Visual and Media Studies Minor

Program Code: U-VIS-MIN
Plan Type: Minor
Department: Art & Art History Department
Website: aahvs.duke.edu/undergraduate/minors/visual-media-studies 

Program Summary

Visual & Media Studies concerns all aspects of the production, circulation, and reception of visual images in culture, science, and society. Studies in visual culture engage you in the analysis of the effectiveness of the signs and symbols that give meaning to images, providing access to how visual meaning is socially, politically, and culturally constructed and received.

Visual Studies enable you to interpret the representations that shape the visual constructs of a particular society, to consider how systems of visual code differ from culture to culture, and think through how the symbolic constructions of life organize how one sees, understands, and participates in natural and social environments. Most importantly, establishing a clear connection between the theory and the practice of visuality is the foundation of Visual & Media Studies.

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Academic Requirements

At least 5 units total to complete the minor. At least 34 units total to earn a degree.

• Visual and Media Studies Courses (5 units)

  • Any 5 VMS courses 200-level and above

Two transfer courses may count toward the requirements for the minor; courses taken Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory do not count toward the minor.