BA Art and History of Art

Develop your creative practice, complemented by the study of arts across different periods, with our BA Art and History of Art programme.

This University of Reading four-year programme will help you become a skilful creator and thinker, bringing together your creative practical skills with the academic study of the history of art. The University of Reading ranks in the top 100 for Arts and Humanities globally (=91 in QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2024) and top 150 for Arts and Design globally (101-150 in QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2024).

Under the guidance of our teaching staff at Reading School of Art, you'll have the opportunity to:

build on your practical skills
explore the practice, theory and history of art
benefit from our approach to the subject, and particular focus on contemporary art
access the University’s broad range of archives, collections and museums.

The course provides you with the tools to develop, make and present your artwork. It fosters your investigative, critically reflective and independent learning through the study and discussion of contemporary art and its histories. The combination of making and critical reflection enables you to develop and articulate your own creative position.

Your learning environment

At Reading School of Art, you'll have access to a dedicated studio space, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, and you’ll be assigned a studio tutor to help develop your individual and professional practice. There's always a high level of activity in the studios with events, screenings, performances and exhibitions taking place regularly. Our teaching staff are all artists and curators highly connected with the creative world beyond the University, and strongly encourage regular exhibitions and open debate.

Our new School of Art building opened in September 2023 and is the perfect spot for exploring different media in our workshops and exhibiting your work whilst being near the centre of our Whiteknights campus.

Your learning journey

Studying at the Reading School of Art allows you to explore a vast range of media and experiment with emerging art forms.

Over the course of your four years of study, you will:

work with academics who include artists, curators and researchers
be encouraged to participate in exhibitions, public art commissions and events
receive dedicated studio space, accessible 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, and a studio tutor to help develop your individual and professional practice.

You will complement your practical art with modules in contemporary art theory and the history of art. Through the lectures, seminars and studio teaching – as well as weekly visiting artist talks – you will be exposed to the language, vocabulary and debates that have emerged historically and evolved to forge contemporary art.

For your art modules, you will have access to our range of facilities. These include:

studios for construction, printing and casting
darkroom for photography
digital tools for film and video editing, imaging, sound and web building.

In your first year you’ll experiment with a wide range of media through a series of practical projects, while exploring current and historical art practices. You will consider painting, sculpture, photography, architecture and the decorative arts across a range of periods through a framework of lectures, projects, and museum and gallery visits.

As your course progresses, you’ll develop your own art project in the studio, guided by individual skill training and building up your expertise through increasingly independent art practice. At the same time, you’ll identify and investigate different themes in historical and contemporary art, developing your writing and research skills.

Our course plays a vital role in connecting how people understand and shape the world. As such, sustainability, accessibility and social engagement are embedded throughout your studies.

Professional development

You might have the opportunity to undertake a placement forming all or part of an optional module.

Past students have:

interned at Studio Voltaire and the Frieze Art Fair
performed at the Institute of Contemporary Arts
taken part in an Arts Council-supported film project at the Museum of Rural Life
participated in an international exhibition at the Seoul Institute of Arts in South Korea.

Study abroad

You may have the chance to experience life in another country and apply to study abroad for a semester during your third year. To see which institutions participate in this scheme please use our “Find a University” tool. Please note our partners may change and the tool is updated each year.

Overview

Develop your creative practice, complemented by the study of arts across different periods, with our BA Art and History of Art programme.

build on your practical skills
explore the practice, theory and history of art
benefit from our approach to the subject, and particular focus on contemporary art
access the University’s broad range of archives, collections and museums.

Learning

Your learning environment

Your learning journey

Studying at the Reading School of Art allows you to explore a vast range of media and experiment with emerging art forms.

Over the course of your four years of study, you will:

work with academics who include artists, curators and researchers
be encouraged to participate in exhibitions, public art commissions and events
receive dedicated studio space, accessible 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, and a studio tutor to help develop your individual and professional practice.

studios for construction, printing and casting
darkroom for photography
digital tools for film and video editing, imaging, sound and web building.

Professional development

You might have the opportunity to undertake a placement forming all or part of an optional module.

Past students have:

interned at Studio Voltaire and the Frieze Art Fair
performed at the Institute of Contemporary Arts
taken part in an Arts Council-supported film project at the Museum of Rural Life
participated in an international exhibition at the Seoul Institute of Arts in South Korea.

Study abroad

Entry requirements A Level BBB

Select Reading as your firm choice on UCAS and we'll guarantee you a place even if you don't quite meet your offer. For details, see our firm choice scheme.

Our typical offers are expressed in terms of A level, BTEC and International Baccalaureate requirements. However, we also accept many other qualifications.

Typical offer

BBB

You will be asked to provide an online portfolio of your work when you apply.

International Baccalaureate

30 points overall

Extended Project Qualification

In recognition of the excellent preparation that the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) provides to students for University study, we can now include achievement in the EPQ as part of a formal offer.

BTEC Extended Diploma

DDM

UAL Level 3 Extended Diploma

Merit

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5, with no component below 5.5

For information on other English language qualifications, please visit our international student pages.

Alternative entry requirements for International and EU students

For country specific entry requirements look at entry requirements by country.

Pre-sessional English language programme

If you need to improve your English language score you can take a pre-sessional English course prior to entry onto your degree.

Find out the English language requirements for our courses and our pre-sessional English programme

Compulsory modules

Art Studio

Art Studio 1 will introduce you to contemporary art and its global histories, models of practices and practical and professional skills. You will learn the codes of good practice, health and safety, and sustainability in the studio while being given the opportunity to produce and present artworks that help develop your critically reflective and analytics skills.

History of Art 1

You will be introduced to the diversity of practices and theories that constitute the field of global art and its historicization in the first half of the 20th century. You will study a variety of perspectives, theories and accounts of the development of modernity and their social, geo-political and aesthetic factors.

History of Art 2

You will be introduced to the diversity of practices and theories that constitute in the field of global art and its historicization in late 20th century/early 21st century. You will consider artists and their works alongside a variety of perspectives and theories of different art periods and their social and geo-political factors. You will explore narratives in which a wide range of art practices were shaped.

Drawing

Expand your drawing competence as you are introduced to a range of different methods, techniques, materials and tools. You will equip a growing range of drawing skills as you develop your ability to choose between them to apply your enhanced proficiency to different contexts and subject specialisms. You will also research diverse practices and theories that constitute the field of global art and its histories. Through visual analysis, you will produce a journal reflecting on the themes covered each week.

Presenting the Past: An Introduction to Museum Studies

Explore the past, present and future of museums in a global context. You'll examine the origins of museums, collecting histories, and the role of audiences in curation, as well as the central ethical debates around social justice, repatriation, decolonisation and inclusivity.

These are the modules we currently offer for 2024/25 entry. They may be subject to change as we regularly review our module offerings to ensure they're informed by the latest teaching and research methods.

Please note that the University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them.

You can also register your details with us to receive information about your course of interest and study and life at the University of Reading.

Compulsory modules

Art Studio 2

Learn how to identify and investigate your own interests and concerns through practical engagement in the studio. You will develop your capacity for self-criticism through informed debate alongside your confidence and the ability to present exhibitions.

Optional modules

History of Art 3

Explore different forms of art writing from criticism and visual analysis to interpretation to digital culture. You will consider how Art History shapes and is shaped as you develop your research and communication skills and reflect critically on the different purposes of art writing.

History of Art 4

Consider your own artistic concerns in relation to the experiences of visiting speakers. You will become equipped with the knowledge to analyse contemporary ideas, practices and discourses through discussion and theoretical research as you develop an understanding between first-hand account, archival resource and theoretical research.

Art Practice 2

Engage in-depth with a chosen specialism from options including painting, printmaking, sculpture or video. You will gain knowledge on your disciplines specific histories and debate their contemporary relevance as you are guided through demonstrations and self-led experimentation that will develop your practical skills and material understanding.

International Study

Embark on a supervised study visit to a major European art centre where you will encounter and experience contemporary art and art history first hand. You will visit major museums, galleries, and collections as you enhance your understanding of art history beyond an academic context. Recent visits have included Madrid, Berlin, Paris and Venice.

Museum Learning and Engagement

Examine the role of museums in society by observing and evaluating museum learning resources and events. With input from museum-based professionals, you'll explore learning theory, programme and event management, resource design, evaluation and visitor research. Interactive lectures, seminars and museum visits will enable you to contextualise and apply your learning.

Please note that the University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them.

You can also register your details with us to receive information about your course of interest and study and life at the University of Reading.

Compulsory modules

Art Studio 2b

Situated Art Practice

Shape your understanding of the global and historical diversity of models in artistic. As you work, you will realise your active role as an artist in shaping and being shaped by the world as you effectively apply research methods to your material and present in an appropriate format.

Optional modules

Independent Study with Work Placement

Gain real world experiences developed through intensive investigation into an organisation, museum, or gallery. You will engage as an active and responsible learner, managing your own work schedule and organisation talent that will allow you to nourish your independence and self-motivation.

History of Art 5

You will be provided with a rigorous critical forum to consider your own artistic concerns in relation to the experiences of visiting speakers. You will be equipped with the knowledge to compare a range of contemporary ideas, practices and discourses as you develop your communication skills and an understanding of the relationship between first-hand account, archival resource and theoretical research.

History of Art 6

Develop a critical understanding of a range of historical and philosophical problems that emerge from contemporary art and evaluate the potential solutions. You will also develop a critical understanding of aesthetic and advance your research skills as you format an essay that evaluates the problems and solutions associated with contemporary art from an independent critical position.

Curatorship and Collection Management

Explore the methods used by museum professionals to store, catalogue, research and display objects, and how they communicate their meaning to the general public. Gain a hands-on introduction to curatorship and collections management, with the opportunity to research and interpret an object chosen from the University's collections.

International Study 2

Please note that the University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them.

You can also register your details with us to receive information about your course of interest and study and life at the University of Reading.

Compulsory modules

Art Studio 3b

Challenge yourself by developing an independent, creative and critically informed art practice as you advance your own interests and concerns through practical engagement in the studio. Expand your research skills in relation to your individual art practice, and in the understanding of both historical and contemporary practices of art.

History of Art Dissertation

Produce a sustained, in-depth study into contemporary art and aesthetics, researching a specific area that relates to studio practice and forming a coherent argument or critical position.

Please note that the University cannot guarantee that all optional modules will be available to all students who may wish to take them.

You can also register your details with us to receive information about your course of interest and study and life at the University of Reading.

Fees

New UK/Republic of Ireland students: £9,535 per year for 2025/26 then fixed per year at this fee for the standard duration of your course.

New international students: £25,250 per year for 2025/26 then fixed per year at this fee for the standard duration of your course.

Tuition fees

To find out more about how the University of Reading sets its tuition fees, see our fees and funding pages.

Additional costs

Some courses will require additional payments for field trips and extra resources. You will also need to budget for your accommodation and living costs. See our information on living costs for more details.

Financial support for your studies

You may be eligible for a scholarship or bursary to help pay for your study. Students from the UK may also be eligible for a student loan to help cover these costs. See our fees and funding information for more information on what's available.

Placement year fees

If you spend a full year on placement, you will only pay 15% of your usual tuition fee for that year. For more information, please see our fees and funding pages or contact placements@reading.ac.uk.

Careers

96.30% of graduates from Reading School of Art are in work or further study within 15 months of graduation (based on our analysis of HESA data © HESA 2024, Graduate Outcomes Survey 2021/22 includes first degree Art responders).

As well as the practical experience gained on this degree, you’ll graduate with a range of transferable skills, such as self-motivation, time management, and strategic thinking.

Many of our graduates develop successful careers as artists, writers and curators. These include a few famous alumni, such as Turner Prize-nominated artists, and PhD students who are award-winning artists and curators at influential museums.

Other graduates have found employment in galleries, education, art therapy, and film and video production. Recent employers include:

Tate
Whitechapel Gallery
Christies
Microsoft
BBC
Victoria & Albert Museum
Manolo Blahnik.

Alternatively, you can choose to further develop your skills by moving into research, teacher training, or postgraduate study.

BA Art and History of Art

Your learning environment

Your learning journey

Professional development

Study abroad

Tuition fees

Additional costs

Financial support for your studies

Ready for more?