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AH10070

Academic Year 2026/2027

Dublin: Its Museums and Collections (AH10070)

Subject:
Art History
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
Art History & Cultural Policy
Level:
1 (Introductory)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Assoc Professor Conor Lucey
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module will be team-taught by lecturers in the School of Art History & Cultural Policy. Dublin is home to a rich variety of museums; its collections survey the entire history of Irish art but also include outstanding examples of European and non-Western art. The city and its environs is itself renowned for its architecture and sculpture. Over the course of two lectures per week, this module will foster an enhanced appreciation of, and a direct engagement with, local art works and monuments among students who are not majoring in art history. Although short readings will be assigned, the principal demand made upon students outside of class hours will be to visit local sites/ collections relevant to material discussed in class. Assessment will be in the form of a mid-term written assignment and an end-of-term visual test. Please note: this module is introductory in nature, and aimed at students with no previous experience of art history.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

Upon completion of this module, students will be able to demonstrate:
1. A basic familiarity with the city's principal museums.
2. A critical awareness of the history of these institutions, and the way in which their architecture and display strategies colour the experience of works often made and originally shown in very different settings.
3. A basic understanding of several different periods of art across several media.

Indicative Module Content:

The exact content of this module varies each year as the works addressed must be on public view in Dublin's museums. It generally runs from the pre-historic gold on view in the National Museum through the architecture of recent additions to the city's museum buildings. Although much of the art addressed is Irish, European painting and Asian art are also always included.

UNESCO highlights a set of key competencies that support individuals in their development and support society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD has adapted these competencies and is combining them with others to form a general framework of learning competencies. This module will help you develop the competencies below to the levels specified. 
Learning Competency Additional Information Level

Critical Thinking

 The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions. Proficient

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


Goal Name Description Coverage

Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development 1
 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

20
Specified Learning Activities

40
Autonomous Student Learning

40
Total

100

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This is primarily a lecture class, although there are frequent opportunities for class discussion. All submitted assignments should be original, non-plagiarised work without recourse to AI tools (these are unreliable, will not help you learn, and will not prepare you for the end-of-term exam).

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Incompatibles:
AH10120 - The Art of Renaissance, AH10130 - Ancient & Medieval World, AH10140 - The Baroque to Romanticism, AH10150 - The Modern World, AH10160 - Art History in the Making, AH1025 - Antiquity to Renaissance, AH10250 - Antiquity to Renaissance, AH1025E - Antiquity to Renaissance, AH20200 - The Modern to the Contemporary, AH20230 - European Architecture, AH30010 - Writings on Art, AH30080 - Art History Dissertation Modul


 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Assignment(Including Essay): Mid-term essay Week 9 Graded No
50
 No
Exam (In-person): This is a visual test that will take place in the last teaching slot of the term. Week 12 Graded No
50
 No

Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Students have the opportunity to discuss the written feedback on their essays

Name Role
Ms Carla Briggs Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
Mr Mark Tully Lecturer / Co-Lecturer
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