Course details

Summary

We are constantly surrounded by objects and images: things that have meanings, and which have an effect on our experiences. Art History helps you to find messages encoded within the visual world, including, but not exclusively, ‘fine art' objects - in other words, to become visually literate. This is an extremely useful skill - highly applicable to many other subjects of study, and to a range of different career paths.

Art History also provides windows onto histories and cultures. Artworks, buildings, and objects hold important clues and offer unique insights into the societies, places, and ideas from which they came, as well as telling us about the people who have interacted with them since they were made. Studying Art History therefore offers students the chance to develop expertise in how to look at things in detail, and to get the most out of what can be seen.

Why study Art History and Theory at UC?

Our courses look at a wide range of types of art and material culture, including painting, drawing, architecture, sculpture, photography, prints, ceramics, gardens, furniture, weaving, 'craft', and even everyday things. We also consider the mechanics of the art world, as practices such as collecting, display, patronage, art education, art criticism, and community engagement all affect how we understand art and objects.

Courses reflect the lecturers' specialisations, which include contemporary art, East Asian art, and European art and material culture. All our lecturers also cultivate research interests which extend beyond Art History and connect it to other disciplines, and ideas from literature, cultural studies, aesthetics, and even the history and philosophy of science are woven into a number of the courses.

Recommended preparation

Our first-year students come from a variety of backgrounds. Although it is an advantage to have studied history of art at high school in Years 12 and 13, this is not a core requirement. More important is your interest, commitment and enthusiasm for the subject - these will serve you well.

The Bachelor of Arts requires a minimum total of 360 points:

• at least 255 points from Arts courses
• the remaining 105 points can be from either Arts courses or courses from other degrees.
• A minimum of 225 points must be from courses above 100-level, with at least 90 points at 300-level.

Double Degrees

It is possible to combine an Arts degree with other degrees such as the Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Criminal Justice, Bachelor of Health Sciences, Bachelor of Laws or Bachelor of Science.

Further study

The College of Arts has a wide range of options for postgraduate and graduate study with excellent research facilities. These include specialised research centres such as the Macmillan Brown Centre for Pacific Studies, Social Science Research Centre, New Zealand Centre for Human-Animal Studies, Te Awatea Violence Research Centre and National Centre for Research on Europe.

Career opportunities

While some graduates work directly in the art world, career possibilities are diverse. Many Art History and Theory graduates enter careers which offer ample opportunity to use their understanding of art history, highly developed aesthetic sense, attention to visual details, analytical and research skills as well as verbal, written and thinking skills.

Art History and Theory graduates are employed in such work places as museums, galleries, auction houses, educational institutions and libraries and in industries such as information services, publishing, journalism, marketing, heritage conservation, and tourism.

Entry criteria

Admission to UC with University Entrance, or equivalent, is required to enrol for a Bachelor's degree. Applicants must have completed New Zealand University Entrance through NCEA; or Cambridge International Examinations (CIE); or International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB) or any other equivalent overseas qualification.

Other English language requirements: TOEFL PBT with a minimum score of 550 and TWE with a minimum score of 4.5; CCEL EAP Level 2 with a minimum C+ grade; CAE or CPE minimum score of 169 with at least 162 in reading, writing, listening and speaking; Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE with an overall score of 57 and no PTE communicative skills score below 50.