Combining artistic movements with the movement of time.
Year of entry: 2025/26
VV13
Y50
3 years full-time
AAB (full entry requirements)
September 2025 (semester dates)
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An integrated history and art history degree will enable you to understand the forces that have shaped past societies and cultures, along with the artworks and artistic movements which those societies have produced.
This joint degree brings together two humanities disciplines to develop your skills in research, analysis and presentation. We offer an exceptionally wide variety of specialist options that range from the study of medieval churches to the history of twentieth-century Japan.
You'll gain expertise in the interpretation of visual forms of evidence such as paintings, architecture and material culture along with the ability to produce in-depth analysis of historical texts. You'll graduate as a highly-skilled, creative communicator, ready to make a valuable impact in a wide variety of industries.
Our courses cross the globe and take in more than a millennium of history, from the Middle Ages to the present day.
Our range of collaborations with museums and galleries will be invaluable to your education
You'll divide your modules equally between the History and History of Art departments. This may vary slightly if you take an elective module in another department.
There are opportunities for you to spend time abroad during your course:
There are opportunities to spend time in industry as part of this course.
This year of the degree is designed to help you ground your historical knowledge. Your modules will also provide you with a broad background to help you think about art in historical contexts.
You will also choose one of the following:
In addition to the above you will also need to complete our online Academic Integrity module.
This module covers some of the essential skills and knowledge which will help you to study independently and produce work of a high academic standard which is vital for success at York.
This module will:
Your second year builds on the skills you acquired in the first year and gives you the opportunity to broaden your historical knowledge. You’ll also get the chance look behind the scenes of a museum and learn the art of curatorship.
You will study four option modules. Examples can be found below. Some option module combinations may not be possible. The options available to you will be confirmed after you begin your course.
You may be able to replace one option module with an elective module, studying a complementary subject, a language or an interdisciplinary topic.
In your final year of the History and History of Art degree, you'll have the option of writing a dissertation in either discipline. You'll also study four option modules from both disciplines.
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You will study four option modules. Examples can be found below. Some option module combinations may not be possible. The options available to you will be confirmed after you begin your course.
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, and in line with Department/School academic planning.
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.
| UK (home) | International and EU |
|---|---|
| £9,535 | £25,800 |
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.
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.
You will have to pay for the cost of printing some assignments for submission as assessed work in Years 2 and 3.
We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2025/26 throughout the year.
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.
Just four UK universities are rated Gold for teaching and top ten for research* in the latest national assessment exercises.
* Awarded joint 10th in the Times Higher Education ranking of the Research Excellence Framework 2021.
You’ll 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.
At every stage of your degree, we're committed to research-led teaching. We emphasise engagement over memorising facts. That's why we include seminars, discussion groups, specialist workshops and field trips in our curriculum.
In your first year, you can expect:
| Lectures | 4-5 hours per week |
|---|---|
| Seminars | 2-3 hours per week |
| Tutorials | 3 hours |
| Workshops | 0-1 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, 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 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.
We are home to the Borthwick Institute for Archives, a major archive repository in Britain. It holds the records of the Archbishopric of York from the early thirteenth century onwards, and specialises in the study of ecclesiastic institutions.
There are several other important archives housed at York, including the JB Morrell Library and the Raymond Burton Library for Humanities Research. These contain collections covering subjects such as the British Civil Wars, French Revolution and Modern Asian history. Find out more about our libraries.
King's Manor houses The Wormald, Newton and Newbold collections, major resources for medieval art history, are housed in the King's Manor, as is the Architectural Studies Library, an invaluable source for architectural historians.
You will be based in both the Department of History and 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.
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.
Your first-year work doesn't contribute toward your final marks. We recognise that you are only beginning to develop over the course of your degree.
From Year 2 onward, formal assessments contribute toward your degree. In your third year, your 8,000-word dissertation focuses on a specific topic of your choice.
Get a taste of university-level study on one of York's free short courses.
History and History of Art graduates are valued in the workplace for their ability to take the lead in project work and undertake independent research. They are critical thinkers, highly skilled in the evaluation of visual and written material, and creative communicators of their ideas.
Our graduates have gone on to work in sectors such as:
You'll develop a range of transferable skills including:
| Typical offer | |
|---|---|
| A levels | AAB including an A in either History or Classical Civilisation |
| Access to Higher Education Diploma | Obtain Access to HE Diploma with 36 credits at Distinction including at least 9 credits in History-related units and 9 credits at Merit or higher. |
| BTEC National Extended Diploma | DDD with an additional A Level or equivalent qualification in either History or Classical Civilisation at grade A |
| Cambridge Pre-U | D3, D3, M2 including D3 in History |
| European Baccalaureate | 80% overall, including 85% in History |
| International Baccalaureate | 35 points, including 6 in History at Higher Level |
| T levels | We are currently not accepting T Levels for this course unless an additional A Level (or equivalent qualification) in History has been taken. |
| Scottish Highers / Advanced Highers | Advanced Highers - B in History 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. |
| International foundation programme | Foundation Certificate from our International Pathway College or an appropriate alternative. |
| Other international qualifications | Equivalent qualifications from your country |
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 two A level grades (or equivalent) below our typical offer: Black Access Programme, Next Step York, Realising Opportunities. More about widening participation. |
| Contextual offer | ABC including an A in either History or Classical Civilisation |
| 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 Accents, attitudes and identity 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. |
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 |
| Oxford Test of English Advanced | 136, with a minimum of 126 in each component |
| Duolingo | Integrated subscores: 120 overall, with a minimum of 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 |
| Kaplan Test of English Language | 478 Main Flight score with 444 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 |
| Other English language qualifications | We also accept other English Language qualifications, including various school-leaving certificates. |
For more information see our undergraduate 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.
Get in touch if you have any questions
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