Critical and Visual Studies
The Liberal Arts B.A. at Pratt Institute
Critical and Visual Studies is a Bachelor of Arts
program for curious and imaginative students who want to pursue
uniquely individualized studies in the liberal arts and sciences
while immersed in Pratt’s environment of creative openness and
intellectual experimentation.
Anchored in the Department of Social Science and
Cultural Studies, our program features an innovative curriculum that provides a broad foundation in the classic and contemporary works of the social sciences, philosophy, history, critical theory, and visual studies. Students choose from a generous selection of electives and
concentrations from within the School of Liberal Arts and Sciences,
and across the Institute in architecture, art history, art and
design, and planning. In the third and Senior years, students enjoy
a variety of electives while focusing on their concentrations,
Minors, and Senior Thesis projects.
At the core of the program is the understanding that
the integration of theory, method, and experience is crucial to
learning and this brings vitality, creativity, and practical
application to intellectual practice. Our students and faculty are
interested in every aspect of social life—from street art to
political systems, from international media to the global economy.
Critical and Visual Studies provides an unique interdisciplinary
framework within which our students explore the social, political,
and artistic meanings of cultural and aesthetic production.
Because of our unique context within a world renowned
institution of art, design and architecture, our students pursue
their studies in a stimulating atmosphere of intellectual and
artistic innovation. Our structure allows students many
opportunities to take electives in the traditional studio arts as
well as in new media. Our students work in a variety of media,
developing their critical skills and working experimentally to
integrate image, sound, and text. Pratt's location in New York City
allows students and faculty to be enthusiastic participants in the
dynamic array of cultural events and institutions that make up
everyday life in New York City.
Your studies in the Critical and Visual Studies major
will give you:
*A critical understanding of culture that is grounded in philosophy, history, the social sciences, and humanities.*Comprehension of critical social theory, analytical structures, techniques of communication, and familiarity with a range of research methods and perspectives in understanding the natural and social worlds.*An understanding of the interconnections and dependencies of the various and diverse fields of human inquiry, artistic endeavor, and cultural, social, and political life.*An appreciation of the aesthetic achievements of cinema/film, literature, poetry, and the visual arts.*A critical sense of your ethical, social, and political responsibilities and of the world’s diverse cultures and communities.*Meaningful access to the historical past both for its own sake and to think creatively about the future, i.e., to learn to learn.*The ability to develop and critically integrate written, oral, visual, and spatial expression.*The flexibility to pursue both in-depth studies as well as opportunities to make links between academic work and the working world through internships in cultural institutions, especially non-profit arts and public service agencies.*A faculty whose scholarship and teaching is on the cutting edge of social and cultural criticism and analysis.
The faculty is dedicated to providing our students
with an education that helps them to learn how to think clearly,
logically, skeptically, critically, and above all, for themselves.
We emphasize the liberal arts in order to provide our graduates with
a foundation for life-long learning. Our graduates have the critical
and analytical skills to move seamlessly between changing economic
sectors and evolving career paths in the future economy
Our faculty’s diverse teaching and research
interests include philosophy, sociology, ethnography, cultural
studies, media studies, globalization, imperialism, colonialism and
post-colonialism, critical theory, psychology, gender and sexuality,
world history, history and historiography, cinema and documentary
film, literature and creative writing, theater and performance
studies, landscape and space, environmental studies, sustainability,
and the sociology of science and technology.
The Department of Social Science & Cultural
Studies sponsors a number of events that underscore the our emphasis
on the critical understanding of culture and the social world of art
and social life. The nature and format of our events respond to
changing student and faculty interests. Some long running events and
series include:
The Wallabout Film Festival is a student film
festival produced and curated by an interdisciplinary team of
students from Pratt Institute. Showcasing films by innovative student
filmmakers from around the world, Wallabout is a platform for
students to screen their work to a diverse community of peers,
artists and industry professionals, initiating conversation and
collaboration. It has become an important platform for supporting
student film making and for adding to the vibrant creative culture of
Brooklyn.
Film Screenings are designed to be provocative
forums for current issues and timely debates. Filmmakers accompany
their film screenings and address interested students after the
screenings, making for lively discussions that extend beyond the
classroom. Students and faculty are also active in the Pratt Film
Society and Pratt Radio (WPIR).
Field trips and
“Slow-Art-Days” provide opportunities to see current
museum and gallery exhibitions; to network with artists, architects,
designers, critics and curators; and to engage with the city at
large.
Senior Thesis Readings are public
presentations by seniors of their thesis research. These events give
seniors perspective on this period of their intellectual development
and the opportunity to present their work to the public.
Visit the link below for admissions requirements or to apply online. We look forward to reviewing your applications!
http://www.pratt.edu/admissions/applying/
For more information, please visit our official page at:
http://www.pratt.edu/academics/liberal_arts_and_sciences/critical_visual_studies/
BA Program in Critical & Visual Studies
Department of Social Science & Cultural Studies
School of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Pratt Institute
200 Willoughby Ave.
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11205
http://www.pratt.edu/admissions/applying/
For more information, please visit our official page at:
http://www.pratt.edu/academics/liberal_arts_and_sciences/critical_visual_studies/
BA Program in Critical & Visual Studies
Department of Social Science & Cultural Studies
School of Liberal Arts & Sciences
Pratt Institute
200 Willoughby Ave.
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11205
