Explore art history and visual culture from paintings, print and sculptures to photography, film and performance. On this course, you’ll gain hands-on experience in galleries and arts spaces from Birmingham to London and across Europe.
Gain the practical and analytical skills that you need to work in a range of careers, including the arts and cultural sectors.
Discover your new home at one of the best art museums in the country. Our teaching and research takes place in The Barber Institute of Fine Arts, one of Birmingham’s finest Art Deco galleries, with an excellent and representative collection of western art, as well as our very own Fine Art library.
One of the most unique modules was Art History in the Field - we looked at Parisian art and architecture, and the module involved a week-long trip to Paris so we could go and study the art in person!
Approach your degree from another perspective with our BA Liberal Arts programme. This may offer you an alternative way to study modules in your preferred subject areas.
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in the UK for History of Art
Guardian University Guide 2026
in the UK for History of Art
The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026
Discover how art shapes and reflects the world around us. Develop a critical understanding of historic and contemporary artworks and be able to confidently discuss these through essays, projects and your dissertation.
Our research in the Department of Art History, Curating, and Visual Studies stretches from the medieval period to the contemporary, and addresses topics and questions from all over the world.
As the UK's second city, Birmingham is a cultural and creative hub: late night art events with Digbeth First Friday, a packed calendar of music, comedy, film and performance festivals, and theatres like The Rep and Hippodrome bringing you the latest musicals and shows. Discover our city for yourself!
The Department of Art History, Curating and Visual Studies is based in the internationally renowned on-campus art gallery, the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, home to masterpieces by Monet, Picasso, Kollwitz, and Van Gogh.
At the University and across Birmingham, you’ll have access to globally significant art collections and institutions — from historic to contemporary painting, sculpture, photography and manuscripts, including the world’s most extensive collection of Pre-Raphaelite art at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.
The galleries of the Barber Institute are currently closed due to essential building works. Teaching will recommence in the galleries from autumn 2027. Until then, we will maintain the object-focused learning that sits at the heart of our programmes by immersing students in the rich collections elsewhere in the university and across the city.
From podcasting to brain monitoring, our state-of-the-art facilities empower our students to create, perform, collaborate and explore in new and exciting ways.
Hear more about studying at Birmingham. Chat to one of our friendly students to find out more about your favourite course, our beautiful campus and life in our vibrant and cultural city.
Study at the University of Birmingham and learn from world-class experts — leaders in global teaching and research experience.
At Birmingham, you’ll have plenty of support to help you adjust to university life:
Your degree is designed to help you achieve 120 credits per year, which equals about 40 hours of learning each week. This includes lectures, seminars, workshops, independent study, revision, and assessments.
You’ll be assessed in different ways to suit each module. At the start of a module, you’ll be told how and when you’ll be assessed. Methods will vary but may include coursework (e.g., essays), group or individual presentations and projects, exams, reports or computer-based assignments.
Feedback: You will receive timely feedback on each assessment, so you can learn from it and improve your performance in future assessments.
The modules listed for this programme are regularly reviewed to ensure they are up-to-date and informed by the latest research and teaching methods.
The optional module information listed for this programme is intended to be indicative, and the availability of optional modules may vary from year to year. Where a module is no longer available, we will let you know as soon as we can and help you to make other choices.
Boost your skillset, knowledge and experience through our employability-focused modules:
The Professional Skills Module allows students to take part in an internship that they can apply for from a bank of placements provided by the college, or an internship that they land by themselves externally, as a means of promoting hands-on learning.
2026/27 Session
The following must be taken:
Students must choose both of the below modules or 20 credits of Languages for All modules or additional options provided by the department each year.
| Module title | Credits |
|---|---|
| A History of Art in 20 Objects A | 10 |
| A History of Art in 20 Objects B | 10 |
2027/28 Session
The following must be taken:
| Module title | Credits |
|---|---|
| Art History in the Field: Overseas Study Trip | 10 |
| Research Techniques in History of Art | 10 |
Students must take THREE optional modules in Semester 1 and TWO optional modules in Semester 2.
The following is an indicative list:
| Module title | Credits |
|---|---|
| Abstraction and Beyond | 20 |
| American Art in the 1960s | 20 |
| Art, Architecture and Design in Fin-de-Siècle Vienna | 20 |
| Art, Race and the British Empire, 1837-1901: Contexts, Approaches, Legacies | 20 |
| Craft: Practices, Concepts, Activism | 20 |
| Impressionism and After: Art and Society in Late Nineteenth-Century France | 20 |
| Inside the Gallery: Curating an Exhibition | 20 |
| Making Culture: New Ways of Reading Things | 20 |
| Modern Erotica: Sex, Censorship, and Art | 20 |
| Nature framed: the art and politics of landscape 1700 to 1900 | 20 |
| Political Art | 20 |
| Post-War: Art in Britain After the Second World War | 20 |
| Power, Society, Politics: Religious Art in Northern Europe, c. 1400-1600 | 20 |
| Real and Ideal: Art and Society in Mid Nineteenth Century France | 20 |
Students may also apply to undertake a Semester Abroad at level I. This must be undertaken in semester 1.
If successful in applying to undertake a Semester Abroad, you will be required to pick modules from the host institution. The modules will be taught in English and relevant to the BA History of Art. Modules are to be chosen from an approved list relevant to each academic year. Modules will need to be selected in conjunction with the academic member of staff responsible for the programme, to ensure that they are at an appropriate level, that they do not duplicate our own provision, and that they contribute to the programme. If there is any duplication of our programme, the student will be ineligible to sit those modules on return to Birmingham.
| Module title | Credits |
|---|---|
| History of Art Semester Abroad | 60 |
2028/29 Session
The following must be taken:
| Module title | Credits |
|---|---|
| Long History of Art Dissertation | 40 |
Students must select TWO modules in Semester 1 and TWO modules in Semester 2.
The following is an indicative list:
Students may also apply to undertake a Professional Skills module. If successful this will be taken in place of one of their semester 1 taught modules.
In the College of Arts and Law, we're committed to helping you become career-ready. With our intercalated options, we offer undergraduate students the opportunity to take an additional year and dive into industry, language and more.
To secure a place at Birmingham, you'll need to meet our general entry requirements as well as those specific to your course.
ABB
6,5,5 including 32 points overall.
BTEC Extended Diploma: DDD. Equivalent accepted, see below for full information.
Number of A levels required: 3
ABB. General Studies not accepted.
Applicants who take the EPQ and meet our offer criteria will be made the typical offer for their programme of choice, plus an alternative offer which will be one grade lower plus a grade B in the EPQ. This offer would apply if you make Birmingham your firm choice.
Applicants who take the Core Maths qualification and meet our offer criteria will be made the typical offer for their programme of choice, plus an alternative offer which will be one grade lower plus a grade B in Core Maths. If you are also taking A-level Maths, you will not be eligible for an alternative offer through studying Core Maths. This offer would apply if you make Birmingham your firm choice.
If you are an international student, you will need to demonstrate you have a suitable level of English proficiency, usually through the form of an IELTS or equivalent qualification or a Presessional English course.
If you have a conditional offer for Birmingham where English is a requirement, you can take a Presessional English course as an alternative to retaking IELTS or a similar qualification. We offer on-campus courses all year round starting from September, including additional online courses in the summer term. Teaching takes place in small classes with no more than 18 students to maximise class participation.
Students who are eligible and complete a Pathways to Birmingham programme will receive an alternative offer, which is typically two grades below the standard offer.
Our Contextual Offer scheme recognises the potential of students whose personal circumstances may have restricted achievement in school or college. If you are eligible to benefit from the Contextual Offer scheme, you will receive an offer which is one grade lower than the standard offer. You don’t need to apply for this – it will be assessed and applied at the point of application if you’re eligible.
BBC - A level
BBB - A level
The University tuition fee covers the cost of your tuition, examination and graduation, and includes membership of the Guild of Students.
per year for domestic (UK) students for 2026/27
*The University will charge the maximum approved tuition fee per year. If Parliament agrees on an increase in tuition fees, the University will increase fees for each year of study, normally in line with these changes and will communicate any change in the fees to you without delay. The fee for September 2026 entry is £9,790 for UK students. If you decide to do a placement year, you will only pay 15% of the agreed tuition fee for that year. If you are applying for 2027 entry, you will be advised of the annual tuition fee once it is confirmed by the Government.
To help with the cost of studies, undergraduate students from the UK can apply for student finance through the Student Loans Company. The support available is made up of a tuition fee loan and a maintenance loan which helps to cover living costs.
At Birmingham, we believe that financial worries should not be a barrier to accessing higher education. That’s why we offer a range of additional financial support for students through scholarships, bursaries and other awards.
If you're a UK student and starting university in September 2026, find out more about what financial support is available to you.
We want to help you reach your full potential. Explore our wide variety of scholarships available for international students.
Whatever your journey to university looks like, we’re here to support you every step of the way. For all undergraduate courses at Birmingham, you apply online through UCAS. The UCAS website has lots of information and advice around the process.
Application deadline for September 2026 entry. Applications close at 18:00 GMT.
View further information on how to apply for undergraduate courses, including advice for UK and overseas applicants.
If you have a question about our admissions process, including how to apply, your offer and how to track your application, please speak to our team.
As a History of Art student at the University of Birmingham, you'll have excellent opportunities to develop skills that are attractive to a wide range of employers, such as:
History of Art students have gone on to secure roles such as Founder, Gallery Administrator, Artist, and Director working for organisations such as:
The University has commissioned Cturtle as our data partner for tracking our alumni destinations. The data above is a subset from 43,666 alumni who completed their course up to 31 July 2024.
I’ve been really fortunate to have received a wealth of support from the University throughout my start-up journey. We’ve grown to now support over 1,000 artists across the UK, and developed partnerships with organisations and universities worldwide that share our vision for a more accessible art market.
We’re consistently one of the top UK universities targeted by leading graduate employers
High Fliers ‘Graduate Market in 2026’ report
Receive one-to-one careers advice, including guidance on your job applications, writing your CV and improving your interview technique.
Meet employers face-to-face at on-campus recruitment fairs and employer presentations.
Our aim is to make sure that success in your studies leads you on to a fulfilling career. Whatever you plan to do after your degree, the Careers Network offer support to help you identify your options, develop your skills and gain access to opportunities that propel you towards your career goal.
Hear from some of our inspiring alumni who have gone on to work for leading employers such as the UK Space Agency and BBC Sport.
Your experience studying at Birmingham will give you the opportunity to discover new experiences, develop different skills and make friends for life.
Our bustling campus with its beautiful grounds, friendly community, and excellent facilities will quickly make you feel at home. We offer you a huge variety of accommodation options in the UK’s second city, exciting activities to get involved in outside your studies, as well as all the support and advice you need.
Coming to Birmingham to study might be your first time living away from home. In our student accommodation, you can enjoy your independence in safe, welcoming and sociable surroundings.
Our cosmopolitan city has a unique history and so much to see and do. With an ever-changing food and drink scene, a vibrant nightlife and plenty of culture, our city is more than somewhere to study.
Whoever you are and wherever you come from, we are committed to providing the best possible support to our students, both before you start and throughout your time on campus.
Our beautiful campus is the place where our diverse community comes together to learn and socialise. Like a town of its own, it’s just minutes from the hustle and bustle of the UK’s second city.
Explore your options for combining subjects and shape your degree around your interests, whilst developing key skills for the world of work.
Our intercalated opportunities offer the chance to take a year out from your existing course to study within another field. This takes place usually between year 2 and year 3 of your programme.
Explore our beautiful campus from wherever you are. Get a feel for the wide range of historic and modern spaces and state-of-the-art facilities.
