History of Art Study Guide 2026/27

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.

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Units outside the department