Arts and humanities at Birkbeck are ranked fifth best in London, 18th in the UK and 87th globally in the 2019 Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject. Graduates in other fields can achieve professional standards of practice and understanding of the industry. We have a state-of-the art cinema and exhibition spaces, all housed in a historic building that was a former home to key members of the Bloomsbury Group, including the author Virginia Woolf and the artist Vanessa Bell. The School is also actively involved in a number of College-wide institutes specifically designed to foster work across disciplines at Birkbeck such as Birkbeck Institute for the Moving Image. The Department hosts a range of events including information evenings for prospective students; the annual Murray Lecture where speakers have included Penelope Curtis, director of Tate Britain, and Neil McGregor, director of the British Museum; and exhibitions and displays at the Peltz Gallery, the School of Arts' purpose-built exhibition space.

To be considered for direct entry to a Master's degree at Birkbeck, you will normally be required to have successfully completed a Bakalavr/Specialist Diploma from a recognised university with a minimum final grade of 3.5 for programmes requiring a UK 2:2