Art History and History BA

This degree will broaden your intellectual horizons and teach you to think critically about art and the past. In history, you will explore aspects of the past from 500 CE to the present and from countries around the world. In history of art, you will think about the role of art and its place in society throughout the ages.
In the first year, you will have the opportunity to reflect on the nature of historical study, while building a wide chronological understanding of the past. You will further develop your skills in the second and third years with increasing emphasis on engagement with primary sources and historiography. In history of art, introductory modules in your first year will give you a solid grounding in the basic skills required for the study of art history. The flexible structure of the degree and wide choice of topics will enable you either to specialise or maintain a breadth of interests as you progress through the course.
Year one
The history core is Learning History, a skill and methodology-based module. The emphasis is on reflecting on the nature of history as a discipline and to develop the skills required for the writing and debating of history. In history of art, you will take two core modules, Introduction to Art History I and II. These modules are concerned with key issues and methods relating to the study of art history and the interpretation of artworks, drawing upon examples from the Renaissance to the present day. You will also take a selection of optional modules in both disciplines.
Year two
The core element in Year Two is provided by the compulsory module, the Contemporary World since 1945. The focus of this course is not just on global developments, political and economic, social and cultural, environmental and demographic, but also on exploring key historical debates concerning the immediate origins of the world in which we now live. This module sits alongside other more specific optional modules in both history and...