DECLARING THE VISUAL STUDIES MAJOR
Students should familiarize themselves with the requirements of the Visual Studies Major presented in the curriculum description. Before applying to the major, students should have taken (or be currently taking) two of the Stage 1 Core Courses and two of the Stage 2 Core Courses.
To declare the major, students should arrange a meeting with the Program Director. Please bring a completed Major Declaration Form to this meeting.
Please download the form here. However, students will have to make their official declaration through Path@Penn.
DOUBLE MAJORING
According to the College: "Students pursuing two majors must take at least eighteen (18) different courses in fulfillment of major requirements." The spirit of the rule is that a double major should represent a significant broadening experience. Students who choose to double major with Visual Studies should choose their Visual Studies concentration with this acadmemic value in mind. Thus, a student majoring with Philosophy or Psychology should concentrate in VLST Sector B or C; a double major with History of Art should concentrate in Sector A or C; and a double major with Fine Art or Architecture should concentrate in Sector A or B. This would ensure that a double major from these departments or programs would add significant breadth through a Visual Studies Major.
MINOR
Because multidisciplinarity is so essential to the Visual Studies Program, minoring is simply not feasible.