BA (Hons) Curating and Art History (with a year abroad)

You'll study the history of art, which will be invaluable as you develop skills in curating galleries and art museums.;Youll go on a number of field trips to encounter objects in their various institutional settings.;

You;can also study a language in your first year, with options specially tailored for art historians so that you can maximise the benefit of your year studying abroad.

As part of the degree, you'll study a range of art history and curatorial modules. Some of these will take place in a seminar room and others in museums and galleries. You will work both with staff from our department, many of whom are curators with an international reputation, and with museum and gallery professionals, from a range of our partner institutions, including:

For more on the Department's diverse partnerships with organisations including Tate, the V&A, the National Gallery, York Museums Trust, the National Railway Museum, the Bowes Museum, the Hepworth Wakefield, Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art, and the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, see;York Art History Collaborations.

You'll study a wide range of modules that cover the fundamentals of art history and develop a range of approaches to curating an art museum or gallery. You'll also get to plan an exhibition as part of a group project and take a placement with an art institution.

Many of the modules you can choose from will have associated field trips to allow you to visit the art and architecture. These field trips will range from local, to national and occasionally international. We cover the cost of any major air/sea/rail travel and accommodation, although you'll be expected to pay for any local transportation, food and entrance costs.

Study abroad

There are other opportunities for you to spend time abroad during your course:

• Explore global opportunities

Youll study and learn with academics who are active researchers, experts in their field and have a passion for their subjects. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace. Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning.

Teaching format

You'll be taught by art historians that are writing some of the texts you'll read, as well as curating some of the exhibitions you'll see.

In your first year you'll attend seminars, tutorials, lectures and workshops. As the degree progresses you'll find you spend more time in seminars where you, with a small group of other students and a tutor, will discuss a topic for which you've done preliminary research and preparation. As your studies progress you will be asked to give presentations or lead the discussions in seminars. All modules include seminars with no more than 15 students in a group.

Some of our curators and their recent exhibitions include:

• Jeanne Nuechterlein, Making A Masterpiece: Bouts and Beyond, York Art Gallery
• Amanda Lillie, Leonardo: Experience A Masterpiece, National Gallery
• Michael White, Mondrian & his Studios, Tate Liverpool
• Richard Johns, Turner and the Sea, National Maritime Museum
• Jason Edwards, Sculpture Victorious, Tate Britain
• Elizabeth Prettejohn, Alma-Tadema at Home in Antiquity, Leighton House

Timetabled activities

In your first year, you can expect:

These figures are representative of a typical week. Your contact hours will vary throughout the year due to your module choices, non-compulsory classes, exam periods and changes to scheduled activities.

Outside your timetabled hours, you'll study independently. This may include preparation for classes, follow-up work, wider reading, practice completion of assessment tasks, or revision.

In the UK, full-time students are expected to spend 1,200 hours a year learning. That's about 40 hours of classes and independent study each week during term time. Everyone learns at a different rate, so the number of hours you spend on independent study will be different to other students on your course.

Facilities

The student-run Norman Rea Gallery gallery hosts exciting exhibitions throughout the year and promotes the work of both student and professional artists.

The University art collection contains a wide variety of works, from ancient to contemporary, across a diverse array of materials, including painting, sculpture, ceramics, prints, book art, photography, and textiles. The collection includes key work by internationally significant artists including Barbara Hepworth and Jacob Epstein, Paul Nash and Sydney Nolan, R B Kitaj and Elizabeth Blackadder. The collection is available for innovative curatorial displays and exhibitions on and beyond campus.

There are also many libraries and galleries nearby.

Teaching location

You will be based in the Department of History of Art on Campus West.

Your contact hours will be divided between Vanbrugh College on Campus West, and King's Manor in the city centre.

York is the perfect place to inspire your studies, with a rich and turbulent history stretching back to the Romans. Today the city boasts beautiful historic architecture, as well as museums, galleries, and archives.

About our campus

Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around campus - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can always use the fast and frequent bus service.

Assessment and feedback

We use a number of different assessment formats:

• open papers - a take home exam that lasts for a set amount of days
• group-project
• internship portfolio
• essays
• formal closed exams
• research dissertation (of around 7,000-8,000 words).

We'll also ask you to write procedural essays and we'll give you feedback. You'll also be assessed on your performance in seminars.

Percentage of the course typically assessed by coursework and exams

The figures above are based on data from 2016/17. Our course structures are changing in September 2023. Find out more about how this course may be affected.

If you're leaving high school in Jordan with the Tawjihi (General Secondary Education Certificate) you will need to take an additional course before being able to apply for an undergraduate course at York. This could be A levels, the International Baccalaureate or a recognised foundation course.

Course-specific requirements

Visit the course pages for details of the entry requirements specific to your chosen course. Some courses also have additional requirements such as work experience or submission of written work. 

If you're a non-native English speaking applicant you must provide evidence of your English language ability.

You need to show enough fluency in written and spoken English to the required level of the course you're applying to.

Meet staff and students, ask questions and explore life at York at an Open Day. Due to the ongoing coronavirus situation, the date and format of future Open Days are still to be confirmed while we continue to monitor the situation.

Find out everything you need to know as an offer holder at York, and what your next steps are to prepare for joining us.