Visual and Material Culture Mount Allison University

Overview

The Visual and Material Culture programme at Mount Allison University offers an expansive interdisciplinary approach to studying the non-verbal and non-textual forms of expression that shape our world. By moving beyond traditional text-based interpretation, students engage deeply with images, spaces, and performances from diverse historical and cultural contexts.

This programme allows students to integrate two primary areas of study: visual culture and material culture. The visual stream focuses on viewership, media, and the practices of looking, while the material stream examines human-made objects and the physical practices involved in their creation and conservation.

Why Visual and Material Culture at Mount Allison University?

Mount Allison University provides a unique environment for cultural research, being home to the Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture (CEMVC). This facility serves as both a physical and virtual resource where students can work as research assistants, gaining valuable experiential learning opportunities that enrich their undergraduate studies.

Students also benefit from the university's strong reputation as a leading undergraduate institution in Canada. The programme encourages hands-on discovery, such as the Archaeological Field School in Italy, where participants join research teams to learn excavation and artifact recording techniques on active sites.

Tuition Fee Breakdown

• International fee: CAD 21800 per year
• National fee: CAD 10800 per year

Visit the Fees and Funding section for a breakdown in your local currency.

Syllabus

Modules may include:

• Visual Culture: the Power of Images and Viewers
• Material Culture: Knowledge and Its Textures
• Maps and Empire: Uncovering the Instruments of Imperial Ambition
• Bridging Cultural Differences: Intercultural Communication
• Anime as a Visual Medium and Global Cultural Product
• Travel and Tourism
• Fashion-Ology: the Material Culture of Clothing
• Roman Art and Archaeology
• Images and Texts

Careers with Visual and Material Culture

Graduates are prepared for diverse professional paths within the creative and cultural industries. The analytical and critical thinking skills developed during the programme are highly valued in sectors such as heritage conservation, museum studies, and historic preservation.

Common career destinations for alumni include roles in communications, media relations, and journalism. Additionally, the programme provides a strong foundation for those pursuing leadership positions in government, not-for-profit organisations, marketing, advertising, and the global tourism sector.