M.A. in Digital Media and Extended Reality

The information on this page is preliminary and subject to change.

Students who pursue a two-year research-intensive M.A. in Digital Studies of Language, Culture, and History will specialize in one of the following four areas and will do a thesis project in that area under the supervision of a faculty advisor:

In their first year, students will take the six core courses required for the one-year M.A. plus three courses related to their specialization. In their second year, students will take eight additional courses related to their specialization and a thesis-preparation course, for a total of 18 courses.

Required Courses for the M.A. in Digital Media and Extended Reality

For the M.A. specialization in Digital Media and Extended Reality, students must take the following courses in either their first year or their second year:

    • DIGS 30041, Digital Media I: Game Design with Unity (Winter)
    • DIGS 30042, Digital Media II: Extended Reality with Unity (Spring)
    • DIGS 30043, Digital Media III: Creating 3D Worlds with Blender (Winter)

In addition to the three courses listed above, students will take six courses in non-textual media studies (digital or non-digital), human-computer interaction, or computational methods that are chosen in consultation with their faculty advisor, plus two courses on any subject of interest. Such courses are offered regularly in the following departments: Anthropology, Art History, Cinema and Media Studies, Computer Science, Music, and Visual Arts. Note that some courses may have enrollment restrictions or prerequisites that prevent Digital Studies M.A. students from taking them.

Students will normally register for DIGS 30008, Thesis Preparation, as one of their three courses in the Spring Quarter of their second year. This entails regular meetings with the faculty advisor and the Forum staff advisor(s) and is intended to give students additional time to complete the thesis project. However, the Associate Director of Curriculum and Instruction of the Forum for Digital Culture may grant permission to substitute another course instead of DIGS 30008, as long as it does not hinder the completion of the thesis project.

Extended reality (XR) includes augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR). Immersive digital technologies for AR, VR, and MR are developing rapidly and are being widely applied for many different uses.

Typical Schedule of Courses

Here is a typical schedule of courses for the two-year M.A. specialization in Digital Media and Extended Reality:

Year One Autumn Quarter

    • DIGS 30001, Introduction to Computer Programming Using Python
    • DIGS 30002, Introduction to Statistics Using Python
    • DIGS 30003, Data Management for the Humanities

Year One Winter Quarter

    • DIGS 30004, Data Visualization for the Humanities
    • DIGS 30007, History and Theory of Computing for the Humanities
    • DIGS 30041, Digital Media I: Game Design with Unity

Year One Spring Quarter

    • DIGS 30005, Data Publication for the Humanities
    • One course in media studies, human-computer interaction, or computational methods
    • One course on any subject of interest

Summer Session Between Year One and Year Two

Year Two Autumn Quarter

    • Three courses in media studies, human-computer interaction, or computational methods

Year Two Winter Quarter

    • DIGS 30043, Digital Media III: Creating 3D Worlds with Blender
    • One course in media studies, human-computer interaction, or computational methods
    • One course on any subject of interest

Year Two Spring Quarter

    • DIGS 30008, Thesis Preparation
    • DIGS 30042, Digital Media II: Extended Reality with Unity
    • One course in media studies, human-computer interaction, or computational methods

Faculty Committee

The following faculty members oversee the M.A. specialization in Digital Media and Extended Reality:

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