Majors & Minors

* Double Counting Courses: The department of AAHVS does not allow double counting of courses between majors and minors in our department. Students are free to double count our courses with other departments and vice-versa.

MajorsRequirements Overview *
Art History
  • 11 courses
  • Areas of study include ancient, medieval, Renaissance/Baroque, modern and non-western art history
  • Foreign language study is recommended
Art History: Architecture
  • 13 courses
  • Areas of study include ancient, medieval, Renaissance/Baroque, modern and non-western art history
  • Required: 3 courses in math, physics and/or engineering
Art History: Museum Theory & Practice
  • 13 courses
  • Areas of study include ancient, medieval, Renaissance/Baroque, modern and non-western art history
  • Required: 3 courses including museum theory, practice, and at least one internship
Art History & Visual Arts
  • 14 courses
  • Required: Drawing, Exploring Art and Architecture
  • Areas of study include ancient, medieval, Renaissance/Baroque, modern and non-western art history
  • Hands-on practice: film/video/digital, graphic design, painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture
  • Independent study is recommended
Computational Media:
Interdepartmental Major in Computer Science and Visual and Media Studies
  • 14 courses at 200-level or above  
    • 7 from Computer Science 
    • 7 from Visual & Media Studies (VMS)
  • Areas of study include digital humanities, digital media and algorithmic arts, computer interface and experience design, game studies, digital storytelling and data journalism, information aesthetics, computational media ethics, global media studies, etc.
  • Required prerequisites:  COMPSCI 101/102/116, MATH 111, MATH 112, or 100-level STA or higher.
  • Required Computer Science courses:  4 core courses from COMPSCI 201, 230 or 330, 210 or 250, and a course on computer systems or 370 (Artificial Intelligence) or 371 (Machine Learning); 3 electives, which may consist of any COMPSCI course at the 200-level or above, with at most 2 Research Independent Studies. Two of those courses must be 300-level or above.
  • Required VMS courses:  VMS 202D: Introduction to Visual Culture; 1 Theories course; VMS 327S: Theories of Visual Studies or LIT 328S: Media Theory, or an approved alternative; 2 AAHVS practice-based courses or approved alternatives at the 200-level or above; 3 additional 200-level or above VMS electives, including approved cross-listed courses.
  • Required: Major Portfolio documenting work
  • Required: Technical Project Experience
    • Typically obtained either through coursework or participation in collaborative, interdisciplinary projects within the departmentally-related Labs, or in a variety of other programs, such as Data+, Story+, Bass Connections, Code+, CS+, or another approved project experience.
Visual Arts
  • 12 courses
  • Areas of study include art history, and visual & media studies
  • Hands-on practice: film/video/digital, graphic design, painting, photography, printmaking and sculpture
  • Required: Advanced Visual Practice, Senior Capstone in Visual Arts
Visual & Media Studies
  • 13 courses
  • Required: Introduction to Visual Culture, Theories of Visual and Media Studies, and either the Capstone or an upper-level seminar (400-699)
  • Areas of study include visual & media history and/or art history, and visual & media practice
Visual & Media Studies: Cinematic Arts
  • 13 courses
  • Required gateway: (Introduction to Visual Culture or Introduction to Film Studies)
  • Required theory: (Theories of Visual and Media Studies or Film Theory or Media Theory)
  • Required: Cinematic Arts Capstone
  • Required: four practice courses from a list of approved Cinematic Arts courses
  • Required: two film studies courses from a list of approved Cinematic Arts courses
  • Required: 4 electives with a VMS cross-list; other courses require DUS review and approval
  • Areas of study include film practice, film studies, screenwriting

      *for more information: cinematicarts.duke.edu

MinorsRequirements Overview *
Art History
  • 5 art history courses at the 200 level or above
Photography
  • 5 courses including:
    • ARTSVIS 115S (Introduction to Photography) or ARTSVIS 119S (Introduction to Digital Photography)
    • ARTSVIS 318S (Photo Workshop) or ARTSVIS 492 (Independent Study)
    • ARTHIST 303 (History of Photography)
Cinematic Arts
  • 5 courses in Cinematic Arts (CINE courses) at the 200 level or above

*for more information: cinematicarts.duke.edu

Computational Media:
Interdepartmental Minor in Computer Science and Visual and Media Studies
  • 5 courses at the 200 level or above:
    • 2 VMS/CMAC practice-based courses
    • 2 VMS/CMAC thematic-based courses
    • 1 COMPSCI course at the 200-level or above
Visual Arts
  • 5 visual arts courses at the 200 level or above
Visual & Media Studies
  • 5 Visual & Media Studies courses at the 200 level or above.