Digital Arts and New Media: MFA: Collaboration, Innovation, Social Impact

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Program Requirements

Read a full description of the DANM Program Statement and Course Descriptions in the Campus Catalog:

DANM Program Statement

DANM Course Descriptions

Summary of Course Requirements:

The DANM M.F.A. Program requires 72 credits of academic course work. In the first year, students generally take three courses each term. In the second year, students primarily take elective courses, work with their thesis committees, and pursue independent and directed research leading to the completion of the thesis project and paper. The core courses explore an array of recent methods and approaches in digital arts and culture. The faculty lead of each research group establishes a set of courses specific to their research topic, which are taken in addition to the core courses. Students are admitted into a specific research group, and take the courses specific to their group in their first year. Each research group and its courses are summized in the planner below.

In the first year, students generally take three courses per term:  a mix of New Praxis, Studies, and Collaborative Research, plus one elective. In the second year, students primarily take electives, complete their Collaborative Research, work with their thesis committees, and pursue independent and directed research leading to the completion of the thesis project and paper.

Thesis Requirement:

Students are required to complete a thesis project and written paper under the supervision of their thesis committee. The thesis will be an arts project with digital documentation accompanied by a written paper. Thesis projects may be individual or collaborative and may grow out of the research pursued in the research groups during the three quarters prior as well as work developed in core courses. Each student will be expected to complete a paper discussing the student’s preparatory research as well as the theoretical significance of the project. In the case of collaborative projects, each student will be required to submit his or her own paper. During the thesis year, students will make at least two progress presentations to their thesis committee. A completed thesis project and paper must be submitted to and approved by the thesis committee before the degree can be awarded.