Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts / SCHOOL OF THEATER, FILM AND MEDIA ARTS

Learn more about the Master of Arts in mediaXarts: Cinema for New Technologies and Environments.

About the Program

The one-year, 30-credit master's program in mediaXarts: Cinema for New Technologies and Environments prepares students for professions in the creative design industries, interaction design for public organizations, and emergent cinematic art forms, including interactive cinema, projection design, media installation, user experience design, design for mobile media, net art and social media. The mediaXarts MA program interfaces with the full range of Media Arts BFA, MA and MFA curricula at Temple University, which are among the leading programs for interdisciplinary, alternative and emerging media arts. The mediaXarts program trains artists who seek to challenge cinematic and arts conventions through narrative, non-narrative and hybrid forms, including interactive installation, projection design for performance and architecture, mobile media app design, digital animation, game design, interactive fabrication and new media studies. The curriculum engages the exciting interdisciplinary contexts of Temple's Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts and Philadelphia's thriving arts scene.

Time Limit for Degree Completion: 3 years

Campus Location: Main

Full-Time/Part-Time Status: Students complete the degree program through classes offered at convenient times of the day and evening.

Interdisciplinary Study: The degree program allows media artists to:

• engage in interdisciplinary art practices through collaborations across cinematic fields, theater, fine arts, humanities, the sciences and visual research within Boyer College of Music and Dance and the School of Theater, Film and Media Arts in the Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts, Tyler School of Art and Architecture, and other programs within the University;
• bridge analog and digital forms, from optical-printing and hand-painted film to projection design, mobile media, interactive cinema, physical computing, analog/digital animation and installation arts; and
• develop collaboration skills across the fields of media production, digital media arts, performing arts and fine arts through curricular programs in the Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts. With permission, students may also take courses at the Tyler School of Art and Architecture.

Affiliations: Media artists work with Film and Media Arts faculty, who are leading artists making works for museums, public spaces, interactive cinema, mobile media, gallery installation, performance, projection and the Web. Our mediaXarts students also work within Philadelphia’s vibrant art scene and local communities as well as through national and international networks.

Study Abroad: Media artists have opportunities for study-away experiences in Los Angeles, Tokyo and Venice. Study-away experiences have to be balanced with the degree requirements of the program.

Ranking: Temple's Film and Media Arts graduate programs are ranked among the top 10 film/video programs nationally and within the top three programs offered by public institutions.

Areas of Specialization: The faculty are international leaders with awards from Fulbright, Guggenheim, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), Pew, and Rockefeller, as well as major film, art and publication credits. Faculty members specialize and offer coursework in:

• Digital Animation (2D and 3D)
• Digital Ethnography and New Documentary Forms
• Game, App and Interactive Design
• Installation and Multi-Platform Design
• Media Production and Post-Production
• Physical Computing
• Projection Design for Theater, Performance and Architecture
• Writing for Media

Job Prospects: Media artists go on to careers across the creative industries, culture and education. For example, the MFA program in Film and Media Arts has produced more Princess Grace and Eastman Scholar Award winners than any other school in recent decades.

Non-Matriculated Student Policy: Non-matriculated students may take up to 9 credits within the department at the discretion of individual instructors.

Financing Opportunities: Contact the department directly for more information.

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Application Deadline:

Fall: March 1

Applications are evaluated together after the deadline has passed. Late applications may be considered for admission.

APPLY ONLINE to this graduate program.

Letters of Reference:
Number Required: 3

From Whom: Letters of recommendation should be obtained from college/university faculty familiar with the applicant's academic competency and/or professionals in the fields of communication or media production.

Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: All applicants must present credentials that are the equivalent of the appropriate baccalaureate degree at Temple University.

Applicants educated in China should review the information found on the Graduate School website regarding the submission of education documents to Temple University. See https://grad.temple.edu/admissions/international-applicants/before-you-apply. The admissions committee for the Film and Media Arts MFA program will review your materials to determine your admissions status provided the required documentation is submitted in support of your application.

Statement of Goals: In approximately 500 words, explain your personal interests, educational aims and professional goals, along with relevant biographical information.

Standardized Test Scores:
Applicants who earned their baccalaureate degree from an institution where the language of instruction was other than English, with the exception of those who subsequently earned a master’s degree at a U.S. institution, must report scores for a standardized test of English that meet these minimums:

• TOEFL iBT: 100
• IELTS Academic: 7.0
• PTE Academic: 68

Portfolio: A portfolio, with your role in each work clearly indicated, is submitted as evidence of creative potential. The works can include film, video, animation, visual art, examples of design, interactive work or other media art forms, as well as writing, art, music, still photography, computer arts, criticism or research scholarship, if appropriate.

Resume: Current resume required.

Transfer Credit: The mediaXarts MA program accepts graduate credits completed in coursework related to the program. Acceptance of transfer credits is determined solely by the Film and Media Arts committee. The maximum number of credits a student may transfer is 3.

Program Requirements

General Program Requirements:
Number of Credits Required Beyond the Baccalaureate: 30

Required Courses:

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Core Courses
FMA 5242	Videography	4
FMA 5468	Art-Culture-Technology Seminar	4
FMA 5674	Media Arts Thry-Practice	4
Electives
Three courses in Film and Media Arts 1		12
Two in Film and Media Arts or Outside the Department		6
Total Credit Hours		30

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Students customize their course of study after completion of all required courses.

Culminating Event:
End-of-Year Review:
Student work is evaluated by the Film and Media Arts faculty near the end of the year in a closed individual session. Each student is asked to present their completed work and work in progress, along with an artistic statement that indicates future direction. Student participation in the End-of-Year Review is mandatory.

Contacts

Department Contacts: