Program Profile

Cultural studies is a unique and increasingly influential field of scholarly inquiry.

Broadly speaking, Cultural Studies examines cultural practices of all kinds – such as the mass media, consumer culture, popular politics, etc. - as well as other aspects of everyday life, both in the past and in the present – in order to produce politically useful knowledge. Although Cultural Studies draws on theory and methods from traditional disciplines such as anthropology, history, and philosophy, it poses and responds to questions that cannot be answered—perhaps not even asked—by traditional disciplinary means. Cultural Studies attempts to account for cultural objects under conditions imposed by capitalism, circumscribed by power relations, and defined by conflict, struggle and change.

The Cultural Studies Program trains students for scholarship and teaching. Most graduates go on to careers as faculty in higher education. Others pursue careers in cultural advocacy, museum work, and related areas. Please visit our alumni page to learn more about previous students' careers and publications.