Teaching and assessment
You’ll study and learn with academics who are active researchers, experts in their field and have a passion for their subjects. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace. Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning.
Teaching format
We believe that you learn best in an interactive and stimulating environment where you can discuss ideas with experts and fellow students, and develop your capacity for critical thought. We'll teach you in small groups, through a combination of lectures, seminars, field trips, individual tutorials and workshops.
You'll be taught by the best: our art historians are curators with serious international reputations. Our internationally-renowned academics will challenge you to think critically about periods, places, images and ideas - and the scholarship they’ve inspired.
We believe in the importance of studying art and architecture in the original. So many modules include visits to collections, either locally or across the UK. The majority of these trips are funded. Recent destinations have included Cambridge, Canterbury, Edinburgh, Manchester and London.
Timetabled activities
In your first year, you can expect:
| Lectures |
1-2 hours per week |
| Seminars |
6 hours per week |
| Tutorials |
1-2 hours per term |
| Workshops |
1-2 hours per week |
These figures are representative of a typical week. Your contact hours will vary throughout the year due to your module choices, non-compulsory classes, exam periods and changes to scheduled activities.
Outside your timetabled hours, you'll study independently. This may include preparation for classes, follow-up work, wider reading, practice completion of assessment tasks, or revision.
In the UK, full-time students are expected to spend 1,200 hours a year learning. That's about 40 hours of classes and independent study each week during semesters. Everyone learns at a different rate, so the number of hours you spend on independent study will be different to other students on your course.
Facilities
The student-run Norman Rea Gallery gallery hosts exciting exhibitions throughout the year and promotes the work of both student and professional artists.
The University art collection contains a wide variety of works, from ancient to contemporary, across a diverse array of materials, including painting, sculpture, ceramics, prints, book art, photography, and textiles. The collection includes key work by internationally significant artists including Barbara Hepworth and Jacob Epstein, Paul Nash and Sydney Nolan, R B Kitaj and Elizabeth Blackadder. The collection is available for innovative curatorial displays and exhibitions on and beyond campus.
There are also many libraries and galleries nearby.
Teaching location
You will be based in the Department of History of Art which is on Campus West.
Your contact hours will be divided between Vanbrugh College and Heslington Hall on Campus West.
York is the perfect place to inspire your studies, with a rich and turbulent history stretching back to the Romans. Today the city boasts beautiful historic architecture, as well as museums, galleries, and archives.
About our campus
Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can use the fast and frequent bus service. Take a campus tour.
Assessment and feedback
We use varied assessments to develop and evaluate your different strengths. Our assessments include:
- Essays and other written assignments
- A 7,000-8,000-word research dissertation
You'll receive regular feedback on your assessment. You'll get verbal and written advice on your work in one-to-one tutorials. You'll also be able to discuss your work with your personal supervisor, who will help support you throughout your degree.
