History and Philosophy of Art and Film with a Year Abroad - BA (Hons)

You have the opportunity to spend a year abroad between Stages 2 and 3, studying at one of our partner universities in Europe (Amsterdam, Berlin, Bologna, Lausanne and Paris); the USA (California and Indiana); or Asia (Hong Kong).

Please note exchanges are offered subject to availability and in some cases will be dependent on which degree you are studying at Kent. In most cases, students must also meet the academic and attendance requirements set by their school or faculty in order to study/work abroad.

At present, students on this programme are required to gain an average mark of 60% at Stage 1 and Stage 2. All marks, including wild modules, count in the calculation of the average. Students must also complete and submit the Overseas Travel Health Questionnaire (this will be sent to them with instructions at the appropriate time) and attend a compulsory pre-departure briefing from the Go Abroad team.

See our A-Z course list for more details or contact our Go Abroad team. Subject to availability, work placements can be undertaken anywhere in the world.

Knowledge and understanding

• 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.
• The works of a range of significant artists, with particular emphasis on the period from the Renaissance to the present day.
• The cultural, social and historical contexts in which works of art are produced and the uses to which they are put.
• The technique and processes through which artefacts are made and constructed in the cultures studied.
• Nodes, formal conventions and styles of representation in the fine arts, photography and related visual media.
• Critical and theoretical tools and concepts that have evolved for interpreting works of art.
• Methodologies and approaches to the study of visual arts (including the terminology used in art history).
• Substantive areas of current research in the subject.
• Aesthetic theories and their impact on the production of art.
• The relationship between different visual media and different artistic traditions.

Intellectual skills

• Engage critically and in an independently minded way with the major thinkers, intellectual paradigms, scholarly literature and issues and debates within the subject.
• Understand the historical emergence of forms of visual culture and the nature of the discipline.
• Examine the historical, social and historical context in which art is produced.
• The ability to blend empirical and historical information with concepts.
• Apply knowledge and experience to address problems within the subject.
• Analyse and interpret works of art in a manner that demonstrates critical evaluation.
• Critically reflect upon their own work and their understanding of the subject in a way that is open minded and receptive to unfamiliar artefacts, issues and ideas.
• Conduct various forms of research for essays, projects, seminar assignments and dissertations involving independent enquiry.
• Formulate appropriate research questions and employ appropriate methods and resources for exploring those questions.
• Draw upon and evaluate a range of sources and the conceptual frameworks appropriate to researching in the chosen subject area.
• Reflect upon the underlying cultural and epistemological assumptions that structure the understanding of the chosen subject.

Subject-specific skills

• Analyse and interpret visual artefacts with an informed knowledge of the conventions of visual traditions.
• Use critical skills of visual observation, description and analysis.
• The effective deployment of terms and concepts specific to the history and theory of Art.
• Locate and evaluate evidence from a wide range of primary and secondary sources (visual, oral or textual) and interpret it in relation to relevant issues and enquiries.
• Draw upon and bring together ideas from different sources of knowledge from not only the subject area but from other academic disciplines.
• Articulate an understanding of visual media orally and in writing.
• Demonstrate the ability to marshall an argument, summarise and defend or critique a particular interpretation or analysis supported by relevant visual, textual or other evidence as appropriate.
• Evaluate a range of different methodologies and approaches within the subject.

Transferable skills

• Communication: organise information clearly; respond to written sources; present information orally; adapt style for different audiences; use of images as a communication tool. Present arguments cogently and effectively in written, spoken or other form, with the appropriate use of visual aids.
• Numeracy: make sense of statistical materials; integrate numerical and non-numerical information; understand the limits and potentialities of arguments based on quantitative information.
• Information Technology: produce written documents; undertake online research; communicate using e-mail; process information using databases
• Working with others: define and review the work of others; work co-operatively on group tasks; understand how groups function.
• Improving own learning: explore personal strengths and weaknesses; time management; review working environment (especially student-staff relationship); develop specialist learning skills (e.g. foreign languages); develop autonomy in learning. The ability to listen effectively and so to learn from and participate constructively in discussion. Organise and manage supervised, self-directed work. Work in flexible and independently minded ways, showing self-discipline and selfdirection. The ability to update knowledge and skills, seek and use feedback, critically reflect on and improve performance.
• Problem solving: identify and define problems; explore alternative solutions and discriminate between them. Focus and apply attention to detail. The ability to work diligently, to fulfil briefs and deadlines, and to take responsibility for one’s own work. Gather, organize and deploy ideas in order to formulate arguments formulate arguments cogently and express them effectively orally and in written form. Make subtle and discriminating comparisons of texts and visual artefacts. Research and evaluate sources in the process of carrying out independent study. Show an ability to draw on their knowledge and understanding of cultural issues in their engagement.