Art History and Visual Culture

University of British Columbia

Canada, Vancouver

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University of British Columbia

Canada , Vancouver

Key Facts

Program Level

Bachelor

Study Type

Full Time

Delivery

On Campus

Application Fee

CAD 125

Campuses

Vancouver

Okanagan

Program Language

English

Start & Deadlines

Next Intake Deadlines15-May-2023

Apply to this program

Go to the official application for the university

Duration 4 year(s)

Tuition Fee

CAD 46,296 / year

Next Intake 15-May-2023

Art History and Visual Culture

About

You can study intense specialization in a single field.

Art History involves the study and analysis of complex visual artifacts " including conventional fine arts and popular visual cultures, such as film and media " against a background of histories, ideologies, theories, and values.

As an Art History and Visual Culture student, you'll have access to courses in the visual art traditions of many cultures, with particular focus on theoretical and critical discourses concerning the social impact of art and visual representation. Interested in pursuing a combined major? Cultural Studies and English are both options.

Experiential learning and research

In your third year of study, choose to study special topics and work with interpretive centres on team-based and project-based learning. Or pursue an area of interest with a directed studies course, in which you'll complete directed readings and written assignments under the supervision of a faculty member.

Explore a variety of global perspectives for studying art and visual culture, with courses on the arts of South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. You'll develop critical thinking and writing skills while analyzing diverse forms of art and visual culture " including "high"‌ art, pop culture, architecture, everyday objects, and performance " in their cultural and historical contexts.

Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4

ARTH 101 - Art and Visual Cultures of the World I
Introduction to art and visual cultures of major world regions from prehistory to the early modern period.
ARTH 102 - Art and Visual Cultures of the World II
Introduction to art and visual cultures of major world regions from the early modern period to the present.
ARTH 115 - Popular Music and Visual Cultures
A survey of changing attitudes towards class, ethnicity, gender, and ideology as reflected in folk, blues, jazz, rock and hip-hop music and their accompanying visual cultures from the early 20th century to the early 21st century.
ARTH 201 - Art and Visual Culture through Film
Critical perspectives on representations of visual art and artists in popular film, mass media, and documentary film.

ARTH 203 - Global Contemporary Art
The contemporary global art scene with an emphasis on strategies for understanding the complexity of art production from 1985 to the present.
ARTH 202 - The Critical Viewer
Critical thinking about art and visual cultures of the world, past and present, and how visual works can be viewed closely, creatively analyzed, and interpreted.

ARTH 370 - Art and Literature of the Islamic World
The arts of the book in the Islamic world from the eighth to the nineteenth centuries and how literature inspired painters and calligraphers to weave together word and image.
ARTH 321 - Art in Canada 1970 to the Present
Artistic practice in Canada from 1970 to the present. Video, film, and photography will be considered along with visual artists' continuing engagement with painting and sculpture. Emphasis on art's relationship to the changing political, economic, and social arenas during this time.
ARTH 380 - African Art and Visual Culture
Historic and contemporary sub-Saharan African art and visual culture with emphasis on socio-historical contexts.
ARTH 396 - Seventeenth-Century European Art in a Global Context
Studies of seventeenth-century European visual cultures during a period of rapid global expansion.

ARTH 403 - Global Surrealism
The development of Surrealism from its roots in 20th-century French thought to its global proliferation in film, literature, visual culture and contemporary theories.
ARTH 450 - Performance in Africa
Examination of performance in sub-Saharan Africa addressing theoretical issues and a range of performance practices in context.
ARTH 410 - Gender, Art, and Space in the Islamic World
Critical perspectives on the stereotypes of Muslim gender relations and how gender can be used to analyze the art and architecture of various parts of the Islamic world.

Disciplines

Faculty of Creative and Critical Studies

Requirements

Entry Requirements

Graduation from a university-preparatory program at a senior secondary school: General Secondary Education Certificate (Tawjihi). Certificates must be official. Photocopies are acceptable if certified by school principal, head, or counsellor. Notarized copies are not acceptable.

Career

In the Art History and Visual Culture program, you'll learn how to analyze and interpret form, technique, iconography, and the historical function of art. As a graduate of this program, you'll be well positioned to thrive in a variety of environments, including museums, galleries, historical societies, and provincial and federal arts organizations.

Program graduates

Public Programming Coordinator, Kelowna Art Gallery
Archival Assistant, Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies

Related programs

- - Name
  - Campus
  - Length
- - Cultural Studies
    - Okanagan
    4 years
  - Media Studies
    - Okanagan
    4 years
  - Media Studies
    - Vancouver
    4 years
  - Religion
    - Vancouver
    4 years
  - Visual Arts (BFA)
    - Okanagan
    4 years

Fee Information

Tuition Fee

CAD 46,296 / year

Application Fee

CAD 125

How to Apply

As you complete the online application, keep the following tips in mind:

Start early and take your time. Once you begin the application, you will be able to save it and return to it later – but only up until the deadline. Once you have submitted your application to UBC, you will not be able to edit it. Since the online application can sometimes time out if left open for too long, we recommend working on your personal profile questions outside of the application (where you can run them through a spell-checker) then copy and paste them into your application.
Let the online application guide you. You’ll be asked to provide only the information we need based on your degree choice(s), your previous education, and other factors.
Tell us your full academic history. It’s important to include all of the high schools, colleges, and/or universities you have attended. Don’t leave anything out!
Be accurate. UBC has a number of methods in place to authenticate information provided in the application. These methods include, but are not limited to, contacting references, verifying academic records, and requesting additional documentation to verify your personal profile. If an application is found to contain untrue or incomplete information, UBC may, at its discretion: withdraw an offer of admission; require you to withdraw from UBC; subject you to academic discipline; or share the information provided with other post-secondary institutions, law enforcement agencies, or other third parties.
Use an email address you check frequently. Once you have submitted your application, UBC will communicate with you primarily by email.
Note your UBC student number. Write down your UBC student number somewhere safe. You’ll need it in future correspondence with UBC.