Postgraduate Taught Degrees

The MA in Art History offers study in a wider range of artistic cultures, periods and forms than in any other history of art department in the UK. The flexible structure of the course allows students to choose from seminar modules on the arts of Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, and from antiquity to the present day. Teaching takes place in small groups, with regular opportunities for individual supervision.

Students select four modules from a range of options and in addition receive guidance on the methodological and historiographic aspects of advanced study in the History of Art. Students also write a dissertation of 15,000 words, which allows them to focus on a topic of their choice and can draw on the expertise of all staff members in the School for guidance in the research and writing of their dissertations. The MA can be taken in one year, or part-time, over two years.

The degree develops critical skills in research, analytical thinking and communication, and prepares students for either a higher research degree or a career in the visual arts sector. As a member of the Sainsbury Institute for Art, the School of Art History and World Art Studies at UEA offers students an extraordinary range of academic resources and researchers.

Seminars planned for 2013-14 are:

Autumn 2013

Art and Patronage in East Anglia 1090-1540 (Professor Sandy Heslop), 30 credits

Norfolk and Suffolk were two of the richest counties in England in the Middle Ages. They have remained relatively unaffected by subsequent industrialisation and retain very rich resources for the study of art and architecture from the eleventh to the fifteenth century. The region thus offers an exemplary focus for learning about medieval art and architecture and ample opportunities for developing research projects.

Unwrapping Ancient Egypt (Dr Christina Riggs), 30 credits

Ancient Egypt is irrevocably connected with the trajectory of 'western' culture - from Renaissance Italy to revolutionary France and beyond. Focussing on the history of collecting and displaying Egyptian antiquities, including the unwrapping of mummies, this module interrogates the construction of different 'ancient Egypts' in European and North American contexts. Topics include museum displays from the 19th century to the present day; 19th century world fairs and international exhibitions; mummy unwrappings and other stagings of the Egyptian body and related artefacts; 'Egyptomania'; ancient Egypt, race, and Afrocentrism; and archaeological and artistic representations of Egypt.

Dissimulation, Interiority, and Portraiture in Early Modern Europe (Professor Bronwen Wilson), 30 credits

Dissimulation—the act of concealing one’s self—was fuelled by religious conflict, the inquisition, and life at court in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Europe. The growing divide between a person’s heart and his or her façade became harnessed to opposing ethical imperatives of prudence and sincerity, and the human face was a crucial element in this process. For example, authors of physiognomy treatises proffered the skills to decipher internal character on the basis of outward appearances. The interior of the body was opened up to scrutiny in anatomical treatises with calls to ‘know thyself’. And Protestant and Catholic reformers sought to control the fraught boundaries of the body, in part by controlling the making and uses of visual imagery. This module explores a variety of forms of visual imagery and artistic practices—from drawing books and anatomical illustration, to portraiture and caricature—that fostered and also responded to this culture of suspicion.

Primitivism Reconsidered: Africa-France 1900-1939 (Dr Simon Dell), 30 credits

This module addresses the phenomena of ‘primitivism’ in the light of recent debates in art history, anthropology and world art studies.  Whilst considering ‘primitivising’ works by artists such as Picasso and Derain, the module also assesses a broader body of material including design, photojournalism, colonial exhibitions.  Finally, the module redresses an imbalance in art historical accounts by also considering the agency of the colonised in Africa.

Spring 2014

The Archive (Dr. Ferdinand de Jong), 30 credits

The archive is a technology for the storage of documents. Made available to the historian, the archive enables the writing of history. In philosophical definitions of the archive, however, the concept denotes the repository of our knowledge and the site from which we speak. Recently, artists have taken on the archive as a concept to raise questions about truth and authority, trace and absence, memory and forgetting. In this module, we will examine works by Andy Warhol, Susan Hiller, Christian Boltanski, Gerhard Richter, Allen Sekules, Tacita Dean, Doris Salcedo, Walid Ra’ad, and South African needle work collectives. Examining the critical literature on the archive, we will draw upon the writings of Freud, Foucault and Derrida.

City, Church and Empire: Christian Rome and the Arts in the First Millennium (Mr John Mitchell), 30 credits

Rome, had already lost its position as seat of imperial governance by the 3rd century AD, but by the end of antiquity had become the centre of an ecclesiastical empire with an authority which extended throughout the western Mediterranean and northern Europe. The power of the Roman church was such that its nominal sovereign in the early centuries, the emperor in Byzantium could never completely control let alone subjugate it. The city, the shape of which had been determined by its inhabitants and users - the imperial court, the senatorial aristocracy, professional, trading and artisanal classes at various levels and the urban poor – contracted, fell into part abandon and was at the same time reformed into a new entity, with new focuses and concentrations, now dominated by the church, with a network of outlets across the city and its suburbs but also with new patterns of settlement at all levels. In this changing urban matrix a distinctive Christian architectural practice developed, which on the one hand followed local traditions of design and construction, and on the other set new canons of procedure which would have wide and varied resonance throughout western Europe. 

We shall analyse the principal architectural and artistic outcomes of this process from the material reorganization of the church in the time of Constantine until the age of ecclesiastical reform in the decades around 1100. We will examine themes which preoccupied the thinking of contemporaries, the Virgin Mary as exemplar and focus of devotion, the cult of saints and relics, the commemoration and visual representation of the individual, gift-giving and the dynamics of patronage, the visual articulation of hierarchy and rank at a time of accelerating state formation in Europe. We will also be considering the lived fabric of the city, on which much new light has been thrown in recent years, in particular the papal palaces at the Lateran and St Peter’s and the houses of the urban elite in the vicinity of the old imperial forums. The aim of the module is to provide a concise but comprehensive introduction to a world city through centuries of transformation and a training in the analysis of the fabric and furnishings of a particular urban built environment in their practical and symbolic functioning.

Painting the City: American Artists and the Urban Scene, 1900-1930’ (Professor David Peters Corbett), 30 credits

This module examines an important moment in the history of American visual culture. From the 1880s on lower Manhattan was transformed as building technology made possible a dynamic competition to build higher. By the years around 1900 the cityscape created mingled historic structures and sites with buildings that definite modernity for the period. We will examine the ways in which visual artists responded to this situation over the first three decades of the twentieth century. Our discussions will be informed by reference to literature, film, and photography of the time, but the central focus will be on the fine arts and the ways in which American artists sought to represent and interrogate the complexities of the evolving cityscape. In doing so we will ask questions about the representation of modernity in America, about the connections between the images we examine and the heritage of a predominantly rural culture with a strong landscape tradition in painting, and about the development of visual languages to tackle a transformed environment. Among the artists considered will be Robert Henri and the Ashcan School (George Bellows and John Sloan in particular), Charles Sheeler, Alfred Stieglitz, Edward Steichen, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Edward Hopper.

At Close Quarters: The English Country House and its Collections (Dr Sarah Monks), 60 credits

‘At Close Quarters’ provides a unique opportunity for the sustained and in-situ study of English country houses and their collections. Through two combined modules, ‘At Close Quarters’ offers students an unrivalled opportunity to immerse themselves in studying this topic for an entire semester, during which they will learn about the history, collections and management of English country houses, in-depth and on the spot, and with the resources provided by both the School and the The Attingham Trust for the Study of Historic Houses and Collections.

One module is taught by members of faculty, including leading historians of British, Italian, French, Spanish and Netherlandish art and architecture, through weekly seminar classes in the School of Art History and World Art Studies, with a visit to London. Topics addressed will include aspects of the history of British portraiture; Grand Tour collecting and the taste for Old Master paintings; the production, display and conservation of tapestry hangings; the relationship between form, function and meaning in furniture design; the architectural treatise and the Italian villa; the history of gardens; the city, the country house and early modern sociability, and the presentation and display of the country house as a visitor attraction. This module will be assessed through a presentation and essays.

The second module takes the form of five-day intensive and all-inclusive residential study at Houghton Hall, with visits to other country houses in Norfolk. This period of study will be led and organised by Dr Andrew Moore, a Director of the internationally-renowned Attingham Trust Summer School for the study of historic houses and collections in England. At each site, students will learn about significant aspects of the house’s creation, contents and curating from visiting tutors, including experts who teach on the Summer School. Students will be assessed on the basis of a longer research essay addressing an object or issue encountered at one of the sites studied during this module.

Both modules will be offered in the Spring semester, to students taking the MA in the History of Art on a full-time or a part-time basis, and must be taken together.

An additional fee of £2,000 is payable by students wishing to take ‘At Close Quarters’. This covers the cost of all accommodation, meals, transport and entry fees during the residential module. However, the Attingham Trust and the School of Art History and World Art Studies have agreed to offer four £1,000 scholarships towards the cost of the fees for students enrolled on ‘At Close Quarters’. These scholarships will be awarded on the basis of academic merit and financial need. Applicants wishing to be considered for a scholarship will be asked to supply a short statement of financial need.

The Inspiring Environment of the School

The School of Art History and World Art Studies encourages innovative lines of inquiry both within the discipline of art history and also by moving across and beyond disciplinary boundaries. The School’s top ranking—first for internationally-recognised work, and joint third overall—in the latest Research Assessment Exercise, attests to the calibre and significance of its research. Depth and breadth of expertise expose students to different strands of critical thinking about the place of art in the world.

Exposure to Cutting-Edge Research

The Sainsbury Institute for Art’s commitment to the study of the arts across the world has contributed to its reputation for high-quality research by individual staff members and by teams. Collaborative projects include exhibitions at the Norwich Castle Museum, the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, the British Museum, and other major national and international museums and art galleries. Students are encouraged to participate in these projects and the Institute’s research culture more generally. Students and academic staff come together for weekly seminars, in which invited speakers discuss their latest research. Weekly postgraduate seminars provide a supportive and friendly forum for the presentation of student research, and an opportunity to try out ideas and conference presentations. With computers and other IT facilities in dedicated postgraduate areas, students are provided with an ideal and welcoming environment in which to develop their expertise, specialist skills and research projects.

Research Skills, Analytical and Critical Capacities

The MA in the History of Art exposes students to critical theories and methods developed in different disciplines for the visual, historical and contextual analysis of art. The degree actively encourages students to evaluate critical approaches through class discussion, presentations and written research assignments. Students are equipped with the art-historical skills expected of curators, professional art writers, auction house experts, and entrants to PhD programmes in the History of Art and other humanities disciplines.

Fieldwork Opportunities

Depending on your choice of modules, there will be occasions to see works of art and architecture in locales that range from Sutton Hoo in Suffolk and the country house in Norfolk, to Rome and Bologna in Italy. Whenever possible, students are also provided with opportunities to handle archaeological objects and historical manuscripts, to conduct on-site research in West Africa, and to visit the wealth of artworks and historic buildings in East Anglia (including its many country houses, its uniquely rich medieval heritage and the significant collection of Old Master, British and modern art held by the Norwich Castle Museum).

Course Organiser:Mr. John Mitchell

Our teaching received a 96% satisfaction rate in both the 2012 National Student Survey and the 2013 Guardian University Guide league table.

Our students are able to study a wider range of artistic cultures, periods and forms than in any other art history department in the UK. The School is particularly renowned for its broad approach to art, encompassing ancient, medieval, Renaissance, baroque, modern and contemporary European art, American art, African art, Asian art and Pacific art. Staff, students and researchers in the School are interested in the history of art, as well as archaeology, anthropology, cultural heritage, and museum studies. We engage with all forms of visual and material creativity from oil painting, sculpture and drawing through to architecture, photography, video and installation art. We teach small groups of students in a friendly, supportive and open environment, supported by great facilities. This is why the Guardian University Guide consistently ranks us among the top departments in the UK for student satisfaction with teaching and feedback, for staff-student ratio and for the quality of student resources.

The School has a long-standing international reputation for excellence; ranked 1st in the UK for world-leading research in the latest Research Assessment Exercise, we are one of the most important and highly-rated History of Art departments in the UK. Our graduates go on to high profile posts in such prestigious institutions as the British Museum, V&A, Tate and Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, as well as leading History of Art departments, publishers and the commercial art world.

The School of Art History and World Art Studies is based in Norman Foster’s world-famous Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts, an icon of modern design, which contains an astounding art collection with major internationally-renowned works by artists such as Francis Bacon, Edgar Degas, Jacob Epstein, Henry Moore and Pablo Picasso. Students work in close proximity to this collection, “perhaps the greatest resource of its type on any British campus” according to the Times Good University Guide.

• 95% of our History of Art graduates (and 88% of the School’s BA graduates overall) go on to work and/or postgraduate study within 6 months of graduating. We are therefore the highest-rated department in England (and joint first in the UK) for History of Art graduate prospects
• 100% of our History of Art graduates (and 97% of the School’s BA graduates overall) said they thought staff had made the subject interesting. This figure was matched by just one other History of Art department in England
• Almost 90% of the School’s BA graduates said that they had received the advice and support they needed to do well in their studies, a figure exceeded by just two other History of Art departments in the UK. This is probably because – as the survey reveals – our students get more lectures, seminars, tutorials and general contact time with academic staff than students at many other leading History of Art departments in the UK
• 96% of our History of Art graduates said they had been provided with the IT resources they needed for their studies, a figure matched by just one other History of Art department in the UK
• Finally, 94% of the School’s BA graduates overall said they were highly satisfied with the quality of their degree course, continuing our tradition of providing a first-class university education in History of Art as well as Archaeology, Anthropology, and Museum and Gallery Studies.

Disclaimer

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules and regular (five-yearly) review of course programmes. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, there will normally be prior consultation of students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff or sabbatical leave. Where this is the case, the University will endeavour to inform students.

Entry Requirements

Degree Subject:

Humanities and Social Sciences

Degree Classification:

UK BA (Hons) 2.1 or equivalent

Students for whom English is a Foreign language

We welcome applications from students whose first language is not English. To ensure such students benefit from postgraduate study, we require evidence of proficiency in English. Our usual entry requirements are as follows:

• IELTS: 6.5 (minimum 6.0 in all components)
• TOEFL: Internet-based score of 92 (minimum  19  listening,  21 speaking,  19 writing and 20 in reading)
• PTE (Pearson): 62 (minimum 55 in all components)

Test dates should be within two years of the course start date.

Other tests such as TOEIC and the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English are also accepted by the university. Please check with the Admissions Office for further details including the scores or grades required.

INTO UEA and INTO UEA London run pre-sessional courses which can be taken prior to the start of your course. For further information and to see if you qualify please contact intopre-sessional@uea.ac.uk (INTO UEA Norwich) or pseuealondon@into.uk.com (INTO UEA London).

Interviews

Interviews are required for students applying to the MA History of Art. If you are living overseas, this may be undertaken by telephone at a mutually convenient time.

Intakes

The School's annual intake is in September of each year.

Alternative Qualifications

If you have alternative qualifications that have not been mentioned above then please contact the university directly for further information.

Assessment

All applications for postgraduate study are processed through the Admissions Office and then forwarded to the relevant School of Study for consideration. If you are currently completing your first degree or have not yet taken a required English language test, any offer of a place will be conditional upon you achieving this before you arrive.

Fees and Funding

Tuition fees

Tuition fees for Postgraduate students for the academic year 2013/14 are £5,000 for Home/EU students and £12,500 for International Students.

If you choose to study part-time, the fee per annum will be half the annual fee for that year, or a pro-rata fee for the module credit you are taking (only available for Home/EU students).

We estimate living expenses at £600-£650 per month.

Scholarships and Awards:

There are a variety of scholarships, studentships and other awards available to those applying for places on our taught postgraduate degrees.

Click on the link below to see what is currently available.

Funding for Masters Degrees and Diplomas

Applications for Postgraduate Taught programmes at the University of East Anglia should be made directly to the University.

You can apply online, or by downloading the application form.

Further Information

To request further information & to be kept up to date with news & events please use our online enquiry form.

If you would like to discuss your individual circumstances prior to applying please do contact us:

Postgraduate Admissions Office
Tel: +44 (0)1603 591515
Email: admissions@uea.ac.uk

International candidates are also encouraged to access the International Students section of our website.