Visual and Material Culture Studies courses and programs

VMCS 1201 Introduction to Visual Culture: The Power of Images and Viewers
No pre-requisite

VMCS 1301 Introduction to Material Culture: Knowledge and Its Textures
No pre-requisite

VMCS 1801 Paris, City of Light
No pre-requisite

VMCS 1821 Spain: A Mosaic of Cultures
No pre-requisite

VMCS 1991 Special Topic in VMCS
No pre-requisite

VMCS 2101 Research Methods Intensive
Requires second-year standing or permission of the department

VMCS 2111 Maps and Empire: Uncovering the Instruments of Imperial Ambition
No pre-requisite

VMCS 2121 Food Matters:  Cultural Ingredients in a Critical Context
No pre-requisite

VMCS 2301 Homo Faber:  We Are Makers
Requires either VMCS 1301 or WGST 1001; or permission of the department

VMCS 2401 Intercultural Communications
No pre-requisite

VMCS 2501 Introduction to Archaeology
No pre-requisite

VMCS 2521 Archaeology of Daily Life
No pre-requisite

VMCS 2531 Archaeology of Religion in the Greek and Roman World
No pre-requisite

VMCS 2991 Special Topic in VMCS:  Bridging Cultural Differences: Introduction to Intercultural Communication
Requires either VMCS1201 or 1301 or permission of the department

VMCS 3101 The Colonising Word: Textual Culture and the Persistence of Colonialism
Requires second-year standing or permission of the department

VMCS 3201 The Innovative Gaze: Snapshots of Visual Culture in the City
Requires either VMCS1201 or 1301 or permission of the department

VMCS 3211 Global Megahits: Streaming, Adaptation, and Popular Culture
Requires second-year standing or permission of the department

VMCS 3241 Field Course in Visual Culture in the City
No pre-requisite

VMCS 3301 Critical Making
Requires second-year standing or permission of the department

VMCS 3311 Fashion-ology: The Material Culture of Clothing
Requires second-year standing, 3 credits from VMCS 1301, WGST 1001
or permission of the department

VMCS 3501 Archaeological Field Course
Permission of department required, Only offered in Spring/Summer,
Additional costs for travel and participation fees, Limited Enrollment

VMCS 3511 Laboratory Methods in Classical Archaeology
Co-req:  CLAS/VMCS 3501

VMCS 3621 Archaeology of Greek Colonization of Southern Italy
Second-year standing; 3 credits from CLAS,ARTH (or FINH),
HIST at the 1/2000 level; or permission of the Department

VMCS 3631 Greek Art and Archaeology
Second-year standing; 3 credits from CLAS,ARTH (or FINH),
HIST at the 1/2000 level; or permission of the Department

VMCS 3721 Art and Archaeology of Pompeii
Second-year standing; 3 credits from CLAS,ARTH (or FINH),
HIST at the 1/2000 level; or permission of the Department

VMCS 3731 Roman Art and Archaeology
Second-year standing; 3 credits from CLAS,ARTH (or FINH),
HIST at the 1/2000 level; or permission of the Department

VMCS 3811 Images and Texts / Images et Textes
Requires second-year standing or permission of the department; taught in English

VMCS 3821 Visual Culture of the Hispanic World
SPAN 3101; VMCS 1201; or permission of the Department

VMCS 3991 Special Topic in VMCS
Requires either VMCS1201 or 1301 or permission of the department

VMCS 4301 Destruction
Requires third-year standing; VMCS 1301; or permission of the department

VMCS 4950 Independent Study in VMCS - 6 Credit
Permission of the department

VMCS 4951 Independent Study in VMCS - 3 Credit
Permission of the department

VMCS Honours Thesis
Permission of the department

VMCS 4991 Special Topic in VMCS
Requires either VMCS1201 or 1301 or permission of the department

Visual literacy is indispensable in our information age and global economy. To be successful in navigating careers and personal lives, twenty-first-century students must acquire the critical and analytical skills required to expertly decode visual communication, describe and interpret images and visual representation, use visual materials proficiently and creatively, and grasp the impact of visual culture.

This certificate is thus intended as accreditation for students who develop visual literacy skills in order to enhance their post-graduation employment prospects in industry sectors where images, visuality, and viewing practices play an important role (e.g. the arts, culture, and creative industries; communications and media relations; government and not-for-profit leadership; heritage and conservation; journalism and publishing; tourism; and marketing and advertising).

Visual literacy is extremely useful in a range of workplace tasks, such as designing professional presentations and websites, creating efficient systems of organizing verbal and visual information, mapping out collective problem solving, and communicating competently with a wide spectrum of demographics (designated by age, culture, disability, ethnicity, gender, race, etc.).

This certificate will also be beneficial to students seeking admission to competitive professional or graduate schools, such as medicine, engineering, and education, which increasingly recognizes the significance of an observant eye and visual analysis skills.

The Certificate in Intercultural Communication and Global Citizenship combines the study of intercultural communication — which is the transmission and reception of verbal and non-verbal messages across languages and cultures — with the practical application of this knowledge in an international or a culturally-other setting.

In the age of cultural, economic, and social globalization, competence in intercultural communication is not only important but indispensable. Understanding how a wide spectrum of cultures act, communicate and perceive the world around them opens windows into multiple cultural realities and frameworks.

The certificate aims to equip students with knowledge and skillsets that are essential in the Canadian multicultural society and the global workforce. Classroom teaching provides students with valuable information, perspectives, considerations, and insights that facilitate cross-cultural communication, while experiential learning gives them an opportunity to employ a range of tools and strategies to navigate effectively and sensitive intercultural encounters in authentic settings.

Through course work and applied learning, students play the role of cultural mediators to reflect on their own cultural identity and interactions with cultural others, deconstruct cultural templates and frames of reference, analyze past and present intercultural encounters and conflict, and interpret standards and values as embedded in various contexts of expression (pictures, advertisements, texts, films, etc.).

By adopting a global identity and mindset, students will learn to assess their cultural footprint, expand their cultural horizons, and interact with people of different cultural backgrounds and alternative viewpoints using self-awareness, sensitivity, and empathy to bridge the culture divide.

The certificate thus prepares students to engage in intercultural dialogue in order to enable them to play an active part in the global experience, make a difference in multicultural communities, and enhance their employment prospects.