History of Art at Bristol

We offer stimulating and challenging units on our undergraduate courses that draw directly on the research interests and published work of our staff. Because of this, you will get to study emerging contemporary theories in art history from experts in their field, as well as receiving a strong foundation in our subject.

At undergraduate level, our courses include those that focus on western art and architecture, as well as those that take a more global approach, challenging the Eurocentrism of traditional art history from medieval to modern times. Students gain a broad knowledge of developments in visual and material culture across a wide geographical span and gain the confidence to pursue original lines of enquiry and independent research.

Unit structure

The department offers many classes that are based in a single semester, and can therefore accept unit requests from Study Abroad students who want to join Bristol for just the autumn or spring semester.

Unit levels

The department offers units across all undergraduate levels of study: year 1 (level C/4), year 2 (level I/5), and year 3 (level H/6) units. Postgraduate units are not available.

Unit codes

Unit codes in the Department of History of Art begin with 'HART'. This is followed by a number indicating the year (1, 2, 3). For example:

• HART10000 = year 1 unit
• HART20000 = year 2 unit
• HART30000 = year 3 unit.

For more information about each unit, check the University's unit catalogue for 2023/24. Applicants on all study abroad programmes must review the unit details on the catalogue before listing unit choices on their application form. This includes checking the format of assessment for each unit. The unit catalogue for 2023/24 is updated by April 2023.

Your unit choices cannot be guaranteed. Some units may not have capacity to accommodate all of the unit requests we receive. Registration on a unit also depends on whether you meet the pre-requisite conditions through prior study at your home university.

Study Abroad (Subject pathway)

If you have been nominated to Bristol on the Study Abroad (Subject pathway), you must take the majority of your credits in this department.

Units available on the study abroad programme in 2023/24

The following units from the Department of History of Art are open to inbound Study Abroad students.

Application queries

Contact the Centre for Study Abroad inbound team if you have any queries about the application process for the study abroad programmes:

Phone: +44 117 39 40207
Email: cfsa-inbound@bristol.ac.uk