New Course FAQs: Undergraduate Diploma in the History of Art

To learn more about the changes to the part-time Undergraduate Diploma in the History of Art, starting from the autumn 2027 intake, please read our FAQs below. For full course details, please see the course page.

Page contents

Key information

► When does the new Diploma course start?

The course is due to start in October 2027.

► What level is this course?

The part-time Diploma is taught at the second year of undergraduate level (FHEQ Level 5) and is worth 120 CATS points.

► Will the course still be taught part-time?

Yes. The in-person contact in the classroom will be slightly reduced, but with additional online tutorials and more online content, the new course will be more flexible for part-time learners.

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Teaching content

► What is covered in the first year?

Students will be introduced to different approaches to the History of Art through key themes (online units) and in the first year they will have the chance to study particular periods in depth by choosing a pathway (medieval or modern) for Friday residences. There are six Friday residences (two per term), composed of three two-hour teaching sessions. 

Online units:

  1. The first term (Michaelmas) covers The Body;
  2. The second term (Hilary) covers Contact Zones: India;
  3. The final term (Trinity) covers Curation/Spaces of Art.

Provisional options for Friday residences:  

  • Medieval: Female Patronage in Byzantium; Devotion and Materiality; Trecento Painting; Medieval Architecture in Oxford; African Ivories; Mediterranean Encounters.​
  • Modern: Hogarth and British Art: Satire; Slavery and the Modern City; Portraiture and Power in 18th-century; Britain British Landscape Painting Photography, c 1839-1900; Modernism in England; Art and War.​

► What is covered in the second year?

The second year has six Friday residences (two per term), composed of three two-hour teaching sessions. The Friday residences have two parallel sessions and students choose either a Renaissance/Early Modern or Contemporary pathway. 

Online units:

  1. The first term (Michaelmas) covers Landscape;
  2. The second term (Hilary) covers Contact Zones: Global Cities;
  3. The final term (Trinity) covers History of Art Now: Current Debates.

Provisional options for Friday residences: 

  • Renaissance/Early Modern: Gifts and Diplomatic Exchange; Italian and Ottoman Encounters; Collecting in the Courts; Female Artists and Creativity; Caravaggio and the Caravaggisti; The Elizabethan Country House. 
  • Contemporary: Spectacle and Spectator; Reproducibility: Art in the Age of Mass Media; Film: Art; Politics and the Moving Image; Memory and Trauma; Art and Diaspora; Art and Protest.

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How will the in-person elements be taught?

► How often do I have to be in Oxford?

Students will meet in person twice per term, on specific dates on Fridays. In total, there will be 12 hours of in-person teaching, per term, plus select Saturdays (either in Oxford or London).

► Where in Oxford does teaching take place? 

The in-person elements of the course (two Fridays per term) will be held at Rewley House, 1 Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2JA.

► What facilities are there at Rewley House?

Rewley has a library, common room, café facilities, and a dining room. It is also located in central Oxford which has easy access to ample facilities – other Bodleian libraries, cafes and the Ashmolean Museum.

► When are the visits to galleries and museums scheduled for?

Two Saturdays per year will be dedicated to Oxford/London trips and presentations.

► Do I need to budget extra for the trips?

The gallery visits on Saturdays will be in and outside of Oxford, such as trips to collections in London or heritage houses; these trips will be an additional cost and it is assumed students will make their own way to these venues (as is standard practice now).

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How will the online elements be taught?

► How are the online elements structured?

Online asynchronous (self-paced) instruction will include reading materials (materials in the Virtual Learning Environment and set texts from journal articles, textbooks, exhibition catalogues, and books), videos, forum activities, and online exercises, as well as independent study such as essay preparation and research. Some online units will take the form of case studies, allowing students to study in-depth around a particular topic, while others will offer theoretical or methodological approaches that can be employed across periods and regions. 

► How often are the online modules?

There are eight online units per term. Terms are 10 weeks, and two of those weeks are taught in person (during the Friday residencies).

► What are the online tutorials?

Students will be assigned a personal tutor for the year. They will have five hours of online synchronous tutorials for the entire year (three hours of small group tutorials – one hour per term, and two hours of one-to-one with the tutor). This includes up to 90 minutes for their research project supervision, spread out over the year plus extra time for one-to-ones throughout the year. Small tutor group tutorials will address essay writing, interpreting feedback, follow-up on online learning units, student presentations or student-led discussion. 

► As some of this course is now taught online, what IT skills do I need?

Students are expected to have some IT skills and access to a computer and the internet. IT skills related to the History of Art are built into the programme using exercises to build and test your skills. For example, the online units will provide step-by-step instructions on how to search museum websites and image databases.

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Assessment methods

► How will I be assessed?

Most assessments will take the form of written work, but some will follow innovative methods in Art History such as designing a virtual exhibition, but which can be assessed through a presentation. 

Year 1

Formative:  

  1. Formative critique of a Secondary Source proforma, 500 words. 
  2. Formative Research proforma, 500 words. 

Summative:  

  1. Summative essay 3,000 words. 
  2. Summative Contact Zone essay, 3,000 words.
  3. Summative Virtual exhibition, presentation (10 minutes). 
  4. Summative Research Project 5,000 words.

Year 2 

Formative:  

  1. Formative Landscape, 700 words. 
  2. Formative Research proforma, 500 words. 

Summative:  

  1. Summative Essay 3,000 words. 
  2. Summative Contact Zone essay, 3,000 words. 
  3. Summative poster presentation (5 minutes; 500 words). 
  4. Summative Research Project 7,000 words.

► Are there any exams?

There are no exams but arrangements for presentation marking are as follows:  

  • Diploma Year 1: presentation of 10 minutes: double marked 
  • Diploma Year 2: Poster presentation of 5 minutes: double marked 

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General FAQs

► Why did you decide to update the Diploma?

The History of Art is a discipline that is always changing. Part-time learning has also changed dramatically since the pandemic. We wanted our curriculum to reflect the current changes in the discipline, while also providing a more flexible learning environment, combining online learning with the best in-person teaching Oxford can offer.

► Will my learning be out of date if I study for the current Diploma?

We want to reassure students that the learning gained from the current course will be as valuable in the future as it is today. In addition, the work we have been doing to develop the future qualifications has impacted positively on the current delivery for students and we hope students will continue to see these benefits.

► Should I wait to apply until the new Diploma is launched in 2027?

This is entirely a decision based on individual circumstances. If individuals are working part-time or full-time or are a carer, they might find the new Diploma schedule is more flexible around other commitments. If they would like to get on with their studies and start immediately, then we advise applying for the current Diploma course for 2024 entry.

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Advice for current students

► What does the new Diploma mean for me as a student who is already studying on the current course?

This shouldn't affect you unless you need to suspend and rejoin the new course at a later date. We are continuously updating our course materials; the work we have been doing to develop the future qualifications, has impacted positively on the current delivery for students and we hope you will continue to see these benefits.

► If I'm currently studying for the current Diploma, will my learning be valuable in the future?

We want to reassure you that the learning you gain from your qualification will be as valuable in the future as it is today. In addition, the work we have been doing to develop the future qualifications has impacted positively on the current delivery for students and we hope you will continue to see these benefits.

► If I am currently a Certificate student, will I be able to progress to the new Diploma?

Yes. Students who have studied the previous Certificate programme will be able to join the new Diploma. Bridging materials will be provided online for students in these cases, which include some key readings, materials and activities, and a formative assignment to help them transition easily. 

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