History of Art and English Literature
UCAS Code: VQ33
Master of Arts (with Honours) - MA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
Required subjects: A Level: English Literature or combined English at grade B.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Award of Diploma with 40 points (grades 766 at HL) - 34 points (grades 655 at HL). Required subjects: HL: English at grade 5.
Scottish Higher
These grades must be achieved by end of S5. If you haven't achieved this by the end of S5 we may consider your application based on a strong performance in S6. A minimum of BBB must be achieved in one year of S4-S6. Required subjects: Higher: English at grade B.
UCAS Tariff
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About this course
This joint honours programme permits you the opportunity to study the history of art and English literature in equal depth.
History of art will introduce you to art from different periods and world cultures. You will learn how, and for whom, works of art were made, as well as situating artworks within visual and material culture more broadly. You will explore the meanings of works of art and visual culture and the ways they continue to be interpreted.
In Years 3 and 4 you will have the opportunity to specialise in particular aspects of the field, as well as developing independent research projects and a dissertation. In Year 3 you will also have the opportunity to study abroad, if you wish.
In English literature, you will study literature written in English from all major periods in history, from medieval to postmodern. You will explore in depth a range of individual works and authors, and the historical contexts in which works of literature were created. You will learn to compare different writing styles and genres. You will also study the evolution of literary thinking and how literary works have been interpreted in different ways over time.
You will find that the subjects in this programme are complementary, since many ideas and movements are shared across the visual arts and literature, in particular historical periods. Both subjects benefit from shared methodologies and historical contexts.
Tuition fees
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Central area campus
Edinburgh College of Art

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How do students rate their degree experience?
The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
History of art, architecture and design
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
Literature in english
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.
History and archaeology
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
What do graduate employment figures really tell you?This is a category for graduates taking a wide range of courses that don’t fall neatly into a subject group, so be aware that the stats you see here may not be a very accurate guide to the outcomes for the specific course you’re interested in. Management, finance, marketing, education and jobs in the arts are some of the typical jobs for these graduates, but it's sensible to go on open days and talk to tutors about what you might expect from the course, and what previous graduates did.
English studies
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
What do graduate employment figures really tell you?What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
History of art
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£20k
£25k
£29k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
English literature
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£18k
£25k
£31k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.
While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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