Cultural studies may include concentrations in communications, creative writing, expository writing, rhetoric and composition, journalism, languages, literature, philosophy, religious studies and other areas.

Cultural studies intersects and overlaps with various other areas of study (such as historical studies, the arts or social science). Degree programs in cultural studies should be focused on an articulated goal and have a relatively broad frame of reference.

 Students designing programs in the area of cultural studies:

• Explore the ways in which human beings understand and articulate their world.
• Examine the relationship between culture as lived experience and culture as creative and philosophical expression.
• Explore aesthetic and cognitive forms and values within social and historical contexts.
• Study artistic expression, social and cultural norms and belief systems and modes of communication.
• Examine cross-cultural and historical perspectives addressing questions of gender, class and race.
• Develop skills in critical reading, interpretation and writing, including the ability to distinguish the main point of a text from supporting argument or evidence, evaluate the logic and rhetoric of a presentation, identify underlying assumptions and interpret levels of meaning.
• Develop skills to communicate their own ideas and feelings fully, precisely, and creatively in speech and writing.
• In upper-level work, acquire conceptual vocabularies, knowledge of sources and critical skills appropriate to their areas of focus or lines of inquiry.
   

Revised February 1993

Concentration Guidelines
Specific guidelines have been developed for concentrations in the following areas:

Communication and media.
Journalism.
Languages.
Literature.
Philosophy.
Religious studies.
Writing.