Investigate the global process of cultural production with British Art from the Anglo-Saxon to the contemporary.
Year of entry: 2025 (September)
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Upcoming eventsBritish art making has been at the heart of a wide range of worldwide networks and dialogues, from the material culture of early medieval Britain, through the painting and sculpture of eighteenth-century and Victorian Britain, to British Modernism and Britart.
Investigate notions of national, imperial, cosmopolitan and global visual and material cultures; engage with debates about British and European cultural identity and study a variety of works from painting, sculpture and architecture, through to graphic art, design and craft. You can explore photography, installation, performance and contemporary works engaging with new media, digital and other innovative technologies.
We are one of the largest History of Art departments in the UK. We have developed successful partnerships with museums, galleries and country houses that will enrich your studies, and may offer you placement opportunities and privileged access to collections.
You play an active role in building your degree, furthering your specialist interests, and designing research projects. You can study works of art from different periods or focus on a specific period or issue.
You will also develop a heightened methodological awareness, helping you to forge a more sophisticated understanding of how artworks create meaning and why some artworks have been deemed culturally more significant than others.
The course enables you to develop advanced skills in verbal and written communication, and effective project management. You will acquire a high level of expertise in visual analysis and art historical research through object-focused study and an intensively researched MA dissertation.
You also have the option to develop your interdisciplinary interests by taking modules in related academic disciplines such as history, literature, archaeology, philosophy, sociology and others.
Our expert academic staff support you every step of the way through personalised, small-group teaching, individual tutorials and field trips.
At least two of your option modules, your research skills module and your dissertation must be completed on British Art. You can either specialise entirely in this area, or select up to two option modules from other fields.
You will be able to bring together research questions and sources from different approaches to hone your skills in visual and material analysis in order to understand how British and related artworks produce meaning, in the past as well as today. This is accompanied by skills training in academic writing, archival research, and object-focused studying.
Two of your option modules must be from those designated to British Art and your dissertation must be on a British Art theme.
You will also study four option modules. Examples can be found below. Some option module combinations may not be possible. The options available to you will be confirmed after you begin your course.
The options available to you will be confirmed later in the year. For further information, please get in touch.
You can choose a limited number of modules from those offered by other humanities departments at York and by our centres.
Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff, and in line with Department/School academic planning.
You'll complete your dissertation with the support of your academic supervisor. The dissertation will be up to 15,000 words. Recent dissertations have included:
Every course at York is built on a distinctive set of learning outcomes. These will give you a clear understanding of what you will be able to accomplish at the end of the course and help you explain what you can offer employers. Our academics identify the knowledge, skills, and experiences you'll need upon graduation and then design the course to get you there.
Discover a variety of British artworks nearby, in high-profile museums and galleries, local country houses, parish churches and our partnership institutions. Explore internationally significant collections of sculpture in the Henry Moore Institute, the Yorkshire Sculpture Park and the Hepworth Wakefield. Visit Yorkshire's surviving works of Anglo-Saxon art, the York area's later medieval sculptures in wood and stone, and the impressive York Minster.
| Study mode | UK (home) | International and EU |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time (1 year) | £11,200 | £25,900 |
| Part-time (2 years) This is the year 1 fee. Fees for future years are subject to confirmation. |
£5,600 | £12,950 |
Students on a Student Visa are not currently permitted to study part-time at York.
For courses which are longer than one year, the tuition fees quoted are for the first year of study.
UK (home) or international fees? The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK (home) or international student. Check your fee status.
Find out more information about tuition fees and how to pay them.
Discover your funding options to help with tuition fees and living costs.
We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2025/26 throughout the year.
If you've successfully completed an undergraduate degree at York you could be eligible for a 10% Masters fee discount.
We are pleased to work with Chevening Scholars to offer funding for our Masters programmes. Chevening Scholarships provide one year of fully-funded postgraduate study in the UK for international (including EU) students. The scholarships are open to early and mid-career professionals who have the potential to become future leaders.
A wide range of funding opportunities includes AHRC-funded studentships offered via the White Rose College of Arts and Humanities, departmental studentships, overseas scholarships, travel fellowships, and funding for students with specific research interests.
Read more about available funding specific to History of Art.
You can use our living costs guide to help plan your budget. It covers additional costs that are not included in your tuition fee such as expenses for accommodation and study materials.
Studying at York allowed me to work with scholars of international reputation and explore the world of British Art from a whole new perspective.Christine, MA History of Art (British Art)Hear more from our students and graduates.
You’ll work with world‐leading academics who’ll challenge you to think independently and excel in all that you do. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace.
Each option module is taught by weekly two-hour seminars. You'll have the opportunity to go on field-trips organised by the Department to view art and architecture, these will be an integral part of your learning.
You'll be taught with lectures, seminars and one-to-one meetings with your lecturer or supervisor. You'll have six hours on average per week of classes.
You'll study independently for 31-33 hours per week on average. This time gives you space to read widely and develop your thoughts on specialised topics.
We offer an extensive programme of research seminars and events which are an invaluable way to engage with different aspects of your subject, along with discussing module themes with your peers, and the staff weekly office hours.
You'll be part of the vibrant interdisciplinary Humanities Research Centre and as a History of Art student you'll also have access to extensive resources. You'll be able to attend related lectures, conferences or site visits offered by our British Art Research School.
You will be based in the Department of History of Art on Campus West.
Most of your contact hours will be in Vanbrugh College, with some additional teaching elsewhere on Campus West.
Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around campus - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can always use the fast and frequent bus service.
You'll submit a 4,000 word essay per option module. For the Research Skills module you'll produce a dissertation portfolio as your assessment.
We offer amazing partnerships and placements with numerous museums and galleries that will help you in your future career. You'll have the opportunity to engage first hand with some of the most exciting collections of British art in the country. We work with the National Gallery, Tate, the V&A, and York Museums Trust. We have excellent relationships with regional museums, galleries and country houses— including the Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art, Castle Howard, the Hepworth Wakefield, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, and the Henry Moore Institute.
Our collaborations will support your learning and research through modules jointly designed with the partnership institution, and with opportunities for exclusive partnership studentships, work experience and privileged access to collections. The course prepares you for higher research degrees and a range of possible careers. Read about some of our alumni and where their degree has taken them.
The interdisciplinary style of the MA course at York has allowed me to develop and apply a range of different skills and work with people from a wide variety of fields, skills I know will prove invaluable.Eleanor, MA History of Art (Medieval Art & Medievalisms)Find out more about the course from our students.
| Typical offer | |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate degree | 2:2 or equivalent |
| Other qualifications and experience | We will consider applications from mature students or applicants without formal academic qualifications if you have substantial related experience. We may ask you for an interview in this instance. |
| Other international qualifications | Equivalent qualifications from your country |
You will need to submit an example of written work with your application. Please see our guidance on submitting written work.
If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:
| Minimum requirement | |
|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic and Indicator) | 6.5, minimum 6.0 in each component |
| Cambridge CEFR | B2 First: 176, with 169 in each component |
| Oxford ELLT | 7, minimum of 6 in each component |
| Duolingo | 120, minimum 105 in all other components |
| LanguageCert SELT | B2 with 33/50 in each component |
| LanguageCert Academic | 70 with a minimum of 65 in each component |
| Kaplan Test of English Language | 459-494, with 426-458 in all other components |
| Skills for English | B2: Merit overall, with Pass with Merit in each component |
| PTE Academic | 61, minimum 55 in each component |
| TOEFL | 87, minimum of 21 in each component |
| Trinity ISE III | Merit in all requirements |
For more information see our postgraduate English language requirements.
You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.
The length of course you need to take depends on your current English language test scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.
After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.
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