University of Oxford
History of Art and Visual Culture MSt
University of Oxford

Key Course Facts

Course Description

This nine-month programme offers a unique combination of methodological depth and access to excellent primary sources for students who wish to develop and extend their understanding of how visual styles at different times and in different places can be understood in relation to the aesthetic, intellectual and social facets of various cultures.

This course draws on the established strengths of the discipline of art history in formal, iconographic and contextual analysis in the Faculty of History's History of Art Department and links them to a rigorous approach to questions of theory and method.

The course will expose you to the ways in which the subjects of visual history are being redefined on a broad base to include a much wider range of artefacts and visual media, including images and objects produced in contexts ranging from the scientific to the popular.

Teaching comprises:

a compulsory methodology paper, Issues in Art History, which is taught in a seminar series during Michaelmas and Hilary terms. There is also an associated lecture series, workshops on professional practice and object-handling sessions in Oxford collections.

one option paper, normally taught in small classes during Michaelmas and Hilary terms.

Full details of core and optional papers are available on the course webpage on the department's website (see the Further information and enquiries section for further details).

You will also write a dissertation of up to 15,000 words, which will be submitted in Trinity term (see the Assessment section below for further details).

It is expected that about 25% of a student’s time will be spent as self-directed research and study.

Example option papers

Some of the option papers will not be available every year, and new ones may be added.

Prospective students should check on the availability of specific courses during the application process by visiting the course webpage on the department's website (see the Further information and enquiries section for further details).

As an example, the options papers for students enrolled in the 2021-22 academic year were:

  • The Politics of Modernism: Art in France, 1880-1914
  • Gothic to Renaissance? Reframing Architecture in Europe and Beyond
  • Histories of Photography
  • Global Perspectives on American Art: Latinx Art and Activism

Entry Requirements / Admissions

Requirements for international students / English requirements

IELTS academic test score (similar tests may be accepted as well)

    • 6.5
    • Graduate Degrees
    • 7.0
    • Undergraduate Degrees
    • (no subscore less than 6.0)
Get advice on which foundation courses are best for you to still study History of Art and Visual Culture, MSt, if you do not meet the minimum requirements in terms of UCAS score, A levels, or English language requirements.

Costs

Average student cost of living in the UK

Rent £518
Water, gas electricity, internet (at home) £50
Supermarket shopping £81
Clothing £35
Eating out £33
Alcohol £27
Takeaways / food deliveries £30
Going out / entertainment (excl.alcohol, food) £24
Holidays and weekend trips £78
Transport within city £17
Self-care / sports £20
Stationary / books £13
Mobile phone / internet £13
Cable TV / streaming £7
Insurance £51
Other £95
  
Average student cost of living £1092

London costs approx 34% more than average, mainly due to rent being 67% higher than average of other cities. For students staying in student halls, costs of water, gas, electricity, wifi are generally included in the rental. Students in smaller cities where accommodation is in walking/biking distance transport costs tend to be significantly smaller.

Source: Own research based on surveys and university data

University Rankings

Positions of University of Oxford in top UK and global rankings.

See all 39 university rankings of University of Oxford

About University of Oxford

The University of Oxford is a prestigious research university located in Oxford, England, and is the oldest English language university in the world. It is made up of 39 partly autonomous constituent colleges, six private halls, and a variety of academic departments which are split into four divisions: Humanities, Mathematical, Physical & Life Sciences, Medical Sciences, and Social Sciences.

List of 389 Bachelor and Master Courses from University of Oxford - Course Catalogue

Student composition of University of Oxford

Total number of students enrolled at University of Oxford by level Academic year 2021/22 - Full-time equivalent student enrollments published by Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) on February 2022
undergraduates:
12425
postgraduates:
9785
Total:
22210
Source: Academic year 2021/22 - Full-time equivalent student enrollments published by Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) on February 2022
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Where is this programme taught

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