
- UCAS course code
- VV20
- UCAS institution code
- M20
Overview
- Degree awarded
- Bachelor of Arts (BA)
- Duration
- 3 years
- Typical A-level offer
-
AAA, including A in History.
- Typical contextual A-level offer
-
Grade AAB to include History. General Studies is welcomed but not included as part of the offer.Find out more about contextual admissions.
- Refugee/care-experienced offer
-
Applicants who have been in local authority care for more than three months or have refugee status may be eligible for an offer two grades below the standard requirements.Find out more about contextual admissions.
- Typical International Baccalaureate offer
-
36 points overall. 6,6,6 in Higher Level subjects (including History)
- How to apply
Apply through UCAS .
- UCAS course code
- VV20
- UCAS institution code
- M20
Course overview
- Study art and architecture from an interdisciplinary perspective, covering a range of historical periods.
- Benefit from hands-on study of cultures, societies, practices, and objects in Manchester, the home of numerous art galleries.
- Study at one of the top ten universities in the UK for arts and humanities (QS World University Rankings 2020).
Open days
We are carefully reviewing all our recruitment events in light of the developing coronavirus outbreak.
View the latest updates on measures we are taking .
As we're unable to host on-campus visits, or attend events like UCAS and overseas recruitment fairs at the moment, look at our virtual open day content to help you learn more about the University.
You will be able to watch videos about the university, including accommodation, student finance and course-specific sessions.
We'll update our website once plans for 2021 events are able to be confirmed.
Fees
Tuition fees for home students commencing their studies in September 2022 will be £9,250 per annum. Tuition fees for international students will be £21,500 per annum. For general information please see the undergraduate finance pages.
Policy on additional costs
All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).
Contact details
- School/Faculty
- School of Arts, Languages and Cultures
- Contact name
- Katie O'Donnell
- Telephone
- +44 (0)161 275 6083
- ug-ahvs@manchester.ac.uk
- Website
- https://www.alc.manchester.ac.uk/art-history/
- School/Faculty overview
-
See: About us
Related courses
Courses in related subject areas
Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.
Compare this course
Entry requirements
A-level
AAA to include A in History. General Studies is welcomed but not included as part of the offer.
We recognise that applicants often achieve higher than their predicted grades, so we will consider applicants who are predicted to achieve one grade below our standard offer of AAA. The standard offer will be made in all cases, unless the applicant is studying for an Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). These applicants will be made an offer one grade below the standard offer with the condition they must achieve a Grade A in the EPQ.
Applicants who are eligible for a contextual offer will be made an offer one grade below the standard offer applicants. Applicants who are also studying the EPQ and achieve a Grade A will receive an offer two grades below the standard entry requirements.
If your predicted grades are at the lower end of our advertised range and you are not studying the EPQ please contact the School to discuss your application as the School considers all applications holistically.
AS-level
Unit grade information
The University of Manchester welcomes the provision of unit information where available. Like all other information provided by applicants this may be taken into consideration when assessing your application. Unit grades will not normally form part of an offer conditions.
GCSE
Applicants must demonstrate a broad general education including acceptable levels of Literacy and Numeracy, equivalent to at least Grade C or 4 in GCSE/iGCSE English Language and Mathematics. GCSE/iGCSE English Literature will not be accepted in lieu of GCSE/iGCSE English Language.
Please note that if you hold English as a second language iGCSE qualification, we may also require you to offer one of our acceptable equivalent English Language qualifications or achieve a higher grade in your iGCSE than the one stated above. Please contact the academic School for clarification.
International Baccalaureate
36 points overall. 6,6,6 in Higher Level subjects (including History)
Other international entry requirements
Scottish requirements
Two Advanced Highers at AA, plus one additional Higher at A in relevant subject (see A-level subject requirements).
English Language and Mathematics not taken at Higher/Advanced Higher must have been achieved at SCQF level 5 (minimum National 5 grade C / Intermediate 2 grade C / Standard Grade Credit level grade 3).
If you require further clarification about the acceptability of this qualification please contact the Academic School(s) to which you plan to apply.
Welsh Baccalaureate
The minimum grade required will normally be the same as the lowest grade listed in the A Level entry requirements.
If you require further clarification about the acceptability of this qualification please contact the academic School(s) you plan to apply to.
European Baccalaureate
We normally require 85% with a mark of 8.0 in History.
AQA Baccalaureate
In making offers, the University will focus on the three A Levels taken within the AQA Baccalaureate. Students need to check the standard A Level requirements for their chosen course.
The units of broader study, enrichment activities and the Extended Project are considered to be valuable elements of the AQA Baccalaureate and we would therefore strongly encourage students to draw upon these experiences within their personal statement.
Foundation year
Applicants completing the INTO Manchester in partnership with The University of Manchester international foundation programme are required to achieve AAA in academic subjects and grade B in the EAP with writing and speaking grade B and listening and reading grade C.
Applicants completing the NCUK International Foundation year are required to achieve AAA in academic subjects and grade B in the EAP with writing and speaking grade B and listening and reading grade C.
Please read this in conjunction with our A-level requirements, noting any pre-requisite subjects.
For all other foundation programmes please see this list of approved UK foundation programmes .
Pearson BTEC qualifications
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma: we consider the National Extended Diploma for entry, preferably in a subject relevant to this course. Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full National Extended Diploma with grades Dist, Dist, Dist, plus one A-level at Grade A in History.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma: we consider the National Diploma for entry, preferably in a subject relevant to this course. Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full National Diploma with grades Distinction, Distinction, plus one A-level at Grade A in History.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Foundation Diploma: we consider the National Foundation Diploma for entry, preferably in a subject relevant to this course. Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full National Foundation Diploma with a Distinction grade, PLUS one A-level at Grade A in History, PLUS an EPQ or AS at Grade A.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate: we consider the National Extended Certificate for entry, preferably in a subject relevant to this course. Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full National Extended Certificate with a Distinction grade, PLUS two A-levels at Grades AA; one of which must be in History.
The University of Manchester welcomes applications from students who have achieved legacy BTEC qualifications (pre-2016) such as the BTEC Extended Diploma, BTEC Diploma, BTEC Subsidiary Diploma, and BTEC Certificate. The grades required are likely to be the same or vary similar to the new BTEC qualifications (first teaching 2016, awarded 2018). Please contact the Academic School for clarification.
If you require further clarification about the acceptability of this qualification please contact the academic School(s) to which you plan to apply.
OCR Cambridge Technical qualifications
Cambridge Level 3 Technical Extended Diploma (CTEC): we do not consider the Technical Extended Diploma for entry to this course.
Cambridge Level 3 Technical Diploma (CTEC): we consider the Technical Diploma for entry, preferably in a subject relevant to the chosen course. Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full Technical Diploma with grades Distinction, Distinction, plus an additional level 3 qualification such as an A Level at grade A in History .
Cambridge Level 3 Technical Foundation Diploma (CTEC): we consider the Technical Foundation Diploma for entry, preferably in a subject relevant to the chosen course. Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full Technical Foundation Diploma with grades Distinction*, Distinction, plus an additional level 3 qualification such as an A Level/A Level at min. Grade A in History, PLUS an EPQ or AS Level at grade B.
Cambridge Level 3 Technical Extended Certificate (CTEC) : we consider the Technical Extended Certificate for entry, preferably in a subject relevant to the chosen course. Entry requirements are based on achievement of the full Technical Extended Certificate with EITHER grade Distinction, plus two additional Level 3 qualifications such as A Levels at grades AA, OR the full Technical Extended Certificate with grade Distinction*, plus two A-levels at grades AB. In either case, one of the A-levels must be in History.
The University of Manchester will consider applications from students who have achieved legacy CTEC qualifications (pre-2016) such as the CTEC Extended Diploma, CTEC Diploma, CTEC Subsidiary Diploma, and CTEC Certificate. The grades required are likely to be the same or vary similar to the new CTEC qualifications (first teaching 2016, awarded 2018). Please contact the Academic School for clarification.
If you require further clarification about the acceptability of this qualification please contact the Academic School(s) to which you plan to apply.
Access to HE Diploma
We require a QAA-recognised Access to HE Diploma (a minimum of 60 credits overall with at least 45 at Level 3), with merit or distinction in a subject area relevant to the chosen course.
The specific course requirements are a minimum of 45 credits with a Distinction grade, in a Humanities-related subject. Where possible, 15 of the Distinction credits should be in the pre-requisite subject required for A-levels.
Applicants to Languages programmes are also required to have a minimum of GCSE grade B/6 in a modern language or in English Language.
Cambridge Pre-U
We consider applicants offering Pre-U Principal Subjects, or a mix of Pre-U and A Level subjects, provided a minimum of three distinct subjects overall is taken.
Candidates taking Pre-U principal subjects in conjunction with A levels are expected to achieve a combination of D3, D3, D3 in the Pre-U and AAA at A level in three distinct subjects.
Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)
The University recognises the benefits of the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) and the opportunities it provides for applicants to develop independent study and research skills. We strongly encourage you to provide information about the EPQ in your personal statement (and at interview, if relevant). We may also choose to take your performance in the EPQ into account, should places be available in August for applicants who narrowly miss the entry grades for their chosen course.
For this programme, you will be made the standard offer plus an alternative one, if you are studying for an EPQ. The alternative offer will be one grade below the standard offer but you will also be asked to achieve a Grade A in your EPQ.
Core Maths
The University recognises the value of Level 3 Core Mathematics qualifications. Core Mathematics is not a compulsory element of post-16 study and as a result we will not normally include it in the conditions of any offer we make. However, if a student chooses to undertake a core mathematics qualification this may be taken into account when we consider a student's application, particularly for courses with a distinct mathematical or statistical element that does not require A Level Mathematics. Academic Schools may also choose to take a student's performance in Core Mathematics into account should places be available in August for applicants who narrowly miss the entry grades for their chosen course.
Where a course requires applicants to have at least grade 6/B or higher in GCSE Mathematics we would be likely to consider a pass in Core Mathematics at a minimum grade C or B as an alternative way to fulfil this requirement. Where an A Level in Mathematics is required then Core Mathematics will not be accepted in lieu of an A Level.
A Level and GCSE Mathematics requirements for our courses vary according to subject so we advise students to contact the academic School, who will clarify whether a student's portfolio of qualifications is acceptable for entry onto the chosen course.
Home-schooled applicants
Non-standard educational routes
English language
All applicants to the University (from the UK and Overseas) are required to show evidence of English Language proficiency. The minimum English Language requirement for this course is either:
- GCSE/iGCSE English Language grade C/4 or;
- IELTS 7.0 overall with no less than 6.5 in any one component, or;
- An acceptable equivalent qualification.
Please note that if you hold English as a second language iGCSE qualification, we may also require you to offer one of our acceptable equivalent English Language qualifications or achieve a higher grade in your iGCSE than the one stated above. Please contact the academic School for clarification.
The UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) requires that every student from outside the UK and the EU must show evidence of a minimum level of English Language in order to be granted a UK visa (Tier 4 visa) to study at undergraduate or postgraduate level. This level is often referred to as the 'B2 level'.
Additionally, our individual Schools may ask for specific English Language proficiency levels that are necessary for their academic programmes. In most cases these requirements are likely to be higher than the B2 level. Further information about our English Language policy, including a list of some of the English Language qualifications we accept, can be found here .
English language test validity
Application and selection
How to apply
Apply through UCAS .
Advice to applicants
How your application is considered
Returning to education
Applications from mature students are welcomed and considered on an individual basis. We actively welcome applicants from mature students with an interest in the visual arts.
Such applicants will be required to produce a piece of written work, for assessment by the Admissions Tutor. Once you have applied, the Admissions Administrator will contact you with a list of topics/questions. You will be asked to choose one and produce a piece (1500 words) on that subject, for submission by the deadline given by the Administrator.
Deferrals
Policy for applicants who resit their qualifications
Re-applications
Transfers
We will consider applications to transfer to Manchester from other universities and would normally ask for a letter explaining why a transfer was needed, relevant transcripts, a copy of the applicant's UCAS form and a confidential reference from one of the applicant's current university tutors.
We will consider applications to transfer from other degrees within the University of Manchester but applicants are required to have the A-level grades (or other qualifications) needed for entry to that degree programme.
Both of the above are subject to our having enough places to accommodate such applicants. Enquiries should be made to the admissions administrator for the subject (see contact details).
Course details
Course description
BA Art History and History brings together expertise from two subject areas to give you a wider breadth of study.
Art history provides grounding in European and North American art and architecture, from the Ancient Greek world to the present day, as well as subjects in global art history.
You can also choose pathways of study in history to suit your interests, from Ancient, Medieval, Modern History, Economic and Social History, to History of Science, Technology and Medicine.
The emphasis is on flexibility and choice within this joint degree, which also offers opportunities for field trips and museum and gallery visits.
In addition, our curriculum includes a pathway devoted to curating and gallery studies.
Topics covered include the museum as institution, collecting, practical aspects of curating and making exhibitions, and art writing.
A work placement module in Year 3 allows you to gain credits towards your degree whilst getting hands-on gallery experience at the Whitworth or other cultural institutions in the city.
Special features
Placement year option
Apply your subject-specific knowledge in a real-world context through a placement year in your third year of study, enabling you to enhance your employment prospects, clarify your career goals and build your external networks.
Overseas opportunities
We offer two unique summer internships at the world-famous Venice Peggy Guggenheim Collection. In your second year you'll go on a five-day field trip to a European city, such as Paris, Rome, Barcelona or Berlin. The trip combines guided tours and talks with independent research and culminates in an extended essay on your return to the UK.
You may also apply to spend one semester studying abroad during the second year of your degree. Exchange partners are offered in Europe via the Worldwide Exchange scheme, in the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong or Singapore.
Extracurricular opportunities
Join student societies including the Manchester Art Group, which curates events, talks, exhibitions and trips, and Arts Emergency, which aims to encourage the production of a new generation of thinkers by highlighting the reversal of decades of social and educational access to arts and humanities.
The Whitworth Young Contemporaries Student Society brings together students who have an interest in the arts, culture and creativity to make the Whitworth part of students' academic, cultural and social life, while the History Society organises trips (in the UK and on the continent), hosts social events, and coordinates the student magazine, The Manchester Historian .
Teaching and learning
Teaching takes place in a variety of formats, including lectures, small seminar groups, workshops, gallery visits, and one-to-one tutorials.
Seminars are normally very interactive - you may be given reading in advance that will form the basis of a class discussion and you will be expected to contribute occasional oral presentations, building your skills and confidence in presentation techniques.
Some course units feature group projects culminating in online content development or a physical exhibition/display.
Classroom time is frequently supplemented by new media, such as the virtual learning environment, Blackboard.
You will also have access to other digital resources to support your learning.
Many of our courses include fieldwork visits to galleries or special exhibitions throughout the UK.
This means regular classes in Manchester at places like HOME, the City Art Gallery and the University's own Whitworth Art Gallery.
You can also experience credited placement opportunities as part of your learning.
We offer several travel bursaries through the Lady Chorley Fund to assist final-year students with their dissertation research.
You will spend approximately 12 hours a week in formal study sessions.
For every hour spent at University, you will be expected to complete a further two to three hours of independent study.
You will also need to study during the holiday periods.
The individual study component could be spent reading, producing written work, or revising for examinations.
Coursework and assessment
You will be assessed in various ways, including:
- written and oral examinations;
- coursework essays;
- research reports;
- practical tests;
- learning logs;
- web contributions;
- seminar presentations and participation.
Many course units are assessed through a mixture of techniques.
In your final year, you can write a dissertation.
Written feedback is provided in the form of essay and exam cover sheets and, in the case of orally delivered seminar papers, a verbal report from the tutor. We provide feedback on both the content of your writing and the construction and clarity of the argument posed.
As a student here you'll gain both academic writing skills and insight into the development of arts-specific composition, such as catalogue entries, gallery interpretation, exhibition reviews and journalistic articles.
Course tutors are available without appointment in their office hours twice a week outside scheduled teaching hours, allowing you to gain advice and feedback on your work.
Course content for year 1
Course units for year 1
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
---|---|---|---|
History in Practice | HIST10101 | 20 | Mandatory |
Ice Age to Baroque: Artworks in History | SALC10041 | 20 | Mandatory |
Rococo to Now: Artworks in History | SALC10042 | 20 | Mandatory |
Art Spaces | AHCP10051 | 20 | Optional |
Art History Tutorial 1 | AHCP10381 | 20 | Optional |
Art History Tutorial 2 | AHCP10382 | 20 | Optional |
From Reconstruction to Reagan: American History, 1877-1988 | AMER10002 | 20 | Optional |
Constructing Archaic Greek History | CAHE10011 | 20 | Optional |
From Republic to Empire: Introduction to Roman History, Society & Culture 218-31BC | CAHE10022 | 20 | Optional |
The Odyssey | CAHE10101 | 20 | Optional |
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Course content for year 2
Course units for year 2
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
---|---|---|---|
Art in Theory | AHCP20432 | 20 | Mandatory |
European Art History Fieldtrip | AHCP20701 | 20 | Mandatory |
Art in Britain | AHCP20221 | 20 | Optional |
Art in South Asia | AHCP20802 | 20 | Optional |
Renaissance and Baroque Architecture 1450-1750 | AHCP22121 | 20 | Optional |
Art in Vienna 1880-1938 | AHCP24102 | 20 | Optional |
Digital Ways of Seeing: Theory and Practice | AHCP24232 | 20 | Optional |
Work and Play in the USA, 1880-2020 | AMER20112 | 20 | Optional |
From Jamestown to James Brown: African-American History and Culture | AMER20141 | 20 | Optional |
The American Civil War | AMER21001 | 20 | Optional |
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Course content for year 3
Course units for year 3
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
---|---|---|---|
History of Art Dissertation | AHCP30000 | 40 | Optional |
The English Baroque: Architecture and Society 1660-1730 | AHCP30011 | 20 | Optional |
Art and Ecologies | AHCP30052 | 20 | Optional |
The Global Renaissance | AHCP30551 | 20 | Optional |
Art After Modernism: Approaching Contemporary Art | AHCP30561 | 20 | Optional |
Picasso | AHCP33132 | 20 | Optional |
Producing Digital Projects | AHCP33922 | 20 | Optional |
The Visual Culture of US Empire | AMER30521 | 20 | Optional |
American Hauntings | AMER30812 | 20 | Optional |
Athens and Attica | CAHE30631 | 20 | Optional |
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Facilities
The University of Manchester owns the Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester Museum and Tabley House, giving you unique access to outstanding cultural and historical resources.
The rich cultural heritage and attractions of Manchester and the north-west are within easy reach.
The Manchester Museum and the Whitworth Art Gallery offer unique access to the environment of the working museum and art gallery, as well as to important works of art.
The Whitworth is a major resource, and its outstanding collections of paintings, prints, textiles and wallpapers are used extensively in our teaching.
You can also explore original art in the city's famous galleries, such as the Lowry, Manchester Art Gallery and the Centre for Chinese Contemporary Art.
The main library provision is the University Library, one of the UK's top university libraries with arguably the best access to electronic resources of any library in Europe.
This is one of the largest academic libraries in Britain and houses a Special Collections Department on Deansgate which contains a superb and diverse collection of manuscripts, illustrated books and other material relevant to Art History.
Art History students also enjoy a discipline-specific library in the same building as our department.
It provides a pleasant and quiet working environment for students, with access to the most used publications.
A convenient and comfortable study environment, it also houses a very large, well-organised slide, video and computer-based image collection.
Learn more on the Facilities page.
Disability support
Careers
Career opportunities
BA Art History and History will prepare you for careers in the art world and a wide range of job opportunities ranging from curating and cultural management to publishing, journalism, the media, and teaching.
Our surveys of recent graduates have revealed that our students also pursue an impressive variety of careers in such fields as law, banking, fashion, advertising, accountancy, business management, commerce, the new media, computing and archive studies.
Recent graduate career destinations include:
- Education Officer, De Morgan Collection;
- Royal Collections Exhibitions Curator;
- Archivist, Tate Liverpool;
- Art Officer, English Heritage.
Our graduates enjoy success in a wide range of careers, reflecting the high regard in which employers hold a History degree from Manchester, including the BBC - with whom we have well-established links - as well as KPMG, Deloitte, Marks and Spencer, Aviva, Accenture and Barclays. Typical professions for History graduates include:
- teaching and academia;
- heritage and museums;
- the Civil Service;
- policy and thinktanks;
- creative industries;
- media and journalism;
- marketing and public relations;
- law and accountancy;
- finance;
- NGOs.