Introduction
With increased emphasis on nurturing critical thinking and creativity through life-long learning in primary and secondary school education, visual culture studies has become an essential part of educational reform in broadening students’ understanding of their everyday cultural experience. This new MA in Visual Culture Studies is aimed at equipping students with the scholarly contexts and technical/creative tools for a more sophisticated understanding of technological changes in contemporary society. It will train students to be acquainted with digital media and more fully understand the impact of digital technologies on art and culture. Visual culture studies is understood as perspectives on digital media as they affect everyday experiences with visuality, audio-visual signals, virtual environments and media immersion, and digital media networks. It gives an introduction to technical and creative aspects to understanding these experiences, while focusing on how they are influenced by visual art, performing arts, and new media arts.

 The program distinguishes itself by introducing creative audio-visual practices as ways to analyze scholarly perspectives, thus emphasizing a synergy between traditional academic thought and creative art and media practices.

Further Qualifications for Admission to MA Programmes
Applicants should meet all qualification criteria of the Graduate School and must obtain a bachelor’s degree or equivalent in recognized tertiary institutions. Together with the admission forms which can be obtained from website: www.cuhk.edu.hk/gss, applicants are required to submit a written statement in English explaining the purpose of their application, and their motivation and specific focus of interest in the relevant programmes. Past academic record, work experience, references and language abilities will be considered in the admission decision.

Coursework Requirement
Required courses (12 credit units)

CULS 5401 Contemporary Arts & Cultural Interactivity
CULS 5410 Visual Culture Theory
CULS 5412 Visual Research Methods
CULS 5204 Cultural Studies in Film and Video

*Number of students accepted to the above courses is limited. Priority is given to 1) part-time students at their last year of studies or full time students in Visual Culture Studies; and 2) students major in the Visual Culture Studies programme.

Special Electives (6 credit units)
Select 2 courses (each 3 credit units) from the following 16 courses:

CULS 5202 Hong Kong Urbanscape and Cultural Representation
CULS 5203 The Body in Culture and Art
CULS 5208 Adaptations, Theatre and Culture
CULS 5213 Media and Popular Culture
CULS 5217 Civil Society, Cultural Work and Youth in the Digital Age
CULS  5218 Practical & Critical Film Criticism Writing
CULS 5317 Xiqu and Performing Culture
CULS 5318 Curatorship
CULS 5319 Exhibition Design
CULS 5402 New Media Research Project
CULS 5403 Comparative Studies of Asian Cinemas
CULS 5404 Fashion and Visuality
CULS 5405 Immersive Media
CULS 5406 Photomedia
CULS 5407 Visual Spectacles
CULS 5408 Mass Media and the Transformation of Modern Society
CULS 5409 Special Topics in Visual Culture Studies
CULS 5411 Documentary Media: From Pre-cinema to Multi-Media Web Communities
CULS 5413 User-Generated Content & Digital Culture

General Electives (6 units)
Students can select from Special Electives (as listed above) and /or any MA courses from the Division except CULS5215, 5301, 5316 & 5322.

Or students can select any one MA course from the Division except CULS5215, 5301, 5316 & 5322 plus one 3-unit 4000-level undergraduate course from BA in Cultural Studies programme.

CURE 4024 Cultural and Heritage Conservation
CURE 4025 Seminar in Cultural Theories
CURE 4026 Development Discourse and Cultural Critique
CURE 4027 Film Classics: Aesthetics and Politics
CURE 4031 Arts, Propaganda and Social Actions
CURE 4032 Digital Imaging, Book Production & Contemporary Arts

Study Period
The normative study period for this programme is 1 year for full-time and 2 years for part-time. Classes will be arranged in weekday evenings from 6:45 pm to 9:30 pm. The official language of instruction are Cantonese and English. To fit the busy schedule of students who have a full-time job, at least one course will be scheduled in Saturday afternoon from 2:30 pm to 5:15 pm.

Medium of Instruction
Our official media of instruction are English and Cantonese.

Tuition Fee
$80,000 for 1 year full-time and $40,000 for 2 years part-time

Admission
1) Information about Master of Arts offered by Division of Cultural Studies
Either access website of Dept of Cultural and Religious Studies at: www.cuhk.edu.hk/crs
OR
Access Graduate School Office’s master programme list at: www.cuhk.edu.hk/gss

2) Admission Method
i) Internet submission of admission materials via website: www.cuhk.edu.hk/gss
ii) Obtain admission materials by sending a self-addressed stamped envelope to
Graduate School Office at Rm 401, Academic Building No. 1, The Chinese University
of Hong Kong, Shatin, N.T. Pls provide HK$8.20 if asking for one progamme’s
information and HK$16.40 for 2 programmes or more.

Special features
Students enrolled in MA in Visual Culture Studies as well as the other 2 MA programmes (i.e. MA in Cultural Management and MA in Intercultural Studies) will have the flexibility of choosing electives across 3 programmes.

Enquiries
1) Cultural Division/ Dept of Cultural and Religious Studies
Miss Grace Cheung (Tel. No. 3943-6477)
E-mail: gracecheung@cuhk.edu.hk