MAJOR DESCRIPTION

& FLOWCHART
AS OF DECEMBER, 2022
 ART AND MEDIA STUDIES
Description

The Art and Media Studies major offers a theoretically rigorous and socially engaged approach to the examination of
aesthetic expression, situating the arts as an important tool for inquiry into the human condition and as a lever to
transform the contemporary world. Students in this inherently interdisciplinary major may also integrate methods
from a range of related disciplines (including computer sciences, economics, psychology, and anthropology) to
historicize, analyze, theorize, and produce works of art in a variety of media. This approach equips future artists,
scholars, curators, and cultural producers with the skills to critique and create works addressing social, cultural, and
ethical issues on local and global levels. A common introductory course emphasizes the importance of studying visual
culture as a key means of understanding the world in which we live. Other foundational, intermediate, and advanced
courses lead, with increasingly specialized study, to deepening knowledge in one or more disciplinary or creative areas,
such as art history, film and media studies, photography, and visual and performing arts. Course offerings draw widely
from the creative energy of Vietnam, a growing cultural and artistic hub in Southeast Asia.

Learning Outcomes

Students in the Art and Media Studies major will be able to:

1. Demonstrate visual literacy by explaining how images and works of art are used as a medium of
communication, expression, and representation.
2. Identify important artistic figures, works, and movements.
3. Analyze and evaluate works of art and film using theories and methods from art history, film studies, and
performance and media studies.
4. Communicate their interpretations of works of art and film clearly and persuasively in verbal and written
form.
5. Apply practical and creative skills in film and digital media production, performance, curating, and/or studio
art.

Mapping of Learning Outcomes

LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4 LO5

Foundation (Theory & History) I I I I I
Foundation (Practicum) I I I I I
Intermediate (Theory & History) R R R R I/ R
Intermediate (Practicum) R I/R I/R R R
Advanced (Theory & History) M M M M R
Advanced (Practicum) M R R M M
Capstone M M M M M

Degree Requirements

A Bachelor of Arts in Art and Media Studies is awarded following the successful completion of:
 • 5 Core courses (20 credits) and 8 Exploratory courses (32 credits), of which up to two Exploratory courses (8
credits) can be counted towards the major.
• Fulbright Seminars (4 credits, optional) and Experiential Learning (4 – 12 credits).
• Introduction to Visual Studies (4 credits).
• 3 foundational (100-level) courses, two of which must be chosen from: Introduction to Art History and
Theory; Introduction to Film History and Theory; or Introduction to Photography History and Theory
(12 credits).
• 3 intermediate (200-level) courses (12 credits).
• 3 advanced (300-level) courses (12 credits).
• Capstone I OR an additional Art & Media Studies course at any level (4 credits).
• Capstone II OR an additional Art & Media Studies course at 300-level (4 credits).

Sample Student Journey

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4
Core Courses Core Courses Fulbright Seminars Advanced Courses
Exploratory Courses Exploratory Courses Experiential Learning Capstone I
Introduction to Visual Introduction to Art Intermediate Courses Capstone II
Studies* History and Theory Advanced Course Electives
Introduction to Film Foundational Course Electives
History & Theory* Intermediate Course

* Can be counted toward the Exploratory requirement

Major Outline

Introduction to Visual Studies:

This course introduces students from a variety of backgrounds and interests to interdisciplinary approaches to visual
studies, culture, and theory. The course focuses on building skills specific to the study of the visual realm
and providing a sound foundation in relevant theories such as technologies of vision, surveillance, the gaze, agency,
semiology, the exhibitionary order, and cinema and spectatorship. This skill set is crucial to analyzing, interpreting,
and historicizing various forms of art, including the fine arts, such as painting and sculpture, and popular art and
media, such as advertising, television, and social media. This introductory course is a prerequisite to all intermediate
and advanced courses in the major.

Foundational (100-level) Courses:

Foundational courses provide students with a sound basis of knowledge about the history, theory, and practice of art,
film, photography, and other media-based and performing arts. In addition to a 100-level course of their choice,
students must take two of the following options, for which Introduction to Visual Studies is a prerequisite:

1. Introduction to Art History and Theory

2. Introduction to Film History and Theory
3. Introduction to Photography History and Theory
Other Sample Introductory Courses:
• Video and Film Production
• Dance and Performance Production
•
• 2D/3D Foundations

Intermediate (200-level) Courses:

Intermediate courses build on foundational knowledge and skills to provide more topical surveys, to develop practical
skills, and to hone abilities in analysis, interpretation, and critical argumentation in more specific national, regional, and
thematic areas. In these courses, students begin to narrow their areas of study.

Sample Intermediate Courses:

o Introduction to Modern Art
o Arts of Southeast Asia
o Visualizing Vietnam
o Issues in Contemporary Photography
o Interdisciplinary Drawing
o Movements in Post-1945 International Cinema
o The Uncanny, Alien, and Strange: Themes in East Asian Film and Media
o Narrative

Advanced (300-level) Courses:

Advanced courses are usually seminar-style courses that allow for in-depth discussion of specialized historical and
theoretical topics, or close instruction in advanced levels of creative practice. Advanced courses can also be
independent studies co-designed by the student and their advisor.

Sample Advanced Courses:

2.
3. Special Topics in Contemporary Art
4. Advanced Readings in Theory
5. Art/Research Studio
6. Curating in Context
7. Ethnographic Film
8. Documentary Filmmaking and Video Journalism

Capstone Project:
This is a project developed in close consultation with the student’s advisor. Examples include curating an
exhibition, producing an ambitious artistic project, completing a feature-length script, or writing a thesis. Practice-
based projects may require a significant written component. Capstone projects should demonstrate the student’s
specialization in their area of study but may also reflect the interdisciplinary and experimental spirit of the Art and
Media Studies major.
Eligibility criteria for enrollment in Capstone I include a minimum major GPA of 3.5 and approval of a successful
application.

Requirements for Declaring the Art and Media Studies Major and Minor
In order to formally declare Art and Media Studies as your major, you must complete Introduction to Visual Studies
and two Foundational courses. In order to formally declare the Art and Media Studies minor, you must complete at
least one course in the Art and Media Studies program.

Graduation with Honors Requirements

1. Student must complete Capstone I and Capstone II

2. The Capstone must be graded Honors

Minor Requirements

The minor in Art and Media Studies provides a foundation in creative analytical inquiry and production through a
selection of courses in visual and performing arts, art history, film, photography, and media studies. The minor is
ideal for students who seek to enrich their primary field of study by better understanding how image-making and
artistic creation fuels our understanding and experience of the world. The Art and Media Studies minor is an ideal
complement to majors focusing on design and technology, anthropology and cultural studies, economics and
management, psychology and therapy, among others. The minor requires students to take a total of six courses:
Introduction to Visual Studies, two Foundational (100-level) courses (one of which must be chosen from Introduction
to Art History and Theory; Introduction to Film History and Theory; and Introduction to Photography History and
Theory), two Intermediate (200-level) courses, and one Advanced (300-level) course.