Art History, Heritage and Museum Studies

Who decides what statues are in our public spaces? How do museums and galleries decide what to collect and display? How can we save heritage that is under threat from war or natural disasters? What are the ethical problems in preserving and exhibiting objects from other cultures?

BA Art History, Heritage and Museums Studies offers a multidisciplinary foundation in the histories and theories of art history, heritage studies and museum studies. You will acquire a broad foundation in the history of visual culture, learning about the most celebrated forms of art and architecture and discovering what has been overlooked or marginalised. This degree will also introduce you to the critical study of heritage, including ethical and legal debates, and questions around how heritage is preserved, communicated, displayed, including issues of spectatorship and community engagement.

You will study topics including:

History of the museum

Curatorial ethics

Heritage management

Modern and Contemporary Art

Politics of Museums and Heritage

The role of new technologies and new media in heritage and museums

To study on our course, you don’t need an A-Level in Art or Art History. In fact, we believe that the best students of visual culture are those who bring fresh eyes and new perspectives to their objects of enquiry.

One of the major reasons for choosing Essex is the quality of the education you will receive. We are ranked 6th among Art History departments in the UK for research excellence (REF 2014, mainstream universities, THE 2014). You will be taught by our expert staff in your very first year, a rarity in the UK Art History courses.