellectually creative in your approach.

This course offers the opportunity to study abroad for part of your course. To find out more about studying abroad please see the Study Abroad section:

• Study abroad information

Tuition fees - 2023 entry

UK students:

• Integrated Foundation Year - £9,250
• BA course - £9,250

EU students:

• Integrated International Foundation Year - £9,250 (see fee discount information)
• BA course - £9,250 (see fee discount information)

International students:

• Integrated International Foundation Year - £16,950
• BA course - £16,950

If you opt to study the Professional Practice Year, for 2023 you will be required to pay a reduced tuition fee of £1,850 (UK students) and £3,390 (International students). You will also incur additional travel and accommodation costs during your Professional Practice year. The University will provide you with further advice and guidance about this.

The fees listed here are correct for the stated academic year only, for details of previous years please see the full fee schedules. Costs may increase each year during a student’s period of continued registration on course in line with inflation (subject to any maximum regulated tuition fee limit). Any adjustment for continuing students will be at or below the RPI-X forecast rate.

Financial support

There are lots of ways you can access additional financial support to help you fund your studies - both from UCA and from external sources.

Discover what support you might qualify for please see our financial support information

UCA scholarships and fee discounts

At UCA we have a number of scholarships and fee discounts available to assist you with the cost of your studies.

You'll find everything you need to know for your level of study on our scholarships page.

Additional course costs

In addition to the tuition fees there may be other costs for your course. The things that you are likely to need to budget for to get the most out of a creative arts education will include books, printing costs, occasional or optional study trips and/or project materials.

These costs will vary according to the nature of your project work and the individual choices that you make. Please see the Additional Course Costs section of your Course Information for details of the costs you may incur.

As a long-established course, we have a developed Kent-wide network that gives our students access to some of the most respected names in the creative industries, including:

• Turner Contemporary Margate
• Folkestone Triennial
• Dover Arts Development
• Stour Valley Creative Partnership
• Crate
• Whitstable Biennale
• Canterbury Cathedral

Graduates can expect to leave with experience in live projects such as exhibitions and gallery presentations, as well as a strong foundation of knowledge in art theory and the practicalities of working with various artists in different fields.

The vast range of knowledge enables graduates to look towards working in the art industry within a variety of exciting and progression roles. This can include working as a:

• Commercial art gallery manager
• Museum and gallery curator
• Talent agent

Having a degree in Art History doesn’t just limit graduates to working within a museum or gallery, there are links to various industries such as the:

• Education field
• Events and public relations
• Marketing.

You may also like to consider further study at postgraduate level.

BA (Hons) course
BA (Hons) course with Professional Practice Year

The standard entry requirements* for these courses are one of the following:

• 112 new UCAS tariff points, see accepted qualifications
• Pass at Foundation Diploma in Art & Design (Level 3 or 4)
• Distinction, Merit, Merit at BTEC Extended Diploma / BTEC National Extended Diploma
• Merit at UAL Extended Diploma
• 112 new UCAS tariff points from an accredited Access to Higher Education Diploma in appropriate subject
• 27-30 total points in the International Baccalaureate Diploma with at least 15 IB points at Higher level, see more information about IB entry requirements.

And four GCSE passes at grade 9-4/A*-C including English (or Functional Skills English/Key Skills Communication Level 2).

Other relevant and equivalent Level 3 UK and international qualifications are considered on an individual basis, and we encourage students from diverse educational backgrounds to apply.  

Portfolio requirements

For these courses, we’ll need to see your portfolio of written or visual work for review. We’ll invite you to attend an Applicant Day so you can have your portfolio review in person, meet the course team and learn more about your course. Further information will be provided once you have applied.

More portfolio advice

BA (Hons) course with Integrated Foundation Year
BA (Hons) course with Integrated Foundation Year and Professional Practice Year

The standard entry requirements* for these courses are one of the following:

• 64 new UCAS tariff points, see accepted qualifications
• Pass at Foundation Diploma in Art & Design (Level 3 or 4)
• Merit, Pass, Pass at BTEC Extended Diploma / BTEC National Extended Diploma
• Pass at UAL Extended Diploma
• 64 new UCAS tariff points from an accredited Access to Higher Education Diploma in appropriate subject
• 24 points from the International Baccalaureate, see more information about IB entry requirements.

And four GCSE passes at grade 9-4/A*-C including English (or Functional Skills English/Key Skills Communication Level 2).

Other relevant and equivalent Level 3 UK and international qualifications are considered on an individual basis, and we encourage students from diverse educational backgrounds to apply. 

Portfolio requirements

These courses don't require a portfolio. If you receive an offer, you’ll be invited to attend an Applicant Day where you can meet the course team and learn more about the course. 

*We occasionally make offers which are lower than the standard entry criteria, to students who have faced difficulties that have affected their performance and who were expected to achieve higher results. We consider the strength of our applicants’ portfolios, as well as their grades -  in these cases, a strong portfolio is especially important.

BA (Hons) course
BA (Hons) course with Professional Practice Year

The entry requirements for these courses will depend on the country your qualifications are from, please check the equivalent qualifications for your country:

• Non-UK equivalent qualifications

Any additional entry requirements listed in the UK requirements section, e.g., subject requirements, work experience or professional qualifications, also apply to international applicants applying with equivalent qualifications.

Portfolio requirements

For these courses, we’ll need to see your portfolio of written or visual work for review. We will invite you to attend an Applicant Day so you can have your portfolio review in person, meet the course team and learn more about your course. If you are unable to attend an Applicant Day you can upload a portfolio digitally, there is also the option to submit it online via your UCA Applicant Portal. Further information will be provided once you have applied.

BA (Hons) course with Integrated International Foundation Year
BA (Hons) course with Integrated International Foundation Year and Professional Practice Year

For these courses you need to have completed 12 years of schooling (with good grades) and show strong evidence of your ability to successfully complete the programme and progress onto your chosen degree.

Any additional entry requirements listed in the UK requirements section, e.g., subject requirements, work experience or professional qualifications, also apply to international applicants applying with equivalent qualifications.

Portfolio requirements

These courses don't require a portfolio. If you receive an offer, you’ll be invited to attend an Applicant Day where you can meet the course team and learn more about the course. 

English language requirements

To study at UCA, you'll need to have a certain level of English language skill. And so, to make sure you meet the requirements of your course, we ask for evidence of your English language ability, please chcek the level of English language required:

• English language requirements