Critical + Cultural Studies

Critical + Cultural Studies is the academic core of Emily Carr’s degree programs representing 30-50% of the required curriculum depending on the degree. Offering a range of courses in the history and theory of Art, Media, and Design, our courses are integral to learning by fostering critical inquiry, curiosity, risk taking, creative thinking, social awareness and ethical responsibility in relation to studio based practices.

Through a variety of disciplinary and trans-disciplinary approaches,  students of Critical + Cultural Studies investigate the connections  between research, writing, thinking and making by way of material  and textual practices. Courses offered are represented by the following mnemonics and disciplinary areas:

AHIS Art History

Art history is the study of objects of art and their historical/social context. This may include architecture, ceramics, drawing, illustration, painting, performance, photography, sculpture, etc.

DHIS Design History

Design history is the study of objects of design and their historical/social context. Design history has as its objects of study all designed objects including those of architecture, fashion, communication design, industrial design, interaction design, product  design, universal design, etc.

ENGL English

English includes the study of literature and the various genres of writing including courses in literature, composition, disciplinary writing, and creative writing. Writing is approached as a critical and creative practice to strengthen the integration of making, thinking, imagining and reflecting.

HUMN Humanities

The humanities at ECU explore the ways that the visual and other arts have contributed to the questions and issues shared by other disciplinary areas, such as philosophy, history, gender studies, ethics and environmental politics. 

MHIS Media History

Media history is the study of objects of media and their historical/social context. This may include animation, the internet, film, photography, social media, video, etc.

SCIE Science

Science is the study of the branches of knowledge dealing with facts  or truths systematically arranged and showing the operation of  general laws. At ECU this included computer science, biology, the natural sciences, perception, physics and wood science.

SOCS Social Science

Social Science courses may include anthropology, communications, cultural studies, linguistics, history and sociology.

Critical + Cultural Studies also offers a Major (Critical + Cultural Practices) which enables students to explore the importance of art history, theory and criticism while they develop their studio practice. Academic classes (Art History, Design History, English, Humanities, Media History, Science and Social Sciences) can make up more than half of the curriculum with the remainder of credits in studio. This interdisciplinary approach allows students to foster connections between theory and practice, and to bring modern and contemporary approaches to the creation of material and textual culture.   

Justin Langlois, Assistant Dean, Critical + Cultural Practices | Integrated Learning