Visual Culture BA(Hons)

How this course is delivered

Students have a blend of on-campus and digitally enabled remote learning that keeps everyone safe, connected and involved in university life. Lots of opportunities are provided to interact and engage with lecturers and other students. The balance between online and on-campus learning varies by module, and in response to the external environment.

Year 1

The first year of the Visual Culture degree familiarises you with good study practices and introduces you to the different kinds of assessment used on the course, including essays, seminar presentations, display projects and exams. Much of the teaching will take place in small groups of around 12 students with one tutor.

Modules

• Local and Global: Cross Cultural Histories of Art and Design

  This module introduces key concepts of creative encounters and exchanges across cultures in the history of art and design, fashion and visual culture. You will learn about the ways in which the movement of people, materials and ideas across geographies, spaces and periods have an impact on the production, reproduction and appropriation of art and design.

• Art and Design History in Brighton: Places and Processes

  In this module you will explore aspects of Brighton and Hove that are significant to the history of art and design locally and in some cases more broadly, through the introduction of key sites, themes and resources, for example, the Royal Pavilion and Museums; the historical development of local identities in subcultures and sexualities and Brighton on film. The topics are complemented by a seminar series that will equip you with the skills and tools needed to study history of art and design at degree level.

• Material Matters

  Material Matters is an opportunity to explore the characteristics, histories and values associated with different types of materials that are used in the creation of studio-produced or manufactured objects. You will develop an appreciation of the qualities of different materials and the cultural and environmental implications of their use. You'll have an opportunity to focus on particular types of materials such as cotton in the creation of clothing; nitrate in the use of photography and film, and clay and porcelain in the production of domestic kitchenware. The module introduces the UN Sustainable Development Goal for Responsible Production and Consumption (SDG12)

• Artist, Designer and the Prosumer

  This module introduces concepts and trans-historical studies in art and design. You'll explore themes within key historical and theoretical ideas and approaches in art, design, fashion and visual culture, such as: artist curator, cultures of craft, professionalisation, feminist art, DIY fashion, the photographer and the prosumer.

Our courses are reviewed and enhanced on an ongoing basis in order to make sure that what you learn with us is relevant and that your course enables you to develop appropriate skills. When you apply to study with us, we will inform you of any new developments in your chosen programme through Student View.

Poster advertising Brighton – early twentieth century. Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove.

Year 2

In year 2, you’ll build up core knowledge of the history of art and design and develop your own specialist areas of interest from a wide choice of option modules. You can apply to spend the first semester of your second year at the University of Oslo.

In semester two, you have the opportunity to take a 40-hour placement, working in a museum, gallery, archive or the creative services. Assessment is through a logbook, presentation and essay. 

Previous placement destinations include: Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, Design Archives, Worthing Museum, Ditchling Arts and Crafts Museum, The Keep, Phoenix Gallery. Placements are unpaid but travel costs on public transport are paid by the university. You can also opt to go on a five-day trip to a European city to study art, design and visual culture in context. Potential destinations include Paris and Berlin. The trip costs around £350.

Modules

• Modernism, Ideology and the Avant-garde in the Twentieth Century
• After Modernism: Postmodernism and Beyond
• Constructing Histories: Research Methods and Professional Practice in History of Art and Design

Options*

• A Trip to Europe
• Behind the Scenes: Arts and heritage placements
• Creative option – examples include Words and Pictures: Experiments in Art Writing; Understanding Exhibitions and Creating Displays

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

Students on a study visit to the Queer Looks exhibition at Brighton Museum

Final year

The final year sees you execute independent but closely supervised research projects, including your own dissertation, a group display project and a visual display of your dissertation research, which is shown as part of the arts and humanities graduate show. In these projects you are supported by one-to-one or small group supervision as well as peer support.

Modules

• Eye And Mind
• Dissertation in the History of Art and Design
• Communicating Research

Options*

• Real World Research in Art and Design History
• Professional Paths in Art and Design History
• Special subject – examples include The Past in the Present: Vintage, Retro, Revival; Participation, Performance, Politics; The Limits of Representation

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

Resources

• We are proud to have a world-class Design Archives based on campus.
• The university's excellent art and design library is nearby
• Screen Archives South East, a moving image archive, is based on campus.
  • Our Dress History Teaching Collection gives you the chance to closely examine and photograph historical and world fabrics and garments.

The university has close relationships with local festivals and organisations such as CineCity, the Brighton Photo Biennial, Brighton Festival, Brighton Festival Fringe, Brighton Digital Festival, Fabrica and Lighthouse. These connections provide a range of opportunities for students.

Students have access to the world-class Design Archives.

Meet the team

The University of Brighton was one of the founding institutions for research in design history and our teaching team are world authorities in both design and dress history and the culture of photography, integrating their own research with their teaching.

Dr Verity Clarkson, course leader

Verity is an academic who examines visual and material cultures in a number of contexts. Her research looks at art, design and culture in the twentieth century with a particular focus on east-west cultural contacts during the Cold War. She is also interested in transnational exhibitions, 1960s and 1970s fashions and the ways in which ideas about ‘the past’ are used in visual and material culture today.”

Find out about our other staff: Dr Lara Perry, Dr Harriet Atkinson, Dr Annebella Pollen, Dr Angelica Groom, Dr Anna Vaughan Kett, Dr Yunah Lee, Dr Charlotte Nicklas, Dr Louise Purbrick, Dr Megha Rajguru, Dr Glenn Ward and Dr Claire Wintle.

Student work 

History of Art and Design programme dissertation catalogues 2018. View catalogues from previous years on Issuu.

International requirements and visas

We can help you meet our English language or academic entry requirements.

Visas and immigration advice

Course fees

What's included

You may have to pay additional costs during your studies. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. A summary of the costs that you may be expected to pay, and what is included in the fee, while studying a course in the School of Humanities are listed here.

• For a number of courses you will have the opportunity to attend field trips and off-site visits. These are optional and are not required to pass your course but under normal circumstances we would expect a budget of approximately £150 per year will cover the costs of particular trips. The amount spent would be based on location and number of trips taken.
• You will have access to computers and necessary software, however many students choose to buy their own hardware, software and accessories. The amount spent will depend on your individual choices but this expenditure is not essential to pass any of our courses.
• In most cases coursework submissions are electronic but you may wish to print notes and should budget up to £150 per year for printing.
• Course books are available from the university but you may wish to budget up to £200 to buy your own copies.

You can chat with our enquiries team through the Stay in touch panel at the end of this page if you require further information. Or check our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships, as well as more information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Info

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2021–22.

Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and are subject to an annual increase of no more than 5% or RPI (whichever is the greater). The annual increase for UK students, who are subject to regulated fees, will increase no more than the statutory maximum fee.

You can find out more about our fees in the university's student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full-time or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take.

Local area

Campus where this course is taught

Accommodation

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