BA History of Art and Modern Languages (VR30)
2027 entry | view 2026 entry
Course summary
This rewarding joint honours degree presents an exciting opportunity for you to explore the past, interpret our present and shape your future through in-depth study of the history of art, your chosen language (French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian or Spanish) and its related cultures.
All languages can be studied from beginners' level or post-A level (or the equivalent), apart from Portuguese, which is offered from beginners' level only. You choose your language after you accept an offer.
Over the course of your degree, you will explore a rich variety of texts and visual material in their social, political and historical contexts and will develop excellent critical and communication skills, both in English and in your chosen language.
Through your study at Bristol and the experience you will gain on your year abroad, you will build invaluable interpersonal and intercultural skills that will support your personal and professional development and open up a world of international career opportunities, whichever sector you go on to work in.
Modern languages and history of art at Bristol are both vibrant academic communities that will give you the opportunity to participate in research and extracurricular activities such as talks, workshops, student societies, language cafés, student newspapers and talent shows. As a modern languages student, you will also have access to the school's wonderful Multimedia Centre, complete with a video editing suite, language lab facilities, extensive foreign-language film collection and mini-cinema.
Course structure
The degree lasts four years. Your first, second and fourth years are spent in Bristol. Year 3 is spent working or studying abroad in a country where your chosen language is spoken, refining your language skills and cultural knowledge and gaining valuable work experience. To find out more about studying abroad, visit the Centre for Study Abroad.
In each of Years 1, 2 and 4, you take a combination of units from the School of Modern Languages and the Department of History of Art.
On the history of art side of your degree, Year 1 will provide you with a solid grounding in the key skills needed for a study of art history. In the following years, you will take optional thematic and research-oriented units. Recent units have included: Art and Empire, Global Modernism, Modern European Art, Sculpture and the Body, Art of the Northern Renaissance and Queering the Early Modern. In Year 4, you complete a supervised independent research dissertation on a topic of your own devising.
On the modern languages side, you will take a structured language course each year in your chosen language of study (reading, writing, listening, grammar and speaking). Alongside this, you will take core and optional units relating to the culture/s in which your language is spoken. Options include topics such as literature, history, film, politics, linguistics and visual art. In Year 2, you may also have the option to begin a new, non-degree language, such as Arabic, Catalan, Japanese, Korean or Mandarin.
Teaching styles differ from unit to unit, but include lectures, tutorials, seminars, workshops, and one-to-one project supervision. You will encounter a range of assessment styles over the course of your degree, such as presentations, essays, commentaries, exams, collaborative projects, debates, podcasts, video essays, and dissertations.
Entry requirements
We accept a wide variety of qualifications and welcome applications from students of all backgrounds. Below is a guide to the typical offers for this course.
Find out more about BTEC entry requirements
More about Access to HE entry requirements
Search international qualifications
Selection process
- Regulations and codes of conduct we abide by to create a positive environment for learning and achievement are found in the University admissions policies and procedures.
- If applying with extenuating circumstances please see our policy.
- Full information about our selection processes for History of Art and Modern Languages can be found in the Admissions Statement:
Admissions statement - The admissions statement above relates to 2026 entry. The statement for 2027 entry will be available in summer 2026.