PhD in Cultural Studies - Critical Theory in Davis United States | University of California Davis

The Cultural Studies Graduate Group at UC Davis provides an interdisciplinary framework for examining culture and society, emphasizing how factors like sexuality, race, ability, citizenship, gender, nationality, class, and language shape identities, social dynamics, and cultural artifacts. Under faculty mentorship, students conduct cross-disciplinary research in diverse fields such as critical race studies, ecocriticism, fashion theory, queer studies, media analysis, science and technology studies, Marxist critique, tourism, food culture, disability studies, cultural geography, transnational politics, globalization, religion, rhetoric, performance, and critical theory. While both Ph.D. and M.A. options exist, the program exclusively admits Ph.D. applicants, with the M.A. serving as an intermediate step toward doctoral completion.

UC Davis's Critical Theory Designated Emphasis allows doctoral candidates to engage in cross-departmental seminars exploring historical and contemporary critical thought while earning a formal specialization. Faculty from humanities and social sciences departments contribute diverse expertise spanning different eras and theoretical traditions. These seminars create a unique intellectual space where students and scholars from varied disciplines can exchange ideas and critically examine the foundations of social, political, and cultural systems.