Art History - History of Art - Conversion Course

This HDip is ideal for individuals who:

have an active interest in the history of art but do not already possess a degree in the discipline;

are currently employed in some branch of the arts and wish to obtain an academic qualification in the area;

require a conversion course to apply for graduate study in art history such as the taught MA in Art History or the MRes/MPhil/PhD research degrees at UCC. (Note that completion of the HDip does not guarantee a place on a graduate course.)

This is a full-time course, taken over one academic year, during which you will take courses in the history of art to the equivalent of 60 credits.

Part-time option

For the two-year part-time option, you will take courses to the equivalent of 30 credits in each year. The part-time option will be taught during weekday working hours over 2 years.

The HDip programme is made up of modules from the second- and third-year courses in the BA degree. You will choose 60 credits in consultation with the course coordinator, taking into account timetable constraints and suitability of course combinations.

Course Practicalities
Full-time: Depending on the modules selected, class contact time in lectures and seminars will be approximately 12 hours per week. If possible optional weekend study tours to Florence, London, Paris, Amsterdam and Rome are also planned.

Part-time: Depending on modules selected, class contact time in lectures and seminars will be approximately 6 hours per week. If possible optional weekend study tours to Florence, London, Paris, Amsterdam and Rome are also planned.

Lectures and tutorials are mandatory, while field trips within and outside Ireland are optional

Modules

HA2003 Modernism in Europe - Semester 1 (5 credits)
HA2005 Art & Patronage in Renaissance Italy - Semester 2 (5 credits)
HA2009 Creator & Subject: Themes in Portraiture - Semester 2 (5 credits)
HA2011 From Modernism to Postmodernism - Semester 1 (5 credits)
HA2012 The History of Art History & Method - Semester 2 (5 credits)
HA2013 Representations - Semester 2 (5 credits)
HA2014 People & Places - Semester 1 (5 credits)
HA2017 Legible/Visible: Art & Interpretation - Semester 1 (5 credits)
HA2022 Extended Essay 1 - Semester 1 (5 credits)
HA2023 Extended Essay 2 - Semester 2 (5 credits)
HA3005 Roma Caput Mundi - Semester 1 (5 credits)
HA3006 The Art of the Academy in the 19th Century - Semester 2 (5 credits)
HA3013 Supervised Research Project - Full Year (10 credits)
HA3015 Approaches to the History of Art - Semester 2 (5 credits)
HA3020 Themes in Italian Baroque Art - Semester 2 (5 credits)
HA3023 Themes in Modern Art - Semester 1 (5 credits)
HA3027 Special Studies Seminar - Semester 2 (5 credits)
HA3028 Global Artistic Interventions - Semester 1 (5 credits)
HA3029 Art & Gender Identities - Semester 1 (5 credits)
Consult the Academic Calendar (HDip Arts) for more information on the Higher Diploma in Arts programme at UCC.

See our History of Art page for information on this HDip Arts - History of Art programme.

Modules

Further details on the modules listed above can be found in our Book of Modules. Any modules listed above are indicative of the current set of modules for this course but are subject to change from year to year.

University Calendar

You can find the full academic content for the current year of any given course in our University Calendar.

It is intended for those who already have a 3 or 4 year primary degree, preferably in the area of Arts or the Sciences, and who wish to study the subject History of Art intensively over one academic year. The Higher Diploma in Arts is a conversion programme and applicants would not normally have studied the relevant subject to Honours Degree level previously.

English Language Requirements
Applicants that are non-native speakers of the English language must meet the university approved English language requirements available at https://www.ucc.ie/en/study/comparison/english/postgraduate/

For applicants with qualifications completed outside of Ireland
Applicants must meet the required entry academic grade, equivalent to Irish requirements, available at https://www.ucc.ie/en/study/comparison/

International/non-EU applicants
For full details of the non-EU application procedure please visit our how to apply pages for international students. In UCC, we use the term programme and course interchangeably to describe what a person has registered to study in UCC and its constituent colleges, schools, and departments.

Not all courses are open to international/non-EU applicants, please check the fact file above.

For more information please contact the International Office.

The closing date for non-EU applications is 30 June 2023

How Do I Apply
1. Check Dates: Check the opening and closing dates for the application process in the fact file boxes at the top of the page.

For Irish and EU applicants we operate a rounds system and you can check the rounds closing dates here.
Note that not all our programmes are subject to the rounds system so check the opening and closing dates for your specific programme in the fact file boxes above.

2. Gather Documents: Scanned copies of supporting documents have to be uploaded to the UCC online application portal and include:

Original qualification documents listed on your application including transcripts of results from institutions other than UCC;
Any supplementary items requested for your course if required.

3. Apply Online: Apply online via the UCC online application portal. Note the majority of our courses have a non-refundable €50 application fee.

Any questions? Use our web enquiry form to contact us.

Assessment is based partly on written assignments, consisting of critical research essays ranging from 2,000 to 2,500 words in addition to class tests and some degree exams.

Higher Diploma 60 ECTS credits

1 year full-time, 2 years part-time.

Start Date: 7 September 2020

Skills and Careers Information
The Higher Diploma in the History of Art guarantees you a high level of visual literacy and critical awareness which, combined with fluent verbal and written skills, are highly desirable when pursuing a career in the following fields

journalism, media, and film
museum and gallery work
teaching and research
design and fashion
advertising and public relations
the heritage industry and cultural tourism
information technology and the Internet
arts administration
art market, auction houses, and antiques consultancy work