BA HISTORY OF ART
The BA (Hons) History of Art programme at Birkbeck College, University of London,
covers a wide range of Western art, from the Parthenon through to Postmodernism, although
the particular strengths of the School lie in the Renaissance period and the nineteenth and
twentieth centuries.
We actively encourage students to explore a wide variety of types of art; ranging from
buildings to installations, sculpture to digital media, paintings to photography. In all these
fields, emphasis is placed on considering art in a broad historical context. Therefore,
students explore such areas as literature, politics and gender as part of their investigations
into visual culture. The course is also intended to develop skills of visual perception and
critical analysis of images and texts, and to familiarise students with current approaches to
the discipline.
The programme is currently a four year part-time course, entirely taught in the
evenings. This is so that students can continue with prior daytime commitments whilst
studying towards their degree. People who apply to the programme come from a wide
variety of backgrounds, ranging from those in their twenties to individuals enjoying
retirement. Some study for professional development, seeking to start or develop careers in
areas relating to the visual arts. Others take this course purely for personal reasons, seeking
an intellectual challenge. What unites all the students is their commitment to their studies
and their enthusiasm for and engagement with the discipline of art history.
From October 2012, we will be running an accelerated version of the BA History of
Art programme, taking three years. For further details, please see below.
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Overview of the Course
The part-time, four year degree programme consists of eleven modules. They are
structured as broad introductory courses in the first year, more focused thematic courses in
the second year, and specialised seminar courses in the final two years. In addition,
students work towards a dissertation on a subject of their own choice, approved by the
department, which is submitted in the fourth year.
You may take two courses in other disciplines as part of this degree.
Year 1
Introduction to History of Art and Screen Media
This course is intended to introduce students to the discipline of art history. Most of
the sessions are concerned with the various materials and techniques employed in making
works of art, but the course also includes a number of study skills classes.
Introduction to European Art before 1800
This course introduces students to the narrative of European art from classical
antiquity to the end of the eighteenth century
Introduction to Modern Art
This course aims to familiarise students with European art of the modern period, from
the end of the eighteenth century to the present day.
Year 2
Critical Approaches to the History of Art
This course aims to develop students’ understanding of a range of art historical
approaches and methods
Two period courses, chosen from:
*
Art and Architecture in Europe 1250–1400: This course focuses on key themes in the
art of the late thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, concentrating on main centres of
production and on reciprocal artistic influences north and south of the Alps.
*
Art and Architecture in Europe 1400–1500: This course explores the diversity of art
production in fifteenth-century Europe, focusing on four particular regions: the Burgundian
Netherlands; Tuscany; the Veneto; Germany.
*
Art and Society in the Nineteenth Century: This course aims to foster an
understanding of the relationships between social, economic and political forces and the
artistic practices of the nineteenth century, focusing on a number of key themes: the city;
class and labour; art and travel; art in the age of mechanical reproduction.
*
Art and Society in the Twentieth Century: The course focuses on selected themes,
such as Futurism and Surrealism, designed to expand an understanding of artists’ critical
engagement with specific philosophical and political debates and how these intersect with
aesthetic considerations.
Years 3 and 4
Two special subjects in each year, chosen from about 10 on offer annually. We ensure that
topics available every year cover as wide an array of periods and topics as possible. For
example, the special subjects offered in 2009-10 were:

Practice and Theory in the Renaissance Artist’s Workshop: Florence and Venice

Digital and Dynamic Art

From Private Piety to Princely Pomp: The Art of Northern Renaissance

Art and War, 1914 to the Present

Art and Architecture in Renaissance Rome

Nineteenth-century Landscape Art

Art and Architecture at the Early Stuart Courts

Portraiture in England in the Long Eighteenth Century

Fin-de-Siecle Vienna

Photography and its Representations 1830-1950
Dissertation of 10,000 words on a subject of your choice. This is supervised by a relevant
member of staff.
Accelerated BA History of Art, starting October 2012
Students on the accelerated pathway will take modules over three years instead of
four.
In the first year, you will study Introduction to the History of Art and Screen Media;
Introduction to European Art before 1800; Introduction to Modern Art and Critical
Approaches to the History of Art.
In the second year, you will start the dissertation and take three period courses from
the four on offer.
In the third year, you will study three special subjects and complete your dissertation.
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Frequently asked questions
Who will I be taught by?
Our courses are of the highest academic calibre. All members of academic staff are
scholars who produce work of an international standard. In the last Research Assessment
Exercise, this department was awarded 5. We are also committed to providing the best
possible educational experience for all who come here, reflected in our being awarded the
maximum score in the last Teaching Quality Assessment Exercise.
For further information about staff research interests, please see our staff pages.
Does it matter if I've never studied this subject before?
No. Whilst some students on the BA programme have studied art history at school or,
more commonly, taken further education courses in the subject, most have not studied the
subject in any great depth prior to starting the course.
The first year modules are therefore intended to provide a good grounding in the
discipline, and to provide the foundation for more advanced study in future years. Whilst you
do have to pass the exams at the end of the first year in order to progress, first-year essays
do not count towards the final degree. They therefore give you an opportunity to become
accustomed to presenting your research and ideas in an academic framework, and a chance
to try different styles and approaches to writing. The first year is essentially a chance to
settle into your studies and familiarise yourself with the discipline.
Where will my classes be held?
Most classes are held at Gordon Square with a few taking place in the main Birkbeck
building in nearby Malet Street. The building in Gordon Square was formerly owned by
members of the Bloomsbury Group, including Virginia Woolf and the economist John
Maynard Keynes, and is a listed building.
How is the course structured?
The course is a cumulative programme, encouraging students to focus in increasing
depth as they progress through the programme. For a summary of the accelerated pathway,
please see the overview of the course above.
In the first year, part-time students study three courses. Introduction to European Art
before 1800 provides a survey of the history of western art from the Parthenon to the end of
the eighteenth century. Introduction to Modern Art picks up the story, beginning with the
rococo and concluding with sessions on installation art and digital media. The third course,
Introduction to History of Art and Screen Media, is intended to provide students with both
practical study skills and analytical techniques. For further details of these courses, please
see below, ‘What are the first year courses like?’.
In the second year, all part-time students take Critical Approaches to the History of
Art. This introduces the methods and theories of art history, outlining some key ideas that
have dominated the way in which scholars have approached the discipline, and encouraging
students to explore and question those ideas. Part-time second years also choose two
‘period courses’ from the following options: Art and Architecture 1250-1400; Art and
Architecture 1400-1500; Art and Society in the Nineteenth Century; Art and Society in the
Twentieth Century.
Third year part-time students choose two special subjects, selected from a range of
about ten on offer every year. Special subjects are related to lecturers’ research interests, so
this provides an opportunity to work intensively with an expert in the field. The topics change
frequently, but courses on offer in 2009-10 included: Practice and Theory in the
Renaissance Artist’s Workshop: Florence and Venice; Digital and Dynamic Art; From Private
Piety to Princely Pomp: The Art of Northern Renaissance; Art and War, 1914 to the Present;
Art and Architecture in Renaissance Rome; Nineteenth-century Landscape Art; Art and
Architecture at the Early Stuart Courts; Portraiture in England in the Long Eighteenth
Century; Fin-de-Siecle Vienna; Photography and its Representations 1830-1950.
Final year part-time students study two further special subjects and are required to
submit a 10,000 word dissertation at the end of the year. This is intended to give students
the opportunity to work, in depth, on a topic of their own choosing.
What are the first year courses like?
An Introduction to European Art Before 1800
This course runs on Wednesday evenings, and introduces students to the narrative
of European art from classical antiquity to the end of the eighteenth century. It charts the
cultural contexts and stylistic principles of significant developments in art and architecture
throughout this period. Classes include: Classical Sculpture; Medieval Architecture; The
Italian High Renaissance; Seventeenth-Century Northern European Art.
Introduction to Modern Art
This course runs on Monday evenings and aims to familiarise students with
European art of the modern period, from the end of the eighteenth century to the present
day. Organised chronologically, it provides a general view of stylistic developments, as well
as detailed discussion of specific works of art and monuments. In addition, the course
explores the ways in which modern art can be related to contemporary social and cultural
history. Classes include: Romanticism; Realism; Impressionism; Fauvism; Futurism;
Abstraction; Dada.
Introduction to History of Art and Screen Media
This course is also held on Monday evenings and is intended to introduce students to
the discipline of art history, helping them to develop the basic skills necessary for studying
the subject. It includes a number of study skills classes concerned with such matters as
using libraries, taking notes and writing essays. Most of the sessions are concerned with the
various materials and techniques employed in making works of art. Amongst other media,
classes deal with painting, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, architecture, photography and
installations.
(Students on the accelerated pathway will also take Critical Approaches to the
History of Art in their first year. This introduces the methods and theories of art history,
outlining some key ideas that have dominated the way in which scholars have approached
the discipline, and encouraging students to explore and question those ideas.)
When will I study?
All the teaching takes place between 6pm and 9pm in the evenings, Monday to
Friday. In every year of the four year programme, part-time students are required to attend
classes on two evenings each week. Accelerated students will need to attend three evenings
each week.
For part-time students, the first year classes are held on Monday and Wednesday
evenings, whilst second year courses run on Tuesdays and Thursdays. In the third and
fourth years, the evenings are dependent on which special subjects you choose to take.
Terms are eleven weeks long and run from October to the beginning of July, with
breaks at Christmas and Easter. In addition, there is a reading week in the middle of each
term, intended to allow students to focus on their background reading and essays.
How many students will be in a class?
Many of the first-year courses are taught to the year group as a whole, which is
normally in the region of 50 students. However, alongside the two survey courses,
Introduction to European Art before 1800 and Introduction to Modern Art, we run a series of
seminars in which students discuss focussed topics in small groups. The period based,
second-year courses are taught in smaller groups, mostly as a combination of lecture and
seminar work. Special subjects are based around seminar discussions and normally run in
groups of about 12-15 students.
Will I go on field trips?
The school runs an annual trip in the Easter vacation to cities such as Florence,
Barcelona, Venice and Florence. This is always open to everyone within the School, and
provides a good opportunity for students from different year groups to get to know one
another. On these visits, members of staff organise and lead gallery and museum visits, but
students are responsible for organising their own travel and accommodation arrangements.
In addition, a number of courses within the programme, particularly special subjects,
are accompanied by visits which usually take place on Saturdays. In the case of courses
which are too big to undertake field trips, notes and guidelines are often provided so that
students can make individual visits.
How will I be assessed?
In most of the courses you will study as a BA student, you will be required to submit
one essay at the end of the Autumn term, one essay at the end of the Spring term, and sit a
formal, unseen examination paper in the summer.
For example, in the first year, part-time students are expected to write one essay for
each of their three courses (Introduction to Modern Art, Introduction to European Art before
1800 and Introduction to History of Art and Screen Media) in the Autumn term and another in
the Spring term. These are followed by examinations in the Summer term for Introduction to
European Art before 1800 and Introduction to Modern Art. Work in the first year does not
count towards the final grade awarded for the degree, but students must pass the exams in
order to progress to the second year.
The essays increase in length as you progress through the programme. Also, the
weighting of marks changes each year so that increasing emphasis is placed on the essays
and less on the exams.
English isn’t my first language. What are your requirements?
Birkbeck’s standard English requirements for applicants who do not have English as
a first language, or who have not previously studied in English, are as follows:
IETLS: overall grade of 7.0, with minimum 6.0 in the subtests
TOEFL – internet based: score of 100
TOEFL – paper based: score of 600, plus 5 in test of written English
If you have taken the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English, our standard
requirement is a pass at grade B. If you have taken the Cambridge Certificate in Advanced
English, our standard requirement is a pass at grade A.
However, if you do not have these results, it is still worth making an application to the
course. In some cases, we can be satisfied with
English
proficiency
based
on
the
application form, admissions exercise and performance at interview, and waive the standard
requirements. In other cases, we can still process the application and make an offer of a
place on the course, conditional on meeting a stated requirement. For example, if you have
not previously taken one of these tests, we might ask you to do so before the start of the
course, and make the offer of a place conditional on your achieving our required scores.
Alternatively, we might offer you a place, conditional on taking one of our pre-sessional
English for Academic Purposes courses.
You may also like to consider one of these pre-sessional courses if you are anxious
about your language skills - even if you meet our requirements and/or are made an
unconditional offer of a place on the programme. We do advise early registration, as they get
booked up fairly quickly.
I have previously studied History of Art. Will I be eligible for credit for prior study?
We do offer exemption from first year courses for applicants who have passed one of
the related Certificate courses offered by Birkbeck. Exemptions may also be given to other
applicants - for example, those who have previously started a degree in the History of Art at
another institution.
We consider each case on its individual merits. You might like to contact the
Admissions Tutor to discuss the possibilities. If you would like to make an application, please
tick the ‘credit for prior study’ box and provide full details of the courses you have previously
taken, including transcripts. We can then assess your situation and discuss it at interview.
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How to apply
Applicants for the accelerated pathway, starting in October 2012, will need to apply
through UCAS.
All other applicants need to complete an application form and an admissions
exercise, and to be interviewed.
As you will see, the exercise requires you to visit the National Gallery and choose
one out of a possible five pairs of paintings. You then write 500 words comparing and
contrasting these images. Whilst research is useful for this exercise, it above all requires you
to look as closely as possible at the two paintings and decide for yourself what the key
similarities and differences are. Even though you may know little about the periods in which
they were created (as yet!), we encourage you to speculate as to why they may appear alike
or dissimilar. As we have no formal entrance requirements, this piece of work shows us
whether potential students have an aptitude for the academic study of the history of art.
Interviews for the BA are held every month, from March onwards, and we do urge
people to apply for places as soon as possible as demand is high. We aim to let every
candidate know the result shortly after their interview.
Candidates are interviewed by two members of the academic staff for up to half an
hour. Whilst the interview is, of course, primarily to enable us to check a candidate’s
suitability, commitment and enthusiasm, it also provides an opportunity for that candidate to
ask questions and to discuss any concerns they might have about embarking on the BA. The
submitted admissions exercise is often a starting point for discussion.