Art History and English, MA

Program Overview

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Art History and English, MA

Introduction

English and Art History at Aberdeen combines all the advantages of the UK’s second most highly-rated research hub for English literature, language and creative writing, with the study of the art of all literary periods at Scotland’s top-rated university. You will examine buildings, sculptures, drawings, paintings, prints, decorative and industrial arts – and gain the skills to draw up a range of exciting career options.

Study Information

At a Glance

• Learning Mode: On Campus Learning
• Degree Qualification: MA
• Duration: 48 months
• Study Mode: Full Time
• Start Month: September
• UCAS Code: QV33
• Pathway Programme Available: Undergraduate Foundation Programme

Aberdeen is a leading centre for the study of literature, language and creative writing, rated second in the UK for its research output. You will study poetry and prose through the dynamic relationship between author, reader and literary text, covering every period from Chaucer to contemporary English, Scottish, Irish, European and American writing and the cultural and critical impact of powerful and controversial modern works. You will be inspired by enthusiastic teachers and researchers, themselves acclaimed authors and poets and be encouraged to develop your own creative writing skills.

You will complement this with extensive specialised knowledge of the history of painting, sculpture, architecture and the decorative arts in Europe and North America from the Middle Ages to the present day. You will study in buildings centuries old, yet with the most modern teaching and technology, inspired by teachers and researchers whose specialist areas range from Pictish art, Medieval architecture, Italian Baroque painting, early modern prints and Scottish and British painting from the 17th to 20th centuries.

Your specialist skills make you ideally placed to enter the art gallery and museum sectors, arts education, publishing and journalism, or fine art conservation. The transferable skills that you will gain, including teamwork, time management, personal initiative, and highly developed enquiry, analytical and presentational skills are ideally suited to a range of careers.

Aberdeen Global Scholarship

The University of Aberdeen is delighted to offer eligible self-funded international on-campus undergraduate students a £6,000 scholarship for every year of their programme.

What You'll Study

Year 1

• Compulsory Courses:
  • Academic Writing for Language & Literature (AW1008)
  • Getting Started at the University of Aberdeen (PD1002)
  • Acts of Reading (EL1009)
  • Introduction to Art History (AH1005)
  • Encountering Art: Museums Through History (AH1002)
  • Introduction to Modern and Contemporary Art (AH1503)
  • Fashion: History and Theory (AH1504)
• Optional Courses:
  • Select ONE OR BOTH of the following:
    • EL1513 - Controversial Classics
    • EL1536 - Rethinking Reading
  • Plus, select further courses of choice to make up 120 credit points.

Year 2

• Compulsory Courses:
  • Encounters with Shakespeare (EL2011)
  • What is Art? (AH2001)
  • Art Matters: Materials and Techniques (AH2503)
• Optional Courses:
  • Select ONE of the following:
    • EL2518
    • EL2512
  • Also, select further courses of choice to make up 120 credit points.

Year 3

• Optional Courses:
  • Select one of the following from each:
    • Term 1:
      • AH3012: Surrealism and Its Legacies in Contemporary Art
      • AH3014: Architecture and Power
    • Term 2:
      • AH3501: Curation: Theory and Practice
      • AH3515: Women Writing Art History, C. 1850 - 1970
      • AH3517: Painting in Tudor and Early Stuart England
  • Plus two courses chosen from two of the groups below:
    • Medieval/Renaissance Literature
      • EL30CP: Page and Stage: Renaissance Writings
      • EL35DQ: Knights, Virgins and Viragos: Chaucer and Medieval Writing
    • Romantic/Victorian Literature
      • EL30XR: Romanticism
      • EL30SB: Britain and the 19th Century World
      • EL35QA: Sympathy for the Devil: Scottish Short Stories
      • EL35VC: Fallen Women and Self-made Men
    • Contemporary/Modern Literature
      • EL35KN: Haunted Texts
      • EL30FF: Modernism: Make it New
      • EL30RD: American Voices: Self and Society,
      • EL35UT: Art and Atrocity: Representations of Violence and Trauma

Year 4

• Optional Courses:
  • Select ONE of the following dissertation options:
    • EL4502 - English Dissertation
    • AH4518- History of Art Dissertation
  • Plus, select ONE of the following:
    • AH4011: Art and the City
    • AH4012: Surrealism and Its Legacies in Contemporary Art
    • AH4014: Architecture and Power
  • Select further credit points from level 4 courses in English to gain 60 credits in the discipline.
  • Plus, select 30 credit points in level 4 Art History if required.

How You'll Study

Learning Methods

• Individual Projects
• Lectures
• Research
• Tutorials

Assessment Methods

Students are assessed by any combination of three assessment methods:

• Coursework such as essays and reports completed throughout the course.
• Practical assessments of the skills and competencies they learn on the course.
• Written examinations at the end of each course.

The exact mix of these methods differs between subject areas, years of study and individual courses.

Honours projects are typically assessed on the basis of a written dissertation.

Why Study Art History and English?

Why English

• An international profile through major literary projects such as the Cambridge Edition of the Works of Jane Austen and the Edinburgh Edition of the Waverley Novels of Sir Walter Scott.
• The WORD Centre for Creative Writing, promoting creative projects in fiction, non-fiction and collaborative mixed-media in all the languages of northeast Scotland (from Doric to Polish).
• The spectacular, award-winning Sir Duncan Rice Library, home to literary treasures collected over 500 years, charting the power of the written word from ancient papyri and medieval manuscripts to contemporary e-books and other media.
• Historic collections including rare printed books, the 12th century Aberdeen Bestiary, MacBean Stuart and Jacobite Collection, the novels of Sir Walter Scott, and an exceptional collection of Charles Dickens' first editions.
• A packed campus programme of student and public events, exhibitions, seminars, invited speakers and the annual WayWORD Festival, welcoming internationally acclaimed authors to discuss literature, including European writers.
• Research centres include the nationally recognised Centre for the Novel, the Centre for Modern Thought, and the Research Institute of Irish and Scottish Studies.

Why Art History

• Our impressive on-campus collections of art and cultural artefacts acquired over the past five hundred years
• First-hand engagement with artworks and architecture, with field trips to galleries, museums and heritage collections taking place at every level of study
• A learning experience at our beautiful historic campus in Old Aberdeen
• Teaching partnerships with museum professionals, developing and enhancing vocational skills through work-related learning
• Aberdeen and the north-east of Scotland’s distinguished architectural heritage from the Middle Ages onwards, including King’s College Chapel, St Machar’s Cathedral and Dunnottar Castle
• Award-winning Aberdeen Art Gallery, with its impressive collections of French and British art, and one of the best collections of Impressionist painting outside London
• A vibrant urban arts scene featuring cultural events across the year including Nuart, the internationally renowned street art festival, and Spectra, Scotland’s Festival of Light
• A packed campus programme of student and public events, departmental research seminars and exhibitions

Careers

There are many opportunities at the University of Aberdeen to develop your knowledge, gain experience and build a competitive set of skills to enhance your employability. This is essential for your future career success. The Careers and Employability Service can help you to plan your career and support your choices throughout your time with us, from first to final year – and beyond.

Entry Requirements

Qualifications

• SQA Highers:
  • Standard: AABB
  • Minimum: BBB
  • Adjusted: BB
• A LEVELS:
  • Standard: BBB
  • Minimum: BBC
  • Adjusted: CCC
• International Baccalaureate: 32 points, including 5, 5, 5 at HL.
• Irish Leaving Certificate: 5H with 3 at H2 AND 2 at H3.

English Language Requirements

• IELTS Academic: OVERALL - 6.0 with: Listening - 5.5; Reading - 5.5; Speaking - 5.5; Writing - 6.0
• TOEFL iBT: OVERALL - 78 with: Listening - 17; Reading - 18; Speaking - 20; Writing - 21
• PTE Academic: OVERALL - 59 with: Listening - 59; Reading - 59; Speaking
  • 59; Writing - 59
• Cambridge English B2 First, C1 Advanced or C2 Proficiency: OVERALL - 169 with: Listening - 162; Reading - 162; Speaking - 162; Writing - 169

Fees and Funding

• England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and Republic of Ireland: £9,535
• EU / International students: £20,800
• Self-funded international students commencing eligible undergraduate programmes in 2025/26 will receive a £6,000 tuition waiver for every year of their programme
• Home Students: £1,820

Scholarships and Funding

• UK Scholarship: Students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland, who pay tuition fees may be eligible for specific scholarships allowing them to receive additional funding.
• Aberdeen Global Scholarship: The University of Aberdeen is delighted to offer eligible self-funded international on-campus undergraduate students a £6,000 scholarship for every year of their programme.

Program Outline

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Degree Overview:

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English and Art History at Aberdeen:

This program combines the strengths of two highly-ranked departments: English Literature, Language, and Creative Writing (2nd in the UK for research output) and Art History (Scotland's top-rated university). Students will explore a wide range of topics, including:

• Literature and the power of storytelling
• The dynamic relationship between author, reader, and text
• Poetry and prose from Chaucer to contemporary writers
• European and American writing
• The cultural and critical impact of powerful works
• History of painting, sculpture, architecture, and decorative arts
• Artistic production from the Middle Ages to the present day

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Objectives:

• Develop critical thinking, analytical, and communication skills.
• Gain a strong foundation in literary and artistic history.
• Prepare for a variety of careers in the arts, education, media, and more.

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Key Features:

• Study in ancient buildings with modern facilities and technology.
• Be inspired by passionate teachers and researchers.
• Gain transferable skills valued by employers.
• Choose from a wide range of elective courses to tailor your degree to your interests.

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Outline:

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Year 1:

• Compulsory Courses:
• Academic Writing for Divinity, History & Philosophy
• Acts of Reading
• Introduction to Art History
• Introduction to Modern and Contemporary Art
• Optional Courses: Select one or both of the following:
• Introduction to Art History
• Rethinking Reading
• Plus, select further courses to make up 120 credit points.

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Year 2:

• Compulsory Courses:
• Encounters with Shakespeare
• The Tragedy of Knowledge
• Art Matters: Materials and Techniques
• Optional Courses: Select one of the following:
• What is Art?
• Object Lessons: Ten Works in Context
• Plus, select further courses to make up 120 credit points.

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Year 3:

• Optional Courses: Select one course from EACH of the following categories:
• Medieval/Renaissance Literature
• Romantic/Victorian Literature
• Contemporary/Modern Literature
• Select one course from the following, or an outside subject, to make up 120 credit points in total:
• Creative Writing: Creativity and Craft
• Stylistics
• Landscapes of Film and Literature
• Plus, select one of the following:
• Painting in Tudor and Early Stuart England
• Surrealism and Its Legacies in Contemporary Art
• Plus, select one of the following:
• Curation: Theory and Practice
• Climates of Classicism: Scottish Travellers in Greece, 1770-1880
• Italian Mural Painting and the Making of Visual Cultures, 1400-1500

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Year 4:

• Optional Courses: Select one of the following dissertation options:
• English Dissertation
• History of Art Dissertation
• Plus, select one of the following:
• Italian Mural Painting and the Making of Visual Cultures, 1400-1500
• Painting in Tudor and Early Stuart England
• Art and the City
• Select further credit points from level 4 courses in English to gain 60 credits in the discipline.
• Plus, select 30 credit points in level 4 Art History if required.

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Assessment:

Students are assessed through a combination of methods:

• Coursework: Essays, reports, and other assignments completed throughout the program.
• Practical Assessments: Evaluation of skills and competencies acquired in the program.
• Written Examinations: End-of-course exams.
The specific mix of these methods varies depending on the subject area, year of study, and individual courses.

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Teaching:

• Learning Methods: Individual projects, lectures, research, tutorials.
• Faculty: Enthusiastic teachers and researchers, themselves acclaimed authors and poets.
• Unique Approaches: Encouragement to develop your own creative writing skills, inspiration from renowned guest speakers and events.

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Careers:

• Potential Career Paths: Art gallery and museum sectors, arts education, publishing, journalism, fine art conservation, and more.
• Transferable Skills: Teamwork, time management, personal initiative, enquiry, analytical and presentational skills.

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Other:

• Study Abroad Opportunities: Available through the Undergraduate Foundation Programme.
• Field Trips: Included in the program, such as a week-long visit to a major European city.
It is possible that some information may be outdated or have changed since then.

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Tuition Fees for 2024/25 Academic Year RUK: £9,250 EU / International students: £20,800 Home Students: £1,820