Visual and Art History is a six-course major available to students in the Humanities Faculty studying towards a BA degree. The courses provide an opportunity to study both the history of the fine arts and the history of other key visual traditions and cultures, including architecture, interior and industrial design and dress.
This thematic breadth and historical emphasis gives it an exceptionally wide reference in relation to other Humanities subjects, and positions it as an ideal major for those considering second majors in the fields of film and media, English literature, classics and foreign languages, sociology, political studies, philosophy and social anthropology.
Michaelis currently offers the following Art History degrees:
Bachelor of Arts
Visual and Art History is a six-course major available to students in the Humanities Faculty studying towards a BA degree. The courses provide an opportunity to study both the history of the fine arts (painting, sculpture, drawings, prints and photography) and the history of other key visual traditions and cultures, including architecture, interior and industrial design and dress. This thematic breadth and historical emphasis gives it an exceptionally wide reference in relation to other Humanities subjects, and positions it as an ideal major for those considering second majors in the fields of film and media, English literature, classics and foreign languages, sociology, political studies, philosophy and social anthropology.
Honours in Art Historical Studies
The Honours in Art Historical Studies is specifically designed for those interested in pursuing advanced study of critical debates pertaining to art history, art criticism and visual culture. This thematic breadth and historical emphasis give it an exceptionally wide reference in relation to other Humanities subjects, and positions it as an ideal major for those considering second majors in the fields of film and media, English literature, classics and foreign languages, sociology, political studies, philosophy and social anthropology. With an emphasis on independent research and writing, it includes coursework and examination is by way of an accompanying mini dissertation.
- Admission requirements for Honours courses:
- Faculty requirements are set out under Rules FH3 and FM3 in the Postgraduate student handbook, see downloads.
- Programme requirements:
- A major in Art History and Discourse of Art or in a cognate discipline;
- Acceptance is on the recommendation of the Head of Department.
Research Master’s
Applicants must have the required academic background and submit an acceptable research proposal for which supervision is available. In Fine Art the application should include presentation of a body of work integral to the proposed course of study. The proposal should indicate the candidate’s plans for executing and presenting his or her creative work. A candidate for Art Historical Studies should have at least an upper-second-class pass in Art History honours or honours in a cognate field.
Acceptance is on the recommendation of the Head of Department and selection is based on the assessment of the research proposal and the availability of suitable supervision.
Examination is by thesis. In Fine Art the thesis may incorporate creative work integral to the overall argument. The creative work may comprise an original portfolio, installation or other audio-visual display, which together with the written component of not less than 40,000 words, forms a coherent whole. Otherwise a PhD thesis should not exceed 80,000 words.
Masters in Art Historical Studies
For candidates wishing to undertake advanced study in an aspect of art history. This programme develops the ability to conduct independent research in an area of choice, with a methodology appropriate to the project. The programme includes reading groups, seminars, annual progress reviews and excursions to institutions in and around Cape Town.
Masters in Critical Practice and Curatorial Studies
The MA specialising in Critical Practice and Curatorial Studies is a research-based, seminar-led programme that advances radical imaginings of curatorial and critical futures from the position of the global south. With an emphasis on the intersections between politics, philosophy, theory and/or visual cultures, the programme advances curatorship and critical practice as innovative research methodologies and discursive infrastructures. The programme questions what it is that is labelled as practice, opening up the field to a variety of forms and possibilities. The course locates practice and curation as a form of knowledge production, with a particular focus on previously marginalised knowledge systems as resources for transformational possibilities. The programme, for instance, pushes the boundaries beyond the conception of curation as merely a display of objects and searches beyond exhibition un/making. It is envisioned as exchange. Curation in this course is presented as a far-reaching analysis of spatial and social dynamics. We will interrogate the ways in which curatorial and critical practice can advance and inform artistic and social epistemes beyond mere after-the-fact reflection. Candidates can choose to embark on a practice-based or theory-based approach to the course, with the aim to rethink the nature of curatorial and practical outputs.
Master of Art in Fine Art
For candidates wishing to undertake advanced study in an aspect of art history, contemporary art discourse and cognate fields. This programme develops the ability to conduct independent research in an area of choice, with a methodology appropriate to the project. The programme includes reading groups, regular seminars, annual progress reviews and excursions to institutions in and around Cape Town.