2012
History of Art (V350)
In conjunction with the School of Modern Languages:
History of Art and French (VR31)
History of Art and German (VR32)
History of Art and Italian (VR33)
History of Art and Portuguese (VR35)
History of Art and Russian (VR37)
History of Art and Spanish (VR34)
A professional undergraduate selection team, working in close cooperation with the admissions tutor, will be responsible for the selection process for the undergraduate programmes in History of Arts and History of Arts with Modern Languages.
Any enquiry should be addressed initially to:
Undergraduate Admissions Office
Senate House
Tyndall Avenue
Bristol BS8 1TH
Tel: 0117 928 8147
Fax 0117 3317391
Email: arts-ug-admissions@bristol.ac.uk
All applicants receive an acknowledgement of their application within four weeks of its receipt, explaining the process that will be followed regarding making a decision.
The Department seeks to recruit those applicants, from whatever background, who seem committed to History of Art as a discipline and whose interests seem to match those of the Department.
We take into account the normal evidence of achievement (A levels, GCSEs, etc.) and we are keen to identify potential applicants without previous study of History of Art.
All applications are considered on an equal basis.
Forms are not segregated by the type of educational institution attended.
Candidates receiving offers are invited to attend one of the Faculty of Arts Visit Days, usually held in February or March. This provides a chance for candidates who have received offers to visit the University, meet members of staff, learn more about what they do, and ask questions about our degree programmes.
Attendance to this event is recommended but not compulsory, and in no way does it affect the offer.
In certain cases candidates may be invited for interview. These might include mature applicants (those over 21) or those with unusual educational backgrounds. Interviews are conducted by two members of staff, one of whom, at least, will have attended training in fair and effective recruitment techniques, and are undertaken in accordance with the University's policy on equal opportunities.
If applicants are invited for interview, it is generally because we want to investigate further an individual's commitment to, and aptitude for, the study of art history. We might also wish to enquire further about general scholarly aptitude, if this were not sufficiently clear from the UCAS form. To analyse interest in history of art, we typically ask candidates to bring a reproduction of a particular work of art and then to talk about it. Subsequently, we might invite responses to images that we would provide. To examine general acuity, we might ask applicants about elements of their current or recent work at school or college. In the case of mature students, the more general elements of the investigation would be tailored to their particular circumstances.
Mature applicants are welcome to apply on the basis of either A Levels or a relevant Access course. Vocational qualifications (e.g., GNVQ) and/ or employment history may in some instances be taken into account.
We will invite selected candidates to interview in order to assess their academic potential and ascertain their level of commitment to the academic study of history of art. A decision will be made after the interview.
Deferred entry applications are considered, but candidates are expected to explain their reasons for requesting deferred entry and to describe briefly in their personal statement how their ‘gap’ year might subsequently benefit their university career. Only a very limited number of offers may be made to applicants in this category in order to ensure fairness to those applying in the next admissions cycle. Preference may be given to those with a clear and relevant academic purpose or with significant health or personal issues. Offers for deferred entry may be at marginally higher grades than the typical offers for immediate year of entry.
We urge candidates to submit applications in the current admissions cycle wherever possible.
Candidates from countries within the European Union (EU) are classed as ‘Home’ and therefore compete for places with UK candidates. Non-EU candidates are classed as ‘Overseas’ and are not subject to the limits on Government funded places. There are no processes specific to Overseas applicants.
If your first language is not English you should have achieved an IELTS (or equivalent) score of 7.0 overall by the proposed date of entry.
The selection process is the same as for ‘Home’ applicants. Where necessary, the Selection Team may request further clarification on qualifications, references or personal statement, in order to allow for the fairest and fullest academic assessment possible
Decisions are made irrespective of the status of the applicant. Satisfaction of academic and intellectual criteria overrides nationality, place of residence or fee status.
The procedure for admission to the degree of History of Art and a Modern Language is the same as for History of Art, with consideration being given independently by members of the admissions team.
Academic entry requirements for standard qualifications (A-level, SQA, IB, Access, BTEC, Welsh Bacc, 14-19 Diploma, GCSEs) can be found in the online Undergraduate prospectus.
Other qualifications, including international qualifications, will be considered on their individual merits; further information is available at: http://www.bristol.ac.uk/international/study-at-bristol/how-to-apply/country-specific/
We welcome applications from candidates offering any A2 subjects (or equivalent), apart from General studies which we do not accept. Please note, however, that although we do not require students to offer particular A–levels and do not rate those in some subjects more highly than others, we would like at least one subject studied to be essay-based as the type of thinking and work required will most clearly resemble that in the degree course.
We normally expect candidates to hold or be predicted AAA or AAB at A2 (or equivalent) but will consider those with ABB, taking into account their personal statement and reference.
We take a candidate’s record at GCSE into account, but there are no specific requirements and we recognise that a candidate’s academic abilities may improve significantly subsequent to GCSE.
Mature students are considered each on their own merits. Although we do not necessarily require satisfaction of the entry requirements, the Department does normally require evidence of aptitude for academic study. Mature students who have not taken A-levels are therefore advised to enroll for one or an equivalent qualification (BTEC, Access, etc.), so that both they and the selectors may be satisfied that they possess such aptitude.
Those who do not satisfy the normal eligibility criteria, but whose applications are deemed to indicate interest in and aptitude for the subject, may be asked to attend a selection interview (please see section ‘Additional Assessment (a) Interviews’ above).
We take an holistic approach to all applications, ensuring that the educational and social context in which an applicant applies is taken into consideration, where supported by clear evidence that this may have adversely affected academic achievement. This may include time spent in Local Authority care, information about which is provided in the UCAS application.
We also consider evidence of clear motivation to study. This may include attendance at a University summer school, a targeted Access Scheme (such as Access to Bristol), or participation in Aimhigher outreach activities. Consideration will also be given to applicants who have completed a targeted Access scheme at another university, under the ‘Mutual Recognition Scheme’.
We do not take the following into consideration when making admissions decisions: the school type attended by an applicant or whether an applicant’s parent has any experience of higher education.
The Department regards the Personal Statement as a crucial element in its assessment of suitability and considers the following elements:
interest in and commitment to the subject, indicated by examples of wider reading or visits discussed with some critical engagement;
evidence of motivation and/or achievement in a related field such as a Foundation course in Art, producing own artwork, studying foreign languages;
appropriateness of the chosen course in relation to declared interests and aspirations, including other disciplines studied. In particular we value evidence of the ability to carry out independent research.
evidence of critical thinking and analytical skills allied to a good standard of written English and clarity of expression within the Personal Statement itself;
non-academic achievement and experience, including extra-curricular activities, positions of responsibility held and voluntary or paid employment, especially if history-of-art related.
The Reference is taken into consideration alongside and in conjunction with the Personal Statement. Within the reference, we would look particularly for evidence of the following to support the Personal Statement:
evidence of self-motivation and ability to work on own initiative;
evidence of interest and commitment to subject;
powers of reasoning and analysis;
any special circumstances which may have adversely affected performance.
Every effort is taken to understand and interpret the educational qualifications offered by overseas applicants from whatever country. If appropriate, an offer will be made that will seek to mirror the standard expected of students with UK qualifications. Those applicants whose first language is not English will generally be expected to provide certified evidence of competence in English (see below). Except in the most exceptional circumstances, overseas applicants will not be expected to attend an interview.
English Language requirements can be found in the Undergraduate prospectus and on the University Policies webpages.
Typical offers for A-levels and other UK qualifications can be found in the Entry Data in the online Undergraduate prospectus. Offers to applicants with non-standard qualifications will be made equivalent to the published A-level offer.
We may make lower offers based on whether an applicant is deemed to have experienced educational disadvantage, as defined in section 7.5 of the University’s Admissions Principles and Procedures.
Requests for transfers to our courses may be made from suitable applicants from other degree programmes within the University at the end of Year One.
Applications are considered from suitable applicants who have completed the first year of a degree programme at another institution for entry direct into Year Two, but this is dependent on availability of places.