Entrance criteria

MA Courses

Applicants for an MA course are expected to have a good first (Honours) degree of Upper Second class standard or above in Art History, History, Philosophy or Literature or other relevant subject, or an equivalent qualification. A BA in Fine Art should normally have contained Art History as a major component. Candidates with a primarily studio-based first degree or a qualification not directly related to the history and theory of art may be asked to enrol for a Graduate Diploma year before proceeding to the MA course.

Graduate Diploma

Applicants without the requisite academic background or standard of English may take the Graduate Diploma in Art History, which is a nine-month course specially designed to prepare students for entry to the MA or the Graduate Diploma in Art History with English for Academic Purposes which is administered by the International Academy

MPhil or PhD

Applicants for an MPhil or PhD course should preferably be enrolled for, or should have completed, an MA programme at Essex or elsewhere.

English Language Requirements

MA/Mphil or PhD

If your mother tongue is not English, our language requirement is a minimum standard IELTS 7.0 or TOEFL (paper based 600, internet 100) or Cambridge B.

Graduate Diploma

Applicants will be expected to have a minimum of IELTS 5.0 or TOEFL (paper based 500, internet 61).