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Art History

Entry requirements


104-112 UCAS tariff points from a minimum of 2 A-levels

Pass a named Access to HE Diploma (Preferably History, Humanities or Combined) with at least 33 credits at Merit/Distinction.

Considered in combination

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

26

English and Maths accepted within as GCSE equivalent

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)

H3,H3,H3,H4,H4

English and Maths accepted within as GCSE equivalent

Considered in combination

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

D*D

In any subject

Considered in combination

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DMM

Any subject considered

Considered in combination

104-112 UCAS tariff points.

In combination with Advanced Highers

T Level

M

Any subject is considered.

UCAS Tariff

104-112

Considered in combination

About this course


This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.

Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Other options

4 years | Sandwich | 2024

Subject

History of art

Discover why art from the past still matters to our modern society in the city that spawned Joshua Reynolds, the first president of the Royal Academy. Learn what art can teach us about the past and how it can help us shape a better future. Build links with art historians and archivists and prepare for a career in the art world through our connections with high profile, international institutions like the National Gallery and Tate Britain, and benefit from the contacts of our published academics.

* **No exams.** 100% coursework.

* **Art throughout history.** Art history at Plymouth enables you to explore our complex past and navigate visual culture. Let our immersive modules take you across the world, from the Renaissance period to the present, from 14th-century fresco painting in Italy to artistic responses to the atomic bomb.

* **Expand your horizons.** We believe strongly in the experience of seeing works of art first-hand. Every semester we take students to major UK galleries and museums. We also offer an international field trip module, an intensive week of study abroad. Past destinations have included Rome, Florence, Vienna, Paris, New York City and Washington, DC.

* **Get involved.** Prepare for your future career by participating in an internship or work experience. Our students have successfully interned at Tate Britain, Sotheby’s, the National Trust, Plymouth Arts Centre, The Arts Institute and the Wallace Collection.

* **Learn from experts.** Our staff research activities as authors and curators underpin our teaching, which emphasises specialised knowledge and professional skills.

Modules

In your first year, we’ll introduce you to the discipline of art history. You’ll investigate the development of museums and galleries across the world, engaging in fieldwork using outstanding local examples. You’ll explore popular periods of art history, including 19th century French art and the Renaissance. To round off the year, you’ll analyse contemporary critical writings on art and develop your own critical skills.

In your second year, you’ll visit a major European city – a trip designed to complement your second year modules and give you the chance to get hands-on with fieldwork. Previous destinations include Rome, Vienna and Paris. You’ll also hone your critical skills by investigating critical art theory.

Gain valuable on-the-job experience through our optional placement year. We will support you in your second year in deciding whether to take this opportunity, and assist you in finding a placement and being prepared for it.

In your final year, you’ll continue to prepare for your career in the arts with further training in art historical research methods, as well as giving you dedicated career guidance. You’ll have the chance to study optional modules, including power patronage and ideology and studies in 20th century European art. You’ll write a substantial dissertation on the topic of your choice, previous topics include the representation of Salome in French Symbolism, and the sculpture of Barbara Hepworth.

The modules shown for this course or programme are those being studied by current students, or expected new modules. Modules are subject to change depending on year of entry.

Assessment methods

100% of assessment is by coursework.

The Uni


Course location:

University of Plymouth

Department:

School of Society and Culture

Read full university profile

What students say


How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

History of art, architecture and design

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.


Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

89%
UK students
11%
International students
13%
Male students
87%
Female students
89%
2:1 or above
11%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

B
B
C

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

History of art, architecture and design

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£18,000
med
Average annual salary
92%
low
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

16%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
16%
Other elementary services occupations
8%
Administrative occupations: records

This is a category for graduates taking a wide range of courses that don’t fall neatly into a subject group, so be aware that the stats you see here may not be a very accurate guide to the outcomes for the specific course you’re interested in. Management, finance, marketing, education and jobs in the arts are some of the typical jobs for these graduates, but it's sensible to go on open days and talk to tutors about what you might expect from the course, and what previous graduates did.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

History of art, architecture and design

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£17k

£17k

£19k

£19k

£24k

£24k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

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