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What do we mean by ‘culture’ and why are its many forms so hotly contested? Why is it so important to our sense of identity and belonging? Cultural Studies at Kent is an innovative subject with distinctive perspectives on all forms of present day culture. We explore connections between popular culture, the arts and everyday life by crossing social sciences/humanities boundaries.
Overview
Analysing culture
You cannot be part of contemporary society without being affected by the stream of ads and images of all kinds, in various media. We are all caught up the network of communications, whether in face-to-face encounters, on Facebook or by way of email. All this is both 'modern' and 'cultural' and it is something we all do, cope with, and make sense of. Cultural Studies addresses culture in more theoretical, analytical and critical ways seeing it in a broader context and evaluating its impact on the way we experience our lives and organise and govern our societies.
History & Philosophy of Art
Within the History & Philosophy of Art element of your degree, you study artists, art movements and a range of artistic media, including painting, sculpture, photography, print media, installation and multimedia. You will have the chance to put your knowledge into practice and develop work-related skills, such as gallery management and curating, art collecting and dealing, as well as practical writing skills for the media.
The School of Arts at Canterbury provides excellent resources to support your studies. The Jarman Building houses individual edit suites, a digital studio and the Studio 3 Gallery, which hosts home and visiting exhibitions and allows you to develop professional curatorial skills. Also on campus are a darkroom and the Templeman Library, which has extensive print and online resources.
Independent rankings
In the National Student Survey 2015, Sociology* was ranked 10th in the UK for student satisfaction.
*BA Cultural Studies is included in Sociology for the purposes of the National Student Survey.
Course structure
The course structure below gives a flavour of the modules that will be available to you and provides details of the content of this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation. Most programmes will require you to study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also have the option to take ‘wild’ modules from other programmes offered by the University in order that you may customise your programme and explore other subject areas of interest to you or that may further enhance your employability.
Year abroad
Teaching and assessment
Cultural Studies
We use a variety of teaching methods, including lectures, case study analysis, group projects and presentations, and individual and group tutorials. Many module convenors also offer additional ‘clinic’ hours to help with the preparation of coursework and for exams.
History & Philosophy of Art
All our programmes emphasise a close working relationship with students. Teaching takes place in lectures and seminars, and where appropriate in studios and workshops. Both schools run academic adviser systems, which ensures that all students have access to a designated tutor for pastoral support and academic guidance. Assessment varies from module to module, but the majority of our assessment is through coursework.
For assessment details for individual modules click the 'read more' link within each module listed in the course structure.
Programme aims
The programme aims to:
- develop in students the capacity to learn and undertake critical analysis of culture, especially the arts
- provide teaching informed by current research and scholarship in the field of cultural studies and art history
- provide a flexible, progressive curriculum which includes options from a wide range of disciplinary areas, particularly culture, especially the history of art
- promote an understanding of cultural identities, differences and transitions and the historical, political and economic contexts of their emergence and change
- provide a broad knowledge of concepts, debates and theoretical approaches in the study of culture and art
- facilitate the personal development of students as independent, life-long learners capable of collating and analysing information and producing new knowledge
- provide opportunities for the development of personal, communication, research and other key skills appropriate to graduate employment in a range of cultural, media, education and arts-related spheres and for further research in the fields of cultural studies and history of art
- produce graduates with an informed, critical and analytical approach to understanding the history of art, interpreting art and contexts of artistic production and consumption
- enhance students’ awareness of sensitivity to the context of the production and reception of the arts over a range of historical periods
- offer students an informed knowledge of the principles of art history, visual traditions, and traditions of art historical writing.
Learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding
You gain knowledge and understanding of:
- the complexity of culture
- the role the media and cultural institutions play in society
- the role and function of cultural forms as sources of popular knowledge and ideas
- how people engage with cultural texts and practices
- the relation between cultural texts, such as artistic, literary, media, social, political, scientific, and the historical contexts of their production and reception
- how culture is both product and process and gives rise to social and political 'forms of life'
- how the modes of production/consumption of cultural texts and products shape contemporary life
- the nature of the cultural impact of new technologies
- particular forms of the visual arts, especially painting, sculpture, drawing and photography, and the way they can be interpreted
- the historical evolution of visual traditions, artistic movements, media and genres of art, and the works of a range of significant artists, with particular emphasis on the period from the Renaissance to the present day
- critical theories and concepts deployed in analyses of art
- methodologies and approaches to the study of visual arts, including the terminology used in art history
- aesthetic theories and their impact on the production of art.
Intellectual skills
You gain the following intellectual abilities:
- analyse a wide range of cultural forms
- critical evaluation of scholarship and ideas, both classical and contemporary
- represent in language the views and ideas of others
- apply cultural theory to familiar and unfamiliar cultural material, phenomena and contexts
- express your own ideas in oral and written communication
- identify, evaluate and construct arguments.
Subject-specific skills
You gain subject-specific skills in the following:
- conception and application of cross-disciplinary strategies of investigation of cultural issues, themes and topics
- identify and analyse ethical and political subject matters represented in all kinds of media culture
- account for and criticise the interrelation of aesthetic cultural practices and forms, and the social and political contexts of their emergence and affect
- evaluate theoretical models and paradigms of cultural production, consumption and reception
- integrate diverse sources of cultural information and produce new knowledge
- analyse and interpret visual artefacts with an informed knowledge of the conventions of visual traditions
- the effective deployment of terms and concepts specific to the history and theory of Art.
Transferable skills
You gain transferable skills in the following:
- gather, collate, retrieve and synthese information drawn from a variety of sources, such as library, IT, press, textual, visual, popular and academic, in traditional formats as well as electronic
- work independently on the design and execution of research projects
- the ability to reflect on and understand the accumulation of knowledge about cultural practices diversely understood
- be adaptable, creative and self-reflexive in producing output for a variety of audiences
- skilled at self-directed project planning, development and execution of work to deadlines
- effective communication: able to express yourself in written and oral forms, represent the ideas of others as well as your own, and able to argue for, and justify, your own views.
Careers
Cultural Studies
School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research graduates are adaptable and flexible in their thinking and approach tasks in a rigorous, ethical, yet creative and reflective fashion. They develop key transferable skills including: communication, organisational and research skills; the ability to analyse complex information and make it accessible to non-specialist readers, write reports and use data analysis computer programs, and can take on positions of leadership in addition to working effectively and considerately in teams. These skills and attributes are valued in a wide range of professions.
The School has excellent links with local outside agencies, such as the probation and youth justice services, the police and social services.
Cultural Studies graduates work in advertising and design, journalism, broadcasting, teaching, arts administration, publishing, public relations, research, information services, leisure industry management, tourism and heritage, personnel, local government, and the organisation of social and community projects.
History & Philosophy of Art
Graduates from our degree programmes go on to pursue a wide variety of careers, but many decide to work in an arts-related field. The visual arts play an important role in our national economy, and Kent graduates can be found in prominent positions across the art world. Employment opportunities with a connection to the visual arts can be found in areas such as museums and galleries; the art market; heritage and tourism; arts management and marketing; publishing; advertising; arts journalism; and school or university teaching.
If you choose to take the Year Abroad option you will further increase your portfolio of skills by gaining experience of living and studying in a different culture. You will learn to appreciate and assess different approaches to cultural studies and art form giving you a uniquely global perspective.
Entry requirements
Home/EU students
The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications, typical requirements are listed below, students offering alternative qualifications should contact the Admissions Office for further advice. It is not possible to offer places to all students who meet this typical offer/minimum requirement.
| Qualification | Typical offer/minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| A level | BBB |
| Access to HE Diploma | The University of Kent will not necessarily make conditional offers to all access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis. If an offer is made candidates will be required to obtain/pass the overall Access to Higher Education Diploma and may also be required to obtain a proportion of the total level 3 credits and/or credits in particular subjects at merit grade or above. |
| BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (formerly BTEC National Diploma) | Distinction, Distinction, Merit. |
| International Baccalaureate | 34 points overall or 15 at HL |
International students
The University receives applications from over 140 different nationalities and consequently will consider applications from prospective students offering a wide range of international qualifications. Our International Development Office will be happy to advise prospective students on entry requirements. See our International Student website for further information about our country-specific requirements.
Please note that if you need to increase your level of qualification ready for undergraduate study, we offer a number of International Foundation Programmes through Kent International Pathways.
English Language Requirements
Please see our English language entry requirements web page.
Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes through Kent International Pathways.
General entry requirements
Please also see our general entry requirements.
Fees
The 2016/17 annual tuition fees for this programme are:
| UK/EU | Overseas | |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time | ||
| Part-time |
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
The Government has announced changes to allow undergraduate tuition fees to rise in line with inflation from 2017/18.
The University of Kent is currently considering whether to increase its regulated full-time tuition fees for all returning Home and EU undergraduates from £9,000 to £9,250 in September 2017. This would be subject to us satisfying the Government's Teaching Excellence Framework and the access regulator's requirements. The equivalent part-time fees for these courses might also rise by 2.8%.
For students continuing on this programme fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact information@kent.ac.uk
UK/EU/International students on an approved Year Abroad for the full 2016/17 academic year pay an annual fee of £1,350 to Kent for that year. Those on an approved Year in Industry pay an annual fee of £865 to Kent for that year. Students studying abroad for less than one academic year will pay full fees according to their fee status.
Funding
Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. Details of our proposed funding opportunities for 2016 entry can be found on our funding page.
General scholarships
Scholarships are available for excellence in academic performance, sport and music and are awarded on merit. For further information on the range of awards available and to make an application see our scholarships website.
The Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence
At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence. For 2016 entry, the scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of AAA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications as specified on our scholarships pages. Please review the eligibility criteria on that page.