The Art History programme has established research strengths in aesthetics, contemporary art, photographic studies, the philosophy of art, art history and in developing teaching approaches to the subject. These interests are reflected in the rich variety of modules we offer our students throughout their time at Kent.
Alongside traditional academic modules, there are also opportunities for practice-based learning and engagement with the visual arts, for example, by taking photographs, writing criticism, curating exhibitions, or by collecting art, on behalf of the department, for our growing and highly distinctive Print Collection. All of these modules provide both a high level of academic engagement with the subject and give you some of the key aptitudes required for future employment in a competitive job market. We also offer a year in industry option.
As a student of Philosophy at Kent, you do not so much learn about philosophy as learn to do it yourself. This includes not only studying major philosophies and philosophers, but also contributing your own ideas to an ongoing dialogue. You develop the ability to connect the most abstract ideas to the most concrete things in our experience.
Philosophy at Kent is a top-rated teaching department that was awarded the maximum score in its most recent teaching assessment. We have a thriving research culture with internationally recognised experts, and interests range from philosophers such as Hegel, Kant and Wittgenstein to topics such as philosophy of mind, ethics, aesthetics, logic, political philosophy, metaphysics and artificial intelligence.
The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications. Typical requirements are listed below. Students offering alternative qualifications should contact us for further advice.
Please note that meeting this typical offer/minimum requirement does not guarantee an offer being made.Please also see our general entry requirements.
If you’ve taken exams under the new GCSE grading system, please see our conversion table to convert your GCSE grades.
ABB
The University will not necessarily make conditional offers to all Access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis.
If we make you an offer, you will need 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.
The University will consider applicants holding BTEC National Diploma and Extended National Diploma Qualifications (QCF; NQF; OCR) on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us for further advice on your individual circumstances. A typical offer would be to achieve DMM.
34 points overall or 16 points at HL
The University welcomes applications from international students. Our international recruitment team can guide you on entry requirements. See our International Student website for further information about entry requirements for your country.
However, please note that international fee-paying students cannot undertake a part-time programme due to visa restrictions.
If you need to increase your level of qualification ready for undergraduate study, we offer a number of International Foundation Programmes.
For more advice about applying to Kent, you can meet our staff at a range of international events.
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. You attend these courses before starting your degree programme.
Duration: 3 years full-time (4 with a year abroad), 6 years part-time
The following modules are indicative of those offered on the Art History and Philosophy programmes. 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 ‘elective’ 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.
If you achieve at least 60% in Stage 1 and are studying full-time, you can opt to spend a year in industry between Stages 2 and 3 to gain relevant workplace experience and enhance your employment prospects following graduation. The year is assessed on a pass/fail basis through employer feedback and a written report that you submit.
Please note that School of Arts academics can offer advice to students when finding a placement but students are ultimately responsible for finding and securing their own placement. Students will also need to cover the costs of their own travel and accommodation during their year in industry.
Going abroad as part of your degree is an amazing experience and a chance to develop personally, academically and professionally. You experience a different culture, gain a new academic perspective, establish international contacts and enhance your employability.
All full-time students within the Faculty of Humanities can apply to spend a Term or Year Abroad as part of their degree at one of our partner universities in North America, Asia or Europe. You are expected to adhere to any progression requirements including achieving a merit at Stage 1 and Stage 2 to proceed to the Term or Year Abroad.
The Term or Year abroad is assessed on a pass/fail basis and will not count towards your final degree classification. Places and destination are subject to availability, language and degree programme. To find out more, please see Go Abroad.
Please note that the Year Abroad option is only available to those studying on a full-time basis. Students will need to cover the costs of their own travel and accommodation during this time abroad.
The 2020/21 annual tuition fees for this programme are:
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
Full-time tuition fees for Home and EU undergraduates are £9,250.
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.*
The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.
Full-time tuition fees for Home and EU undergraduates are £1,385.
Full-time tuition fees for Home and EU undergraduates are £1,385.
Students studying abroad for less than one academic year will pay full fees according to their fee status.
There may be some additional costs related to the subjects studied in this programme. Please see the Additional costs section for each subject below. Please note that these may vary depending on your specific module selection:
Find out more about accommodation and living costs, plus general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.
All modules are assessed by coursework – essays, presentations, image or text analyses and other module-related activities. We do not schedule exams. This approach to assessment helps you to develop an in-depth knowledge of topics within modules that are most interesting and relevant to your study, and to acquire a wide range of generic and transferable skills.
Our programmes emphasise a close working relationship with students. The academic adviser system ensures that all of our students have access to a designated tutor for pastoral support and academic guidance throughout their time at Kent.
All modules include weekly lectures and small group seminars, but a distinctive feature is that many modules involve visits to London galleries, overseas visits to museums and other out-of-classroom activities. Helping students to acquire independence of thought and the skills of autonomous study are central to our teaching ethos.
Teaching is by lectures, seminars, class discussions, and individual and group research, which is discussed in class. Assessment at all stages varies from 100% coursework to a combination of examination and coursework.
For a student studying full time, each academic year of the programme will comprise 1200 learning hours which include both direct contact hours and private study hours. The precise breakdown of hours will be subject dependent and will vary according to modules. Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.
Methods of assessment will vary according to subject specialism and individual modules. Please refer to the individual module details under Course Structure.
For programme aims and learning outcomes please see the programmes specification for each subject below. Please note that outcomes will depend on your specific module selection:
Philosophy at Kent was ranked 1st for research intensity and scored 87% overall in The Complete University Guide 2021.
In The Guardian University Guide 2020, 93% of final-year History of Art students were satisfied with the overall quality of their course. Over 92% of final-year History of Art students were satisfied with the quality of teaching on their course in The Guardian University Guide 2020.
At Kent, we take the commitment to supporting and preparing our students for life after university very seriously. A degree in History & Philosophy of Art enables you to explore the history, meaning and nature of the visual arts, while also providing the skills for a career in the arts industries and elsewhere. Career options include museum curation, options in heritage and tourism, working as an archivist and art historian; art librarianship; arts shipping and insurance; arts therapy; auctioneering; craft studio workshop management; community arts/project development work; art dealing and brokerage; gallery work; heritage management; independent curation/art consulting; journalism; picture/provenance researching and photography.
Through your studies, you gain the key transferable skills considered essential by graduate employers. These include excellent communication skills, both written and oral, the ability to work in a team and independently, the ability to analyse and summarise complex material and devise innovative and well thought-out solutions.
Recently, our graduates have gone into areas such as teaching, publishing, journalism, media, marketing, the civil service and the legal profession.
This course page is for the 2020/21 academic year. Please visit the current online prospectus for a list of undergraduate courses we offer.
T: +44 (0)1227 768896
T: +44 (0)1227 823254
E: internationalstudent@kent.ac.uk
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