Program Overview

Program Overview

The Master of Arts in Digital Arts & Sciences (DAS) degree seeks to allow students from diverse academic backgrounds the opportunity to develop fluency in the technologies, design practices, and collaborative interdisciplinary teamwork increasingly required by the media, communications, and entertainment industries. Graduates holding the M.A. in DAS degree would typically seek employment in the creative services sector, applying digital techniques and technologies in a variety of professions. Opportunities range from traditional cinema to interactive games; from broadcast media to online international networks to emergent industries.

Admission Criteria

Students seeking admission are expected to have an undergraduate background including:

• A degree in one of the fine arts or liberal arts
• A body of work that demonstrates accomplishment in the intended area
• A body of work that can clearly be enhanced with skills to be acquired in the DAS program. Deficiencies may be corrected before beginning graduate study. In addition to appropriate academic credentials and prior scholastic achievement, admission into the program requires a well-constructed Statement of Purpose and media-related support material (i.e., samples of design, programming, video, web, writing, etc.) that demonstrates both prior interest and/or achievement in New Media/Digital Arts & Sciences.

Degrees Offered

• Master of Arts

Program Requirements

Although this is a thesis degree, students usually produce a creative project in lieu of thesis. Students should see the graduate coordinator for the requirements for the creative project, which are also provided in the DAS Student Handbook.

Course Offerings

Digital Worlds Departmental Courses

• DIG 5541: Managing Emerging Technology Projects (2 credits)
• DIG 5555C: Digital Media Projection Design I (3 credits)
• DIG 5930: Special Topics (3 credits)
• DIG 5931C: Special Topics (1-4 credits)
• DIG 6027: Digital Storytelling (1-4 credits)
• DIG 6028: Roots of Digital Culture (1-3 credits)
• DIG 6050C: Entertainment Technology (1-4 credits)
• DIG 6125C: Digital Design & Visualization (1-3 credits)
• DIG 6126C: Interaction Design (1-3 credits)
• DIG 6256C: Audio Design For Digital Production (1-3 credits)
• DIG 6358C: Applied 3D Modeling and Animation (2 credits)
• DIG 6719: Videogame Theory and Analysis (2-4 credits)
• DIG 6744C: Movement, Media and Machines (1-4 credits)
• DIG 6751C: Protocols for Multimedia Interfaces (2-4 credits)
• DIG 6788C: Digital Production & Game Design (1-4 credits)
• DIG 6837C: Digital Tools for Arts and Humanities (3 credits)
• DIG 6840: Interdisciplinary Research Seminar in Digital Arts & Sciences (1-4 credits)
• DIG 6850: Digital Arts & Sciences Convergence (1-4 credits)
• DIG 6906: Independent Study - Graduate Level (1-4 credits)
• DIG 6931C: Special Topics (1-3 credits)
• DIG 6950C: Digital Performance Production (1-4 credits)
• DIG 6971: Research for Master's Thesis (1-3 credits)
• DIG 6972C: Capstone Project (2-4 credits)
• DIG 6973: Capstone Project in Lieu of Thesis (1-6 credits)

College of the Arts Courses

• HUM 5357: Creativity and Health: Foundations of the Arts in Medicine (3 credits)
• HUM 5366: Foundations of Arts in Public Health (3 credits)
• HUM 5367: Arts in Public Health Practice (3 credits)
• HUM 5595: Arts in Medicine in Practice (3 credits)
• HUM 6308: Arts and Compassion (3 credits)
• HUM 6350: The Art of Self-Care (3 credits)
• HUM 6352: Art and Design in the Environment of Care (3 credits)
• HUM 6353: Arts in Medicine Professional Seminar (3 credits)
• HUM 6354: Arts in Medicine Advanced Professional Seminar (3 credits)
• HUM 6355: Arts in Medicine Summer Intensive (3 credits)
• HUM 6358: Arts in Medicine Capstone Proposal (2 credits)
• HUM 6359: Arts in Medicine Capstone (3 credits)
• HUM 6365: Collaborating Across Disciplines: The Arts Therapies (3 credits)
• HUM 6375: The Arts and Human Development (3 credits)
• HUM 6596: Arts in Medicine Capstone (4 credits)
• HUM 6597: Research and Evaluation in Arts in Medicine (3 credits)
• HUM 6886: Coding and Narrative Analysis in Arts in Health (2 credits)
• HUM 6930: Special Topics in Fine Arts (1-3 credits)
• HUM 6942: Arts in Medicine Graduate Practicum (3 credits)
• HUM 6944: Arts in Action: Consulting Project in Performing Arts Management (3 credits)
• HUM 6947: Arts and Public Health Professional Seminar (3 credits)
• HUM 6948: Arts and Public Health Practicum (3 credits)

Student Learning Outcomes

Digital Arts and Sciences (MA)

• SLO 1: Knowledge - Explains the sociotechnical academic domain of Digital Arts & Sciences (DAS), and describes the transdisciplinary foundations of DAS design, inquiry, and expression.
• SLO 2: Knowledge - Identifies the principles involved in the creation of interactive digital media artifacts.
• SLO 3: Skills - Solves problems and integrates systems thinking skills necessary to develop advanced media systems.
• SLO 4: Skills - Collaborates in cross-functional design and development teams.
• SLO 5: Professional Behavior - Exhibits the professional behaviors required in the field.

Digital Arts and Sciences (MS)

• SLO 1: Knowledge - Students identify, formulate, and solve computer science and engineering problems.
• SLO 2: Knowledge - Students can critically read computer science and engineering literature.
• SLO 3: Skills - Students use the techniques, skills, and tools necessary for computer science and engineering practice at an advanced level.
• SLO 4: Professional Behavior - An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility.
• SLO 5: Professional Behavior - Students can communicate effectively.