Cultural Studies

The Cultural Studies Program is offered by the Department of Gender and Cultural Studies, within the School of Philosophical and Historical Inquiry (SOPHI)

About the major

A major in Cultural Studies introduces you to critical approaches used in the study of a wide variety of cultural forms and practices. As an interdisciplinary field of study, Cultural Studies will provide you with a range of tools to analyse how cultural practices and meanings are produced, circulated and exchanged. A major in Cultural Studies complements all forms of study in the Humanities and Social Sciences, as well as Media and Communications, Education, and Law. It equips you to become informed and engaged critical thinkers in relation to important contemporary cultural issues and everyday experiences.

Pathway through the major

A major in Cultural Studies requires 36 senior credit points, including at least 12 credit points from core units of study at 2000 level and at least 6 credit points of core units at 3000 level.

The units of study for the major can be found in the Table A unit of study table for Cultural Studies. The table shows units of study on offer in the current handbook year. You may find information regarding a full list of units of study available to the major on the departmental website.

Junior units of study (1000 level)

In the first year of a Cultural Studies major you will complete GCST1601 Introduction to Cultural Studies and GCST1602 Introduction to Gender Studies. You may replace one or both of these units with any junior units from Anthropology or Sociology or PHIL1011 Reality, Ethics and Beauty, PHIL1013 Society, Knowledge and Self, ENGL1008 Australian Texts: International Contexts or ENGL1026 Constructing the Fictive Self.

GCST1601 Introduction to Cultural Studies demonstrates how media representations and cultural practices convey meanings that inform our everyday social and cultural world. While drawing upon students’ existing cultural literacies and providing contextual information about Cultural Studies approaches, it provides students with concepts and techniques of analysis that enable them to debate critical issues through the interpretation of cultural texts.

Senior units of study (2000 and 3000 level)

You can choose from a range of options at the senior-intermediate (2000) level that are designed to broaden your knowledge of Cultural Studies and its objects of study. You complete at least 12 credit points from core units of study and up to 18 credit points from elective units of study at 2000 level. Progression is achieved through breadth and depth, allowing you to draw upon your existing cultural literacies and providing contextual information about Cultural Studies approaches. Senior-intermediate units will provide you with concepts and techniques of analysis that enable you to debate critical issues through the interpretation of cultural texts. You must complete 12 credit points at 2000 level before enrolling in senior-advanced (3000) level units of study.

You complete a minimum of six credit points at senior-advanced (3000) level units of study. You choose from a small number of units designed to intensify your study of critical cultural theory and Cultural Studies research methods. You will be introduced to research and learning experiences through units that provide competency in a range of research methods, fieldwork and cultural theory. You may choose to focus on research methods or cultural theory or do both.

Honours

To proceed to an honours year in Cultural Studies, students must have a credit average or above in 48 senior credit points taken from the Cultural Studies unit of study table including completion of the requirements for a major.

It is also possible to do joint honours in Gender and Cultural Studies. Prospective students for this joint program should see the departmental website.

Please note: from 2015 the minimum requirement for entry into Honours will increase to an average of 70% or above across 48 senior credit points in the intended subject area/s.

Contact/further information

Information on our units of study and staff with whom to discuss the program is available at sydney.edu.au/arts/gender_cultural_studies, or by phoning the SOPHI office on +61 2 9351 2862.