History of Art & Architecture
History of Art and Architecture is about the study of images, objects and buildings.
| Award Name | Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | Major |
| Awarding Body | University of Dublin |
| NFQ Level | Level 8 NFQ |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) | Major | University of Dublin | Level 8 NFQ |
Duration
4 years full-time
Specific Subjects or course requirements
Minimum Entry Requirements: Irish Leaving Certificate
To be considered for admission to a degree course at the University you must:
Present six subjects, three of which must be at grade 5 or above on higher Leaving Certificate papers or at least grade 5 in the University matriculation examination.
The six subjects above must include:
A pass in English.
A pass in mathematics (or foundation-level mathematics (see note 2)) and a pass in a language other than English
OR
A pass in Latin and a pass in a subject other than a language.
Specific Subjects Required
None
Leaving Certificate General Entry Requirements
To qualify for admission to an honours degree course at the University you must:
1 meet the minimum entry requirements (see above).
2 satisfy course specific requirements (where applicable), see above.
3 where there is competition for places, have good enough examination results to be included among those to whom offers are made (see the Leaving Certificate scoring system or Advanced GCE (A Level) scoring system).
Minimum entry points for recent years are available at: www.tcd.ie/study/apply/admission-requirements
Also see ‘Other Requirements’ below.
Notes:
1 A pass means grade O6/H7 or above in the Leaving Certificate and grade 7 or above in the University matriculation examination.
2 Mathematics at foundation-level is acceptable for minimum entry requirements only, for all courses except nursing or midwifery courses.
Irish at foundation-level is not acceptable for minimum entry requirements, course requirements or for scoring purposes.
3 Students may combine grades achieved in different sittings of their Leaving Certificate/Matriculation examinations for the purpose of satisfying minimum entry and/or course requirements, but not for the purposes of scoring. This is not permitted for Medicine.
4 Combinations of Leaving Certificate subjects not permitted:
Physics/chemistry may not be presented with physics or chemistry.
Biology and agricultural science may not be presented as two of the six subjects required for minimum entry requirements, and they may not be presented together to satisfy course specific requirements. However, both may be used for scoring purposes.
Art and music may not be offered as two of the three higher Leaving Certificate grades for minimum entry requirements, but both may be used for scoring purposes.
Bonus Points for Higher Level Mathematics
All students resenting H6 or above in higher level mathematics will have 25 points added to their score for mathematics. The bonus points will only be relevant where mathematics is scored as one of a student’s six best subjects for points purposes.
An applicant’s six best results from one sitting of the Leaving Certificate will be counted for scoring purposes. Applicants may combine results from the Leaving Certificate and the Trinity matriculation examination of the same year for scoring purposes.
The minimum entry levels (points) for Trinity in recent years are available at: www.tcd.ie/study/apply/admission-requirements/undergraduate
University Matriculation Examination
A matriculation examination, graded in equivalent terms to grades used in higher Leaving Certificate examination papers, is held in Trinity every year, usually in April. The subjects of the matriculation examination are Biblical Studies and Geology. You may take one or both of the subjects available, but you should note that the range of university matriculation examination subjects available is not sufficient for the fulfilment of all minimum entry requirements.
The closing date for application for the examination is 1 March of the year of proposed entry to study. Application forms and a syllabus can be obtained from:
Academic Registry, Watts Building, Trinity College Dublin,
the University of Dublin, Dublin 2,
T: +353 1 896 4500,
E: academic.registry@tcd.ie
Other Requirements
English Language Requirement
All applicants must present an English language qualification. Accepted/permitted qualifications are:
1 Irish Leaving Certificate: a grade 6 or better in ordinary level English.
2 GCSE: a grade C/grade 5 or better in English language.
3 US High School: a grade C in English taken in final year.
4 TOEFL
› Paper-based 570 (with a TWE score of 4.5)
› Computer-based 233 (with a score of 4.5 in essay)
› Internet-based 90 (with a written score of 21)
5 Cambridge Advanced/Proficiency: grade C
6 IELTS (academic version) 6.5 (no individual band below 6)
› For Dental courses: IELTS (academic version) 7 (no individual band below 7)
› For Clinical Speech and Language Studies: IELTS (academic version) 7 (no individual band below 7)
7 Pearson Test of English (Academic) – PTE Academic: a minimum score of 63 (with no Communication Skills section score below 59)
8 International Baccalaureate: English A1, A2 or B: 5 at Higher Level (4 at Standard Level if presenting IB through English).
9 QQI/FET: a pass in Communications module (5N0690).
10 Duolingo English Test: Minimum overall score of 120/160, with no section below 105.
Note: Examination results are only valid for two years.
Age Requirement
Applicants seeking admission in 2024 must have a date of birth before 15 January 2008.
Garda Vetting
Students on courses with clinical or other professional placements may be required to undergo Garda vetting procedures prior to commencing placements. If, as a result of the outcome of the Garda vetting procedures, a student is deemed unsuitable to attend clinical or other professional placement, he/she may be required to withdraw from his/her course. Students who have resided outside Ireland for a period of 6 months or more will be required to provide police clearance documentation from the country (including different states) or countries in which they resided.
Students who accept an offer will be informed of the procedures to be followed to complete the vetting process (as part of the student orientation information).
Fitness To Practice
Professional courses demand that certain core competencies are met by students in order to graduate and practice professionally after qualification. Trinity has special responsibility to ensure that all students admitted to all professional programmes will be eligible for registration by the relevant professional body upon graduation. It is important to us that our students are able to fulfil the rigorous demands of professional courses and are fit to practice.
Health Screening
Offers of admission to the following courses are made subject to certain vaccination requirements and/or certain negative test results:
› Clinical Speech and Language Studies
› Orthodontic Therapy, Dental Science, Dental Hygiene, Dental Nursing, and Dental Technology
› Medicine
› Nursing and Midwifery
› Occupational Therapy
› Pharmacy
› Physiotherapy
› Radiation Therapy
› Social Studies (Social work)
Full details are available at: www.tcd.ie/study/apply/admissionrequirements/undergraduate
Leaving Certificate Vocational Progamme LCVP
These modules are accepted for scoring purposes only and are awarded the following points: Distinction 66, Merit 46, Pass 28.
QQI FET Applicants General Information
There is an entry route to a number of degree programmes in Trinity for applicants presenting appropriate QQI/FET Level 5 or 6 Major Awards. Applicants presenting distinctions in five modules can be considered for admission.
Full information on courses with QQI entry routes, requirements etc., can be found at the link below.
QQI FET General Information Link
Careers / Further progression
Graduate skills and career opportunities
In recent years graduates have been employed as lecturers, curators, editors, and writers in universities, galleries, museums, publishing houses and art salesrooms in Ireland and abroad. These include the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Dulwich Picture Gallery, the Universities of Princeton, Oxford, Cambridge, and Saint Andrews, the National Gallery of Ireland, the Irish Museum of Modern Art, the Irish Architectural Archive, and University College Dublin. Graduates have also worked in a broad range of administrative, commercial, and media-based employment and have commented on the usefulness of visual literacy in marketing, public relations, and journalism.
Further information
Mature Students
All undergraduate courses in Trinity are open to mature applicants. Mature student applicants are not required to satisfy the normal minimum entry requirements and are not required to meet competitive academic entry levels (such as Leaving Certificate points), but are considered in the first instance on the basis of how relevant their life, work and educational experiences are to the course(s) that they wish to pursue. In addition, all applicants should demonstrate an interest in and knowledge of their course choice(s).
In order to apply to Trinity as a mature applicant you must:
› be an EU applicant (see page 218)
› be at least 23 years of age on 1 January 2024
› submit a CAO application form to the Central Applications Office (CAO) by 1 February 2024
Late applications will not be considered from mature students.
CAO applications may be made online at: www.cao.ie
Further information about applying through the CAO as a mature student can be found www.cao.ie/index.php?page=mature
Applicants to all courses may be required to attend an interview. Interviews are usually held between April and May.
Certain courses may also require applicants to meet other assessment criteria. For information on additional assessments for specific courses please refer to the Mature Student Guidelines booklet available from:
Academic Registry, Watts Building, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin, Dublin 2, T: +353 1 896 4500, E: academic.registry@tcd.ie
The Mature Student Guidelines booklet is also available to download at: www.tcd.ie/maturestudents/apply
Trinity will inform mature applicants of the outcome of their application before the end of May to allow successful applicants the maximum time possible to prepare for the start of the academic year 2024. Official offers to successful applicants are made through the CAO in early July. To secure your place you must return a formal acceptance notice to the CAO by the specified reply date.
An information seminar to prepare all successful mature applicants for starting in Trinity will take place in July 2024. An orientation programme for all successful mature applicants will take place in August 2024.
For further information on studying in Trinity as a mature student please contact the mature student officer, T: +353 1 896 1386, E: mature.student.officer@tcd.ie For more information, visit: www.tcd.ie/maturestudents
Please Refer to: http://www.tcd.ie/study/eu/undergraduate/
Places 2023: 13
Entry 2024
Early online application (discounted): Fee €30 Closing Date: 20 January 2024 at 5pm
Normal online application: Fee €45 Closing Date: 1 February 2024 at 5pm
Late online application - restrictions apply (see page 3 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee: €60 Closing Date: 1 May 2024 at 5pm
Change of Mind - restrictions apply (see page 3 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee: Nil Closing Date: 1 July 2024 at 5pm
Exceptional online late application (see page 34 of the 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee €60 Closing Date: 22 July 2024 at 5pm
Be sure to complete any action well in advance of closing dates. You should avoid making an application close to a closing date. No extensions to closing dates will be allowed and all application fees are non-refundable.
LATE APPLICATIONS
Late Applications are those which are received after 5pm on 1 February 2024. The closing date for late applications is 5pm on 1 May 2024, subject to the restrictions listed on page 3 of the 2024 CAO Handbook. The online facility for late applications opens on the 5 March 2024 at 12:00 noon - a fee of €60 applies.
Exceptional Late Applications (Exception to the timetable)
The exceptional closing date of 22 July at 5pm applies only to applicants who are registered as an undergraduate student on 1 May 2024 in any year in any one of the participating HEIs (subject to the exclusions listed below). In order to avail of the Exceptional Late Application facility you must have entered the HEI through the CAO system. This is an exceptional late closing date and all steps must be completed by 5pm on 22 July. No changes may be made after this date.
If you did not enter your current course through the CAO system, you must first contact the Admissions Office of the HEI to which you wish to apply and they will inform you if you may submit an application direct to the institution.
Exclusions:
You may submit a late application only for entry to courses other than your existing course. If you wish to repeat the year in the same course you must arrange this within your HEI.
Mary Immaculate College Limerick, Marino Institute of Education, Trinity College Dublin, University of Limerick and Maynooth University have special procedures in place in the case of current or previous students who wish to apply for entry to another course in the same HEI. Such applicants must contact their Admissions Office to determine the application procedure. However, if you are a student in another HEI and you wish to apply to any of these five HEIs, you should apply through CAO.
Refer to page 34 of the 2024 CAO Handbook on how to make an Exceptional Late Application.
Restrictions
As a CAO applicant you may experience one or more of the following restrictions based on your course choices, your category of application, or restrictions imposed by the HEIs that you wish to apply to. Please read the section on 'Restrictions' on page 3 of the 2024 CAO Handbook carefully. This section includes information on:
General Restrictions
1. Making a late application
2. Making changes to your course choices
Restricted Courses
3. Applying for a restricted course
Mature Applicants
4. Mature applicants
Supplementary Admissions Routes
5. Applying for DARE and/or HEAR
What is Art History?
History of Art and Architecture is about the study of images, objects and buildings. It is unique in developing high levels of visual literacy applicable to a range of career pathways. It explores why works of art look the way they do and seeks to discover what they say about the societies that created them. It develops skills in visual analysis, critical assessment, and communication.
History of Art and Architecture: The course for you?
History of Art and Architecture will appeal to those interested in museums, galleries, architectural heritage, and visual culture. It provides students with essential knowledge and skills for documenting and analysing works of art and architecture. It hones an ability to describe and critically analyse images, builds a rich visual memory, and develops skills in research and its presentation. Students do not need any previous knowledge of art history or any practical skill in art to take this course.
History of Art and Architecture at Trinity
Trinity boasts a wide range of expertise in Irish and European art from medieval manuscripts to contemporary art. Direct experience of objects, artworks, and buildings is fundamental to the discipline and Dublin’s impressive collections of paintings and sculpture, together with its rich architectural heritage provide an ideal basis for study. The proximity of the University to the city’s many museums and galleries renders site visits a central and distinctive feature of the undergraduate programme, and particular emphasis is placed on student engagement with the national collections. The Douglas Hyde Gallery, one of Ireland’s leading contemporary art galleries, is situated at Trinity. The University also has a major collection of manuscripts, paintings and sculpture, and a student committee assists the curator in managing this collection.
Pathways
The pathways available are Single Honours, Major with Minor and Joint Honours. There may also be an opportunity to take this subject up as a New Minor Subject from second year.
Study abroad
Students studying History of Art and Architecture may apply to spend a year abroad, using the exchange networks of the School of Histories and Humanities. These include Erasmus programme links with universities in Berlin, Istanbul, Madrid, Paris and Pisa. In addition, the programme facilitates exchanges with non-European institutions in Australia, Canada, China, Singapore and the USA.
Your degree and what you’ll study
This course teaches you how to analyse works of art and how to understand and explain their historical significance. You will take a broad range of modules covering the history of painting, sculpture, and architecture from antiquity to modern times. Topics available include early medieval art and architecture, Islamic and Japanese art, the art of the Italian Renaissance, the art of nineteenth-century France, and the artistic and architectural achievements of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
First and second years
In first year, students take modules that provide an introduction to various aspects of art and architecture, and to the practice of art history. These examine the critical analysis of artworks and structures in various mediums, the importance of iconography, and the different technical methods used by artists and architects from ancient Greece to the present day. In the first year the concentration is principally on Western art; in second year students deepen their theoretical understanding, with modules on the methodologies of art history and the display of art.
In first year, Single Honours students also take modules exploring individual works of art, and how past scholarship and interpretation of art and architecture impacts on our understanding and approaches to art and architecture today. This is further developed in the second year, when students may also participate in a work placements and study trips for credit and take more focused modules in areas such as cultural intersections in art history, the Arts of Japan and Irish art.
Third and fourth years
In third and fourth year, students have the opportunity to specialise in areas that are particular interest to them. In third year they can choose from a range of options that may include:
› Islamic art and Architecture in the Medieval Mediterranean
› Painting and Sculpture in the Italian Renaissance
› Building Modernity in Paper and Stone
› The Age of Rembrandt and Vermeer
› Global post-modern and contemporary art
These courses comprise a mixture of lectures and small group seminars.
In their final year, students select up to two topics dealing with the art-historical issues at a more specialised level. Where possible, these include the opportunity to study primary sources and particular emphasis is placed on personal observation and interpretation of original works of art and architecture.
Examples of special subject topics include: Art and Architecture in Late Medieval Ireland, Architecture beyond the Canon, Early Modern Portraiture, Gender, Art and Identity, Painting in Ireland and Britain c1800-1900, and Art, Design and Nature 1930s to the present.
Assessment is by coursework, examinations and a Capstone research project.
E arthist@tcd.ie