Art History with Curating with Foundation Year BA (Hons)

This BA Art History with Curating gives you the opportunity to study the visual arts as a central element of human endeavour, and develop professional skills to participate in the curation and display of art. You will be taught by world-leading scholars using the incomparably rich art collections, monuments and study facilities of London, as well as Birkbeck’s own Peltz Gallery.

Why choose this course?

• This is a wide-ranging course that will help you pursue your interest in the museum industry and the visual arts, and expand your knowledge of human culture, art history and curating in a supportive but challenging way.
• You will be taught by experienced teachers who are published writers of groundbreaking art history in periods from medieval to contemporary, as well as qualified curators.
• We teach art history as a rich and dynamic topic, ensuring you gain familiarity with the conceptual and technical aspects of curating to support you in making the first steps towards working in the arts or progressing to postgraduate studies.

What you will learn

This course follows a structured and progressive approach to the study of works of art as socially and politically engaged objects. You will be guided towards a critical understanding of the visual world around you by active researchers whose expertise ranges from the Middle Ages to now and encompasses a range of media including digital media, painting, sculpture, architecture, photography and installations.

In each year of study (after the Foundation Year studies if you have taken them) you will be offered at least one curating module, taught by a professional who’s active in the field. You will also attend curatorial tours of major museums, galleries and heritage sites in London and then abroad through an annual field trip.

How you will learn

This course is designed to foster your intellectual independence and curatorial acumen. You will learn in a supportive environment in which we encourage exchange and discussion of thoughts and ideas.

You can study this course full- or part-time. It has classes that take place in the evening, so you can combine studying with work or volunteering opportunities during the day. These consist of interactive lectures, small-group seminars, one-to-one tutorials and student presentations supported by rich online resources via our virtual learning environment.

At the end of the course you will complete a dissertation on a topic that interests you with support from your academic supervisor.

Foundation Year

If you opt for the Foundation Year route, this will fully prepare you for undergraduate study. It is ideal if you are returning to study after a gap, or if you have not previously studied the relevant subjects, or if you didn't achieve the grades you need for a place on your chosen undergraduate degree. Find out everything you need to know about Foundation Years.