Art History and Visual Culture BA

You will gain an in-depth understanding of art history and visual culture. This includes how various periods of art have influenced or been influenced by other aspects of culture and society, and how the art of one nation impacts on others. You will be aware of issues surrounding the history of the production, reception and display of art, the development of key historical art movements, as well as knowledge of the writing of art history and art criticism.

You will range across media, examining painting, sculpture, architecture graphics, photography, film and more. You will explore across time from the Renaissance to the present day. Each module will help you answer the big questions through reflection, appreciation and understanding the that art and visual culture represents for the future.

Art in context

We make a point of getting out of the classroom:

• Funded field trip to a major European city where you'll develop your own project in response to what you see and experience
• On-campus galleries at Lakeside Arts are integral to our teaching
• Regular visits to study sites and objects at first hand. Watch some of our students reflect on the recent Lakeside exhibition "Breaking the Mould: Sculpture by Women since 1945".

Art in the community

We have close links with Nottingham's dynamic arts scene - including the award winning Nottingham Contemporary and the artist-led Primary - providing opportunities for placements and volunteering.

Why choose this course?

• Beginners welcome! - you do not need any prior experience in Art or History of Art to suceed on this course as our year one modules give you a university-level introduction
• Learn with experts - we host regular talks and guest lectures including artists, conservation specialists and curators, and link up with our community partners such as Backlit, Primary, Nottingham Contemporary and the New Art Exchange
• Embedded practical and interdisciplinary skills - participate in the Cultural, Media and Visual Studies department-wide modules
• Boost your media skills with the Students' Union award-winning broadcast and print groups -NSTV, URN, and Impact Magazine
• Learn a language alongside your main subject with the Language Centre optional modules
• Go to Hollywood - opportunity to apply for our prestigious competitive Hollywood Internships programme

Engaged Arts

All students within the Faculty of Arts can select ‘Engaged Arts’ modules where you’ll approach real world challenges across contemporary themes such as sustainability or equity and justice. These modules have been newly designed to help you gain the skills and analytical abilities that employers are looking for.

Placements, internships and volunteering

Our dedicated Faculty of Arts Placements Team assists with your employability skills development throughout your time at Nottingham. You can choose from a wide range of placements, internships and volunteering opportunities. Gain real-world experience with optional Faculty of Arts work placement module and additional CV-boosting skills by getting involved by participating in student union and other extracurricular activities. Paid and volunteer roles are posted throughout the year.

Some key statistics

• Top 20 in the UK for History of Art (Guardian University Guide 2025)
• Ranked 3rd for History of Art, Architecture (Daily Mail University Guide 2025)
• Quality teaching - 99% of students agree that staff in the Department of Cultural, Media and Visual Studies re good at explaining things (National Student Survey 2024)
• 1st Top UK university for graduate careers (HESA Graduate Outcomes, classification of full-time, UK first-degree graduates entering work in the UK from 2018/19 to 21/22, published 2024)
• Top 3 most targeted UK university by leading employers (The Graduate Market, High Fliers Research, 2024)
• 7th best university in the UK for work experience (Rate My Placement Best Universities for Work Experience, 2025)

Explore more

• A day in the life of a History of Art student
• A day in the life of a Hollywood Intern
• I know what I want to do for a career
• I am unsure what career I'd like
• See what else is happening in the Department of Cultural, Media and Visual Studies

Arts and Humanities Foundation Year

You may also progress to this course from our Arts and Humanities Foundation Year, subject to eligibility.

Important information

This online prospectus has been drafted in advance of the academic year to which it applies. Every effort has been made to ensure that the information is accurate at the time of publishing, but changes (for example to course content) are likely to occur given the interval between publishing and commencement of the course. It is therefore very important to check this website for any updates before you apply for the course where there has been an interval between you reading this website and applying.