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 enables 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 the 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.

A major in visual arts prepares you for further training as an artist, teacher, or architect, as well as in related fields such as advertising or design. Department offerings emphasize the analysis and articulation of visual concepts and processes as they relate to a broader education in the humanities and sciences.