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<major declaration form and worksheet (writeable pdf)> <honors thesis> <classes for undergraduates> <undergraduate advisors>
Cultural Studies is a curricular option within Interdisciplinary Studies (IDST) administered by the University Program in Cultural Studies. The curriculum is designed for undergraduate students who wish to combine the strengths of various departments and curricula in the College of Arts and Sciences. As in other interdisciplinary programs, students majoring in Cultural Studies tend to be strongly motivated, self-disciplined, intellectually curious, and able to assume responsibility for their unique curricular program. The undergraduate major in Cultural Studies is distinguished by intensive advising, collaboration across disciplinary perspectives, and opportunities to extend learning beyond the space of the classroom. Students are encouraged, for example, to participate in Study Abroad and off-campus internships, and become involved in the lectures and conferences sponsored by the Program. The University Program in Cultural Studies offers a home to students with interests as diverse as the social studies of science, local migrant farm workers, or the influence of built space on consciousness, who are united by questions of the complex, dynamic workings of culture in theory and in practice.
Cultural Studies is an area of scholarship that has emerged at the intersection of such academic disciplines as anthropology, communication studies, history, and literary studies. More specifically, cultural studies focuses simultaneously on the production, practice, and dissemination of cultural forms. Courses in Cultural Studies examine the multi-faceted concept of culture, as well as the history of its emergence in modern discourse. Cultural Studies therefore attends closely to issues such as identity construction, forms of representation, and the production of knowledge and power. In addition to its interdisciplinary nature, cultural studies also explores critically and historically the issues and problems that produce, legitimate, and/or challenge traditional disciplinary boundaries.
The University Program in Cultural Studies supports coursework and research in: theoretical developments in cultural studies, the practice of cultural studies, cultural studies and the politics of identity, cultural history and the history of "culture," culture and the geography of power, and popular and performative circulations of culture. Students in Cultural Studies may address these and other areas, as appropriate.
eligibility
As in all other interdisciplinary programs, students interested in Cultural Studies must be strongly motivated, self-disciplined, and assume responsibility to ensure the success of their curricular program. The curriculum is intended for students who already have a record of solid academic performance and have a cumulative grade point average of 2.4 or better.
Each student interested in Cultural Studies must complete a major declaration form. When preparing to declare the Cultural Studies major, the student should clearly articulate the rationale for the course of study, identify the area of concentration, and list relevant courses that will be taken. This process should be completed in consultation with a Cultural Studies advisor, preferably in the sophomore year and no later than the first semester of the junior year. After receiving approval from the Cultural Studies advisor, the student should meet with the Associate Dean of Advising to have an Arts and Sciences worksheet prepared.
Examples of recent course of study plans are available from the Cultural Studies advisors.
All petitions to major in Cultural Studies are subject to approval.
degree
The degree offered is a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies. The diploma will note that the student received a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The student’s transcript will indicate that the major was Independent Studies/Cultural Studies.
Note: An IDST major has more focus than many of the departmental majors and is therefore NOT for someone who is undecided about his or her major. The Cultural Studies track within Interdisciplinary Studies can be declared as a second major.
Students interested in the natural and health sciences or professional schools should consult with an Arts and Sciences advisor to determine whether Cultural Studies would be an appropriate major.
courses
Each student must complete at least 8 courses (24 hours) approved by a Cultural Studies advisor as fulfilling requirements for the major. Among these courses, students are required to take the Cultural Studies core course, IDST 350 "Practices in Cultural Studies," prior to graduation, preferably in the junior year. In addition, students are strongly encouraged to take "Social Theory and Cultural Diversity" offered in several departments (ANTH 380, COMM 318, INTS 380, RELI 323). This course also satisfies the university’s cultural diversity requirement. No more than 4 courses (12 hours) taken in the same department may count toward the major credits.
A student should strengthen his or her course of study by choosing some B.A. level perspectives and electives that complement courses in Cultural Studies. Unlike students in departmental majors, Cultural Studies students may choose appropriate perspective courses from any departments.
The Cultural Studies advisors will regularly publish a list of courses that qualify for the major credits in Cultural Studies.
honors thesis
Students with an overall GPA of 3.2 or above and a GPA of 3.3 or above in Cultural Studies courses are encouraged to undertake an honors thesis project during the senior year for a total of 6 credit hours (IDST 97 in the Fall and ISDT 98 in the Spring). These hours will be in addition to the 24 hours (8 courses) minimally required for the major. For more information, consult the guidelines for the honors thesis in Cultural Studies.
Students will have the opportunity to participate in events (lectures, colloquia, conferences) sponsored by the University Program in Cultural Studies. Students are highly encouraged to attend.
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