Integrated Media Arts - MFA

The MFA Program in Integrated Media Arts (IMA) offers advanced studies in nonfiction media making. The IMA Program educates multi-disciplinary media makers in a diverse range of skills across the media landscape. Working with faculty from film, video, emerging media, and journalism backgrounds, students learn to conceptualize, create and distribute innovative, politically and socially engaged expression using contemporary media technologies. The IMA Program offers a 48-credit course of study, combining analytical seminars, interdisciplinary research, and creative workshops in writing, visual communication, and media production, and culminating in an advanced thesis project and paper. IMA students can also engage in collaborative production labs, intensive tech workshops, a teaching mentorship program, and outside creative residencies. The IMA Program’s robust non-credit offerings include the IMA film screening series, visiting artist lectures as well as master classes and student critiques with prominent artists and media makers. Student work in the program has included single channel documentaries, interactive websites, handmade electro-mechanical devices, public exhibitions, interactive installations, transmedia narratives, live performances, and rich media for the expanding spectrum of screen based platforms. Building on a foundation of research and analysis, IMA students explore and create new ways to advance information and ideas, balancing critical thinking with aesthetics, contemporary issues with an historical perspective, theory with practice, and traditional methods with new technologies.

Admissions Requirements

Students are accepted into the program for fall semester enrollment only. February 1st is the closing date for completed fall applications. The IMA Program is highly selective, enrolling approximately 15 students each year. Applicants are expected to present the following:

A bachelor’s degree, with a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
3 letters of recommendation from people able to comment on an applicant’s creative and academic talent and determination.
A portfolio of media works, indicating talent and promise. Submitted works may include videos and films, interactive digital design, photography, sound, graphic design, journalistic writings, etc.
A personal statement describing the applicant’s long-term objectives as a media maker and the social impact they hope their work will have. Statements should also explain why Hunter’s MFA Program in Integrated Media Arts is particularly relevant to the applicant’s creative goals.
An official transcript of undergraduate studies.
A completed graduate application form

Note: Applicants whose native language is not English must take the Test of Written English (TWE) component of the TOEFL examination. For more information see the IMA Program Admission Guidelines.

Degree Requirements (48-50 credits)

The 48-50 credit degree consists of 27 required credits (9 courses), 21 elective credits (7 courses), and several non-credit requirements. Students must take the following courses:

Electives

21 elective credits (7 courses) drawn from advanced IMA course offerings with graduate adviser approval required.

* Note that with approval of the Primary Thesis Advisor and the Program Director, a student may elect to continue thesis for up to two additional semesters by registering for IMA 79900, the 1-credit Thesis Extension course, thereby increasing the total credits for degree to 49 or 50.

Students must complete the following non-credit requirements

Collaborative Residency: Students are required to complete a Collaborative Residency, which can be an in-house project or external creative residency that must be defined in conjunction with the graduate adviser and must involve collaboration among different media makers. For more information see the IMA Program Guidelines.
Critique Sessions: Students must pass two critique sessions in order to begin work on the Thesis Project. Students who do not pass either the First or Second Critique after three attempts must withdraw from the IMA Program. For more information see the IMA Program Guidelines.
Thesis Requirements: To graduate, students have a maximum of two years to complete the creative component of the Thesis Project, present this project to a panel of three advisors in a Thesis Defense, submit a Thesis Paper that is approved by the Primary Thesis Advisor and conforms to the College’s guidelines for Master’s Theses in Arts & Sciences, and exhibit the Thesis Project in the IMA Program’s Thesis Show. For more information see the IMA Program Guidelines.

Note

Students must fulfill all degree requirements within five years of matriculating. Non-matriculated students require permission of the IMA Program Director and the instructor for enrollment in any IMA course.