Visual Cultures, Graduate/Professional Certificate

Program Overview

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The Graduate/Professional Certificate in Visual Cultures provides comprehensive training in the study of visual culture, examining its social construction and role in shaping society. Through required and elective coursework, students develop critical abilities, research skills, and proficiency in analyzing and presenting original research in visual formats. The program prepares graduates for careers in academia, research, curating, art criticism, and other fields requiring a deep understanding of visual culture.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

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Overview:

The Graduate/Professional Certificate in Visual Cultures aims to provide students with comprehensive training in the study of visual cultures. This interdisciplinary field examines the social construction of the visual and its role in shaping our social world. Visual culture studies distinguish itself from other related disciplines through its expansive focus on various visual cultural artifacts and practices and its emphasis on power relations marked by race, gender, disability, and nationality.

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Objectives:

• Develop a profound understanding of the history, theories, and methods of Visual Culture as a field of study.
• Enhance critical abilities in working with and developing Visual Culture theories and methods.
• Foster the capacity to conduct original research in Visual Culture.
• Develop proficiency in applying Visual Culture theories and methods to analyze and present original research effectively through oral, written, and visual formats.
• Cultivate critical analytic, rhetorical, and technical skills necessary for successful communication of original research in Visual Culture.

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Program Description:

The Graduate/Professional Certificate in Visual Cultures is a research-driven program. Course selection should align with students' professional development goals. To earn the certificate, students must complete 9 graduate-level credits, including required and elective coursework, while maintaining a GPA of 3.0 (4.0 basis).

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Outline:

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Course List:

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Required Courses (Complete both):

• ART HIST/AFROAMER 801: Historiography, Theory and Methods in Visual Culture (3 credits)
• ART HIST/AFROAMER 802: Visual Cultures: Topics in Visual Cultures (3 credits)

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Electives (Complete at least 3 credits):

• ASIAN 763: Studies in Japanese Literature (3 credits)
• ART HIST 355: History of Photography (3 credits)
• ART 470: Special Topics in 4D Art (3 credits)
• AFROAMER/GEN&WS 679: Visual Culture, Gender and Critical Race Theory (3 credits)
• GEN&WS 340: Topics in LGBTQ Sexuality (3 credits)
• GEN&WS 371: Disability and Gender in Film (3 credits)
• GEOG 501: Space and Place: A Geography of Experience (3 credits)
• DS 642: Taste (3 credits)
• COM ARTS 451: Television Criticism (3 credits)
• ART HIST/ASIAN 428: Visual Cultures of India (3 credits)
• ART HIST 506: Curatorial Studies Exhibition Practice (3 credits)
• ART HIST/ASIAN 621: Mapping, Making, and Representing Colonial Spaces (3 credits)
• ART HIST 810: Seminar in Islamic Art and Architecture (3 credits)
• GEN&WS 343: Queer Bodies (3 credits)
• GEN&WS 372: Visualizing Bodies (3 credits)
• GEN&WS 412: Contemporary Queer Art and Visual Culture (3 credits)
• GEN&WS/AFROAMER 679: Visual Culture, Gender and Critical Race Theory (3 credits)
• SPANISH 564: Theory and Practice of Hispanic Theatre (3 credits)
• SPANISH 882: Seminar in Hispanic Culture (3 credits)
• ASIAN 833: Topics in East Asian Visual Cultures (3 credits)
• AFROAMER 669: Interdisciplinary Studies in the Arts (3 credits)
• AFROAMER 675: Selected Topics in Afro-American Culture (3 credits)
• AFROAMER/AFRICAN 813: Contemporary African and Caribbean Drama (3 credits)
• GEOG 575: Interactive Cartography & Geovisualization (3 credits)
• ENGL 826: Topics in Digital Studies (3 credits)
• ENGL 851: Advanced Studies In Theatre and Performance Studies Research (3 credits)
• ENGL 859: Seminar-Interdisciplinary Theatre Studies (3 credits)

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Note:

Substitutions for ART HIST/AFROAMER 801 may be available. Contact the CVC director for more information.

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Assessment:

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Learning Outcomes:

• Demonstrate comprehension of the history, theories, and methods of Visual Culture as a field of study as they are practiced in the field.
• Show critical ability to work with and develop Visual Culture theories and methods.
• Develop capacity to conduct original research in Visual Culture.
• Display ability to work with Visual Culture theories and methods in the analysis and presentation of original research which may take oral, written, and visual forms.
• Develop the critical analytic, rhetorical, and technical skills necessary to effectively communicate original research in Visual Culture.

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Teaching:

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Teaching Methods:

The program incorporates a combination of teaching methods, including lectures, discussions, workshops, and independent research.

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Faculty:

The program is led by a steering committee composed of esteemed faculty members from various departments across the university, including:

• Faisal Abdu’Allah (Art)
• Mercedes Alcalá-Galán (Spanish and Portuguese)
• Jill Casid (Visual Culture/Art History)
• Christine Garlough (Gender and Women's Studies)
• Eric Hoyt (Media and Cultural Studies/Communication Arts)
• Adam Kern (Visual Culture/East Asian Languages and Literature)
• Sarah Ann Wells (Comparative Literature)
• Keith Woodward (Geography)

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Careers:

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Potential Career Paths:

The program prepares students for careers in academia, research, curating, art criticism, media production, and other fields that require a deep understanding of visual culture.