Academic Skills Project - Art History

This page contains details of the ASP workshops run by the School of Art History. All workshops are aimed at a Subhonours audience. For further information and to register for these workshops, contact the School ASP Coordinator Patricia Lopez Sanchez Cervantes by email at palsc1@st-andrews.ac.uk

Programme details:

Semester 1:

Date: 23 September 2025, Time: 12:00-13.30, Facilitator: Francesca Bisi
Intended Learning Outcomes:
- Understand the core academic skills required for art history studies.
- Develop awareness of writing, research, and visual analysis expectations.
- Gain knowledge of citation and referencing conventions.
- Use the given bibliography effectively.
- Prepare for participation in tutorials.
Workshop Content:

Academic Writing
- Importance of clear and concise writing
- Essay structure and argumentation
- Developing a strong thesis statement
Visual Analysis & Critical Thinking
- Interpreting and communicating visual information
- Developing a critical eye across different media
Research and Citation
- Using academic resources effectively
- Understanding citation styles (Chicago)
- Avoiding plagiarism
Academic Integrity & Policy
- Plagiarism and the unauthorised use of AI
Date: 30 September 2025, Time 12:00 - 13:30, Facilitator - Brittany Jones
Intended Learning Outcomes:
- Understand the role of research in art history.
- Use library and electronic resources effectively.
- Evaluate and select credible academic sources.
Workshop Content:
Students will explore research tools like JSTOR, Artstor, and Oxford Art Online, and learn to critically assess museum publications and digitised collections. AI institutional policy review and academic misconduct.
Date: 7 October 2025, Time: 12:00 - 13:30, Facilitator: Brittany Jones
Intended Learning Outcomes:
- Develop strategies for analyzing modern visual culture.
- Engage with abstract, conceptual, and politically engaged art.
- Apply theoretical perspectives (e.g., feminism, postcolonialism).
Workshop Content:
Work with artworks from the 19th–21st centuries. Discuss media, context, and the museum/archive as source. Emphasis on using both visual and textual evidence.
Date: 9 October 2025, Time: 12:00 - 13:30. Facilitator: Francesca Bisi
Intended Learning Outcomes:
- Understand the analysis of ancient visual materials in context.
- Identify elements like iconography, function, and materiality.
- Use archaeological and historical frameworks in interpretation.
Workshop Content:
Focus on sculpture, architecture, and material culture. Explore formal qualities and symbolic meanings, and how these relate to primary sources and historical evidence.
Date: 14 October 2025, Time: 12:00 - 13:30, Facilitator: Amy Hopkins
Intended Learning Outcomes:
- Construct strong arguments suited to ancient or modern modules.
- Write clear thesis statements and organise essays effectively.
- Use visual analysis and research in support of arguments.
- Adapt writing tone and evidence for different historical materials.
Workshop Content:
One combined session that presents shared principles of academic writing, then examines the different demands of Ancient vs. Modern art history:
- Ancient track: Emphasis on close visual description, material culture, and contextual research.
- Modern track: Engagement with theory, criticism, and primary/archival sources.
  Students will compare examples and draft argument structures relevant to their own modules.
- Academic misconduct school policies
Date: 4 November 2025, Time: 12:00 - 13:30, Facilitator: Amy Hopkins
Intended Learning Outcomes:
- Use the Chicago Style (Notes and Bibliography) citation format confidently.
- Integrate quotations and references into written work.
- Identify and reference appropriate primary sources.
Workshop Content:
Includes citation correction exercises and examples drawn from both ancient and modern modules. Reinforces principles of academic integrity.
Date: 11 November 2025, Time: 12:00 - 13:30, Facilitator: Brittany Jones
Intended Learning Outcomes:
- Work with primary visual/archival materials effectively.
- Construct scholarly interpretations grounded in evidence.
- Understand museum and archive practices.
Workshop Content:
Focuses on object analysis, digitized collections, and the role of provenance and context. Students will examine and write about selected visual materials. This workshop is ideal for integrating the various skills developed during the term and preparing for the final paper.
Date: 18 November 2025, Time, 12:00 - 13:30, Facilitator: Francesca Bisi
Intended Learning Outcomes:
- Understand and apply essay feedback to improve work.
- Recognise common issues and how to address them.
- Prepare strategically for final exam essays.
Workshop Content:
Students review anonymised feedback and revise sample excerpts. Discussion includes writing under timed conditions and expectations for final exams.

Academic Skills Project - Art History

Programme details:

Semester 1:

Week 2: Foundations for Art History Success

Week 3: Research Methodology: What is a Good Source and How to Use It.

Week 4: Visual Analysis: Approaches to Modern and Contemporary Art

Week 4: Visual Analysis: Approaches to Ancient Art

Week 5: Write Better: Structure and Arguments (Ancient and Modern)

Week 8: Citing and Quoting in Art History

Week 9: From Primary Source to Interpretation: Working with Visual and Archival Materials

Week 10: Learning from your Essay Feedback and Preparing for the Final Exam