The minor in Visual and Material Studies (VMS) directs students to evaluate the socio-political, artistic, and economic life of visual and material culture through exposure to a variety of methods, theories, and academic approaches within the Humanities and Social Sciences. It encompasses methodologies that promote the clear communication of ideas, the construction of rigorous arguments, the analysis of evidence, and systematic citation of previous scholarship. The minor is relevant for students with an interest in analytical writing and broad contextualization of ideas as well as constructions of race, gender, and identity that are expressed in visual and material culture. 

The VMS minor involves a competitive application process through which a limited number of candidates will be accepted per academic year.

Sample Classes:

• Reassessing Museums
• Cinematic Cities
• Capstone in VMS
• Picturing the Body Politic
• The Greening of Art