The Division of the Arts & Humanities is one of four graduate divisions at the University of Chicago, offering 19 graduate degree programs across 16 departments and committees. The Division is also the home of the academic departments and faculty who oversee the 26 undergraduate majors and minors in the arts and humanities offered in the College.
The interdisciplinary nature of the divisional structure makes possible for the intersection of the arts with the rest of the humanities and sciences. Given the overlap of interests and research questions from facutly and students across the Division and university at large, the Department of Visual Arts often cross lists its courses across various departments including Art History, Cinema and Media Studies, Music, Theater and Performance Studies and more.
Department of Art History
For more than a century, art historians at the University of Chicago have made transformative interventions in the discipline. Today, the Department of Art History proudly looks back on this history as it distinguishes itself with a combination of global scope, object-driven research, and committed interdisciplinarity. Faculty and students pursue research spanning five continents, as historical strengths in Asian, European, and North American art have expanded to include Latin American and Islamic art, as well as the relations between these and other geographical areas traditionally treated in isolation. That work is supported by the University's internationally recognized departments and centers in area studies with robust language offerings.
Department of Cinema and Media Studies
The Department of Cinema and Media Studies with its Film Studies Center is a lively hub of courses and seminars, screenings, and workshops that contribute to the University of Chicago’s longstanding tradition of cross-disciplinary scholarship and intellectual debate. The Department is dedicated to pursuing innovative work in the history, culture, and theory of film and related media. Our research and teaching locate cinema in broader traditions of moving image culture including new and emergent media and a diverse array of artistic and vernacular practices.