Program Description

In the interdisciplinary New Media B.A. Program at Purchase College, students learn to interact with digital media both as critical consumers and as active producers. The pervasiveness of digital technologies, their rapid pace of development, and the constant global flow of information are transforming political, social, and cultural landscapes while creating new models of communication and interaction. Because “new” is a culturally relative term, cross-cultural initiatives and global education are essential parts of the curriculum. The program also emphasizes the public aspect of making media and the opportunities for effecting positive change.

New media students study the effects of digital media from multiple perspectives while developing their own voice through hands-on production. Analysis and production are equally emphasized and are often present in the same course. The curriculum draws from courses in the visual arts, computer science, and the social sciences, as well as music, film, and other liberal arts disciplines. The program offers students a structured, well-rounded foundation covering a range of content areas and methodologies. Collaboration is particularly encouraged, among both faculty and students, as are experimental and creative approaches to media production and distribution.

Students are strongly encouraged to pursue internships, which provide an important bridge to a career in the field. In recent years, Purchase students have interned at a broad range of companies and organizations, including Eyebeam Atelier, Developer.com, MTV, PepsiCo, Harvestworks, and IBM.

Because new media is a constantly evolving field, specific course requirements are subject to change.

Program Faculty

Requirements for the Major

Freshman and Sophomore Years:

• Photography I or Design I
• Basic Visual Literacy
• Digital Media Studio
• Studio Composition I
• Programming Games or Computer Science I
• Computers and Culture
• Video Art I
• Creating Web Documents
• New Media Advanced Standing*

Junior and Senior Years:
A grade of C+ or higher is required in these courses.

• Chosen in consultation with the student’s faculty advisor:
  • One advanced history/theory course
  • One anthropology or sociology course
  • Elective courses (16 credits)
• Junior Seminar in New Media
• Internship in New Media (optional)
• Senior Seminar I & II
• Senior Project in New Media (8 credits)

Representative Elective Courses

Advanced Web Design: Special Projects
Art in the Age of Electronic Media
Cinematic Expression I & II
Creating Databases for Web Applications
Creating Dynamic Web Documents
Creating User Interfaces
Cross-Cultural Video Production
Data and Algorithms in Search
Digital Audio I & II
Digital Dimensions
Experimental Film Workshop (Part One & Two)
Experimental Web Practice
Games for Change
Information Aesthetics
Interactive Installation: Hacking the Everyday
Interactive Media/Sound
Intermediate Video
Internet as Public Art
Introduction to Physical Computing: Getting Outside the Box
MIDI Composition I & II
Networking and Security
Performance Art I
Robotics
Social Software
Sound/Interactive Media I & II
Studio Composition II
Studio Production I & II
The Animated Print
Video Art II
Video Graphics

Representative Alumni

• Nicholas Bruckman ’05, owner, People’s Television (www.peoplestelevision.com); producer/director of La Americana (www.la-americana.com), winner of the Best Documentary award at the New York Latino Film Festival
• Christina Hu ’06, Web designer, IBM
• Matt Kornheisl ’07, Web programming and development, Omega Institute
• Sheryl Morgan ’06, Web designer/developer, ImageSpan
• Bill Reese ’06, program editor, Playbill
• Kate Senisi ’04, graphic designer, Atelier Ten; www.katesenisi.com
• Melissa Symolon ’04, interactive designer/Flash developer, Serious USA
• Steven Tartick ’07, lead creative/retail marketing coordinator, Apple, Inc.; new media designer, HQ Productions; and emerging media consultant, www.steventartick.com
• Josh Tonsfeldt ’04, MFA, Columbia University; represented by Simon Preston Gallery, New York, NY; www.joshtonsfeldt.com

For more information, visit the New Media site in Academic Programs.

Updated May 28, 2010