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Programs

Graduate Program in Visual & Cultural Studies

An interdisciplinary program in Visual and Cultural Studies at the University of Rochester, this is one of the few programs in the country that offer graduate degrees with an emphasis on art, media, and film theory, criticism, and cultural studies. Students can earn a doctoral degree by doing intensive work in several of Rochester’s humanities departments. Primary faculty for the Visual and Cultural Studies program teach in the Departments of Art and Art History, Anthropology, English, and Modern Languages and Cultures, and at the Eastman School of Music. Students may also take courses from other departments, such as history or education, as part of their studies. The program stresses close interpretation of art, film, and media within social and historical frameworks. Students are able to relate recent developments in literary and cultural theory to visual works and to investigate the relationships between critical texts and visual culture. The graduate program encourages students not only to gain detailed knowledge about their chosen field, but also to develop critical analytical skills. Students explore culture in its social and historical context and employ a variety of critical methods and perspectives.

Information about faculty and research can be found on the Graduate Program in Visual & Cultural Studies website.

AdmissionsLink to section

Applying to Doctoral ProgramsLink to section

The program enrolls five to seven graduate students each year, and all successful applicants receive full tuition remission and a stipend for five years. Along with the online application, students must submit:

  • A statement of purpose (1–3 pages, single-spaced)
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Official undergraduate and graduate transcripts
  • A 15- to 20-page writing sample (for example: seminar paper, thesis chapter, published article)
  • GRE scores (optional)

International students must also supply TOEFL, TOEFL iBT at Home, IELTS, or Duolingo scores.

AcademicsLink to section

Master's Degrees and RequirementsLink to section

Students are normally admitted to the VCS program only for the PhD. However, in some circumstances, students will earn a terminal master’s degree. For the master’s degree, students take 40 credit hours of study (usually 10 courses), as follows:

  • The Colloquium in Visual and Cultural Studies
  • Three core courses in critical theory
  • Three core courses in visual studies
  • Three electives

In some circumstances, students will be permitted to work toward the master’s degree by taking 30 credit hours of study (seven or eight courses) and writing a thesis. In this case, the breakdown of courses is:

  • The Colloquium in Visual and Cultural Studies
  • Two or three core courses in critical theory
  • Two or three core courses in visual studies
  • One or two electives
  • Master’s thesis

Doctoral Degrees and RequirementsLink to section

Students pursuing a doctoral degree in visual and cultural studies are required to fulfill 90 credit hours of study, including 60 credit hours of coursework (normally 15 classes) and 30 credit hours in PhD research. Coursework is composed of:

  • The Colloquium in Visual and Cultural Studies (required for first-year students)
  • Four core courses in critical theory
  • Four core courses in visual studies
  • Six electives

Students are required to take a language examination, usually in a language that will be relevant to their research, and it must be successfully completed before the qualifying examination.

After completing the 90 credit hours of study, students take the qualifying examination. Under the supervision of a faculty committee (two from the VCS program and at least one from outside the program), students prepare for their qualifying exam. Preparation includes:

  • An outline of their dissertation project, a summary of what will be covered, and a description of each chapter
  • A comprehensive bibliography, divided into sections representing the main body of literature that has informed the student’s thinking
  • A draft chapter of the dissertation

The student then meets with the faculty committee to discuss the dissertation project, previous coursework, and general reading. Following the completion of the exam, the student presents the work to the other graduate students in a special seminar.

Graduate Course TitlesLink to section

As VCS is an interdisciplinary program, we do not offer our own courses beyond the VCS Colloquium. Below are course titles accepted as part of the VCS curriculum in recent years. 

  • AHST 583. VCS Colloquium (required for first-year students)
  • AHST 440. African American Cinema and Its Contexts
  • ENGL 425. American Renaissance
  • AHST 456. Arctic Vision
  • AHST 408. Cities of the World: Babylon to Brasilia
  • AHST 561. Classical Film Theory
  • ANTH 457. Contemporary Chinese Society
  • ENGL 448. Contemporary Women’s Writing
  • ENGL 465. Documentary Film and Media
  • CLTR 430. Film as Object
  • ENGL 504. Forest and City: Enclosing “Nature” in Medieval Literature
  • ENGL 429. Ideas of America
  • AHST 459. Islamic Textiles: Society, Economy, Politics
  • ENGL 406. Magic Language
  • ENGL 438. Making Modernism New Again
  • CLTR 412. Monsters, Ghosts, and Aliens
  • MUY 580. Music in the United States since WWII
  • CLTR 421. Mutilated Bodies: From Traditions to Cutting-Edge Technologies
  • AHST 475. Paper and Death/Critical Paper
  • MHS 594. Performing the Belle Époque
  • CLTR 442A. Poe and Hoffman
  • AHST 415. Seminar on Contemporary Art: Museums
  • ENGL 408. Renaissance Drama
  • CLTR 438. Revolutions and Revolt
  • CLTR 414N. Tourist Japan
  • AHST 539. Transition!Art