Interdisciplinary Media Arts, MFA

48 credit hours

The move away from exclusive specialization within the realm of visual arts commenced more than a decade ago, and it endures as we witness the continuous fusion of new media with traditional artistic mediums. The 3-year Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Interdisciplinary Media Arts is a terminal degree that integrates various media, harmonizing contemporary artistic practice with studies in art, design, and media production encompassing both historical and theoretical facets. Through this terminal degree program, students embark on a multifaceted journey. In their first year, they immerse themselves in exploring interdisciplinary methodologies in media creation as an artistic pursuit, gaining familiarity with the ever-evolving landscape of contemporary media art. The remainder of the program is devoted to the cultivation of their own definitive portfolio and the creation of a scholarly thesis report. This program’s distinctive attribute lies in its integration of diverse media forms, affording students a comprehensive understanding of the interplay between art and technology.

Admission Requirements

Applications are initially reviewed by the Office of University Admissions to ensure all university admissions standards are met. An admissions decision will be made once all steps have been completed.

In addition to the requirements of all graduate students, applicants to the College of Arts and Humanities should complete and/or submit the following documents and information:

Transcripts demonstrating completion of undergraduate degree in related field with a minimum GPA 3.0 in all major coursework.
The official results from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) may be required if GPA is below 3.0.
Contact information for three academic and/or professional references.
1,000-word statement of purpose describing applicant’s goals.
Specific deliverables depending on area of study, such as a writing sample and/or portfolio of work.

Requirements

Major Coursework

21 credit hours of coursework from the following options:

CAH 50000 - Research Methods Credit Hour: 3
CAH 51000 - Research and Scholastic Writing Credit Hour: 3
CAH 55000 - Graduate Seminar Credit Hour: 3
CAH 56000 - Graduate Seminar II Credit Hour: 3
CAH 56600 - Graduate Seminar III Credit Hour: 3
CAH 60000 - Thesis/Directed Project I Credit Hour: 3
CAH 61000 - Thesis/Directed Project II Credit Hour: 3

History and Theory Elective Coursework

6 credit hours of coursework from the following options:

ARTH 55400 - Nineteenth-Century Art Credit Hour: 3
ARTH 55600 - Baroque Art Credit Hour: 3
ARTH 55700 - Ancient Art Credit Hour: 3
ARTH 55800 - Medieval Art Credit Hour: 3
ARTH 56100 - Twentieth-Century Art/Modern Credit Hour: 3
ARTH 56200 - Twentieth-Century Art/Contemporary Credit Hour: 3
ARTH 56300 - Early Modern Gender Studies Credit Hour: 3
ARTH 56400 - Non-Western Art Credit Hour: 3
ARTH 56500 - History of Photography Credit Hour: 3
ARTH 56900 - History of Graphic Design Credit Hour: 3
ARTH 57000 - History of Games and Critical Theory Credit Hour: 3
ARTH 57001 - History of World Cinema Credit Hour: 3
ARTH 57200 - History of Costume and Fashion to 1900 Credit Hour: 3
ARTH 57300 - History of Costume and Fashion from 1900 Credit Hour: 3
ARTH 58000 - History of Digital Art Credit Hour: 3
ARTH 58300 - Renaissance Art Credit Hour: 3
ARTH 58400 - Classical Myth Credit Hour: 3
ARTH 58600-58699 - Special Topics Credit Hour: 3
ARTH 58900 - Art Theory and Criticism Credit Hour: 3
ARTH 58901 - Independent Study Credit Hour: 1-6
ARTH 58902 - Independent Study Credit Hour: 1-6
ARTH 58903 - Independent Study Credit Hour: 1-6
CINE 54000 - History of World Cinema Credit Hour: 3

Media Elective Coursework

Students must complete at least 21 credit hours of coursework from the following options drawing from at least two different disciplinary prefixes (e.g., AAD and DCS), with a minimum of 9 credit completed in each of two disciplines:

AAD 50000 - Portfolio and Career Foundations Credit Hour: 3
AAD 50010 - Research Studies I: Methods in Art and Design Credit Hour: 3
AAD 50020 - Research Studies II: Seminar in Art and Design Credit Hour: 3
AAD 50030 - Research Studies III: Theories in Art and Design Credit Hour: 3
AAD 50100 - Printmaking Credit Hour: 3
AAD 50500 - Painting Credit Hour: 3
AAD 51000 - Design with Illustrator Credit Hour: 3
AAD 51100 - Extended Realities (XR/AR/VR) Credit Hour: 3
AAD 51200 - User Experience and Interaction Design for XR (AR/VR) Credit Hour: 3
AAD 51300 - Cinematics for XR (AR/VR) Credit Hour: 3
AAD 51350 - Development for XR (AR/VR) Credit Hour: 3
AAD 51500 - Studies in Graphic Design Credit Hour: 3
AAD 51600 - Drag and Drop Web Design Credit Hour: 3
AAD 52001 - Graduate Art and Design Firm Credit Hour: 3
AAD 52100 - Digital Art I Credit Hour: 3
AAD 52200 - Motion Graphics Credit Hour: 3
AAD 52300 - Digital Art II Credit Hour: 3
AAD 52400 - Digital Art III Credit Hour: 3
AAD 52500 - Desktop Publishing Credit Hour: 3
AAD 52600 - Digital Art IV Credit Hour: 3
AAD 52700-52799 - Focus in Design Credit Hour: 3
AAD 52900 - Concept Design Credit Hour: 3
AAD 53000 - Drawing Credit Hour: 3
AAD 53001 - Digital Photography Credit Hour: 3
AAD 53100-53199 - Focus in Interactive Credit Hour: 3
AAD 53200-53299 - Focus in Web Credit Hour: 3
AAD 53310 - 3D Printing Credit Hour: 3
AAD 53400 - Fibers Credit Hour: 3
AAD 53500 - Graduate Projects in Art - Graphic Design Credit Hour: 3
AAD 53600 - 3D Graphics Credit Hour: 3
AAD 53700 - Digital Painting Credit Hour: 3
AAD 54001 - Digital Photography II Credit Hour: 3
AAD 54600 - Digital Imaging Credit Hour: 3
AAD 54800 - Digital Illustration Credit Hour: 3
AAD 54900 - Print Design and Production Credit Hour: 3
AAD 55001 - Digital Photography III Credit Hour: 3
AAD 55100 - Typography I Credit Hour: 3
AAD 55400 - Graduate Web Design I Credit Hour: 3
AAD 56001 - Digital Photography IV Credit Hour: 3
AAD 56400 - Graduate Web Design II Credit Hour: 3
AAD 57000 - Graduate Projects in Studio Art Credit Hour: 3
AAD 57440 - Graduate Web Design III Credit Hour: 3
AAD 57700 - Graphic Design Portfolio Credit Hour: 3
AAD 57800 - Graphic Design Studio Credit Hour: 3
AAD 58600-58699 - Special Topics Credit Hour: 3
AAD 58901 - Independent Study Credit Hour: 1-6
AAD 58902 - Independent Study Credit Hour: 1-6
AAD 58903 - Independent Study Credit Hour: 1-6
AAD 59000-59999 - Special Topics Credit Hour: 1-3
AIHC 53500 - Data Analysis and Visualization Credit Hour: 3
AIHC 53600 - AI for Skill Development Credit Hour: 3
AIHC 53700 - Coding and Scripting with Generative AI Credit Hour: 3
AIHC 53800 - Advanced Research and Writing with AI Credit Hour: 3
AIHC 54000 - Generative AI Image Production Credit Hour: 3
AIHC 55500 - Human-AI Collaboration Credit Hour: 3
CAH 53000 - Arts Entrepreneurship Credit Hour: 3
CAH 55555 - Internship Credit Hour: 1-6
CINE 50000 - Cinema Workshop Credit Hour: 3
CINE 51500 - MicroCinema Credit Hour: 3
CINE 52700 - Advanced Cinematography Credit Hour: 3
CINE 52800 - Directing for Film & Television Credit Hour: 3
CINE 53500 - History of Animation Credit Hour: 3
CINE 53700 - Cinema and Gender Credit Hour: 3
CINE 54200 - The Films of the Coen Brothers Credit Hour: 3
CINE 54300 - The Films of Alfred Hitchcock Credit Hour: 3
CINE 55000 - Screenwriting Credit Hour: 3
CINE 55200 - Advanced Screenwriting Credit Hour: 3
CINE 55500 - Feature Film Screenwriting Credit Hour: 3
CINE 56000 - Producing Credit Hour: 3
CINE 58500 - Advanced Post Production Credit Hour: 3
CINE 58700 - Visual Effects Credit Hour: 3
COM 55000 - Media Literacy Credit Hour: 3
DCS 50000 - Digital Content and Demographics Credit Hour: 3
DCS 51000 - Media Literacy Theory Credit Hour: 3
DCS 52200 - Emerging Platforms Credit Hour: 3
DCS 55000 - Personal Branding Credit Hour: 3
DCS 56000 - Information Literacy Credit Hour: 3
DCS 57000 - Contemporary Audience Analysis Credit Hour: 3
DCS 58900 - Digital Content Strategy Capstone Credit Hour: 3
FBD 51700 - Digital Apparel Production Management Credit Hour: 3
FBD 55100 - Advanced CAD II: Textile Design Credit Hour: 3
FBD 57200 - History of Costume to 1900 Credit Hour: 3
FBD 57300 - History of Costume from 1900 Credit Hour: 3
FBD 58500 - Fashion Business and Entrepreneurship Credit Hour: 3
FBD 58530 - Innovative Luxury Branding and Visual Display Credit Hour: 3
FBD 58540 - Global Apparel Buying and Trend Forecasting Credit Hour: 3
FBD 58550 - Global Fashion Sustainability Credit Hour: 3
FBD 58570 - Fashion Writing and Global Communication Credit Hour: 3
FBD 60000 - Fashion Business Capstone Credit Hour: 3
GAM 50001 - Team Studio I Credit Hour: 3
GAM 50120 - Level Design Credit Hour: 3
GAM 56500 - Game Design Internship Credit Hour: 3
GAM 57000 - 3D Animation Credit Hour: 3
IMF 51671 - Fiction: Craft Foundations Credit Hour: 3
IMF 51739 - Poetry: Craft Foundations Credit Hour: 3
IMF 52329 - Nonfiction: Creative Nonfiction Craft Foundations Credit Hour: 3
IMF 62001 - YA-MG: Young Adult and Middle Grade Craft Foundations Credit Hour: 3

Course descriptions for listed IMF courses can be found by accessing the Course Schedule in the Portal.

Notes:

A minimum of half the required credit hours for the degree must be earned in graduate-only courses to ensure advanced disciplinary rigor. Students should be aware that not all Media Elective courses are offered on a regular basis, nor are all available in an online format; inquiries regarding specific course scheduling and modality should be directed to the relevant department head. The culminating project for the program must explicitly employ at least two distinct media and be either interdisciplinary in approach or demonstrably shaped by interdisciplinary study. The catalog further stipulates that the culminating project must evidence substantial integration of multiple disciplinary perspectives, underscoring the program’s commitment to creative and intellectual synthesis. Additionally, after successful completion of any IMF course, students are permitted to enroll in other IMF courses or may do so by instructor permission, facilitating deeper engagement across intersecting domains within the curriculum.