criticalstudies.calarts.eduCalArts School of Critical Studies

calartsToggle Menu Search Academics Programs of Study CalArts offers a variety of unique programs at the undergraduate and graduate level within its six world-renowned Schools—Art, Critical Studies, Dance, Film/Video, Music and Theater. BFA General Education Undergraduate core courses are the foundation of BFA studies at CalArts, providing a strong general education and opportunities to deepen every student’s artistic practice. Further Study Overview Interdisciplinary International Engagement Opportunities Open Learning Coursera for Campus Shortcuts Library Academic Calendar Provost Registrar Course Catalog Academic Requirements Archived Catalogs Admissions Explore CalArts Explore is your first stop if you are considering applying to CalArts. Here you can find information about your program(s) of interest, events the Institute is hosting or attending, a virtual campus map, and much more. Your journey to CalArts starts here. 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Explore the local area and community. Extended Studies Offering innovative continuing education arts courses designed to meet the needs of both emerging artists and lifelong learners. Schools Art Critical Studies Dance Film/Video Music Theater Request Info Apply Give School of Critical Studies Home Programs Faculty and Staff Visiting Faculty Alumni Opportunities Subscribe to News and Events Home Critical Studies installation, "House of Dust" The School of Critical Studies brings together internationally recognized writers, poets, scholars and thinkers working in both new and traditional forms across a wide variety of disciplines, extending from narrative fiction, performance and multimedia to cultural criticism and political theory. Offering two master’s degree programs and the general education curriculum for all CalArts BFA students, the School of Critical Studies establishes a vital discursive center for the entire CalArts community. Critical Studies is the site for the generation of new ideas through interaction and discussion with a diverse cross-section of practitioners and creative métiers—a place to acquire key intellectual skills and to interrogate what one might define as a thinking practice.” Students in the MFA Creative Writing and the MA Aesthetics and Politics Programs develop and refine advanced creative writing and sophisticated critical scholarship in a unique multidisciplinary arts environment dedicated to experimentation and innovation. Unlike many liberal arts colleges or traditional art schools, CalArts links creative and critical practice in profound and generative ways. The new MA Aesthetics and Politics Program develops and enhances the original program established in 2007, adding an additional low-residency year. This new program is more flexible and substantial enabling students to focus with more time and depth on their studies, to take advantage of the creative environment of CalArts, to have access to a larger and more diverse cross section of theorists and artists, and to opt to study while working in their second year. Apply Request Information BFA General Education The School of Critical Studies is also responsible for the undergraduate core studies education of CalArts, which form the liberal arts backbone of a bachelor’s degree. Faculty from Critical Studies teach a range of exciting courses in the humanities, social science, cultural studies, sciences and mathematics that engage and inform each student’s own artmaking. To learn more, visit the BFA General Education page . General Education General Education Faculty Programs Aesthetics and Politics Creative Writing Amanda Beech, Dean of Critical Studies talks about the Aesthetics and Politics MA and the Creative Writing MFA Watch More Conferences Center for Discursive Inquiry REEF Residency Critical Studies Bookshop Reading Series Katie Jacobson Writer in Residence Theorist in Residence WHAP! Video Introduction to Critical Studies Calendar of Events View All Events School Gallery West Hollywood Aesthetics and Politics (WHAP!) Lecture Series "IN/FORM," an annual publication of writing by students in the Aesthetics and Politics MA Program WHAP! Lecture Series Panel: Alex F. Brown, Ani Tatintsyan, Aryana Ghazi-hessami, Emily Donneni Latest News May 13, 2024 Scenes from CalArts Graduation 2024 The sunny spring day of Friday, May 10 saw a burst of sculptural flora sprouting on the stage of... March 20, 2024 Writing Now Reading Series Presents Deborah Taffa, Raquel Gutiérrez, and Layli Long Soldier CalArts hosts esteemed writers Deborah Taffa, Raquel Gutiérrez, and Layli Long Soldier this week... March 4, 2024 CalArtian-Edited Art Book Positions Artists as First Responders to Injustice Artists, activists, and academics challenge monoculture by cataloging myriad voices in a... January 24, 2024 The Industry’s Star Choir by Malik Gaines and Alexandro Segade Screens at Hammer Museum On Wednesday, Jan. 24, the Hammer Museum presents Star Choir, a film chronicling the live... January 17, 2024 2024 Katie Jacobson Writer in Residence Spotlight: Don Mee Choi This week, CalArts welcomes MacArthur Fellow and National Book Award winner Don Mee Choi (Art... View All News Alumni Story Amarnath Ravva Integrated Media MFA 04 Ravva’s first book, American Canyon, was published by Kaya Press in 2014. He teaches writing and American Literature at Glendale Community College. Amarnath Ravva Since 2005, I’ve been part of a shared group space called Betalevel. It’s not a collective—it’s more of a venue for social experimentation and hands on culture that we use for readings and other events. Most of our current seven members are grads from the CalArts Writing Program. Many people make lasting friendships...