Research Opportunities

The Master of Arts in Cultural Studies program places a strong emphasis on collaborative research. Through classroom seminars, community-based learning, directed research, the capstone research project and portfolio, the program provides students with a myriad of opportunities to link art, culture, community development, and social change.

Capstone Research Project

Students develop their abilities in ethnographic, textual, or performance-based research methods as they implement an in-depth capstone research project. This project engages with various forms of cultural work, including arts policy, cultural activism, and public history, among others. Read more about the capstone project guidelines.

Conferences and Publications

Graduate students in the School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences are encouraged to pursue additional academic opportunities, such as conferences and journal publications. Students in all stages of the program present at local, regional, and international conferences to gain professional experience and enhance their portfolios. 

Funding

There are several ways for graduate students to apply for conference funding, community engagement funds and research funding to attend conferences. 

Conference Databases

• Call for Papers - This website is provided by the Department of English at the University of Pennsylvania as a courtesy to the academic community. Posted by category. 
• H-Net Academic Announcements - Search for academic conferences, calls for papers, and programs that may be of interest. 
• Association for Cultural Studies - Find out about Cultural Studies conferences worldwide. 

Application/Presentation Guides

• Presenting Your Research at Academic Conferences - Published by UW Graduate School.
• How to Convert Your Paper Into a Presentation - Published by Duke University.
• Writing and Presenting at Conferences - Published by UNC.

Recommended Conferences

• Cultural Studies Association; Date: Spring
• Imagining America; Date: Fall
• Women Who Rock; Date: Winter

Graduate Research Conference

All Cultural Studies graduate students are required to present at the Graduate Research Conference in the Spring of Year 2. 

The Simpson Center 

The Simpson Center is based on the UW Seattle campus and regularly hosts visiting scholar colloquiums, professional networking events, graduate student conferences, and more for community-engaged and cross-disciplinary scholarship. Sign up for their weekly events email.