BA History of Art (Asia, Africa and Europe)
SOAS University of London
Key Information
Campus location
London, United Kingdom
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
3 years
Pace
Full time
Tuition fees
GBP 9,250 / per year *
Application deadline
Request info
Earliest start date
Request info
* full-time fees per academic year: UK £9,250; Overseas £20,350
Introduction
Mode of Attendance: Full-time
This is the only degree in the UK to combine the specialist study of Asian, African and European art history. It is taught jointly by the Department of the History of Art and Archaeology at SOAS and the History of Art department at UCL. Students select courses from each institution. They receive theoretical and methodological training, which is combined with the study of particular regions, themes and critical issues.
The History of Art and Archaeology department at SOAS contains some of the world’s leading experts in Asian and African art history and archaeology, whose ground-breaking research informs and is informed by their teaching. Students benefit from the unparalleled knowledge and enthusiasm of the staff. As members of the School of Arts, they profit from the insights of scholars and students studying the Music, Film and Media of Asia, Africa and the Middle East in historical and contemporary contexts. They can also select from courses in other departments, taking advantage of SOAS’s unrivalled expertise in the languages, history, religions and cultures of Asia and Africa.
A degree from the Department of the History of Art and Archaeology provides students with expertise in the History of Art and/or Archaeology of Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Our graduates work in arts, culture and heritage roles, including in galleries, museums, archives, conservation, publishing and arts administration. The large portfolio of transferable skills they acquire enables them to forge careers in a range of other fields across the world. Many graduates decide to pursue postgraduate study in the History of Art and Archaeology or a related discipline.
Gallery
Admissions
Curriculum
Structure
Occasionally the availability of optional modules changes as a result of staffing and other circumstances. Students who had signed up for such modules will be notified as soon as possible and given the opportunity to choose from available alternatives.
Students take 120 credits modules in each year. In the first year, the student will take modules at UCL to the value of 60 credits and 60 credits modules in the department of History of Art and Archaeology. They must take a minimum of 45 credits modules from either side in the second year, and a minimum of 30 credits modules from either side in the final year. Thus they bring together the study of European, Asian and African Art in a flexible manner unique within the British University system.
The modules in the UCL part of this degree include, in the first year, general modules which survey the history of art and introduce students to a range of the intellectual, observational and professional skills demanded of the art historian.
In the second year, students work on a more focused study of aspects of the history of western art since c.1200 and take at least one module concerned with the development of the western idea of art and current approaches to art history or with the history of the methods and materials of artists.
In the final year, students take a Special Subject (a module which treats a theme or career in detail) and may do another special subject and/or an Undergraduate Report (similar to a SOAS Independent Study Project).
Year 1
Compulsory Modules
Students will take the following 4 compulsory modules at SOAS:
- Themes in the Art and Archaeology of Africa
- Themes in the Art and Archaeology of the Near and Middle East
- Themes in the Art and Archaeology of South and Southeast Asia
- Themes in the Art and Archaeology of East Asia
and
Students will take the following compulsory modules at UCL:
- HART0001 - Core module - 30 Credits - FHEQ Level 4
- HART0006 - Foundation 1 - 15 Credits - FHEQ Level 4
- HART0005 - Foundation 2 - 15 Credits - FHEQ Level 4
Year 2
Compulsory Modules
Students will take the following 2 compulsory modules at UCL:
- HART0035 - Advanced Lecture in the History of Art (POST-1800 TOPIC) - 15 Credits - FHEQ Level 5
- HART0036 - Advanced Lecture in the History of Art (PRE-1800 TOPIC) - 15 Credits - FHEQ Level 5
and
Students will take a 15 credit guided option at UCL from the following options (these modules can also be taken in year 3):
- HART0031 - History of the Category 'Art' - 15 Credits - FHEQ Level 6
- HART0032 - Methodologies of Art History - 15 Credits - FHEQ Level 6
- HART0034 - Methodologies of Making - 15 Credits - FHEQ Level 6
and
Students will take modules to the value of 45 credits from the SOAS History of Art guided option list below (see section 1 below), OR take a mix of modules from UCL and SOAS History of Art options (see section 2 below)
1. Optional Modules (SOAS History of Art options only)
Students can take either:
Modules to the value of 30 credits from the Language Open Option List or the Non-Language Open Option List.
or
Modules to the value of 30 credits from the list of History of Art and Archaeology guided options below.
or
A 15 credit module from the Language Open Option List or the Non-Language Open Option List AND a 15 credit module from the list of History of Art and Archaeology guided options below.
2. Optional Modules (UCL and SOAS History of Art Options)
Students can take either:
A 15 credit module from UCL HoA options AND modules from the SOAS HoA guided options list below, to the value of 30 credits.
or
A 15 credit module from the SOAS HoA guided options list below, AND modules from UCL HoA options to the value of 30 credits.
Year 3
There are two major options in year 3 a SOAS-based project and a UCL-based project.
SOAS-based Project: Year 3
Students will take the following compulsory module at SOAS:
- Independent study project in History of Art
and
Students will take modules to the value of 60 credits from list of UCL Special Subject modules (ALL FHEQ LEVEL 6)
or
30 credits from UCL HoA special subject modules (FHEQ level 6)
and a 15 credit module from UCL HoA methods modules (FHEQ level 6)
and an Independent Study Essay, which is worth 15 credits (UCL module: HART0119).
and
1. Optional Modules (SOAS History of Art options only)
Students can take either:
Modules to the value of 30 credits from the Language Open Option List or the Non-Language Open Option List.
or
Modules to the value of 30 credits from the list of History of Art and Archaeology guided options below.
or
A 15 credit module from the Language Open Option List or the Non-Language Open Option List and a 15 credit module from the list of History of Art and Archaeology guided options below.
2. Optional Modules (UCL and SOAS History of Art Options)
Students can take either:
A 15 credit module from UCL HoA options AND modules from the SOAS HoA guided options list below, to the value of 30 credits.
or
A 15 credit module from the SOAS HoA guided options list below, and modules from UCL HoA options to the value of 30 credits.
UCL-based Project: Year 3
Students will take the following compulsory module at UCL:
- HART0118 - Undergraduate Report - 30 Credits - FHEQ Level 6
and
Students will take modules to the value of 30 credits from list of UCL Special Subject modules (ALL FHEQ LEVEL 6).
and
Students will take modules to the value of 30 credits from SOAS History of Art guided option list below.
and
1. Optional Modules (SOAS History of Art options only)
Students can take either:
Modules to the value of 30 credits from the Language Open Option List or the Non-Language Open Option List.
or
Modules to the value of 30 credits from the list of History of Art and Archaeology guided options below.
or
A 15 credit module from the Language Open Option List or the Non-Language Open Option List and a 15 credit module from the list of History of Art and Archaeology guided options below.
2. Optional Modules (UCL and SOAS History of Art Options)
Students can take either:
A 15 credit module from UCL HoA options AND modules from the SOAS HoA guided options list below, to the value of 30 credits.
or
A 15 credit module from the SOAS HoA guided options list below, and modules from UCL HoA options to the value of 30 credits.
List of SOAS History of Art Modules for Year 2 and Year 3 (subject to availability)
- Approaches to Modern and Contemporary Arts in Africa
- Art and Archaeology of Ancient China
- Art and Archaeology of Medieval China
- Art and Culture in Imperial China
- Art and Culture in Modern China
- Art and Empire in Early Modern India
- Arts and Society in Africa
- Arts, Culture and Commodification: Themes in the Global Creative and Cultural Industries
- Art, Performance and The Body in Africa
- Chinese Contemporary Art
- Collecting and Collections
- Comparative Avant-Gardes: Global Perspectives in Modern Art
- Critical Readings in Arts and Cultures
- Curating Global Arts
- Gender, Art and Visual Culture: Explorations in the Representation of Southeast Asia
- Global Cultures of Chinese Ceramics
- Imag(in)ing Buddhas in South Asia (1)
- Imag(in)ing Buddhas in South Asia (2)
- Islamic Art and Architecture of Medieval Iran and Central Asia (10th-13th centuries)
- Islamic Art Theories and Aesthetics
- Japanese Art
- Mosque and Palace in the Muslim World
- Mughal Arts: Sound, Text, and Image
- Museums and Museology
- Music and travel on the Silk Road
- Ottoman Art and Architecture (14th-17th centuries)
- Representing China in Museums
- Royal Arts of Korea
- The `Historical` Buddha: Explorations in Southeast Asian Arts
- Visual Culture of Early-Modern Japan
- Undoing Asia: Artistic Perspectives from the 20th and 21st Centuries
- Visual Arts of Africa and the Atlantic World: History, Creativity and Agency
Learn a language as part of this programme
Degree programmes at SOAS - including this one - can include language courses in more than forty African and Asian languages. It is SOAS students’ command of an African or Asian language that sets SOAS apart from other universities.
Important notice
The information on the programme page reflects the intended programme structure against the given academic session.
Career Opportunities
Employment
A BA History of Art (Asia, Africa & Europe) from SOAS gives graduates the essential skills needed to work in a range of arts-related jobs such as galleries, museums, archives, conservation, publishing, arts administration, heritage management. As well as regional expertise and knowledge, students also gain highly valued transferrable skills that can be applied to other types of professions. These skills include research skills, written and oral communication skills, visual awareness and the ability to select and organise information.
A degree in art history gives access to a range of jobs available for any humanities degree graduate such as teaching and the media.
English Language Requirements
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