ObjectivesThe programme aims to: -provide a broad-based knowledge and understanding of visual culture -develop students' understanding of the production, circulation and interpretation of visual culture in specific historical contexts -promote awareness of the role of visual culture within different societies and at different periods, including our own -acquaint students with a wide range of visual media, raising their awareness of qualities specific to each medium particularly through fieldwork -explore the overlapping relation between visual culture and art history -introduce students to a range of methods and ways of relating visual experience and phenomena to their social meanings and contexts -develop students' intellectual and academic skills so that they are able to undertake independent research -produce graduates who are ready to embark on a range of career paths, or continue on to postgraduate study BA (Hons) Visual Cultures enables you to gain first hand experience of and contact with visual material from a wide range of epochs and cultures. It also helps build the following transferable life skills: -time management (through working and writing to deadlines) -communication (by means of various presentations) -teamwork (with team projects and the small group learning ethos) -IT skills (training is available for basic and advanced IT skills) -information retrieval techniques (when researching material for essays)
Entry requirementsSelected entry requirements English language: Minimum IELTS score of 7.0 or equivalent; eg. NCUK EAP minimum Grade of A with range of 70-79 TOEFL: PBT score of 600; CBT score of 250; TWE score of 5.5; IBT score of 100 A level: Grades ABB-BBB not incl Gen Studs. Two AS-levels may be accepted in place of one A-level. Unit grade information: The University of Manchester welcomes the provision of unit grade information which, like all other available information, will inform the consideration of applications. Unit grades will not normally form part of offer conditions, except for Mathematics programmes. GCSE: Minimum grade C in English Key Skills qualification: The University warmly welcomes applications from students studying the Key Skills qualification. However, as the opportunities to take these modules are not open to all applicants, currently this is not an essential requirement of the University. International baccalaureate: 33-32 points overall, including 6, 6, 5 at Higher level Relevant work experience: It is not necessary to have been employed in Art or Art History fields, before taking this course. However, we welcome students who can show an active interest in and enthusiasm for the subject by visiting museums and galleries or by their choice of reading. Professional entry qualification: It is not necessary to have studied Art or Art History before taking this course. However, we welcome students who can show an active interest in and enthusiasm for the subject by visiting museums and galleries or by their choice of reading. Additional entry requirements Additional entry requirements exist for this course. You may view these by selecting from the list below.
Academic titleBA Visual Cultures
Course descriptionCourse description BA (Hons) Visual Cultures allows for both unusually broad choice of subject areas and for in-depth study and research. The teaching team has particular strengths in Classical, Medieval, Renaissance, Post-Renaissance, Modern and Contemporary Art as well as certain areas of non-western art.
We pride ourselves on the quality of the student experience on our courses. You will have close contact with staff at all stages of your university career and will be taught wherever possible in small groups and through a variety of methods. The University has its own art gallery, museum and special library collections and much is made of the rich cultural heritage of Manchester and the North-West.
BA (Hons) Visual Cultures not only introduces you to a fascinating range of visual art but also enables you to gain skills of analysis, presentation, teamwork, initiative and research which are of vital importance in later life. Another important aspect of the degree is its friendly, tight-knit community feel. Students gain a lot from their fieldwork and are encouraged to become involved in the running of the Art History Society and to participate in departmental committees.
We do not require you to have a knowledge of any foreign language, but you may find linguistic skills useful in researching particular topics. In addition we offer Erasmus-Socrates links with a number of institutions in Europe (including Dijon, Heidelberg, Pavia, Bologna and Leiden) and if you wish to spend a semester abroad you must prove your competence in the appropriate language.
Special features
We have a wide range of facilities at our disposal. University institutions like the Manchester Museum and the Whitworth Art Gallery offer you unique access to the environment of the working museum and art gallery as well as to important works of art.
The John Rylands University Library is one of the largest academic libraries in Britain and houses a Special Collections Department on Deansgate which contains a superb and diverse collection of manuscripts, illustrated books and other material relevant to Art History and Visual Studies.
There is a very large and well-organised slide, video, and computer-based image collection in the Visual Resources Library which is an essential learning and teaching resource.
Finally, we have our own library for Art History, shared with Archaeology and Planning, the Kantorowich Library, which provides a valuable service and a convenient, well-ordered work environment.
Module details
Class teaching is regularly supplemented by visits to art galleries where students are encouraged to develop their skills in visual analysis and to reflect upon issues of display.
Course content for year 1
Level 1 core courses (`Understanding Visual Culture' I and II) tackle different media and their relation to society.
Compulsory
AHVS***** Understanding Visual Cultures I (core unit for this degree)
AHVS***** Understanding Visual Cultures II (core unit for this degree)
AHVS10211 Introduction to Art History
AHVS10032 Cities
AHVS10212 Frameworks for Art History
Optional
Free Choice Unit(s)
Course content for year 2
Level 2 Aspects courses afford a solid grounding in key issues and debates and in specific historical contexts.
Museological issues are dealt with in the Level 2 course `The Afterlife of Objects'.
Compulsory
AHVS20431 Perspectives in the History of Art
AHVS***** Vision and Visuality (core unit for this degree)
AHVS***** The Afterlife of Objects
Optional
20 credits worth of course choice from AHVS courses
40 credits worth of course choices from AHVS courses
Course content for year 3
Level 3 students are exposed to more specialised research-led teaching with opportunities to study non-Western visual culture in discrete course units.
Compulsory
Level 3 students carry out a supervised research project, culminating in a compulsory 10,000 word dissertation on a topic in Visual Cultures.
Optional
40 credits' worth of Free Choice Units from AHVS courses
40 credits' worth of Free Choice Units from AHVS courses
Career opportunities
AHVS graduates have a good record of obtaining jobs, not just in the museum and gallery worlds, but in marketing, advertising and a wide range of other professions. We encourage students to take up opportunities for voluntary and vacation work in relevant areas (museums, commercial galleries, etc.) and we have good links with the excellent University Careers Service.
BA (Hons) Visual Cultures not only introduces you to a fascinating range of visual art but also enables you to gain skills of analysis, presentation, teamwork, initiative and research which are of vital importance in later life.