Department Website
Program Description
ITP has launched an interdisciplinary undergraduate Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in Interactive Media Arts (IMA). The inaugural class started in fall of 2018. The IMA program starts from the proposition that computation—the ability to code, learn new software, manipulate data, and create physical + digital interactions—is an essential creative capability, and that students who master those capabilities will invent the future.
The IMA program offers a rigorous and exploratory course of study that teaches students fluency in many forms of digital interactivity, alongside an education in both the arts and liberal arts. At the program’s core is the conviction that digital expression is an essential skill for all—artists, writers and designers as well as programmers and engineers.
Students learn to think about the relationship between digital tools, physical objects and environments, human interaction and technology’s impact on the world. Students also engage in traditional scholarship, with a rigorous study in the liberal arts. The IMA BFA will prepare students for a career in any creative field––developer, designer, artists, educator, entrepreneur and scholar.
Admissions
New York University's Office of Undergraduate Admissions supports the application process for all undergraduate programs at NYU. For additional information about undergraduate admissions, including application requirements, see How to Apply.
Program Requirements
The program requires the completion of 128 credits, comprised of the following:
Course List
Course |
Title |
Credits |
IMNY-UT 99 | IMA Cohort: Community is a Practice | 0 |
IMNY-UT 101 | Creative Computing | 4 |
IMNY-UT 102 | Communications Lab | 4 |
IMNY-UT 400 | Capstone | 4 |
| |
| 4 |
| Topics in Computation and Data (Nature of Code) | |
| Reading and Writing Electronic Text | |
| The Code of Music | |
| Networked Media | |
| Introduction to Machine Learning for the Arts | |
| Pixel by Pixel | |
| Topics in Media Art (Shared Minds) | |
| 4 |
| Designing Interfaces for Live Performance | |
| Physical Computing | |
| Interaction as Art Medium | |
| Topics in Physical Computing (DIY Energy) | |
| 4 |
| Animation: Methods of Motion | |
| Immersive Experiences | |
| Topics in Media Art (Video Art) | |
| Alter Egos | |
| 4 |
| Big Ideas in the History and Future of Technology | |
| Useless Machines | |
| Topics in Media Art (Communications and Technology) | |
| Topics in Media Art (Politics of Code) | |
| Topics in Media Art (Design Skills for Responsible Media) | |
| 4 |
| Design Fundamentals | |
| User Experience Design | |
| Introduction to Digital Fabrication | |
| 4 |
| Creative Approaches to Emerging Media | |
| Critical Experiences | |
| Topics in Media Art (Open Call) | |
| Topics in Media Art (Storytelling for Project Development) | |
| 24 |
| Internet Famous | |
| Topics in Computation and Data (Mobile Application Development) | |
| Introduction to Machine Learning for the Arts | |
| Collective Play | |
| Front-End Web | |
| Experimental Photography | |
| Chatbots for Art's Sake | |
| Topics in Physical Computing (Intro to Wearables) | |
| Topics in Physical Computing (Small-Scale Kinetic Installation) | |
| Topics in Physical Computing (Game Show Design: Buzzers, Bells and Big Ideas) | |
| Introduction to Assistive Technology | |
| Introduction to Fabrication | |
| Introduction to 3D Printing | |
| Topics in Physical Computing (Adapting Everyday Items) | |
| Topics in Fabrication (CNC and More) | |
| Topics in Fabrication (Contemporary Sculpture in the Digital Age) | |
| Topics in Fabrication (Creating With Cardboard) | |
| Topics in Fabrication (Re-Plasticing) | |
| Topics in Media Art (Generative Filmmaking in the Age of Hypercinema) | |
| Topics in Media Art (Projection Mapping 101) | |
| Topics in Media Art (Content Strategy) | |
| Topics in Media Art (100 Days of Making) | |
| Topics in Media Art (Video Art) | |
| Topics in Media Art (Living Archives) | |
| Topics in Media Art (Big Ideas in the History and Future of Technology ) | |
| Topics in Media Art (Computational Image Deconstruction) | |
| Topics in Media Art (Design Skills for Responsible Media) | |
| Topics in Media Art (Digital Bodies) | |
| Topics in Media Art (Echoes and Visions) | |
| Topics in Media Art (IRL/URL Performing Hybrid Systems) | |
| Topics in Media Art (Open Call) | |
| Topics in Media Art (Digital Creatures) | |
| Information Design | |
| Topics in Design (Typography and Technology) | |
| Topics in Design (Anatomy of Truth) | |
| Topics in Media Art (AI for Creatives) | |
| Topics in Media Art (New Portraits) | |
| Topics in Media Art (Post Project Post-Project) | |
| Topics in Media Art (Caring for Media Arts) | |
| Topics in Media Art (Three.js for Makers) | |
| Topics in Media Art (eTextiles & Physical Computing) | |
| Topics in Media Art (3D in the Browser) | |
| Topics in Media Art (Comics) | |
| Topics in Media Art (Interactive Multi-Screens) | |
| Real-Time Media | |
| Collective Narrative | |
| Playful Experiences | |
| Non-Linear Storytelling Structures | |
| Augmenting the Gallery | |
1 | 8 |
| 4 |
| 4 |
| 4 |
| 4 |
| 4 |
| 4 |
| 16 |
| 20 |
Total Credits | 128 |
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will:
- Develop a fluency in working with emerging technologies for creative purposes including but not limited to computation, rapid prototyping, design, and interactive media.
- Develop the ability to conceptualize and execute ideas via project based creative work.
- Develop the intellectual tools for critically examining the effects of interactive media and emerging technologies on individuals and society including those in the social, cultural, and political realms.
- Develop the ability to express ideas effectively in writing, presentations, and orally.
Policies
NYU Policies
University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages.
Tisch Policies
Additional academic policies can be found on the Tisch academic policy page.