BA (Honours) in Art History and Visual Cultures

Knowledge and understanding

On completion of this degree, you will have knowledge and understanding of:

• Visual, material, and spatial cultures of more than one geographical region, and in both the past and the present, demonstrate a broad and comparative knowledge.
• Ways in which cultural values are produced, maintained, and contested, including the historic contingency of concepts of 'art', 'design', and 'architecture', and the limitations and partiality of such terms when explored across diverse geographical and historical settings.
• The established concepts, values, and debates of the discipline, are informed by current thinking and theoretical and methodological developments and tools.
• The historical, cultural, and personal contexts in which cultural artefacts, sites, and media have been produced and interpreted.
• The field's relationship with professional contexts, including the arts and heritage sector, and commercial and policy contexts.

Cognitive skills

On completion of this degree, you will be able to:

• Deploy appropriate techniques of analysis: the ability to break down an argument, a task, or a body of evidence, and deal effectively with its parts.
• Synthesis and summarization: effectively bringing together evidence and ideas from different sources while identifying and presenting key elements of an argument.
• Critical judgment: discriminating between alternative arguments and approaches.
• Problem-solving: applying knowledge and experience to make appropriate decisions in complex and incompletely charted contexts.

Practical and professional skills

On completion of this degree, you will be able to demonstrate your skills in:

• Literacy and confidence, engaging with a range of visual, material, and spatial materials and contexts.
• Time management and personal initiative: work to briefs and deadlines.
• Self-reflection and responsibility: to reflect on one’s learning.
• Transferable approaches and perspectives: to appreciate the transfer of learning about art history and visual culture to sectors and contexts beyond academia.

Key skills

On completion of this degree, you will be able to:

• Communicate: Produce assignments containing reasoned arguments and adequately weighed evidence in response to a specific question.
• Improve your performance: Improve your learning process by acting on pedagogic advice and feedback.
• Employ digital methods and frameworks: Demonstrate an ability to adopt a range of digital practices, tools, and resources appropriate to the subject.
• Conduct research: Demonstrate the capacity for critical, effective, and testable information retrieval and organization.
• Maintain open-mindedness: Be open and receptive to people, places, and ideas – new things, unfamiliar arguments, cultural artefacts, sites, and media.

This degree has three stages, each comprising 120 credits.

• You’ll start Stage 1 with a broad introduction to the arts and humanities followed by a module to develop your knowledge and skills.
• Next, in Stage 2, you’ll study art and visual cultures from prehistory to the present.
• Finally, at Stage 3, you’ll look at art in a global context, before completing your degree with a dissertation module.

Stage 1 (120 credits)

You'll study both of the following:

• Discovering the arts and humanities (A111)
• Cultures (A112)

Stage 2 (120 credits)

You'll study both of the following:

• Art and life before 1800 (A237)
• Art and visual cultures in the modern world (A236)

Stage 3 (120 credits)

You'll study both of the following:

• Art and its global histories (A344)
• Art and its critical histories (A336)

Assessment

Our assessments are all designed to reinforce your learning and help you show your understanding of the topics. The mix of assessment methods will vary between modules.

Computer-Marked Assignments

• Usually, a series of online, multiple-choice questions.

Tutor-Marked Assignments

• You’ll have a number of these throughout each module, each with a submission deadline.
• They can be made up of essays, questions, experiments or something else to test your understanding of what you have learned.
• Your tutor will mark and return them to you with detailed feedback.

End-of-Module Assessments

• The final, marked piece of work on most modules.
• Modules with an end-of-module assessment won’t usually have an exam.

Exams

• Some modules end with an exam. You’ll be given time to revise and prepare.
• You’ll be given your exam date at least 5 months in advance.
• Most exams take place remotely, and you will complete them at home or an alternative location.
• If a module requires you to take a face-to-face exam, this will be made clear in the module description, and you will be required to take your exam in person at one of our exam centres.

Skills for career development

All Arts study fosters critical thinking, analysis, and communication. This qualification goes further by enabling you to develop a high level of visual literacy and confidence in engaging with major artists' artworks, and other important visual material. You'll be able to analyse works of art from a wide range of cultural and artistic genres.

You'll also have excellent communication skills and will be able to use a range of digital resources appropriate for the subject, while the final project will enhance your research skills and your independent management of a substantial piece of academic work. These key skills are highly sought after in the world beyond study – whether you’re already working, volunteering, or changing careers.

Career relevance

The study of the arts and humanities requires an understanding of human activities in diverse cultural environments and historical contexts. The breadth of research and range of cultural texts and objects analysed, combined with clear thinking and communication, make the BA (Honours) Art History and Visual Cultures relevant to a wide range of careers, including:

• Creative and cultural industries
• Education
• Museums, art galleries and other art institutions
• Public administration, local government, the civil service, and social services
• Advertising, journalism, publishing, and public relations
• Legal work
• Business, banking and retail
• Human resources
• Charities and campaigning.

Other careers

Many graduate-level jobs are open to graduates of any discipline, particularly in business, finance, management consultancy and the public sector. Some careers may require further study, training and/or work experience beyond your degree.

In addition to improving your career prospects, studying with the OU is an enriching experience that broadens your horizons, develops your knowledge, builds your confidence and enhances your life skills.

With our unique approach to distance learning, you can study from home, work or on the move.

You’ll have some assessment deadlines to meet, but otherwise, you’ll be free to study at the times that suit you, fitting your learning around work, family, and social life.

For each of your modules, you’ll use either just online resources or a mix of online and printed materials.

Each module you study will have a module website with

• A week-by-week study planner, giving you a step-by-step guide through your studies
• Course materials such as reading, videos, recordings, and self-assessed activities
• Module forums for discussions and collaborative activities with other students
• Details of each assignment and their due dates
• A tutorial booking system, online tutorial rooms, and your tutor’s contact details
• Online versions of some printed module materials and resources.