Sights and Sites (V4136)

30 credits, Level 4

Spring teaching

On this module, you’ll gain an introduction to field study, preparing for further on-site research. You’ll visit a range of sites, including:

• sites designed to present works of art – such as museums and galleries
• buildings and sites with other sacred, historical, social or architectural significance
• artists’ houses and studios.

Through in-person observation and analysis, you’ll cultivate your spatial analysis skills. You’ll also identify and question different aspects of a site, including:

• how it was made and what materials were used
• what its cultural role is
• what kind of labour is required to maintain or operate it
• how we might interpret it through different aesthetic and conceptual frameworks.

You’ll explore a site’s relationship to the built environment and landscape. You’ll consider the professional roles it might require related to planning, curation, conservation and environmentalism.

Contact hours and workload

This module is approximately 300 hours of work. This breaks down into about 55 hours of contact time and about 245 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We’re planning to run these modules in the academic year 2026/27. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum.

We’ll make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.

Courses

This module is offered on the following courses:

• Art History (with a professional placement year) BA
• Art History BA
• Art History and Film Studies BA
• English and Art History BA