In the division of Culture, Arts and Communication (CAC), our coursework is interdisciplinary and rooted in culture, examining both historical contexts and the changing world we live in. Our majors will help prepare you for careers in television and digital media, publishing and public relations, secondary and higher education, museum work, the arts, and many other related fields. With us, your education will provide you with the tools for lifelong enrichment and learning.
Undergraduate Programs
Division of Culture, Art and Communication
424 West Coast Grocery Building
253-692-4450 ias@uw.edu
Program of Study: Major: Arts, Media and Culture
Program Overview
Focuses on how broadly-defined fields of art and media operate within and transform culture, studying formal, aesthetic and sociocultural ways of understanding literature, visual art, film, music or other media. Five tracks: COMPARATIVE ARTS, LITERATURE, FILM & MEDIA, VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS, and AMERICAN CULTURES.
This program of study leads to the following credential:
Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Arts, Media and Culture
Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Arts, Media and Culture
Credential Overview
Focuses on how broadly-defined fields of art and media operate within and transform culture, studying formal, aesthetic and sociocultural ways of understanding literature, visual art, film, music or other media. Four tracks: COMPARATIVE ARTS, LITERATURE, FILM & MEDIA and VISUAL & PERFORMING ARTS.
Completion Requirements
To be eligible for graduation with the bachelor of arts degree, each student enrolled in the program must meet complete the following program requirements:
Complete all general education requirements not met with transfer courses. See advisor for details.
Complete a minimum of 45 credits of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences course work. Some majors or concentrations may require more.
Complete a minimum of 45 credits of upper-division course work, including transfer courses and UW Tacoma courses.
Complete 5 credits of English composition with a minimum 2.0 grade. This must be completed in a student’s first two quarters at UW Tacoma.
Complete the requirements for a major or concentration (minors are optional).
No more than 15 elective credits can be taken for a Satisfactory/Not Satisfactory grade. See advisor for details.
Meet with an advisor to complete a graduation application no later than the second week of the quarter in which the student plans to graduate.
Arts, Media and Culture now has five themed tracks. You can choose the track that best suits your educational and career goals. Each track has its own requirements and can be found on the appropriate checklist below.
Requires 60 credits total including a minimum of 30 upper-division division credits. Students choose one track.
Foundational Courses for All Tracks
All students must take one of the following two courses:
T LIT 220
T FILM 220
Students are encouraged to take the course they do not choose for this requirement as they fulfill the remaining requirements of the major (e.g., as part of the 25 credits from their own track, or for the credits required from one of the other tracks).
Track I: Literature
10 credits, History (List A: one survey class from the survey options and one additional history class apart from the survey options)
5 credits, Culture (List B)
5 credits, Interpretation (List C for Literature)
5 credits, Practice/Studio (List D)
25 credits in Literature (List E)
5 credits in Film/Media or Visual and Performing Arts (List F or List G)
Track II: Film / Media
10 credits, History (List A: one survey class from the survey options and one additional history class apart from the survey options)
5 credits, Culture (List B)
5 credits, Interpretation (List C for Film/Media)
5 credits, Practice/Studio (List D)
25 credits in Film and Media (List F)
5 credits in Literature or Visual and Performing Arts (List E or List G)
Track III: Visual and Performing Arts
10 credits, History (List A: one survey class from the survey options and one additional history class apart from the survey options)
5 credits, Culture (List B)
5 credits, Interpretation (List C for Visual and Performing Arts)
15 credits, Practice/Studio (List D)
15 credits in Visual and Performing Arts (List G)
5 credits in Literature or Film and Media (List E or List F)
Track IV: Comparative Arts
10 credits, History (List A: one survey class from the survey options and one additional history class apart from the survey options)
5 credits, Culture (List B)
10 credits, Interpretation (one class from two of the following: List C for Literature, List C for Film/Media, or List C for Visual and Performing Arts)
5 credits, Practice/Studio (List D)
25 credits in Literature; Film and Media; or Visual and Performing Arts (List E-G, with at least 5 credits from each list)
Track V: American Cultures
10 credits, History: one class from List A in AMC; and one of the following: THIST 220, 221, 320, 340, 349, or TLAX 333
25 credits, Culture (List B): take 25 credits from List B, which would be 5 courses that you have not taken for the sake of another requirement elsewhere in the major.
5 credits, Interpretation:One of these: TAMST 120, 210, 220, or 250
5 credits, Practice/Studio (List D)
10 credits, Complete any 10 credits from Lists E, F, or G in AMC.
Cultivate the insight unique to human beings, and be able to identify and explain interrelations among texts of apparently disparate discourses: literature, film, visual arts, and media.
Acquire the interpretive skills necessary to analyze individual texts of various kinds—literary, film, art, televisual, musical—closely and critically. Students will be not just literate but visually or audio-visually literate.
Understand the importance of history and culture as they shape and, are in turn, shaped by arts and media.
Gain practical experience in the creative processes of one of the arts or media studied in the major.
Be able to express the knowledge and experience described in the items listed above in clear, concise and persuasive writing.
Develop theoretical knowledge and practical skill in mass media through an interdisciplinary, multicultural curriculum. Learn about the social, cultural, economic, political and historical contexts within which media operate. Two tracks: PROFESSIONAL and RESEARCH.
This program of study leads to the following credential:
Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Communications
Admission Requirements
Prerequisites
Students wishing to declare the Communication major must first complete one of the following 5-credit courses with a minimum grade of 2.5:
TCOM 201
TCOM 230
Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Communications
Completion Requirements
To be eligible for graduation with the bachelor of arts degree, each student enrolled in the program must complete the following program requirements:
Complete all general education requirements not met with transfer courses. See advisor for details.
Complete a minimum of 45 credits of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences course work. Some majors or concentrations may require more.
Complete a minimum of 45 credits of upper-division course work, including transfer courses and UW Tacoma courses.
Complete 5 credits of English composition with a minimum 2.0 grade. This must be completed in a student’s first two quarters at UW Tacoma.
Complete the requirements for a major or concentration (minors are optional).
No more than 15 elective credits can be taken for a Satisfactory/Not Satisfactory grade. See advisor for details.
Meet with an advisor to complete a graduation application no later than the second week of the quarter in which the student plans to graduate.
Requires 55-60 credits total including 30 credits of upper-division course work in major.
Professional Track: 60 credits
The Print and Television options of the Professional Track take an integrated approach to the study of media criticism and media writing and production. They are predicated on the belief that the development of the practical skills needed to produce and write materials for media outlets such as television, newspapers, magazines, and public relations firms is enhanced through a critical examination of cultural products and an understanding of multiple theoretical frameworks. At the same time, the ability to critique cultural products is furthered through the development of practical skills, since this advances an understanding of various factors that influence how media products are developed and distributed.
Communication Foundation: 5 Credits
TCOM 444
TCOM 453
Communication Core: 20 credits
From List A, with a minimum of 10 credits of 300- and 400-level TCOM courses required.
See the Communication web page for approved courses from List A that will fulfill Communication Core.
Professional Track Courses: 30 credits
From List A, the Communication web page for approved courses for the Professional Track courses.
A minimum of 20 credits from this list must be TCOM courses.
Optional Communication Capstone: 5 credits
Professional Track students may choose to complete a Senior Project (as part of the List B credits). The Senior Project has two main components: students perform a 5-credit internship in the communication industry and write a 10-15 page academic paper. The project is designed to allow senior professional track students to gain needed professional experience while placing this professional experience in a broader theoretical framework. Senior project internships and academic paper topics will vary and must have faculty advisor approval. See the Communication web page for more information.
Research Track: 55 credits
The Research Track, through courses on media criticism and methods, media ethics, media law and regulation, media history, political economy of mass media, international and development communication, film studies, and cultural studies, provides a critical overview of the political, economic, historic, social, and cultural contexts of the mass media. In each course, students are encouraged to interrogate the relationship among media, culture, and power, and think critically about the correspondence between processes of media production and consumption. The Research Track prepares students for further graduate studies or for careers in media research; the wealth of theoretical courses in this track is an asset to any student interested in communication theory or practice.
Communication Foundation: 10 credits
The following writing course:
TWRT 211
One of the following theory and methods courses:
TCOM 444
TCOM 453
Communication Core: 45 credits
From List A, with a minimum of 20 credits of 300- and 400-level courses required.
See the Communication web page for approved courses from List A that will fulfill Communication Core.
Minimum of 20 credits MUST be TCOM courses.
Optional Communication Capstone: 5 credits
Communication - Research Track students may choose to complete a 5-credit, 25-35 page senior thesis (as part of the List A credits). Ideally, you would have completed all core and foundation courses before undertaking the thesis. The thesis may be supervised only by core Communication faculty. This means early planning is crucial, and you should develop a rapport with your supervisor by the time you reach the thesis stage. See the Communication web page for more information.
Through a critical and cultural studies framework that addresses power differentials in society and through a rigorous schedule of courses in media theory and skills, you, as a Communication major, are expected to:
Be able to conduct thorough and critical research for both media theory and skills assignments, which is consistent with the LEAP learning outcomes of "Intellectual and Practical Skills" and "Integrative Learning;"
Understand and analyze the power of the visual image and the written word and their ability to convey and sustain ideologies of gender, class, ethnicity and orientation, which is consistent with the LEAP learning outcome of "Personal and Society Responsibility;"
Understand and analyze the ethical, legal, political and economic contexts of the mass media, which is consistent with the LEAP learning outcome of "Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Physical and Natural World;"
Understand and analyze the interdependency of global media systems and develop a critical and historical approach to media production and consumption, which is consistent with the LEAP learning outcome of "Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Physical and Natural World;"
Develop skills to write, edit and produce across varied media platforms, which is consistent with the LEAP learning outcomes of "Intellectual and Practical Skills;"
Be prepared for a variety of jobs in mass media such as newspaper and magazine writing, reporting and editing, television and video production and web design.
Program of Study: Major: Spanish Languages and Cultures
Program Overview
Develops the intercultural competence necessary to participate in a diverse and increasingly complex world. Hispanic Studies is interdisciplinary in focus with a strong emphasis on the contemporary culture of Latin America.
This program of study leads to the following credential:
Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Spanish Language and Cultures
Admission Requirements
Prerequisites
For acceptance into the major, students must demonstrate through a placement exam or coursework proficiency at the 300-level in the Spanish language. Students interested in pursuing a Spanish Language and Cultures Studies major are strongly encouraged to take a variety of interdisciplinary courses dealing with Spanish and Latin American culture in preparation for the major.
The most recent course lists are available on the Spanish Language and Cultures major web page. We define a native speaker of Spanish as a person who learned Spanish at home as his or her first language, and who lived in a Spanish-speaking home for the first six years of childhood. In addition, a native speaker has some formal instruction (at least through 7th grade) in schools where Spanish was the primary language. (Example: A person who was born in Mexico to Mexican parents, who lived in Mexico until age 14, and completed 7th grade there, is a native speaker of Spanish.)
We define a heritage speaker of Spanish as a person who was raised in a home where Spanish was spoken at least 50% of the time during that person’s childhood and adolescence. Heritage speakers may not have had formal instruction in Spanish, but they are to some degree bilingual in both Spanish and English.
Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Spanish Language and Cultures
Credential Overview
Develops the intercultural competence necessary to participate in a diverse and increasingly complex world. Hispanic Studies is interdisciplinary in focus with a strong emphasis on the contemporary culture of Latin America.
Completion Requirements
To be eligible for graduation with the bachelor of arts degree, each student enrolled in the program must complete the following program requirements:
Complete all general education requirements not met with transfer courses. See advisor for details.
Complete a minimum of 45 credits of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences course work. Some majors or concentrations may require more.
Complete a minimum of 45 credits of upper-division course work, including transfer courses and UW Tacoma courses.
Complete 5 credits of English composition with a minimum 2.0 grade. This must be completed in a student’s first two quarters at UW Tacoma.
Complete the requirements for a major or concentration (minors are optional).
No more than 15 elective credits can be taken for a Satisfactory/Not Satisfactory grade. See advisor for details.
Meet with an advisor to complete a graduation application no later than the second week of the quarter in which the student plans to graduate.
The Spanish Language and Cultures Studies major consists of 60 upper division credits, in addition to other university requirements for graduation. Of these 60 credits, 35 are core requirements, and 25 credits are required 300-400 level electives from Spanish language and culture classes in Spanish.
Core Classes: Minimum of 35 credits. All courses are five (5) credits unless otherwise noted.
TSPAN 301 (Or TSPAN 311 for Heritage Speakers)
TSPAN 302 (Or TSPAN 312 for Heritage Speakers)
TSPAN 303 (Or TSPAN 313 for Heritage Speakers)
TSPAN 351
TSPAN 352
TSPAN 299 , 393 or 496 foreign study/experiential learning or internship (10 credits)
Required Electives: Minimum of 25 credits of 300-400 level Spanish courses
At least 5 credits from List A: Spanish language must be at the 400 level
At least 5 credits from List B: Literature, film or culture in Spanish must be at the 400 level
Develop oral, writing and reading proficiency in Spanish at the Advanced Level as defined by American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) standards.
Become knowledgeable about the complexity of cultures in the Spanish-speaking world and be able to engage in ongoing critical debate about them.
Acquire proficiency in the 5 Cs (communication, cultures, connections, comparisons, communities) for language studies in Spanish as defined by the National Foreign Language Standards.
Learn terminology and concepts from at least two of these fields: literature and literary criticism; film and film criticism; cultural studies and cultural theory, and be able to apply the terminology and concepts to the critical analysis of works from Spain, Spanish America, and U.S. Latinos.
Become global citizens, able to interact compassionately, intelligently and insightfully with other cultures, particularly those of the Spanish-speaking world, and to engage in the scholarship and activism.
Acquire competence necessary for employment in a variety of fields related to the Spanish language and literary and cultural studies and/or a graduate program in Spanish or Latin American Studies.
The Major in Writing Studies enables students to learn to write effectively in a range of genres, and to think critically and creatively, with a well-rounded liberal arts education in the sciences and the humanities. Three tracks: Creative Writing, Technical Communication, and Rhetoric, Writing, and Social Change.
This program of study leads to the following credential:
Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Writing Studies
Admission Requirements
Students wishing to declare the Writing Studies major must complete the following courses with a minimum grade of 2.0.
T CORE 101, TWRT 112 or TWRT 121
TWRT 211
Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Writing Studies
Credential Overview
Learn to write effectively in a range of genres, and to think critically and creatively, with a well-rounded liberal arts education in the sciences and the humanities. Two tracks: CREATIVE WRITING and TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION.
Completion Requirements
To be eligible for graduation with the Bachelor of Arts degree, students enrolled in the program must complete the following program requirements:
Complete all general education requirements not met with transfer courses. See advisor for details.
Complete a minimum of 45 credits of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences course work. Some majors or concentrations may require more.
Complete a minimum of 45 credits of upper-division course work, including transfer courses and UW Tacoma courses.
Complete 5 credits of (C) Composition designated course with a minimum 2.0 grade.
Complete the requirements for a major (minors are optional).
No more than 15 elective credits can be taken for a Satisfactory/Not Satisfactory grade. See advisor for details.
45 upper-division credits and 45 credits of SIAS courses are required for graduation from SIAS.
Meet with an advisor to complete a graduation application no later than the second week of the quarter in which the student plans to graduate.
Writing Studies Major Track Requirements
The Writing Studies major requires 65 credits if choosing the Technical Communication track, or 60 credits if choosing either the Creative Writing track or Rhetoric, Writing, and Social Change track.
Creative Writing Track: 60 credits
Creative Writing Foundation: 10 credits
TWRT 200 (5)
TLIT 101 (5)
Creative Writing Electives: 20 credits
Choose 20 credits, see Writing Studies website for approved list of Creative Writing Electives.
At least 10 credits of Creative Writing Electives must be 400 level.
Literature Electives: 15 credits
Choose 15 credits, see Writing Studies website for approved list of Literature Electives.
Writing Electives: 15 credits
Choose 15 credits, see Writing Studies website for approved list of Writing Electives.
Technical Communication Track: 65 credits
Technical Communication Foundation: 10 credits
One required course
TWRT 291 (5)
Choose 5 credits from the following list. These courses can only be taken for credit once, as either Track Foundational Courses or Electives:
TWRT 331 (5)
TWRT 350 (5)
TWRT 391 (5)
TCOM 320 (5)
Technical Communication Electives: 20 credits
Choose 20 credits, see Writing Studies website for approved list of Technical Communication Electives.
Creative, Scientific, and Technical Topics Electives: 35 credits
Choose 35 credits, see Writing Studies website for approved list of Creative, Scientific, and Technical Topics Electives.
Rhetoric, Writing, and Social Change: 60 credits
Rhetoric Foundation: 10 credits
Two required courses
TWRT 211 (5)
TWRT 388 (5)
Rhetoric and Writing Electives: 25 credits
Choose 25 credits, see Writing Studies website for approved list of Rhetoric and Writing Electives. These courses can only be taken for credit once, as either Rhetoric and Writing Electives or Social Change Electives.
Social Change Electives: 25 credits
Choose 25 credits, see Writing Studies website for approved list of Social Change Electives. These courses can only be taken for credit once, as either Rhetoric and Writing Electives or Social Change Electives.
As a student in the Writing Studies major, you are expected to:
Write in multiple genres for diverse audiences.
Apply rhetorical and communication design skills in multiple contexts and for a range of purposes.
Develop an effective and self-aware writing process from invention to production.
Collaborate effectively in writing and information design.
Demonstrate an understanding of the role of writing in creating knowledge and effecting change through artistic expression, critical inquiry, and applied research.
Develop the ability to learn, adapt, and use technologies in new media essential to your public and professional life.
Program of Study: Minor: American Popular Culture Studies
Program Overview
Critically analyzes how popular culture in the United States reflects and challenges cultural values, practices and norms, and institutions. Focuses on the study of technologies and material culture, the production of popular culture, consumption practices, and popular culture's role in creating and disseminating ideologies.
This program of study leads to the following credential:
Minor in American Popular Studies
Minor in American Popular Studies
Completion Requirements
Requirements: 25 credits
15 credits must be upper division
15 credits must be taken outside major requirements
Foundational American Popular Culture Coursework: 10 credits
T AMST 220 (formerly TCULTR 210)
T AMST 410 (formerly TCULTR 410)
Students are required to take T AMST 410 as the culminating experience at the end of the minor coursework.
Topical Coursework in American Popular Culture Studies: 15 Credits
With the American Popular Culture Studies Minor, students will:
Demonstrate an ability to critically analyze popular culture texts and artifacts in social and political contexts
Demonstrate an understanding of the production and reception of popular culture
Demonstrate an understanding of how cultural meaning is created, and how studying popular culture can provide us with multiple ways of making power visible
Analyze and synthesize material from primary and secondary sources in order to create a coherent, evidence-based argument
Employ methodologies from the humanities and the social sciences to analyze a variety of historical, cultural, social and political questions.
Program of Study: Minor: Spanish Language and Cultures
Program Overview
The Spanish Language and Cultures minor combines Spanish language skills with a general knowledge of the cultural, historical and political context of Spanish America.
This program of study leads to the following credential:
Minor in Spanish Language and Cultures
Minor in Spanish Language and Cultures
Credential Overview
The Spanish Language and Cultures minor combines Spanish language skills with a general knowledge of the cultural, historical and political context of Spanish America.
Completion Requirements
A minor in Spanish Language and Cultures requires 25 credits. Minimum 2.00 cumulative GPA for courses applied to the minor. Please see an advisor to discuss details.
10 credits* required from the following courses focused on language acquisition, grammar, vocabulary, writing, etc):
TSPAN 203
TSPAN 299
TSPAN 301
TSPAN 302
TSPAN 303
TSPAN 315
TSPAN 335
TSPAN 345
TSPAN 348
TSPAN 393
TSPAN 420
TSPAN 425
TSPAN 430
TSPAN 496
15 credits required from the following courses focused on the learning of culture, history, film, and literature:
TSPAN 351
TSPAN 352
TSPAN 361 (formerly TSPAN 461)
TSPAN 371 (formerly TSPAN 471)
TSPAN 374
TSPAN 376
TSPAN 388
TSPAN 451
TSPAN 464
TSPAN 480
*Students who are diagnosed as native speakers or at an advanced level of proficiency (four or higher on the ACTFL scale) are not required to take the language classes. These students should take an additional 10 credits from courses focused on the learning of culture, history, film, and literature.
The Technical Communication minor offers written and oral communication courses applicable to all majors, professions and workplace situations, including courses relevant for students interested in pursuing careers in Law and Medicine. This minor is open to students from all majors.
This program of study leads to the following credential:
Minor in Technical Communication
Minor in Technical Communication
Completion Requirements
The Technical Communication minor requires 25 credits. All courses must be completed with a minimum grade of 2.0.