The Master of Science Program in Integrated Digital Media is designed to provide the tools, skills, and insight to craft a better future not only for our alumni, but for everyone their work and life will touch after they graduate. In general, the Master of Science degree is designed to provide a balance of specialized knowledge and experience with a high standard of "cultural capital". Whether it is undertaken as the beginning of a career in academic research, industry, or service, an MS must provide the right mix of mastery of one's particular discipline with a broad understanding of the long-term patterns and tendencies of society and culture. As the reach and impact of new technologies increases, so must the wisdom of those making decisions about their deployment and use.

Our MS in Integrated Digital Media is made to be the best preparation for a rewarding future in the rapidly expanding field of digital media communications, across a wide spectrum of interests: creative experience, an understanding of the broader forces shaping communications technologies and society, and the ability to make the most of what they know, and what they can imagine. Individual students and small teams are organized to produce professional work under the direct supervision of senior faculty. Where appropriate, leaders in allied professions are brought in to work hands-on with students and faculty together, including faculty from other departments at the university, or elsewhere in New York City.

The Master of Science program in Integrated Digital Media is full-time and intensive: three consecutive semesters, including a major creative/research thesis project. This requires complete commitment, albeit for a manageable span of time, from 'literate practitioners' who are prepared to make the most of their personal resources. While the formal course requirement of 30 credit-hours including a 6-credit thesis project may seem very manageable, it must be borne in mind that a considerable commitment of work is expected outside of class hours. The curriculum combines hands-on production work with study of historical, legal, and philosophical aspects of digital media communications. Guest scholars and conferences supplement the regular program, and maximize personal contact with leaders in various sectors of the field: business, advocacy, service, entertainment, and education.

On the production side, we emphasize the development of skills applicable to a broad spectrum of media and mandates: small groups working on specific projects, with a focus on content-driven design, planning, and creation. In general, the facilities and strategies are geared to top-of-the-line portable gear, rather than capital-intensive studio setups. This makes it practical for our labs to offer up-to-the-minute technology, and also for our students to prepare for freelance work and/or their own start-ups, as well as the corporate and public sectors.

Polytechnic Institute's Integrated Digital Media lab, one of several accessible to students at the Brooklyn campus, is designed with a specific approach in mind: to provide access to state-of-the-art audio, video, web, and multimedia tools for studio and "in-the-field' production. It is also an ongoing testbed and case study for getting the most and best from every dollar and minute invested. Whether you're working for MTV, UNESCO, or yourself, you need to understand the difference between a tool, a toy, and a treadmill. 2.3a Master of Science Degree Requirements To complete the program, students must obtain 30 graduate credits, including DM 6013, DM 6023, DM 6033, DM 6043, DM 7033, and DM 7043.

A course may be re-taken for a better grade (which will replace the previous grade); after the second re-take, new grades will not erase the previous one.

Up to 9 substitute credits may be transferred from other qualifies institutions, or taken in other programs, such as Psychology, Philosophy, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or Management, subject to the prior approval of the academic advisor and the host department.

A capstone thesis or project may be undertaken with the approval and under the guidance of an academic advisor, for up to 6 of the 30 required credits.
COURSES

DM 6013 Production Studio Seminar 1 3:0:0:3 credits
(required)
This course will be an intensive orientation to the technical tools and skills required to produce digital media for broadcast, web, and multimedia presentations, with a conceptual emphasis on logistical requirements, and best practices for the planning of different production types. As students work hands-on with state-of-the-art production tools, they will become better able to assess different technology configurations, working styles, workflow arrangements, and the sheer number of person-hours it takes to actually produce top-quality professional media. They will also be encouraged to consider ways in which new tools make it possible to do better or more effective work in the kind of small teams that are typical of the industry, across a broad spectrum, at the highest level.

DM 6023 Interactive Studio Seminar 1 3:0:0:3 credits
(required)
On the understanding that all participants in the program will need experience as creators of interactive media, and that their experience will vary widely, this studio seminar will call for the production of a variety of small interactive projects, followed up by a broad-ranging critical consideration of the relative demands and potentials of particular technologies and approaches. The emphasis will be on general principles and uses, rather than specific software tools. For those students who do not have working experience as interactive designer-programmers, we will provide technical workshops outside of class time.

DM 6033 Media Organization 3:0:0:3 credits
(required)
This course is designed as a general orientation to a broad range of types of media-producing organization types, from pirate radio stations and ad hoc collectives to major corporations. Each of the types of organization has a specific set of advantages and disadvantages, and each has a very specific range of work types it can support effectively. The ultimate purpose of the course is twofold: on one hand, to provide a "big picture" orientation to the different environments in which media get made and distributed; on the other hand, to help students clarify their own goals and needs, so they can make wiser choices about directing their studies and work towards the right career.

DM 6043 Graduate Media Studies 1 3:0:0:3 credits
(required)
The first of a sequence of two lecture-seminar courses designed to provide students with a mature understanding of the historical, technical, and cultural forces that have shaped today's media landscape, by analyzing the precedents and circumstances driving the development of mass media in the first instance, and the more evolved forms that have grown out of them up to the present.

DM 7013 Production Studio Seminar 2 3:0:0:3 credits
(elective)
This course follows up on its prerequisite Preproduction course, DM 6013. The emphasis will be on making the fullest use of a variety of image, audio, and video production tools, to achieve the very best quality by the most efficient means. Students will be expected to devote some time to experimentation, as well as produce examples of top-quality media for a variety of formats. Individual students will be expected to demonstrate proficiency across a broad range of tools, but encouraged to focus for virtuosity on those tools for which they have the greatest aptitude, or which will be the most useful for their thesis project.

DM 7023 Interactive Studio Seminar 2 3:0:0:3 credits
(elective)
A studio seminar in interactive media for students intending to specialize in interaction design, both for their program of study and for their subsequent career. This is the second of a three-course sequence combining intensive research-level technical seminars, a major production project, and a series of workshops with leading experts in the field.

DM 7033 Media Law 3:0:0:3.6 units 3:0:0:3 credits
(required)
An advanced seminar, exploring in depth the theoretical and practical aspects of the principles and regulations that should be taken into account by working professionals in the field of media communications. A full range of models will be explored, from Open Source public license to Digital Rights Management, as well as working definitions of Fair Use, and the practical limits of sampling/mixing in different idioms and sectors of the economy.

DM 7043 Graduate Media Studies 2 3:0:0:3 credits
(required)
This lecture/seminar course will follow up on its prerequisite, DM 6043, through study of subsequent developments in the technological and social aspects of media production and distribution, to provide students with a deeper understanding of the forces that have influenced our present practices and circumstances, with a view to anticipating and directing future developments.

DM 8013 Production Studio Seminar 3 3:0:0:3 credits
(elective)
Non-linear editing, which has been made possible by digital tools, has completely transformed the media production process over the last twenty years, and the effects are still being digested by the industries involved'¦ This course will be the primary vehicle for students to develop and refine their skills as editors in post-production, with a specific emphasis on each student's own thesis project.

DM 8023 Interactive Studio Seminar 3 3:0:0:3 credits
(elective)
This seminar is for students committed to, and already expert with the development of, interaction design. It is the capstone of a three-course sequence in the area, and culminates in the production of a major project, which may complement but not duplicate work submitted for the thesis. In exceptional circumstances, students from other degree programs may be invited to participate, if their skills and interests will add to their program of study, and to the potential for high-level production collaborations with DM specialists.

DM 990X Thesis/Project 0:0:0:3-6 credits (variable)
(optional)
Under the guidance of a thesis adviser, and with the support of other faculty as required by the particular project, each student will complete a major media production project for up to 6 credits. The form and format of the thesis will be set out by agreement between the student and their adviser, with the approval of the department, with a view to advancing the student's career, but also contributing constructively to the profession as a whole. Students will be encouraged to seek professional outlets for their thesis, where appropriate; the department and the University will do everything possible to help ensure that our graduates' excellent work find its audience, and its market.

DM 910X Digital Media Special Topics 3-6:0:0:3-6 credits (variable)
(elective)
Offered by special arrangement with faculty, visiting scholars, and professionals in the field. May be repeated for credit.