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 of a 3.0 GPA 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(s): 3
CAH 51000 - Research and Scholastic Writing Credit Hour(s): 3
CAH 55000 - Graduate Seminar Credit Hour(s): 3
CAH 56000 - Graduate Seminar II Credit Hour(s): 3
CAH 60000 - Thesis/Directed Project I Credit Hour(s): 3
CAH 61000 - Thesis/Directed Project II Credit Hour(s): 3

Notes:

CAH 56000 should be taken for a total of 6 credit hours (repeatable up to 9 credit hours) to meet the minimum core credits.

History and Theory Elective Coursework

6 credit hours of coursework from the following options:

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

Media Elective Coursework

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

AAD 50000 - Portfolio and Career Foundations Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 50010 - Research Studies I: Methods in Art and Design Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 50020 - Research Studies II: Seminar in Art and Design Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 50030 - Research Studies III: Theories in Art and Design Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 50100 - Printmaking Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 50500 - Painting Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 51000 - Design with Illustrator Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 51100 - Extended Realities (XR/AR/VR) Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 51200 - User Experience and Interaction Design for XR (AR/VR) Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 51300 - Cinematics for XR (AR/VR) Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 51350 - Development for XR (AR/VR) Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 51500 - Studies in Graphic Design Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 51600 - Drag and Drop Web Design Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 52001 - Graduate Art and Design Firm Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 52100 - Digital Art I Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 52200 - Motion Graphics Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 52300 - Digital Art II Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 52400 - Digital Art III Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 52500 - Desktop Publishing Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 52600 - Digital Art IV Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 52700-52799 - Focus in Design Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 52900 - Concept Design Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 53000 - Drawing Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 53001 - Digital Photography Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 53100-53199 - Focus in Interactive Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 53200-53299 - Focus in Web Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 53310 - 3D Printing Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 53400 - Fibers Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 53500 - Graduate Projects in Art - Graphic Design Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 53600 - 3D Graphics Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 53700 - Digital Painting Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 54001 - Digital Photography II Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 54600 - Digital Imaging Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 54800 - Digital Illustration Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 54900 - Print Design and Production Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 55001 - Digital Photography III Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 55100 - Typography I Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 55400 - Graduate Web Design I Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 56001 - Digital Photography IV Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 56400 - Graduate Web Design II Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 57000 - Graduate Projects in Studio Art Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 57440 - Graduate Web Design III Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 57700 - Graphic Design Portfolio Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 57800 - Graphic Design Studio Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 58600-58699 - Special Topics Credit Hour(s): 3
AAD 58901 - Independent Study Credit Hour(s): 1-6
AAD 58902 - Independent Study Credit Hour(s): 1-6
AAD 58903 - Independent Study Credit Hour(s): 1-6
AAD 59000-59999 - Special Topics Credit Hour(s): 1-3
CAH 53000 - Arts Entrepreneurship Credit Hour(s): 3
CAH 55555 - Internship Credit Hour(s): 1-6
CINE 50000 - Cinema Workshop Credit Hour(s): 3
CINE 51500 - MicroCinema Credit Hour(s): 3
CINE 52700 - Advanced Cinematography Credit Hour(s): 3
CINE 52800 - Directing for Film & Television Credit Hour(s): 3
CINE 53500 - History of Animation Credit Hour(s): 3
CINE 53700 - Cinema and Gender Credit Hour(s): 3
CINE 54200 - The Films of the Coen Brothers Credit Hour(s): 3
CINE 54300 - The Films of Alfred Hitchcock Credit Hour(s): 3
CINE 54400 - Horror Cinema Credit Hour(s): 3
CINE 54700 - Cult Cinema Credit Hour(s): 3
CINE 55000 - Screenwriting Credit Hour(s): 3
CINE 55200 - Advanced Screenwriting Credit Hour(s): 3
CINE 55500 - Feature Film Screenwriting Credit Hour(s): 3
CINE 56000 - Producing for Film and Video Credit Hour(s): 3
CINE 56300 - Production Management Credit Hour(s): 3
CINE 58500 - Advanced Post Production Credit Hour(s): 3
CINE 58700 - Visual Effects Credit Hour(s): 3
COM 50100 - Mass Communications Law Credit Hour(s): 3
COM 50200 - Seminar in Professional Practice and Ethics Credit Hour(s): 3
COM 50310 - Contemporary Digital Rights Credit Hour(s): 3
COM 50320 - Critical Analysis of Media Credit Hour(s): 3
COM 50330 - Media and Politics Credit Hour(s): 3
COM 50340 - Audience Analysis in an Interactive Age Credit Hour(s): 3
COM 50400 - Broadcast Newswriting Credit Hour(s): 3
COM 52500 - Photojournalism Credit Hour(s): 3
COM 54300 - Television News Production Credit Hour(s): 3
COM 55000 - Media Literacy Credit Hour(s): 3
COM 57100 - Advanced Audio Production Credit Hour(s): 3
COM 57300-57399 - Topics in Producing Credit Hour(s): 3
COM 57600-57699 - Topics in Production Credit Hour(s): 3
COM 57700-57799 - Topics in Post-Production Credit Hour(s): 3
COM 57800-57899 - Topics in Scriptwriting Credit Hour(s): 3
COM 57900 - Television Production Credit Hour(s): 3
COM 58000 - Television News Reporting Credit Hour(s): 3
DCS 50000 - Digital Content and Demographics Credit Hour(s): 3
DCS 51000 - Media Literacy Theory Credit Hour(s): 3
DCS 52000 - History of Contemporary Media Industries Credit Hour(s): 3
DCS 52200 - Emerging Platforms and Analytics Credit Hour(s): 3
DCS 55000 - Personal Branding Credit Hour(s): 3
DCS 56000 - Information Literacy Credit Hour(s): 3
DCS 57000 - Contemporary Audience Analysis Credit Hour(s): 3
DCS 58900 - Digital Content Strategy Capstone Credit Hour(s): 3
GAM 50001 - Team Studio I Credit Hour(s): 3
GAM 50120 - Level Design Credit Hour(s): 3
GAM 56500 - Game Design Internship Credit Hour(s): 3
GAM 57000 - 3D Animation Credit Hour(s): 3

Notes:

CAH 56000 should be taken for a total of 6 credit hours (repeatable up to 9 credit hours) to meet the minimum core credits.

Note: At least half of the degree coursework must be graduate-only classes. Additionally, not all Media Elective courses listed are offered regularly or in an online modality. Questions about course availability and modality should be directed to the department head of the relevant programs.