The first part of this module is structured around the following four blocks, each utilising clusters of texts, images, and sound and vision in a similar way to MA in Art History part 1 (A843). The second part involves proposing, researching and writing the dissertation.
Block 1: Putting Standpoints into Practice
This block draws together issues from across MA Art History part 1 (A843) by exploring some ‘real world' implications, focusing on controversies within the field of professional practice and the intersection between academic art history and other areas with which art historians engage. It completes the turn from the investigation of art history through art-historical writing (explored in A843) towards debates around the everyday practices of art history. You'll gain an awareness of professional practices in the field of art history and begin to envisage the possible implications of this for your dissertation research as well as potential career or community-related development. You'll be encouraged to discuss relevant experiences through online forums and tutorial activities. During your study of the block, you'll work on set texts and other sources, such as interviews and public documents related to the main, interrelated themes addressed by the following three blocks.
Block 2: The Image and its Publics
This block will use Jürgen Habermas’s notion of the public sphere to explore both individually and mass-produced images. It will pay close attention to the contexts of image-making: how and why images are created and circulated, and how they are viewed. These issues will be considered in various historical contexts and in contemporary culture. The block will focus on how technological advancements alter the ways viewers engage with the original work of art and its reproductions. While Section 1 will provide a historical introduction to the reception and circulation of images, the later sections will examine the controversies that arose around issues of reproducibility in the age of mechanical reproduction, the advent of photography, and the role images play today in the digital age.
Block 3: Inhabiting Space
This block is informed by ‘the spatial turn’ in the humanities and will provide you with an in-depth analysis of three-dimensional design through exploring landscapes, buildings and interiors. It will introduce you to ideas of ‘space’ both as abstract form and as lived, everyday experience, providing the spatial context of society and culture at various periods. It leads on from the previous block in examining issues of public and private, but will extend the discussion from the context of print into that of the designed environment. The theme of how space is perceived and occupied according to gender will be a particular focus.
Block 4: Research in the Visual Arts
Drawing on the variety of ‘contexts’ presented in the module, the final block will bring together previous strands to extend the discussion of art history as a discipline beyond its traditional scope. More recent approaches have explored categories of the visual and material that have demystified the role of the artist and challenged the notion of what is an art object and who can produce art. The results of such practices will allow you to view visual and material culture as a broad field in which the categories of art include new media, reconsidered objects and makers, and art well beyond the gallery context.
This module offers excellent preparation for applying art historical training to various areas of employment, as it explicitly addresses issues surrounding the public role and presentation of the visual arts in the context of contemporary art and heritage policy and practice. When combined with the art history part 1 module, the qualification provides the skills, knowledge and awareness not only for scholarly research but also for employment in the creative arts and in the area of cultural policy.
You will have a tutor who will help you with the study material and mark and comment on your written work, and whom you can ask for advice and guidance. The module will be taught by means of online forums and tutorials. You will also receive tuition for your dissertation in the form of support with formulating your topic and comments on a draft chapter.
Contact us if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.
Course work includes:
All the necessary teaching is included in the study material, which is delivered online. Links to appropriate online journals and research databases are also provided via the OU Library. The Library provides access to a wide range of materials, including some ebooks.
You will need access to a research library, whether a university library or a good public library.
MA Art History part 2 starts once a year – in October.
This page describes the module that will start in October 2026, when we expect it to start for the last time.
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the academic regulations, which are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.
In order to study this module, you must have successfully completed MA in Art History part 1 (A843).
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the module, please speak to an adviser
The following texts are recommended as preliminary reading for this module:
Written transcripts of any audio components and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) versions of printed material are available. Some Adobe PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader (and where applicable: musical notation and mathematical, scientific, and foreign language materials may be particularly difficult to read in this way). Other alternative formats of the module materials may be available in the future.
One of the learning outcomes for this module is for you to develop the ability to exercise powers of visual discrimination by direct engagement with works of art. If you are blind or severely partially sighted, you will experience difficulty in achieving this learning outcome. However, if you have a background in art history gained whilst usefully sighted, you will be able to draw upon this experience. Reproductions of works of art will be available in electronic format. You will be able to magnify these reproductions within the limits of standard computer applications, but no textual descriptions or alternative formats of reproductions will be available, and the use of a sighted assistant to interpret the works of art would conflict with the required learning outcome. If you are blind or partially sighted, you are encouraged to contact us for advice before registering for this module.
| Start | End | Register by | England fee |
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| 03 Oct 2026 | 31 Oct 2027 | 17 Sep 2026 | Not yet available* |
| *This start date is open for pre-booking, which means you can reserve your place ahead of the fees being confirmed. We’ll publish updated 2026/27 fees and funding information in late March 2026. |
There may be extra costs on top of the tuition fee, such as set books, a computer and internet access.
If your income is not more than £25,000 or you receive a qualifying benefit, you might be eligible for help with some of these costs after your module has started.
There may be extra costs on top of the tuition fee, such as set books, a computer and internet access.
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to support your study costs. To find out more, see Postgraduate loans in England.
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to help with your tuition fees. To find out more, see Postgraduate tuition fee loans in Northern Ireland.
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to help with your tuition fees. To find out more, see Postgraduate loans in Scotland.
If you study this module as part of an eligible qualification, you can apply for a postgraduate loan to support your study costs. To find out more, see Postgraduate loans in Wales.
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