Program Description
About the course
As the UK city with more museums and galleries than any other outside of London, alongside the country’s largest contemporary art biennial, Liverpool will provide a vibrant cultural backdrop for your studies. Utilising Hope’s exclusive partnership with Tate, visiting speakers from the creative industries and the University’s own collections/gallery programme, students gain a wide-ranging understanding of theoretical perspectives in Art & Design History and how these are expressed through the workings of cultural organisations. Through our cultural partnerships and collaborations, students will be offered privileged access to important collections in Liverpool and experts working in the field.Encompassing the study of visual and material artefacts, museum and gallery practices and the production and circulation of meaning around art and design. This degree provides a systematic understanding of art and design practices and theories with a strong emphasis on critical thinking. There is also the possibility to participate in overseas study tours – in recent years the department has visited Amsterdam, Barcelona, Bilbao, Milan, Paris, Florence, Venice, Berlin and New York.
In your second and third years, you will also take ‘Professional Practice for Art and Design History’. These courses look at theoretical approaches to museology, as well as more practical considerations such as conservation, exhibition planning and design, curatorial practices and educational activities. These components address pathways into the creative industries and address the range of roles today’s cultural organisations demand – equipping students with the skills and knowledge necessary to secure future professional opportunities.
Course structure
Teaching on this degree is structured into lectures, where all students are taught together, seminars of smaller groups of around 15-20 students, small group tutorials, one-to-one meetings, site visits, professional practice elements, special study preparation and a special study.For the Art and Design History part of your Combined Honours degree, there will be approximately 6 teaching hours per week in your first year, which reduces to approximately 5 teaching hours in your second and third years. As well as teaching hours, you will be expected to spend a number of hours working independently each week, as well as working in groups to prepare for any group work you may have.
