Art History and History

BA Art History and History (Including Placement Year) - UG Art History and History Degree at Colchester Campus. Duration: 3 and 4 years. Start in October 2026/27.

Our course promotes awareness of the interactions and differences between history and the visual arts in history and investigates the ways in which the two disciplines can be integrated. ‘Histories' are a challenge and we encourage you to look beyond superficial ideas which offer works of art as merely a way of documenting a kind of ‘truth'. You can learn to understand the ways in which history, ideas and ideologies are manifested in images, and challenge the definitions and perceptions of what documentation and evidence might be.

You study the disciplines of history and art history together in order to appreciate the relationships between them with a degree of critical awareness. In so doing, you are offered a unique approach to develop skills which are now vital in a society dominated by the visual image and visual forms of communication. You will be taught by our expert staff from your first year.

Your education extends beyond the university campus. We support you in expanding your education through offering the opportunity to spend a year or a term studying abroad at one of our partner universities.