History of Art Study Guide 2025/26
What you can study
At Bristol, you will study with experts at the cutting edge of art history as you explore a variety of visual cultures from South Asia, Europe, and the Americas in a way that is mindful of diversity and difference. Instead of a Eurocentric approach, we focus on the rich histories of exchange between diverse traditions of visual culture from around the globe, from the rise of Islam through to the present day.
You will find units on:
- diverse media, including: sculpture, painting, collage, film, photography and prints
- imperialism and war
- race, gender, and sexuality
Please be aware that Year 2 and Year 3 History of Art units are highly competitive, and we cannot guarantee registration on these.
Pre-requisites
At UK universities, students specialise from their first year and rarely take units outside their degree subject. This means that:
- Year 1 units are suitable for all students.
- Year 2 units require some university study in the discipline.
- Year 3 units require a strong background in the discipline.
Subject pathway students
If you have been nominated to Bristol on the Study Abroad (History of Art pathway), you must take the majority of your credits from this guide.
Feature Unit
-
Approaching the Object (TB1) - HART10007
Engage with local objects and architectural sites in this introductory art history class which explores the city of Bristol. Involves lectures and field trips!
Year 1
Pre-requisites: suitable for all students
Teaching Block 1
Teaching Block 2
Year 2
Pre-requisites: some university study in the discipline.
Year 2 units are highly competitive and we cannot guarantee registration on them.
Teaching Block 1
Teaching Block 2
Year 3
Pre-requisites: strong background of study in the discipline.
Year 3 units are highly competitive and we cannot guarantee registration on them.
The Department offers units in Teaching Block 1 only:
Units outside the Department
Interested in aesthetics, the built environment, heritage, material and visual cultures? We recommend you take a look at these options:
Teaching Block 1
- Aesthetics of Revolution and Resistance: 21st-Century Images of North Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean - FREN30106
- Cultural Heritage of the Built Environment - ARCH30051
- Exploring Rome - CLAS10073 (also offered at Year 2 level: Exploring the Roman Cityscape - CLAS20070)
- Material Remains of the Past - CLAS20059
- Religion and Material Culture - THRS20096
- Understanding Russia: Literature & Visual Culture - RUSS10042
Teaching Block 2
- Algeria and France: Memory and Migration in Text and Image - FREN20059. Requires degree of proficiency in French. See the French guide for more information.
- Aesthetics - PHIL20136
- Art and Society - SOCI20087
- Experiencing the Aesthetic - AFAC20003
- Intermedia Encounters in 20th Century American Art - HISP30110
- Introduction to Visual Cultures: From Bristol to the world - MODL10019
- Visual Politics: Latin American and Iberian Cinema and Art - HISP20128. Requires degree of proficiency in Spanish and/or Portuguese. See the Hispanic, Portuguese and Latin American Studies guide for more information.
Application queries
Contact the Centre for Study Abroad inbound team if you have any queries about the application process for the study abroad programmes:
Phone: +44 117 39 40207
Email: cfsa-inbound@bristol.ac.uk
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Study Guides
Study Guides are updated every April for the following academic year.