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Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Art History, Visual Culture and Media Studies
University of Essex
Entry requirements
Here's what you will need to get a place on the Art History, Visual Culture and Media Studies course at University of Essex.
Select a qualification to see required grades
A level
B,B,B
Offers will be made in the range of BBB to BBC or 120-112 UCAS tariff points from a minimum of the equivalent of 2 full A-levels
Tuition fees
| Location | Fees |
|---|---|
| England | £9,250 per year |
| Scotland | £9,250 per year |
| Wales | £9,250 per year |
| Northern Ireland | £9,250 per year |
| Channel Islands | £9,250 per year |
| Republic of Ireland | £9,250 per year |
| EU | £20,475 per year |
| International | £20,475 per year |
Course summary
What this course is about
UCAS code: W350
Here's what University of Essex says about its Art History, Visual Culture and Media Studies course.
In a hyper-visual world increasingly dominated by ever-evolving forms of media, being able to understand and analyse the history and operations of visual and media cultures has never been more essential.
At Essex, you will explore a broad spectrum of art, visual culture and media, both past and present. You’ll learn about canonical forms of art and architecture and cover a range of visual culture, such as video art, medical photography, tattoos and objects from political protests. You’ll also study the various forms of contemporary media that shape our everyday lives, including film and television, photography, social media and advertising.
To study on our course, you don’t need an A-Level in art or art history. In fact, we believe that the best students of visual culture are those who bring fresh eyes and new perspectives to their objects of inquiry.
What’s more, you’ll have the opportunity to cover a range of disciplines through your modules during which you will combine different approaches to the study of visual media, hone your critical thinking and develop a deeper understanding of the histories and meaning of the visual world around you. You will develop the skills you need to transform your passion for art, visual culture, and media into the ability to uncover new insights about the material you study.
Throughout the course you’ll cover key areas including but not limited to:
-
World cinema
-
Digital media
-
Contemporary art
-
Politics
One of the major reasons for choosing Essex is the quality of the education you will receive. We are ranked 6th among art history departments in the UK for research excellence (REF 2014, mainstream universities, THE 2014). You will be taught by our expert staff in your very first year, a rarity in the UK.
Please note this course is subject to approval.
Course details
Qualification
Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Department
Philosophical, Historical, and Interdisciplinary Studies
Location
Colchester Campus | Colchester
Duration
3 Years
Study mode
Full-time
Subjects
• History of art
• Visual communication
Start date
October 2025
Application deadline
January 29, 2025
University of Essex reviews
Showing 45 reviews
2nd year student
The SU tries their best with the budget they have. They are probably one of the only departments who try their hardest at Essex. Societies and sports clubs are great with lots of socials and a great way and the best way to make new friends at Essex. The 2 bars and nightclub on campus are ok although...
2 years ago
2nd year student
I live near Colchester so I haven’t moved far to go to Essex University so I knew what the area would be like. It isn’t the most busiest area and you can pretty much find every and do everything tourist-wise in a couple of days. Nightlife is ok with the club on campus and a couple in the town, all o...
2 years ago
2nd year student
With the cost of living so high in the UK, the University has only raised their rent slightly and when you take into account that bills are included, the cheaper accommodation options are quite good deals. I notice that financial support is offered to those in more difficult circumstances due to the...
2 years ago
2nd year student
There is more that could be done in this area and I imagine those who are new to this sort of environment (living on your own, needing to self motivate to study etc) would struggle as there is a lack of communication from all aspects of the University. A simple email explaining how a specific examin...
2 years ago
2nd year student
The facilities on campus for education (library, labs etc) I cannot fault and they all work effectively. However, the accommodation is quite poor. In my 1st year in halls, I moved into a dirty room which smelt like a toilet. Clearly it hadn’t been cleaned since the last tenant which meant I had to c...
2 years ago
2nd year student
The course content is good however the delivery is lacking. It seems pointless going to lectures face to face as a lot of lecturers just read off the slides and add nothing on top. Sometimes the lecturers themselves seem puzzled at some of the content on the slides and they often just quickly move o...
2 years ago
National Student Survey (NSS) scores
The NSS is an annual survey where final-year students are asked to rate different aspects of their course and university experience.
The Art History, Visual Culture and Media Studies course at University of Essex features content from more than one subject area. Using the options below, you can see ratings from students who took courses in each of these subject areas at this uni
Select an option to see a detailed breakdown
Teaching on my course
92%
med
Teaching on my course
92%
med
How often does your course challenge you to achieve your best work?
88%
med
How good are teaching staff at explaining things?
95%
med
How often do teaching staff make the subject engaging?
89%
med
How often is the course intellectually stimulating?
97%
high
Learning opportunities
89%
high
Learning opportunities
89%
high
To what extent have you had the chance to bring together information and ideas from different topics?
87%
med
How well does your course introduce subjects and skills in a way that builds on what you have already learned?
89%
med
How well has your course developed your knowledge and skills that you think you will need for your future?
89%
med
To what extent have you had the chance to explore ideas and concepts in depth?
95%
high
To what extent does your course have the right balance of directed and independent study?
87%
high
Assessment and feedback
83%
med
Assessment and feedback
83%
med
How well have assessments allowed you to demonstrate what you have learned?
84%
med
How fair has the marking and assessment been on your course?
91%
med
How often does feedback help you to improve your work?
71%
low
How often have you received assessment feedback on time?
95%
high
How clear were the marking criteria used to assess your work?
75%
med
Academic support
91%
med
Academic support
91%
med
How easy was it to contact teaching staff when you needed to?
93%
med
How well have teaching staff supported your learning?
90%
med
Organisation and management
84%
med
Organisation and management
84%
med
How well were any changes to teaching on your course communicated?
77%
med
How well organised is your course?
91%
high
Learning resources
98%
high
Learning resources
98%
high
How well have the IT resources and facilities supported your learning?
95%
high
How well have the library resources (e.g., books, online services and learning spaces) supported your learning?
100%
high
How easy is it to access subject specific resources (e.g., equipment, facilities, software) when you need them?
98%
high
Student voice
82%
med
Student voice
82%
med
How clear is it that students' feedback on the course is acted on?
66%
med
To what extent do you get the right opportunities to give feedback on your course?
95%
high
To what extent are students' opinions about the course valued by staff?
87%
med
How well does the students' union (association or guild) represent students' academic interests?
71%
med
Other NSS questions
Other NSS questions
During your studies, how free did you feel to express your ideas, opinions, and beliefs?
98%
high
How well communicated was information about your university/college's mental wellbeing support services?
74%
med
Select an option to see a detailed breakdown
Teaching on my course
84%
med
Teaching on my course
84%
med
How often does your course challenge you to achieve your best work?
75%
low
How good are teaching staff at explaining things?
97%
high
How often do teaching staff make the subject engaging?
85%
med
How often is the course intellectually stimulating?
80%
med
Learning opportunities
75%
low
Learning opportunities
75%
low
To what extent have you had the chance to bring together information and ideas from different topics?
78%
low
How well does your course introduce subjects and skills in a way that builds on what you have already learned?
76%
med
How well has your course developed your knowledge and skills that you think you will need for your future?
64%
low
To what extent have you had the chance to explore ideas and concepts in depth?
81%
low
To what extent does your course have the right balance of directed and independent study?
75%
med
Assessment and feedback
87%
med
Assessment and feedback
87%
med
How well have assessments allowed you to demonstrate what you have learned?
88%
med
How fair has the marking and assessment been on your course?
89%
med
How often does feedback help you to improve your work?
79%
med
How often have you received assessment feedback on time?
91%
med
How clear were the marking criteria used to assess your work?
89%
high
Academic support
94%
high
Academic support
94%
high
How easy was it to contact teaching staff when you needed to?
96%
high
How well have teaching staff supported your learning?
93%
high
Organisation and management
85%
high
Organisation and management
85%
high
How well were any changes to teaching on your course communicated?
84%
high
How well organised is your course?
85%
high
Learning resources
90%
high
Learning resources
90%
high
How well have the IT resources and facilities supported your learning?
93%
high
How well have the library resources (e.g., books, online services and learning spaces) supported your learning?
89%
med
How easy is it to access subject specific resources (e.g., equipment, facilities, software) when you need them?
88%
med
Student voice
78%
med
Student voice
78%
med
How clear is it that students' feedback on the course is acted on?
66%
med
To what extent do you get the right opportunities to give feedback on your course?
85%
med
To what extent are students' opinions about the course valued by staff?
84%
med
How well does the students' union (association or guild) represent students' academic interests?
79%
med
Other NSS questions
Other NSS questions
During your studies, how free did you feel to express your ideas, opinions, and beliefs?
84%
low
How well communicated was information about your university/college's mental wellbeing support services?
86%
high
Student information
The Art History, Visual Culture and Media Studies course at University of Essex features content from more than one subject area. Choose an option below to find out about the students taking courses in each of those subject areas at this uni.
| Most popular A-levels studied | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | Grade | |||||
| English Literature | D | |||||
| Film Studies | B | |||||
| Media Studies | B | |||||
| History | C | |||||
| Psychology | C | |||||
| Most popular A-levels studied | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | Grade | |||||
| English Literature | B | |||||
| Fine Art | A | |||||
| History | C | |||||
| Art and Design | C | |||||
| Psychology | C | |||||
Graduate prospects
What graduates do next
Facts and figures about University of Essex graduates who took Art History, Visual Culture and Media Studies - or another course in the same subject area.
Graduate statistics
45%
In a job where degree was essential or beneficial
85%
In work, study or other activity
65%
Say it fits with future plans
40%
Are utilising studies
Top job areas
15%
Business and public service associate professionals
15%
Sales occupations
10%
Administrative occupations
10%
Elementary occupations
Graduate statistics percentages are determined 15 months after a student graduates
Earnings after graduation
The Art History, Visual Culture and Media Studies course includes content from more than one subject area. Choose an option below for University of Essex graduate earnings across each of those subject areas.
Earnings
£18k
First year after graduation
£24.8k
Third year after graduation
£28.1k
Fifth year after graduation
Earnings
£19.7k
Third year after graduation
£21.9k
Fifth year after graduation
Shown here are the median earnings of graduates at one, three and five years after they completed a course related to Art History, Visual Culture and Media Studies.
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
Discussions
Discussions
Students are talking about University of Essex on The Student Room.
University of Essex open days
Are you thinking of applying to this university?
Before you do, it's a good idea to go to an open day. You can have a good look around campus, getting a better idea of what it's like to study there. You'll meet current students and staff and get the chance to ask them questions.
Universities will list upcoming open days on their websites. Most will also have virtual open days; these are a great alternative if you really can't get there in person. For tips on preparing for open days, check the advice section here on The Uni Guide.
