Visual and Material Culture Studies program

The program in Visual and Material Culture Studies (VMCS) offers students innovative programming.

It is unique in its multidisciplinary composition, cross-cultural and trans-historical approach, and inclusive focus centred upon experiential and reflective learning.

It shifts away from the interpretation of texts, which has dominated critical discourse for centuries, toward an examination of images, objects, and spaces.

This program prepares students for careers in projected growth areas in the Canadian and global spheres:

• cultural industries (arts administration, cultural policy, etc.)
• historic preservation and conservation
• marketing, media, and communication
• tourism
• non-profit management

Students will attain or enhance key transferable skills that are highly prized by employers, especially:

• visual literacy
• observational and analytical competencies
• knowledge of critical terminology and concepts in art, material culture, and media studies
• the ability to design and effectively pursue lines of research
• enhanced presentation skills
• curatorial experience and archival training
• leadership  

Material Culture Review/Revue de la culture matérielle

Material Culture Review is a venue for refereed articles and research reports encompassing a range of approaches to interpreting culture through an analysis of people's relationships to their material world.

» Read the Material Culture Review