Undergraduate Programme
The School of Art History & Cultural Policy offers a dynamic programme as part of the BA degree and also the part-time evening degree. At present it is not available as a single subject and needs to be combined with a second subject. It is also a popular elective subject no matter what your major.
Since prehistoric times mankind has created objects and images that express their beliefs, hopes and fears. Art History is the study of these objects and images - the study of our visual world. Our discipline is part of a long tradition examining the ‘history’ of art and visual production, and is subject to the development and understanding of certain skills and approaches in order to analyse the particular qualities and characteristics of visual culture and works of art.
In studying Art History students will be challenged to cultivate a diverse set of abilities so as to comprehend our visual and artistic heritage, to critically examine artworks and understand the conditions of their making, meaning and influences, and to consider the process of looking itself.
What will be studied? The School offers a stimulating curriculum covering the study of painting, sculpture, architecture as well as more modern media like film, video and performance, and also aspects of visual culture. Studying Art History at UCD will see the student engage with interrogating the work of art, examining the artist, looking at stylistic movements whilst also considering the problems with art historical categorization, focussing on society and culture, and studying many of the writers and philosophers who have influenced the history of art. Students learn through a combination of lectures, tutorials, seminars, field trips, as well as special lecture series and conferences.
