The Doctoral Minor in Visual Cultures is intended for PhD students from across the university who desire training in the study of visual cultures. This transdisciplinary field analyzes the social construction of the visual as well as how the visual creates our social world. Visual culture studies differs from other related disciplines in two ways: first, its field of inquiry includes an expansive array of visual cultural artifacts and practices; and, second, its methodologies focus on the constitution of power relations through visual markers of race, gender, disability, and nationality. As the world continues to become increasingly understood through, and reliant on, the visual (the internet, films, television, scientific graphs, data visualization, video games, and advertisements), the need for people trained with the ability to critically interpret, create, and evaluate those mediums is essential. 

Admissions

To apply, applicants must complete and submit the following document to cvc@mailplus.wisc.edu:

• Declaration form

Applicants may contact the faculty director for questions (refer to contact information box).

All Graduate School students must utilize the Graduate Student Portal in MyUW to add, change, or discontinue any doctoral minor. To apply to this minor, log in to MyUW, click on Graduate Student Portal, and then click on Add/Change Programs. Select the information for the doctoral minor for which you are applying.

Requirements

Grade Requirement

Students must complete 9 graduate-level credits in a combination of required and elective coursework, with a GPA of 3.0 (4.0 basis) and submit the assessment form, including a portfolio and essay.

Required Courses

The doctoral minor in Visual Cultures is research-driven. Coursework should contribute to a student's professional development.

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Substitutions for this course may be available, contact the CVC director for more information.