Overview and entry requirements

The BA History of Art (Asia, Africa and Europe) 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 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.

See Department of the History of Art and Archeology

Why study History of Art (Asia, Africa and Europe) at SOAS

• SOAS is ranked 44th in the world in the 2021 QS World University Rankings for Arts and Humanities
• 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.

Programme Code: V351 BA/HArAAE

Venue: Russell Square: College Buildings

Start of programme: September

Mode of Attendance: Full-time

Structure

Students take 120 credits modules in each year.

Year 1: Students 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.

Year 2: Students work on 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.

Year 3: 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).

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.

Anyone requiring further information on the UCL part of this course should contact Mr Robert Brown at University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, phone: (0)20 3108 4012, email: r.brown@ucl.ac.uk

Programme

Year 1

Compulsory Modules: Year 1

Students will take the following 4 compulsory modules at SOAS:

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: Year 2

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 of any of the following combinations:

• 45 credits from the SOAS History of Art Guided Option List below
• 30 credits from the SOAS History of Art Guided Option List below and 15 credits of History of Art modules from UCL
• 15 credits from the SOAS History of Art Guided Option List below and 30 credits of History of Art module from UCL

AND

Students will take modules to the value of 30 credits of any of the following combinations:

• 30 credits from the SOAS History of Art Guided Option List below
• 30 credits from the Language Open Option List or the Non-Language Open Option List.
• 15 credits from the SOAS History of Art Guided Option List below and 15 credits from the Language Open Option List or the Non-Language Open Option List.

Year 3

There are two major options available for Year 3 students: A SOAS-based project and a UCL-based project

SOAS-based Project: Year 3

Students will take the following compulsory module at SOAS:

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 an Independent Study Essay, worth 15 credits (UCL module: HART0119)
• AND 15 credits from the list of UCL Methods Modules, if not completed in Year 2 (FHEQ level 6 - see above for the list of modules)

AND

Students will take modules to the value of 30 credits of any of the following combinations:

• 30 credits from the SOAS History of Art Guided Option List below
• 30 credits from the Language Open Option List or the Non-Language Open Option List.
• 15 credits from the SOAS History of Art Guided Option List below and 15 credits from the Language Open Option List or the Non-Language Open Option List.

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

Students will take modules to the value of 30 credits of any of the following combinations:

• 30 credits from the SOAS History of Art Guided Option List below
• 30 credits from the Language Open Option List or the Non-Language Open Option List.
• 15 credits from the SOAS History of Art Guided Option List below and 15 credits from the Language Open Option List or the Non-Language Open Option List.

List of SOAS History of Art Guided Option Modules for Year 2 and Year 3

(subject to availability)

Year 3

Programme Specification

• BA History of Art (Asia, Africa and Europe) Programme Specification 2020/21 (pdf; 165kb)

Important notice

Teaching & Learning

All 1st year modules involve a weekly lecture and tutorial. In the 2nd and 3rd year, where student numbers may be lower, a seminar may replace the lecture.

For most modules, assessment involves coursework and an unseen examination. In the 1st year, coursework entails short, concentrated pieces of work. In the 2nd and 3rd years, coursework emphasis shifts to longer papers.

In the final year, students are required to complete an Independent Study Project on a subject of their choice, and are also encouraged to undertake projects, supervised by members of staff, in the form of an essay-based advanced study.

Contact hours

All full-time undergraduate programmes consist of 120 credits per year, in modules of 30 or 15 credits. They are taught over 10 or 20 weeks. The programme structure shows which modules are compulsory and which optional.

As a rough guide, 1 credit equals approximately 10 hours of work. Most of this will be independent study (see Approaches to teaching and learning at SOAS). It will also include class time, which may include lectures, seminars and other classes. Some subjects, such as learning a language, have more class time than others. In the School of Arts, most undergraduate modules have a one- or two-hour lecture or seminar every week. Some, but not all, also have a 1-hour seminar or tutorial every week.

More information is available on each individual module page.

Learning resources

SOAS Library is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, attracting scholars from all over the world. The Library houses over 1.2 million volumes, together with significant archival holdings, special collections and a growing network of electronic resources.

Tuition fees

Fees for 2021/22 entrants per academic year

Please note that fees go up each year. 

For full details of undergraduate tuition fees, see our Registry's undergraduate tuition fees page.

Scholarships

For further details and information on external scholarships visit the Scholarships section

Employment

The BA History of Art (Asia, Africa & Europe) 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.  

Skills gained

• research skills
• written and oral communication skills
• visual awareness
• ability to select and organise information.

Careers

A degree in art history gives access to a range of jobs available for any humanities degree graduate such as teaching and the media.

Find out more on our Careers Service website.

• How to Apply
• UCAS website
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