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BA (Hons) English/History of Art

The story of humanity’s creative history

Year of entry: 2024/25

UCAS code

QV33

Institution code

Y50

Length

3 years full-time

UK (home) fees

£9,250 per year

International and EU fees

£23,700 per year

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Discover York

in the UK for English

Complete University Guide 2024

in the UK for history of art

Guardian University Guide 2024

in the Russell Group for 'Learning resources'

of institutions included in the National Student Survey 2023 for history of art, architecture and design.

By combining English and History of Art, you’ll get to explore how textual and visual material interact with one another. 

Applications for this course are closed to UK (home) applicants for 2024/25. Applications for 2025/26 will open in September.

Studying the two subjects together asks how creativity responds to and works to shape the world. You’ll learn how to master art-historical and literary criticism, and discover the connections and differences between artistic media. In doing so, you’ll gain an exciting and fresh perspective on the history of human expression, graduating with skills highly prized by employers across a wide range of industries.

  • You can discover more about the Department of English and Related Literature’s exciting degree courses by watching our video.
  • You can discover more about the Department of Art History’s innovative approaches to the subject through our series of one minute bite-size art history videos.

Literary heritage

The city of York has a long tradition of cultural heritage and literary excellence which you can engage with. The Department of English partners with the York Festival of Ideas, the annual York Literature Festival and the biennial York International Shakespeare Festival. Our hugely successful Writers at York series brings in a stellar cast of world-famous contemporary writers and our Writer-in-Residence offers creative writing workshops and events throughout the year.

Strong links with museums and galleries

The Department of History of Art has a close relationship with York Art Gallery, York Minster, the Centre of Ceramic Arts, and the Yorkshire Country House Partnership, as well as the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Hepworth Wakefield, and Henry Moore Institute for the Study of Sculpture.

Course content

You'll cover a broad range of literary and art-historical topics that range from the classical period to the 21st century. Our international outlook takes account of the European and global contexts of art and literature.

As you progress in Years 2 and 3, you'll choose your own blend of modules taught by experts in the field and introducing you to the newest and most exciting research and ideas. In the final year of your degree, you’ll bring your two subjects into dialogue in a bridge dissertation.

Study abroad

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

Placements

There are opportunities to spend time in industry as part of this course.

Year 1

In the first year of your degree, we’ll introduce you to the undergraduate study of English and History of Art. Our modules will give you the skills you need to start undertaking literary and art-historical research, and advice on how to combine the two disciplines.

English

Core modules

Your History of Art core modules will introduce you to the making and experience of different kinds of artworks, how visual ideas transform between cultures and periods, and how to interpret art-historical objects in-depth.

Get a feel for the shape of literary history by studying works from the medieval, early modern, eighteenth-century and Romantic, and modern periods.

History of Art

Your modules in History of Art will cover topics such as:

Core modules

Academic integrity module

In addition to the above you will also need to complete our online Academic Integrity module.

Year 2

In the second year of your degree, you’ll choose from a range of intermediate modules across the English and History of Art departments.

Core modules

You will also choose from one of six 'Research Now' modules:

English

Option modules

You will choose from the same breathtaking range of English options as our single subject students. These include Writing Now and our intermediate option modules, which allow you to deepen your understanding of the relationship between literary works and the cultural, historical, and political contexts in which they were produced:

You will also choose from subjects included in our World Literature modules. Topics may include:

History of Art

Option modules

In History of Art, you will choose from a range of Intermediate seminar modules, which range from the late antique to the contemporary. Some of these are focused on specific periods; some consider specific places; some examine specific media; while others are thematic; or consider specific institutions. Topics may include:

Elective modules

You may be able to replace one option module with an elective module, studying a complementary subject, a language or an interdisciplinary topic.

Year 3

In the third year of your degree, you will undertake a bridge dissertation, one of the distinctive features of the English/History of Art degree at York. The dissertation invites students to undertake a research project that brings the study of English and History of Art together.  This year-long advanced module offers you the chance to use all the research and writing skills you will have developed at York.

History of Art

Option modules

You'll choose from a variety of options in History of Art, allowing you to understand a period, place, or problem in unprecedented detail. Topics may include:

English

Option modules

In English, you will choose from the department’s Advanced Option Modules. These reflect the wide-ranging and cutting-edge research expertise of the Department, and our options cover literature from the classical period to the twenty-first century, as well as film and creative writing. Students can typically choose from around 30 options. Recent offerings have included:

Elective modules

You may be able to replace one option module with an elective module, studying a complementary subject, a language or an interdisciplinary topic.

Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff.

Learning by design

Every course at York has been designed to provide clear and ambitious learning outcomes. These learning outcomes give you an understanding of what you will be able to do at the end of the course. We develop each course by designing modules that grow your abilities towards the learning outcomes and help you to explain what you can offer to employers. Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning.

Students who complete this course will be able to:

  • Communicate knowledge of the art and literature of a wide range of periods, and engage creatively and critically with a range of conceptual, theoretical and methodological approaches.
  • Take a critical and questioning approach to the ways in which literary and visual culture has been interpreted, and narrated, with reference to the period and tradition in which those interpretations were produced.
  • Analyse the affective power of language and visual culture, and their cultural and political impact, and use this awareness to better understand the world and influence others.
  • Make connections and comparisons between the ideas, cultures and societies of different time periods and places around the world.
  • Initiate and complete projects of their own which contribute to pressing contemporary debates.
  • Convey complex ideas with clarity and precision and make sophisticated and persuasive arguments based on both visual and textual materials from a range of sources, primary and secondary, archival and digital.
  • Demonstrate the initiative to work well both independently and in collaboration with others, managing time effectively, meeting deadlines and taking an analytical approach to extending their own knowledge and skills.

Fees and funding

Annual tuition fees

UK (home) International and EU
£9,250 £23,700

UK (home) or international fees?

The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK (home) or international student. Check your fee status.

Fees for subsequent years

  • UK (home) fees may increase within the government fee cap in subsequent academic years. We will notify you of any increase as soon as we can.
  • International fees are subject to increase in subsequent years in line with the prevailing Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rate (up to a maximum of 10%).

More information

For more information about tuition fees, any reduced fees for study abroad and work placement years, scholarships, tuition fee loans, maintenance loans and living costs see undergraduate fees and funding.

Additional costs

You'll need copies of the texts set for each module. Where possible, the Department works to arrange digital copies via the University Library. Where this is not practical, you'll be instructed in advance of the start of each term about the texts and editions you'll need to purchase (whether new or second-hand).

Funding

We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2024/25 throughout the year.

Living costs

You can use our living costs guide to help plan your budget. It covers additional costs that are not included in your tuition fee such as expenses for accommodation and study materials.

Teaching Excellence Framework Gold Award

Gold-standard education

Our teaching, learning and student experience is outstanding, recognised by a Gold rating from the Office for Students in the 2023 national assessment (Teaching Excellence Framework).

Why we’re gold-rated

Teaching and assessment

You’ll study and learn with academics and curators 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

English at York is renowned for its flexible and innovative approach. We emphasise small-group teaching, which means you’ll mainly be taught in seminars of up to fifteen people. You’ll also take part in workshops, attend lectures, and consult staff on a one-to-one basis.

In History of Art, teaching occurs in a variety of ways, including lectures to the entire cohort and workshops, where group work is often prioritised, especially at the start of your degree when you are still finding your feet. The department is, however, most committed to small-group teaching. From the first year onwards, like English, you will regularly be in seminars with no more than fifteen other students. This creates a lively, guided, democratic environment for discussion, which, we believe, represents the best way to learn.

In addition, the Department of History of Art is committed to seeing and understanding works of art and architecture in all their detail and complexity. As a result, wherever possible, we take you to see the works themselves in the flesh, often making use of our international connections and partnerships with Tate, the V&A, and the National Gallery, as well as a host of local museums and galleries, to give you privileged access.

You can typically expect eight hours of contact time per week — and sometimes more. There are also numerous opportunities for informal contact.

Our dedicated research informs all our teaching activities. Our friendly, approachable, and accessible staff are world-leading experts in their fields. They are each available to meet individually with you during two weekly open office hours. We organise many guest lectures and readings by well-known artists, curators, and writers.

Timetabled activities

In your first year, you can expect:

Lectures3-4 hours per week
Seminars2 hours per week
Workshops2-4 hours per week
Film Screening0-2 hours per week

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, gallery and other site visits, wider reading, practise 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 semesters. 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

As an English student, you'll have access to the Thin Ice Press, our department's in-house printing studio. Our iron presses chart the evolution of print from 1838 to 1926. They offer the opportunity to experience the relationship between writing and printing practices through publication, practice-led research, teaching and public workshops.

Teaching location

You will be based in the Department of English and Related Literature and the Department of History of Art on Campus West.

Your contact hours will be divided between Derwent College, Vanbrugh College, the Spring Lane Teaching Building, and other nearby locations on Campus West. In addition, you may be taught at the historic King’s Manor campus in the centre of town, and in a range of museums and galleries across the region, the country, and continental Europe.

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 - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can use the fast and frequent bus service. Take a campus tour.

Assessment and feedback

The Department of English and Related Literature employs a variety of assessment methods, including group presentations and closed exams, but with a strong emphasis on essay writing. Your main mode of assessment will be essays, which will range from short exploratory exercises to more detailed discussions on a topic of your choice. We offer high levels of feedback and ample opportunities for you to meet with staff to discuss your written work.

Assessment in History of Art takes a variety of forms, from assessed seminar participation, involving presentations as well as group work and discussion, through essays of increasing length and ambition, to open and closed exams. We offer a range of forms of assessment mindful that different students have different strengths, and to enable you to demonstrate your flexibility to your future employers.

In both cases, the culmination of your degree is a year-long bridge dissertation, an independent piece of research of 7,000-8,000 words tailored to your own particular interests, across literature and art history.

Careers and skills

Studying English and History of Art at York will provide you with numerous career possibilities. You’ll learn presentation, language, and critical thinking skills during your combined degree, and gain expertise in complex analysis and research. These skills suit a wide range of careers related to the creative industries, from arts administration to conservation and curation.

Our English alumni
Our History of Art alumni

Career opportunities

  • Advertising, marketing, and public relations
  • Antiques dealer
  • Arts administration
  • Auctioneer
  • Civil and diplomatic services
  • Conservation officer
  • Creative and media work
  • Librarianship
  • Museum curation
  • Publishing
  • Teaching

Transferable skills

  • Ability to analyse and compare complex texts
  • Capacity to write clearly and fluently for a variety of audiences
  • Communication and teamwork skills
  • Critical and analytical thinking
  • Data interpretation
  • Experience of researching and debating challenging topics
  • Independent study skills
  • Logic and rhetoric
  • Proficiency in presenting findings cogently and persuasively using information technology
Studying here allows you to make your engagement with History of Art as personal as you’d like, with incredible opportunities to travel and develop outside your course.
Senah, History of Art.

Read Senah's blog post.

Entry requirements

Typical offer
A levels

AAB including an A in English Literature (English Language and Literature is also acceptable)

Access to Higher Education Diploma 36 credits at Distinction, including at least 9 credits in Literature-related units, and 9 credits at Merit or higher
BTEC National Extended Diploma DDD with an additional A Level or equivalent qualification in English Literature at grade A
Cambridge Pre-U D3, D3, M2 including D3 in English Literature
European Baccalaureate 80% overall, with 85% in English Literature.
International Baccalaureate 35 points including 6 in English Literature at Higher Level (Higher Level English Language and Literature is also acceptable)
T levels We are currently not accepting T Levels for this course unless an additional A Level (or equivalent qualification) in English Literature has been taken.
Scottish Highers / Advanced Highers Advanced Highers - B in English Literature plus Scottish Highers - BBBB

We may also be able to consider three Advanced Highers or a combination of Highers and Advanced Highers, where an applicant does not meet the grade requirement through Highers alone. Please contact us to discuss your qualifications.
Other international qualifications Equivalent qualifications from your country

Alternative offers

Meeting the following additional criteria may qualify you for an alternative offer.

Criteria Adjustment
Widening participation If you successfully complete one of the following programmes, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to three A level grades (or equivalent) below our typical offer: Black Access Programme, Next Step York, Realising Opportunities, YESS, YorWay to York. More about widening participation.
Contextual offers If you have experience of local authority care or live in an area with low progression to university, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to two A level grades (or equivalent) below our typical offer. More about contextual offers.
EPQ If you achieve A or higher at EPQ, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to one A level grade (or equivalent) below our typical offer.
MOOCs If you successfully complete our online course Modern Sculpture: An Introduction to History of Art do let us know, as you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to one A level grade (or equivalent) below our typical offer. More about MOOCs.

English language

If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:

Minimum requirement
IELTS (Academic) 6.5, with a minimum of 6.0 in each component
Cambridge CEFR 176, with a minimum of 169 in each component
Oxford ELLT 7, with a minimum of 6 in each component
Duolingo 120, minimum 105 in each component
GCSE/IGCSE/O level English Language (as a first or second language) Grade C / Grade 4
LanguageCert SELT B2 with a minimum score of 33/50 in each component
LanguageCert Academic B2 Communicator with a minimum score of 33/50 in each component
KITE 459 Main Flight score with 426 in each component
Skills for English B2: Merit overall, with Pass with Merit in each component
PTE Academic 61, with a minimum of 55 in each component
TOEFL 87 overall, with a minimum of 21 in each component
Trinity ISE III Merit in all components

For more information see our undergraduate English language requirements.

If you haven't met our English language requirements

You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.

The length of course you need to take depends on your current English language test scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.

After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.

Applying

To apply to York, you will need to complete an online application via UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service).

We look for intellectual and literary curiosity, open-mindedness, and analytical ability.

We encourage mature students to email the Admissions Tutor for consultation and advice.

At the University of York, we are committed to providing the support our students need to achieve their full potential and have an exceptional, transformational experience. The York Access Scheme offers help to those faced with social, personal or educational challenges which have affected their performance in education. We also offer support for care leavers.

Apply for this course

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Department of English and Related Literature, Department of History of Art

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