university of florida - school of art & art history

UF’s graduate program in Digital Media seeks to expand the model of what is considered to be digital, fostering a multidisciplinary approach that integrates artistic research, contemporary theory, and practice. The Digital Media program serves as a catalyst for developing lifelong research questions and passions, as well as facilitating dialogues and collaborations not only between traditional and digital art forms within the School of Art and Art History, but across the university. Students are encouraged to make conceptual work that encompasses both the virtual and physical world and that critically reflects upon the relationship between culture and technology.

The Digital Media program cultivates an environment where students can experiment with data, interactivity, installation, networks, video, sound, text, animation, Internet, sensing devices, GPS, biotechnology, mapping, immersive spaces, aesthetic computing as well as emerging and yet unimagined forms of digital expression. The University of Florida affords motivated students opportunities and resources to realize projects and collaborations at a scale and depth unavailable at smaller institutions. The program includes studio courses, graduate seminars in history, theory and criticism, studio critique, and independent studies. Students have access to courses in other areas in order to create synergistic relationships that will potentially inform and be integrated into individual studio practice. Students are expected and encouraged to grow as artists over the course of the three-year program

Students are expected to participate a graduate seminar each semester. Collaboration with students or others outside the department and professional development activities such as writing proposals and sending materials out for exhibition are expected activities from graduate students. Graduate students must pass a first year and second year review in order to proceed to the final year. In the third and final year, a major final thesis project with a written component is required for graduation.

Background and Preparation
Graduate students in Digital Media should have a strong background in technology, studio art or other related disciplines and be prepared to integrate these skills into the creative process. The Digital Media program serves to hone technology skills as part of a larger studio practice focusing on students’ conceptual development as artists rather than learning technology targeted for a specific vocational trajectory.

Admission
Admittance to the graduate program is highly competitive and is based on review of an applicant’s background and previous academic/work experience. There are from 6 to 10 MFA students in the program at any given time.

Opportunities
Graduate students may be eligible for graduate teaching assistantships within the school of Art and Art History. Occasionally, there are other technology related assistantships in other departments.

Facilities and Equipment
Graduate students are expected to have a laptop equipped with software and hardware appropriate to their course of research. The University of Florida Digital Media program also provides a state of the art multi-media and digital video editing facility available 24 hours a day 7 days a week. The 20-seat lab is equipped with Macintosh Dual processor G-5 computers with dual layer DVD burning support. Software includes latest versions of industry standard software such as, Photoshop, Flash, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, After Effects, Final Cut Pro, DVD Studio Pro, Go Live and more. Lab input devices include 2 flatbed scanners and 2 film scanners. Output includes an Epson 4800 printer and Epson 9600 wide format printer. In addition to this, an equipment checkout cage is available on the weekdays. Equipment includes 3chip mini DV cameras, single chip DV cameras, DVD players, video projectors, video monitors, 5.1 sound receivers, microphones and speakers. Equipment is checked out on a 24 -hour basis.

Graduate students also have 24-7 to an interdisciplinary workspace equipped with a desk and space for personal belongings. The area includes a 5.1 sound projection theater for viewing and critique of work, as well as a G-5 video editing station and a Pro Tools sound editing suite.

Faculty