University course · real outcomes from HESA / Discover Uni · part of Careermash

University degree

Philosophy and Art History

The University of Essex

Qualification

Degree

Length

5 yrs

UK fees / yr

£9,535

Study

full-time

Worth knowing: about 30% of students don't make it past first year here - ask the uni what support they offer.

Ottalie · your guide

Here's the honest picture on this course - what you'd study, whether you'd likely get in, what it pays, and where it leads. Everything's real data.

About this course

Philosophy and art history is a pairing that addresses some of the most enduring questions about human creativity, aesthetic experience, and the nature of knowledge. Philosophy asks what makes a judgement rational, what the foundations of ethical and aesthetic values are, and what the relationship between mind, language, and reality consists of. Art history asks how visual and material objects have been made, what meanings they have carried in different cultural and historical contexts, and how we learn to see and interpret works of art with critical and historical depth.

The two disciplines are not merely compatible: they are deeply connected, because questions about aesthetic value, the nature of representation, and the relationship between art and truth are simultaneously philosophical and art historical.

At the University of Essex, this five-year programme includes a foundation year and a year abroad, as indicated in the title. The five-year structure gives you time to develop both disciplines at depth, with the foundation year providing a strong academic grounding before the main degree begins and the year abroad giving you the opportunity to study philosophy and art history in a different cultural and academic environment. Essex has a distinguished philosophy department known for its rigorous analytical tradition, and an art history programme that emphasises the critical analysis of visual culture in its social and historical contexts.

A typical entry tariff of 120 points reflects the programme's broad accessibility, and the five-year structure is designed to develop students progressively to a high level of sophistication in both disciplines. Graduates work in art galleries and museums, arts administration, journalism, education, the heritage sector, creative industries, research, and the civil service. The combination of philosophical rigour and visual and cultural knowledge is valued across many professional contexts.

Postgraduate study in philosophy, art history, or visual culture is a natural next step.

Could you get in?

The grades students arrived with

64-79 pts5%

80-95 pts10%

96-111 pts15%

112-127 pts25%

128-143 pts15%

144-159 pts15%

160-175 pts5%

176-191 pts5%

How they qualified

85% got in with A-levels. The rest came in a mix of ways:

A-levels85%

other higher education10%

no formal qualifications5%

Other5%

Could I get in? Try your grades

120 UCAS pts

Pay & prospects

80%

In work or further study after

70%

Continue past first year

90%

Student satisfaction

What graduates earn over time

£23,500

3 years on

£29,000

5 years on

What graduates actually go on to do % of leavers

Teaching ProfessionalsHighly skilled15%

Administrative occupations20%

Business and public service associate professionalsHighly skilled10%

Caring personal services5%

Customer service occupations5%

Natural and social science professionalsHighly skilled5%

Information Technology ProfessionalsHighly skilled5%

Welfare and housing associate professionalsHighly skilled5%

What students say National Student Survey

90%

of students are satisfied with the course overall

Teaching93%

Assessment & feedback82%

Academic support86%

Well organised92%

Learning resources92%

Student community89%

In students' own words

★★★★★

Genuinely worthwhile

This is the perfect place to study this subject. The best part: the cohort are bright and motivated, which makes the learning environment great. If I'm honest, first-year classes can be quite large. On the city — local cost of living is man…

Class of 2022 · Part-time

★★★★★

Exceeded expectations

I've grown so much academically and personally here. The best part: access to facilities (workshop, equipment, specialist software) is genuinely first-rate. If I'm honest, accommodation allocation was stressful in the first year. On the cit…

Class of 2024 · Full-time

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