Unsure about my degree

I’m in Y1 at the moment, and since the beginning of the year, I’ve been considering changing my degree to something else. I study English and was considering changing to History of Art because I feel a lot more passionate for art as a subject, but I also know realistically English is probably more desirable. I like talking about literature, but I love talking and thinking about visual culture and the arts, and I’d like to pursue a career in the visual arts somehow. But I do like English and I’m good at it. What do I do?! I need to decide before the summer, or at least within the first few weeks of Y2, so I don’t lose my student funding because I can’t pay out of pocket. I’m just very stuck and uncertain and I’m afraid of making a wrong decision. Any advice is appreciated, thank you :smile:

Reply 1

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

21

Neither is "more desirable" than the other - employers generally don't care what subject you studied.

I would not focus on the employer angle because ultimately what makes a difference to employers is what work experience you gain through internships etc, what relevant transferable skills you develop at the uni (e.g. through taking on leadership/committee positions in societies etc), and more than that even really just how well you do in their battery of psychometric tests and assessment centre exercises.

As to whether you want to switch it's up to you, I'd speak to your personal tutor and the other department to understand if you can and how that process works. You may also want to explore either a) if there are joint honours courses between your two subjects or b) if you can take optional modules in the one subject while studying the other (in either "direction"). As those may also be opportunities to enable you to pursue both sides as you seem to enjoy your current subject as well but are particularly interest in history of art :smile:

Note also if you want to go into a role within the arts/heritage sector I believe it's not uncommon to do a masters in history of art after a different undergrad degree, so that is also an option in the longer term if you're unsure. Some are quite reputable in the field (e.g. the Courtauld MA and the RCA curating contemporary art MA I hear) and usually don't expect a background in history of art specifically (at masters level).

Reply 2

Anonymous #1

OP

Original post by artful_lounger

Neither is "more desirable" than the other - employers generally don't care what subject you studied.
I would not focus on the employer angle because ultimately what makes a difference to employers is what work experience you gain through internships etc, what relevant transferable skills you develop at the uni (e.g. through taking on leadership/committee positions in societies etc), and more than that even really just how well you do in their battery of psychometric tests and assessment centre exercises.
As to whether you want to switch it's up to you, I'd speak to your personal tutor and the other department to understand if you can and how that process works. You may also want to explore either a) if there are joint honours courses between your two subjects or b) if you can take optional modules in the one subject while studying the other (in either "direction"). As those may also be opportunities to enable you to pursue both sides as you seem to enjoy your current subject as well but are particularly interest in history of art :smile:

Note also if you want to go into a role within the arts/heritage sector I believe it's not uncommon to do a masters in history of art after a different undergrad degree, so that is also an option in the longer term if you're unsure. Some are quite reputable in the field (e.g. the Courtauld MA and the RCA curating contemporary art MA I hear) and usually don't expect a background in history of art specifically (at masters level).

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply! This is incredibly helpful advice. I was looking at the MA History of Art degrees recently but I was unsure whether they accepted a BA English so that’s great news— perhaps that’s the best route for me. Unfortunately my university doesn’t have a joint honours option or optional modules between the subjects, but I’d really like to stay here nonetheless because I’m very settled here. I’ll organise a meeting with my tutors to have a discussion about the change and hopefully I can get some more information! Thank you so much for the advice! :smile:

Reply 3

artful_lounger

Universities Forum Helper

21

Original post by Anonymous

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply! This is incredibly helpful advice. I was looking at the MA History of Art degrees recently but I was unsure whether they accepted a BA English so that’s great news— perhaps that’s the best route for me. Unfortunately my university doesn’t have a joint honours option or optional modules between the subjects, but I’d really like to stay here nonetheless because I’m very settled here. I’ll organise a meeting with my tutors to have a discussion about the change and hopefully I can get some more information! Thank you so much for the advice! :smile:

For example the Courtauld MA just requires "typically...a humanities or social science subject", which you would fit the bill for with either English or History of Art :smile:

You could also see if even outside of taking optional modules for credit, whether you can just sit in on lectures to "audit" them - some lecturers may permit this.

Also if you're specifically interested in studying objects and images in particular then within the context of English literature you might find a lot of interesting material focusing on medieval texts and their manuscripts/codices!

Reply 4

BCU Student Rep

Official Rep

17

Original post by Anonymous

I’m in Y1 at the moment, and since the beginning of the year, I’ve been considering changing my degree to something else. I study English and was considering changing to History of Art because I feel a lot more passionate for art as a subject, but I also know realistically English is probably more desirable. I like talking about literature, but I love talking and thinking about visual culture and the arts, and I’d like to pursue a career in the visual arts somehow. But I do like English and I’m good at it. What do I do?! I need to decide before the summer, or at least within the first few weeks of Y2, so I don’t lose my student funding because I can’t pay out of pocket. I’m just very stuck and uncertain and I’m afraid of making a wrong decision. Any advice is appreciated, thank you :smile:

Hi,

If your passion lies in visual arts and you’re considering a career in that field, switching to History of Art could be a good move, especially if you’ll enjoy it more and feel more motivated.

That said, English is definitely versatile and respected, so if you like it and are good at it, you wouldn’t be making a “wrong” choice by staying. Maybe look into whether you can take art-related modules, do a joint honours, or get involved in visual arts outside of your course (internships, societies, etc.). A good way to test this decision is to look at job options for both degrees and see which excites you more. Also, have you spoken to your uni about switching? They might be able to guide you on the process.

Hope this helps,
Danish
BCU Student Rep

Reply 5

freyaBU

Official Rep

4

Original post by Anonymous

I’m in Y1 at the moment, and since the beginning of the year, I’ve been considering changing my degree to something else. I study English and was considering changing to History of Art because I feel a lot more passionate for art as a subject, but I also know realistically English is probably more desirable. I like talking about literature, but I love talking and thinking about visual culture and the arts, and I’d like to pursue a career in the visual arts somehow. But I do like English and I’m good at it. What do I do?! I need to decide before the summer, or at least within the first few weeks of Y2, so I don’t lose my student funding because I can’t pay out of pocket. I’m just very stuck and uncertain and I’m afraid of making a wrong decision. Any advice is appreciated, thank you :smile:

What matters most is the skills you gain and the experience you build. Employers value work experience, internships, leadership roles, and transferable skills over the specific subject studied. If you feel more passionate about History of Art and want a career in the arts, switching might be the right choice. While English is versatile, studying what you love could lead to a more fulfilling path. Before making a decision, speak to your personal tutor and the department to understand the transfer process, and consider the job prospects for both degrees. Research your university’s transfer process and consult with an academic advisor to ensure a smooth transition without affecting your funding. Ultimately, studying what excites you most will keep you motivated and increase your chances of success in the long run! 😊

Reply 6

PG Study Chester

Official Rep

8

Original post by Anonymous

I’m in Y1 at the moment, and since the beginning of the year, I’ve been considering changing my degree to something else. I study English and was considering changing to History of Art because I feel a lot more passionate for art as a subject, but I also know realistically English is probably more desirable. I like talking about literature, but I love talking and thinking about visual culture and the arts, and I’d like to pursue a career in the visual arts somehow. But I do like English and I’m good at it. What do I do?! I need to decide before the summer, or at least within the first few weeks of Y2, so I don’t lose my student funding because I can’t pay out of pocket. I’m just very stuck and uncertain and I’m afraid of making a wrong decision. Any advice is appreciated, thank you :smile:

Hello,

I would say that the degree subject itself doesn't matter to an employer in your case, especially as English and History of Art are both considered humanities subjects - it isn't like transferring from a science course to an English one for example. From what I've found, employers look for the skills you have attained as part of your degree and possibly also your outcome grade. The wonderful part of English as a degree subject is that it helps you to develop a plethora of skills which are invaluable in so many different fields of employment that it is a really super degree to attain. However, the most critical decision to make is which course makes you happiest to study - where does your real interest lie? I wouldn't pursue a course purely because of what you think will be most attractive to employers, I would suggest that you study the course that you can get the most out of as this is where you will be motivated to study hard and do your best. Therefore if you really want to study History of Art over English, then perhaps change course next year.

Have you had a close look at the course that you would be studying on History of Art? Does it cover the parts of the visual arts that you are really interested in? You could compare this to the English course content for the rest of the degree.

Do remember though, you can always study History of Art as a postgraduate after an English degree. It would be worth having a browse at History of Art postgrad courses - there are so many, very nuanced degrees in the visual arts offered at postgraduate level that even if you did change course next year, you would possibly want to become more specialised and go on to study a masters anyway. Also, work experience can prove invaluable - so you could help out in galleries, or museums if there is one that is local to you and in the line of your interest.

Could you speak to your personal tutor about your thoughts? They may be able to offer you more advice that can help you decide what to do. Ultimately it is your choice, however, but whatever decision you come to will be right for you, if you really follow your gut feelings. And the postgraduate courses are always there so it won't be a 'wrong' decision.

Good luck,
Jess
PhD English
University of Chester

Reply 7

hallamstudents

Official Rep

18

Original post by Anonymous

I’m in Y1 at the moment, and since the beginning of the year, I’ve been considering changing my degree to something else. I study English and was considering changing to History of Art because I feel a lot more passionate for art as a subject, but I also know realistically English is probably more desirable. I like talking about literature, but I love talking and thinking about visual culture and the arts, and I’d like to pursue a career in the visual arts somehow. But I do like English and I’m good at it. What do I do?! I need to decide before the summer, or at least within the first few weeks of Y2, so I don’t lose my student funding because I can’t pay out of pocket. I’m just very stuck and uncertain and I’m afraid of making a wrong decision. Any advice is appreciated, thank you :smile:

Hi there,

I just thought I would comment on this to say that someone who could be really helpful to talk to is the careers team at your Uni. They can generally be quite good at offering advice with things like this, and can walk you through the careers you could potentially go into with either degree, or just help you in general.

I also agree that a masters sounds like a potentially good idea too. This is a good option and then you have an English undergrad and a more specific masters. The only thing I would look into with this is the loan system as it is a bit different to your undergrad loan.

I hope some of this helps!

Lucy -SHU student ambassador.

Unsure about my degree

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Articles for you