Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Art History, Heritage and Museum Studies - Including Foundation Year

On our four-year BA Art History, Heritage and Museum Studies (including foundation year), we work with you to help to develop your subject-specific knowledge and to improve your academic skills. You receive a thorough grounding in these areas during your foundation year (known as Year Zero) to prepare you for a further three years of undergraduate study at Essex. Our five-year version of this course enables you to study abroad during your fourth year of study.

After successful completion of Year Zero in our Essex Pathways Department, you progress to complete your course with our School of Philosophy and Art History.

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.
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.

All applications for degree courses with a foundation year (Year Zero) will be considered individually, whether you think you might not have the grades to enter the first year of a degree course; have non-traditional qualifications or experience (e.g. you haven’t studied A-levels or a BTEC); are returning to university after some time away from education; or are looking for more support during the transition into university study. Standard offer: Our standard offer is 72 UCAS tariff points from at least two full A-levels, or equivalent. Examples of the above tariff may include: A-levels: DDD BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma: MMP T-levels: Pass with E in core IELTS 5.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each component TOEFL (IBT)- 72 overall, with a minimum of 18 in reading, 17 in listening, 20 in speaking and 17 in writing.