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The College of Arts & Sciences
Founded in 1976, the School of Criticism and Theory brings together a diverse group of scholars from around the world, addressing an ever-expanding arrangement of cultural, political and social movements, theoretical axes and intersecting debates across the humanities and social sciences.
In an intensive course of study, graduate students and faculty enroll in one of three seminars--led by Denise Ferreira da Silva, Fred Moten, or McKenzie Wark--to explore recent developments in critical theory in exciting, multilayered discussions. The whole school comes together for lectures, workshops, and work-in-progress conversations.
Undergraduates convene in small groups for a two-week mini-session and individual mentoring around research and theory.
Click here for more detailed information on the 2027 session.
The Amabel B. James Professor of History at Harvard University, Peter Gordon talks about his most recent book, Walter Benjamin: The Pearl Diver (2026), published by Yale University Press.
Distinguished Professor of Political Theory at the CUNY Graduate Center and Professor Emerita of Government at Cornell, Buck-Morss explores the relationship between Haiti, France, and their respective revolutions in Hegel’s thought.
Carolyn Rouse asks fellow anthropologists how we can manage the unmanageable while laying the foundation for a better future.
Jonathan Culler, the Class of 1916 Professor Emeritus of English and Comparative Literature at Cornell, is recognized by the International Society for the Study of Narrative Literature for decades of influential work on theory and criticism, which has been translated into more than 25 languages.
One of the first humanities centers in the nation, Cornell's Society for the Humanities is SCT’s new parent organization. This summer it hosted 100 scholars to celebrate 60 years of innovative thought and scholarship.
As the new Director of the School of Criticism and Theory, I want to express my deep excitement about this thrilling new responsibility. For over fifty years, SCT has posed the most fundamental questions about language, politics, society, and art. I can’t wait to welcome a new cohort of scholars to grapple with the ideas…