BA History of Art

Program Overview

Key Information

Start Date

September

Duration

3 years

Attendance Mode

Full-time

Location

On Campus

Fees

• Home: £9,535
• International: £22,870

Course Code

V350

Entry Requirements

• ABB
• Contextual: BBB

International Entry Requirements

• Austria: Reifeprufungszeugnis / Maturazeugnis: four subjects at 1, 2, 2, 2
• A Level equivalent: ABB
• Contextualised offer: BBB
• Belgium: Diploma van Secundair Onderwijs: 75% (7.5/10, 15/20) overall
• A Level equivalent: ABB
• Contextualised offer: BBB
• Bulgaria: Diploma za Zavarsheno Sredno Obrazovanie: 5.3 and 5.0 in two State Maturity Exams
• A Level equivalent: ABB
• Contextualised offer: BBB
• Canada: High School Diploma: 80% with 5 acceptable Grade 12 subjects (most territories). British Columbia: AABBB in Grade 12 courses.
• A Level equivalent: ABB
• Contextualised offer: BBB
• China: Senior Secondary Graduation Certificate + Gaokao: 78% overall in Gaokao PLUS 85% overall in Senior Secondary School Graduation Certificate (year 11 and 12)
• A Level equivalent: ABB
• Contextualised offer: BBB
• Croatia: Matura Certificate: 4.5 overall with 5 in 1 Higher level subject
• A Level equivalent: ABB
• Contextualised offer: BBB
• Czech Republic: Matura Certificate: 1, 2, 2, 2
• A Level equivalent: ABB
• Contextualised offer: BBB
• Denmark: Studentereksamen; Hojere Forberedelseseksamen; Hojere Handelseksamen; Hojere Teknisk Eksamen: 7 plus 10, 7, 7 in three Level A subjects
• A Level equivalent: ABB
• Contextualised offer: BBB
• Estonia: Gümnaasiumi lõputunnistus with the Riigieksamitunnistus: 4.0 with 85%, 80%, and 80% in 3 state exams
• A Level equivalent: ABB
• Contextualised offer: BBB
• Finland: Ylioppilastukint / Studentexamen: four subjects at 6, 5, 5, 5
• A Level equivalent: ABB
• Contextualised offer: BBB
• France: French Baccalaureat or Option Internationale du Baccalauréat (OIB): 13/20
• A Level equivalent: ABB
• Contextualised offer: BBB
• Germany: Abitur: 1.8
• A Level equivalent: ABB
• Contextualised offer: BBB
• Greece: Apolytirion of Geniko Lykeio with Pan Hellenic exams: 18/20
• A Level equivalent: ABB
• Contextualised offer: BBB
• Hong Kong: Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education: 544 in two electives and one core (all other subjects grade 3)
• A Level equivalent: ABB
• Contextualised offer: BBB
• Hungary: Maturitná skúška / Maturita / Vysvedčenie o maturitnej skúške: four subjects at 1, 2, 2, 2
• A Level equivalent: ABB
• Contextualised offer: BBB
• Iceland: Stúdentspróf: 7.5
• A Level equivalent: ABB
• Contextualised offer: BBB
• India: Standard XII: 75% (CBSE, CISCE, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra & West Bengal boards), 80% (all other state boards)
• A Level equivalent: ABB
• Contextualised offer: BBB
• Ireland: Irish Leaving Certificate: H1, H2, H2, H3, H3
• A Level equivalent: ABB
• Contextualised offer: BBB
• Israel: Bagrut: Overall grade of 7, 80% with 3 subjects at 5-unit level
• A Level equivalent: ABB
• Contextualised offer: BBB
• Italy: Diploma Consequito con L’Esame di Stato: 80% overall
• A Level equivalent: ABB
• Contextualised offer: BBB
• Latvia: Certificate of General Secondary Education: 88% in four State subject exams
• A Level equivalent: ABB
• Contextualised offer: BBB
• Lithuania: Brandos Atestatas: 8.5/10 and 90%, 85%, 85% in three State Exam
• A Level equivalent: ABB
• Contextualised offer: BBB
• Malta: Advanced Matriculation Certificate: AB (Advanced) + BBB (Intermediate)
• A Level equivalent: ABB
• Contextualised offer: BBB
• Netherlands: Voorbereidend Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs: 7.5 overall with 8, 8, 7, 7 in four subjects
• A Level equivalent: ABB
• Contextualised offer: BBB
• Norway: Vitnemål vidergaende opplaering: 4.3 overall
• A Level equivalent: ABB
• Contextualised offer: BBB
• Poland: New Polish Matura: 75% in three Advanced Level subjects
• A Level equivalent: ABB
• Contextualised offer: BBB
• Portugal: Diploma de Ensino Secundario: overall 17.5/20
• A Level equivalent: ABB
• Contextualised offer: BBB
• Romania: Diploma de Bacalaureat: 8.5 overall
• A Level equivalent: ABB
• Contextualised offer: BBB
• Singapore: Polytechnic Diploma (Nanyang, Ngee Ann, Singapore, Temasek and Republic Polytechnic): GPA 3.3
• A Level equivalent: ABB
• Contextualised offer: BBB
• Slovakia: Maturitná skúška / Maturita / Vysvedčenie o maturitnej skúške: four subjects at 1, 2, 2, 2
• A Level equivalent: ABB
• Contextualised offer: BBB
• South Africa: National Senior Certificate: 77666
• A Level equivalent: ABB
• Contextualised offer: BBB
• Spain: Curso de Orientación Universitaria / Título de Bachillerato: 7.5
• A Level equivalent: ABB
• Contextualised offer: BBB
• Sweden: Slutbetyg / Examensbevis från Gymnasieskolan: A in 1200 credits and no grades below D / 18 / mainly B overall (MVG/VG)
• A Level equivalent: ABB
• Contextualised offer: BBB
• Switzerland: Federal Maturity Certificate: 4.5
• A Level equivalent: ABB
• Contextualised offer: BBB
• Tanzania: Advanced Certificate of Secondary Education: ACSE with BBB in 3 principle subjects
• A Level equivalent: ABB
• Contextualised offer: BBB
• Trinidad and Tobago: CAPE: Six CAPE units with grade 2 (+two double-unit courses)
• A Level equivalent: ABB
• Contextualised offer: BBB
• Turkey: Lise Diplomasi: 78-83% (depending on high school)
• A Level equivalent: ABB
• Contextualised offer: BBB
• USA: High School Diploma plus ACT, SAT, or AP exams:
  • High School Diploma GPA 3.0 plus SAT 1280 or ACT 27 and 2 AP's at 4,4 or
  • High School Diploma GPA of 3.2 plus 2 AP's at 4,4 or
  • High School Diploma GPA 3.4 plus SAT 1300 or ACT 29 or
  • 2-year Associate degree GPA 3.1
• A Level equivalent: ABB
• Contextualised offer: BBB

Course Overview

The BA History of Art programme is an unrivalled opportunity to study the visual arts, architecture and material culture of Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

The History of Art and Archaeology department has world leading experts in Asian and African art history and archaeology, whose ground-breaking research informs and is informed by their teaching.

In the first year, you will be introduced to the art and archaeology of different regions. You will also receive theoretical and methodological training to prepare you for the study of Asian and African art. In years two and three, students broaden and deepen their knowledge and have the chance to specialise in particular regions or themes. An emphasis is placed on training students in visual analysis, through the close study of images and objects. You are also provided with a critical introduction to the creative and cultural industries.

Students benefit from the unparalleled knowledge and enthusiasm of staff. As members of the School of Arts, they profit from the insights of scholars and students studying the Music, Film and Media of Asia, Africa and the Middle East in historical and contemporary contexts. You can also select from modules in other departments, taking advantage of SOAS’s unrivalled expertise in the languages, history, religions and cultures of Asia and Africa.

Why study History of Art at SOAS?

• SOAS is ranked top 30 in the UK for Arts and Humanities (QS World University Rankings 2025)
• We have a 100% overall student satisfaction (NSS 2022)

Structure

The structure of modules reflects the importance given to conceptual clarity, methodological rigour and the independent interests of students. Special emphasis is placed on the exploration of arts and artefacts as evidence in historical, religious and cultural studies of societies and cultures, and particular importance is given to enhancing students' visual analysis skills.

One purpose of the introductory year is to provide a basis for the student's selection of modules in the second and third years. The selection of modules in the third year is normally intended to develop the chosen specialisations of the second year. In addition, all third-year students are required to write an Independent Study Project essay (on a subject of their choice) which counts as 30 credits.

Occasionally the availability of optional modules changes as a result of staffing and other circumstances. Students who had signed up for such modules will be notified as soon as possible and given the opportunity to choose from available alternatives.

Year 1 - Compulsory

• Humanities Toolkit - 15 credits
• Global Arts: connected histories (to 1800) - 15 credits
• Global Arts: decentering modernity (1800 on) - 15 credits
• Objects of Art History - 15 credits
• Spaces of Art - 15 credits
• Theories of Art - 15 credits

Year 1 - Guided options

• Up to 30 credits or Language
• The World in London - 15 credits
• Sounds and Cultures - 15 credits
• Decolonising Pop: K-Pop and Beyond - 15 credits
• Screen Cultures - 15 credits
• Thinking the Digital - 15 credits
• Global Digital Futures - 15 credits
• Introduction to Film Language, History & Theory - 15 credits

Year 2 - Compulsory

• Art Matters: modern and contemporary art theory - 15 credits
• Decolonising the Arts - 15 credits

Year 2 - Guided options - List A

• Minimum of 30 credits from List A
• Museums and Museology - 15 credits
• Arts, Culture and Commodification - 15 credits

Year 3 - Compulsory

• Capstone Project - 30 credits
• Curating Global Arts - 15 credits

Year 3 - Guided options - List C

• Up to 15 credits from List C
• H370 Culture and Society in West Africa, 1900 to the present - 15 credits
• H393 Empire and Globalisation in the Early Modern Muslim World - 15 credits
• Urban Soundscapes - 15 credits
• History and Memory in East Asian Cultures - 15 credits
• The Black Diaspora - 15 credits

Teaching and Learning

All first year modules involve a weekly lecture and tutorial. In the second and third year, a seminar may replace the lecture.

For most modules, assessment involves course work and an unseen examination.

• Year 1: course work entails short, concentrated pieces of work.
• Year 2 and 3: course work emphasis shifts to longer papers.
• In the final year: students are required to complete an independent study project on a subject of their choice.

Materials

SOAS is exceptional in the regional expertise it offers with regard to languages and literatures, religious studies, history and anthropology. Students have access to an unrivalled range of art-historical and archaeological resources:

• Main Library of the School
• The Courtauld Institute

Contact hours

All full-time undergraduate programmes consist of 120 credits per year, in modules of 15 credits. They are taught over 10 weeks. The programme structure shows which modules are compulsory and which optional.

As a rough guide, 1 credit equals approximately 10 hours of work. Most of this will be independent study. It will also include class time, which may include lectures, seminars and other classes. Some subjects, such as learning a language, have more class time than others. In the School of Arts, most undergraduate modules have a one- or two-hour lecture or seminar every week. Some, but not all, also have a 1-hour seminar or tutorial every week.

Fees and Funding

Fees for 2025/26 entrants per academic year

• BA, BSc, LLB: £9,535 (Home), £22,870 (Overseas)
• BA/BSc Language year abroad: £1,385 (Home), £11,430 (Overseas)

Employment

Students in the School of Arts develop a ​​critical and theoretically informed approach to global arts and culture. In addition to an intercultural awareness and practical expertise, graduates gain a wide portfolio of transferable skills which are especially sought after in the creative and cultural industries.

Recent graduates have been hired by:

• Christie’s
• Christine Park Gallery
• Crisis
• Design Museum
• Hong Kong Museum Of Art
• India Foundation For The Arts
• Japanese Gallery
• Museum of East Asian Art
• Music in Detention
• National Gallery
• Pan Arts
• People Projects Culture & Change
• Roundhouse Trust
• Somerset House Trust
• Songlines Magazine
• Sotheby's
• South Asian Art UK
• Stratford Circus Arts Centre
• Taiwan Embassy
• The Alliance for Global Education
• The British Embassy
• The National Museum Of Korea
• The Royal Collection
• Victoria and Albert Museum

Related Content

SOAS-Alphawood Postgraduate Diploma in Asian Art

Object-based study of the arts of Asia, run in association with the British Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum. Available in-person and online.

Specialist art short courses

In-person and online short courses specialising in the arts of Asia.

Online Postgraduate Diploma in Asian Art

Offered by the SOAS-Alphawood Postgraduate Diploma in Asian Art, in association with the British Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum. Join us from anywhere in the world for a fully-online pathway of study.

Program Outline

The structure of modules reflects the importance given to conceptual clarity, methodological rigour and the independent interests of students. Special emphasis is placed on the exploration of arts and artefacts as evidence in historical, religious and cultural studies of societies and cultures, and particular importance is given to enhancing students' visual analysis skills.

One purpose of the introductory year is to provide a basis for the student's selection of modules in the second and third years. The selection of modules in the third year is normally intended to develop the chosen specialisations of the second year. In addition, all third-year students are required to write an Independent Study Project essay (on a subject of their choice) which counts as 30 credits.

Occasionally the availability of optional modules changes as a result of staffing and other circumstances. Students who had signed up for such modules will be notified as soon as possible and given the opportunity to choose from available alternatives.

Year 1

Compulsory modules

Students will take the following compulsory modules:

And

Year 1 guided options

Students take modules to the value of 15 credits from the list of Year 1 guided option modules

below.

And

Students take modules to the value of 15 credits from the list of Year 1 guided option modules

or

language open option

Year 2

Compulsory modules

Students will take the following compulsory modules:

And

Year 2 guided options

Students take modules to the value of 30 credits from either list A

or

And

Students take 30 credits from the

language open option

non-language open option

Year 3

Compulsory module

Students will take the following module.

And

Year 3 guided options

Students take modules to the value of 60 credits from either list A

or

And

Students take 30 credits from the

language open option

non-language open option

Guided options

List A and list B will be offered in alternating years.

List A

List B

All first year modules involve a weekly lecture and tutorial. In the second and third year, a seminar may replace the lecture.

For most modules, assessment involves course work and an unseen examination.

Materials

SOAS is exceptional in the regional expertise it offers with regard to languages and literatures, religious studies, history and anthropology. Students have access to an unrivalled range of art-historical and archaeological resources:

Contact hours

All full-time undergraduate programmes consist of 120 credits per year, in modules of 30 or 15 credits. They are taught over 10 or 20 weeks. The programme structure shows which modules are compulsory and which optional.

As a rough guide, 1 credit equals approximately 10 hours of work. Most of this will be independent study. It will also include class time, which may include lectures, seminars and other classes. Some subjects, such as learning a language, have more class time than others. In the School of Arts, most undergraduate modules have a one- or two-hour lecture or seminar every week. Some, but not all, also have a 1-hour seminar or tutorial every week.

SOAS Library

SOAS Library

Students in the School of Arts develop a ​​critical and theoretically informed approach to global arts and culture. In addition to an intercultural awareness and practical expertise, graduates gain a wide portfolio of transferable skills which are especially sought after in the creative and cultural industries.

Recent graduates have been hired by:

Find out about our

Careers Service.