Course Descriptions
Required Courses
DE 601 Design Studio I (6cr.)
Advanced program of study and research in communication design focuses on fundamental principles of visual communication in the context of interactive media.
DE 611 Design Seminar I (3cr.)
The course wherein students examine socioeconomic and technological context of design disciplines. Students write a comprehensive paper that analyzes history of design concepts and movements and their impact on current design practice.
DE 602 Design Studio II (6cr.)
Advanced program of study and research in communication design focuses on complex information structures for various contexts and audiences. Subjects of study emphasize interactive media in the context of information design.
DE 612 Design Seminar II (3cr.)
The course wherein students examine, explore and debate current issues of communication design and design education. The seminar content may include lectures, studio projects, readings and discussions with emphasis upon the intellectual context of design. The requirements of the course include a comprehensive paper and a preliminary thesis proposal presented to review board for approval.
DE 698 Review Board (0cr.)
Public presentation of graduate credit work by each student in the program - full or part-time. The work is evaluated by a panel of reviewers comprising MassArt faculty, guest critics, and moderated by the coordinator of the program.
DE 603 Thesis Project I / DE 604 Thesis Project II (6cr. each semester)
The thesis project de 503 / de 504 courses provide a supportive context for the development of the project component of the thesis. The class limited to 5 students, is a forum to articulate and debate the issues associated with individual thesis projects. The work in class is structured by a specific agreement between the student and faculty advisor, who guides the program of study, and provides ongoing feedback and evaluation. The student select a particular course/faculty upon approval of the preliminary thesis proposals. The faculty advisors may further define their own specific criteria, process and schedule of thesis development.
DE 613 Thesis Seminar I / DE 614 Thesis Seminar II (3cr. each semester)
The thesis document de 533 / de 544 courses provide a supportive context for the development of the document component of the thesis. The class is a forum for students to articulate, debate and record the results of their research and design process and provide critical discussion of historical and contemporary context of their work. The final thesis document becomes a part of the graduate design archives.
NOTE: Thesis Project and Thesis Seminar are concurrent courses — they can only be taken simultaneously. Prerequisites: completion of 30 credits and approval of “Preliminary Thesis Proposal.”
DE 699 Thesis Defense (0cr.)
Public presentation of thesis project and document evaluated by a panel of reviewers comprising MassArt faculty, guest critics, and moderated by the coordinator of the program.
Graduate Electives
DE 631 Elements of Media (3cr.)
This course is focused on developing a better understanding of the complexities of the re-synthesis of visual, oral, aural, and temporal information as they exist in time-based and interactive media. Through lecture and in-class demonstration students will learn the technological processes necessary to begin temporal explorations in sound and image.
DE 633 Design as Experience I (3cr.)
A multi-dimensional and multi-sensory research based course, focused on creative processes, that integrate form and content generated within and outside of the class experience. Students will re-examine and explore various temporal, spatial, visual and verbal aspects of communication process. Work will consists of both static and dynamic media presentations and individual and group projects.
DE 634 Design as Experience II (3cr.)
A multi-dimensional and multi-sensory research based course, focused on creative processes, that integrate form and content generated within and outside of the class experience. Students will re-examine and explore various temporal, spatial, visual and verbal aspects of communication process. Work will consists of both static and dynamic media presentations and individual and group projects.
DE 635 Design for Motion and Sound (3cr.)
Exploration of motion literacy — the act of understanding of how the “language” of moving image and sound can be used to communicate effectively. The course will focus on cinematic vocabulary in the context of time-media by creating linear and non-linear narrative structures.
DE 637 Interactive Media Project I (3cr.)
The goal of this class is to explore various dimensions and possibilities of dynamic digital media in the context of user experience and human-computer interaction. Students will research and develop a project which involves advanced programming for interactive media and various aspects of sound, sensors and robotics.
DE 638 Interactive Media Project II (3cr.)
This course is a continuation of interactive media project I. The goal is to explore further various conceptual and technological factors that influence current theory and practice of interactive media. Students will research and developed alternative models of user interface and interaction within three-dimensional environment.
DE 639 Thesis Exploration (3cr.)
This course goal is to allow students entering into, or currently engaged in, thesis research to develop a more focused vision of their thesis topic, a better understanding of the contextual landscape of their study, and an awareness of the relevant technologies that apply to their area of investigation.
DE 650 Directed Study in Design (3cr.)
Directed Study in Design offers students the opportunity to pursue a specific studio or seminar project by working with a faculty member on an independent basis. Students must provide a description of the project, and schedule of at least six meetings with the faculty during the semester. The project must be approved by the faculty directing the study and the coordinator of the program. Students may take only one 3-credit directed study per semester.
DE 660 Design Symposium (6cr.)
(description not approved yet)
Free Electives
NOTE: Students choose free electives from the offerings of various MassArt departments such as graphic design, animation, film/video, art education, as well as Fenway Consortium offerings, for instance:
GD 311 Information Architecture I (fall semester course)
Introductory course to basic concepts, methods, and procedures of information organization focused on managing information complexity. The course addresses the issues of information structures developed for various contexts and audiences. Subjects of study include printed and interactive media, and both static and dynamic approaches to information design.
GD 321 Information Architecture II (spring semester course)
Advanced course in information architecture focused on exploring large and complex, user-centered systems of information with emphasis on organization, navigation, and management. The course content represents professional methods in solving design problems of interface for dynamic media.
GD 365 Dynamic Typography (fall semester course)
In dynamic (pertaining to, or caused by motion) typography (process of arranging type) students explore visual narratives in reference to time-based media. The course emphasizes conceptual, visual and technical aspect of typography in motion.
CSA 341 Design History (fall and spring semester course)
The history of industrial design, architecture, graphic design, and illustration, from the Industrial Revolution to the present, with selected references to preindustrial developments. The course investigates technological phenomena such as mass production and movements, including Postmodernism and Deconstructivism.
SIM 375 Electronic Projects for Artists (fall and spring semester course)
The purpose of this studio course is to provide skills and information that will be useful for artists who use electronic devices in their artworks.
FM 305 Video Topics: Digital Compositing (fall semester course)
This course examines the use of video as a tool in creating interactive installations through a series of short installation projects. Class topics include harnessing surveillance equipment, switching video, and composing multiple monitor set-ups, experimenting with basic interactivity.
SIM 3X4 Nature, Science & Art (spring semester course)
What is the nature of space and time? How do various astronomical events affect cultural trends? What can evolution teach us about human behavior? What is the nature of matter and energy at the smallest and largest scale of the universe? Students will explore the basic elements of the physical universe, creating art projects which describe or connect aspect of nature, art and science.
IL 4X3 Animation IV (spring semester course)
Advanced Projects in Animation. Applied project assignments using animation as a vehicle for expression and communication of ideas. Class will function in the model of a professional studio with an emphasis on collaboration and connections to the creative community at large.
AE 555 New Media in Education and Design (fall semester course)
Designers, Museum Educators, and K-12 Teachers work together to discover how new media can effectively enhance the learning environment in art education. The interfaces that allow us to interact with new media provide a unique opportunity for Educators and Designers to study the theoretical implications of new media education by analyzing existing examples of interactive technology and exploring information design methods in a variety of educational settings.
CSD 5x0 The History and Philosophy of Mass Media (spring semester course)
The seminar course offers an archeological investigation of mass media, philosophies and zeitgeist underlying their development from homo-sapiens to present times. The course examines mass media development as a product of social, cultural, historical and political environments and incorporates analysis and discussion in the ways in which cultures create communication technologies.