www.uwb.edu/culturalstudies

Master of Arts in Cultural Studies

Information Session

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Master of Arts in Cultural StudiesEducational Approach

Cultural StudiesAn interdisciplinary field of scholar-practitioners engaged in a reflexive, interactive study of culture.

Master of Arts in Cultural Studies emphasizes– Interdisciplinary study linking theory and

practice– Community and project-based work– Multiple forms of documentation and project

development– An Interdisciplinary approach - faculty in the

arts, humanities, social and natural sciences

– Liberal arts skills: research, critical thinking, communication

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Master of Arts in Cultural Studies

Course SequenceAutumn Winter Spring

Year one BCULST 500 (10 cr.)Formations of Cultural Studies

BCULST 501 (5 cr.)Cultural Studies Research Practices Cultural Studies Elective (5 credits) 

BCULST 502 (5 cr.)Cultural Studies as Collaboration Cultural Studies Elective (5 credits) 

Year two BCULST 510 (5 cr.)Capstone Design and Portfolio Seminar        Cultural Studies Elective (5 credits) 

BCULST 511 (5 cr.)Capstone Research and Portfolio Seminar  Cultural Studies Elective (5 credits) 

BCULST 512 (10 cr.)Capstone Presentation and Portfolio Seminar

60 credits of course work and related degree requirements:• 40 credits – Required core curriculum• 20 credits – Cultural Studies electives

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Master of Arts in Cultural Studies

Research AreasAreas of focus:• Avant-garde Literature• Class Issues• Communication• Conflicts/Tensions• Cultural Anthropology• Culture and Power• Current Politics• Environmental Theory• Ethnicity• Film Studies• Gender Studies• Globalization• Identity and Representation

Examples of Recent Student Research:• Performance-based research on

intimacy among adults with intellectual disabilities

• Participatory action research developed with Gay-Straight Alliances in regional high schools

• Collaborative research on the role of arts in civic engagement in Brazil

• Ethnographic research about homelessness and homelessness activism in the Seattle region

• Dramatic production: "Nietzsche! The Musical (Antichrist, Superstar)"

• Auto-ethnographic research on sex work and sex workers in the academy

• Textual and ethnographic research on youth, activism, and media literacy

• Inequality• New Social Movements• Performance in Music• Performance in Theater• Post-Colonial Studies• Queer Issues• Race• Sexual Theories• Social Justice• Social Power• Subjectivity• Women Studies

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Master of Arts in Cultural Studies Career DevelopmentCultural practice careers in social,

cultural, and arts organizations• Community development• Program-building• Community-based arts• Grant writing• Research• Advanced degree opportunities

Cultural Studies Career Development Support

• Community-based learning• Community Relations Manager• Career workshops and events• Job and internship listings• Portfolio

Examples of Arts and Cultural Organizations

•826 Seattle•911 Media Arts•Cultural Studies Association U.S.•Cultural, Communication, and Media Studies, UKZN•Curriculum for the Bioregion•Imagining America•Northshore Family Center•Northshore YMCA•Panama Hotel•Pat Graney Company•Placing the Humanities•Powerful Voices•Richard Hugo House•Safe Schools Coalition•SCAN TV•Seattle City Club•Tent City•The September Project•Tulalip Tribes Cultural Resources•Wing Luke Asian Museum

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Master of Arts in Cultural Studies

Core Faculty• Bruce Burgett: Director and Professor• American Studies, Cultural Studies, Gender and Queer Studies, Critical Race Studies, Public Culture• Ben Gardner: Assistant Professor• Global, Cultural and Environmental Politics, Africa, Development, Cultural Geography• Susan Harewood: Assistant Professor• Communication Studies, Caribbean Studies, Cultural Studies• Jeanne Heuving: Professor • Cultural Studies, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Cross Genre Writing• Kanta Kochhar-Lindgren: Associate Professor• Performance Studies, Disability Studies, Cross-Cultural Performance, Creativity• Ron Krabill: Associate Professor• Social Movements, Media, Postcolonial Studies, Southern Africa• Kari Lerum: Associate Professor                                           • Adjunct Professor (Women Studies, UWS)• Gender, Sexuality, Organizations, Culture, Visual Studies• Julie Shayne: Lecturer • Feminism and Revolution in Latin America, Social Movements and Culture, Political Exile, Diaspora, and

Critical Development Studies• Eric Stewart: Assistant Professor• Community Psychology, Prevention and Promotion, Theories of Change, Queers, Cultural History of

HIV/AIDS, Research Methods

(Affiliate faculty listed on the program web site).

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Master of Arts in Cultural Studies

Application Materials• An application to the Graduate School and

$75 application fee• A letter of application• A current resume or curriculum vitae• 3 letters of reference (including one

academic)• Writing sample• All official transcripts from prior academic

work.• [Optional] 1 - 2 items representative of your

best work. Items may include an additional writing sample, your media or creative work, products of your research activities, documentation of community-based or activist projects in which you have played a central role, or any other materials that you consider relevant to your application.

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Master of Arts in Cultural Studies

Summary of Benefits

• Interdisciplinary Master of Arts degree emphasizes academic skills and collaboration, and practical application

• Low student-faculty ratio• 2004 Excellence in

Academic Libraries Award-winner, UW library with dedicated librarian

• Twice a week evening classes offer scheduling flexibility for working professionals

• Cohort model builds a resource network

• Graduate Computer Lab and study area

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Thank You!

Call us at 425-352-3406

Or email us at macs@uwb.edu

www.uwb.edu/culturalstudies

How did you hear of us?

Faculty referral Friend/family referral Grad school/professional fair Internet search Newspaper or magazine ad Promotional email/flyer/letter Radio ad Social networking (i.e. Facebook, etc.) UW event (lecture, career event, etc.) UW in-class presentation Work/colleague referral