In the College of Arts and Sciences .
Course Offerings
Visual Studies Undergraduate Minor
The interdisciplinary undergraduate Visual Studies Program at Cornell University provides students with an opportunity to critically understand visual culture by investigating the practices and technologies of looking and perception. Visual Studies broadens the perspective of Art History to include forms of visual culture traditionally excluded from the category ‘art’. The field’s interdisciplinary nature comes to bear on is reflected in its interpretation of the historical and contemporary visual world as manifested in architecture, art, cinema, performance, popular culture, print and digital media, social institutions or science and technology. It encourages an integrated approach combining various perspectives such as cultural studies, gender, globalization, or race and ethnicity. Professors from outside the department regularly contribute to the course offerings.
The Program currently offers a minor, which is open to all undergraduates. Requirements for the minor include the core course, VISST 2000 - Introduction to Visual Studies , which introduces students to critical thinking about visual studies as well as close textual analysis in social and historical contexts. Responsibility for teaching the core course rotates among faculty affiliated with the minor, and the course, as much as possible, entail interdepartmental collaboration in the form of team-teaching or visiting lectures. In addition to the core course, students must take one course focused on the creation of visual material plus three additional courses at the 3000 level or above. No more than two courses from the minor may be double-counted toward a student’s major. All courses must be taken for a letter grade.
Students interested in pursuing the minor should visit the front desk at the History of Art department (GM08 Goldwin Smith Hall) to request the minor form.