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2025-2026 FGS Academic Calendar Faculty of Graduate Studies

Digital Media

Posted on 17 August 2022

All Programs

LocationEmail AddressProgram Website
232 Joan & Martin Goldfarb Centre for Fine Artsdigitalmediagrad@yorku.cayorku.ca/gradstudies/digitalmedia/

The Graduate Program in Digital Media offers courses and opportunities for advanced training and research leading to the Master of Arts, Master of Science, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. Highly qualified students are provided with the opportunity to do specialised hybrid research work in a program that uniquely combines computational science and artistic practices. Work in digital media focuses on a broad range of current and emerging forms of digitally supported media, with applications that range from computer games to interactive art.

The degree designations for the MA and MSc programs provide students the opportunity to tailor their program to suit the methodology required for their major research project. Students pursuing an MA focus on research-creation for art applications, which combines creative and academic research practices to produce critically informed work in a variety of media. Students pursuing an MSc focus on scientific/engineering research methods for technology, hardware and/or software development within digital media.

Across all three Digital Media graduate degrees, in both courses and project development, students work within a shared environment that enables them to develop expertise complementary to their research specialization in computational science or artistic practice.

Portfolio Requirements

A portfolio is required for entry into all programs. A portfolio shows evidence of prior creative outputs primarily in the form of artworks but could also include outputs from computer engineering-based projects. Projects represented in the portfolio should emphasize a cross-disciplinary approach. Examples of art-based portfolios could include drawings/images, audio recordings, sound compositions, video documentation of interactive systems, other gallery/curatorial documentation, games and interactive demonstrations but must include some works that utilize programming. Examples of computer engineering-based projects could include source code for applications (preferably interactive), games, microcontroller code (from physical computing), video documentation of projects, publications, and prototypes but must include some works that engage with the arts.

Letters of Recommendation

Letters can be from previous professors, employers, or other persons with whom the applicant has had interactions and who can attest to their professional and/or academic qualifications.

English Language Requirement

Proficiency in written and spoken English is required. The Faculty of Graduate Studies may require proof of an acceptable level of English necessary for purposes of doing research. No proficiency test is needed if your first language is English, or if you have completed at least one year of full-time study at an accredited university where English is the official language of instruction. Otherwise, applicants should see the Faculty of Graduate Studies’ website for more information and to see which English proficiency tests are recognized.

Admission Requirements

MA / MSc

PhD

Master of Arts Program / Master of Science Program

Master of Arts Program
Graduates with an honours degree or equivalent in digital media or related Bachelor’s program from a recognized university, such as an art program that focuses on technology, with at least a B average in the final two years of study, may be considered for admission as candidates for the MA degree. Applicants are expected to provide a statement of interest letter, a portfolio, a curriculum vitae, and two letters of recommendation. Applicants must show that they have experience in both programming and the arts, and in particular a cross-disciplinary approach. Experience creating art or creative works (including games) using programming languages is required. Those whose formal background in programming is incomplete will be required to take appropriate supplemental undergraduate courses in addition to required courses.
Master of Science Program
Graduates with an honours degree or equivalent in digital media or related Bachelor’s program from a recognized university, such as computer science, with at least a B average in the final two years of study, may be considered for admission as candidates for the MSc degree. Applicants are expected to provide a statement of interest letter, a portfolio, a curriculum vitae, and two letters of recommendation. Applicants must show that they have experience in the arts, and in particular a cross-disciplinary approach. Those whose formal background in the arts is incomplete will be required to take appropriate supplemental undergraduate courses in addition to required courses.

Doctor of Philosophy Program

Applicants must have a masters degree or equivalent from a recognized university in a digital media or related program, such as computer science, or an art program that focuses on technology, with at least a B+ average. Applicants are expected to provide a statement of interest letter, a portfolio, a qualifying research paper or similar significant contribution to the field, a curriculum vitae, and two letters of recommendation. Applicants must show that they have experience in both computer science and the arts, and in particular a cross-disciplinary approach.

Degree Requirements

Master of Arts Program  Master of Science Program
Degree by Coursework and Major Research-Creation Project
Students must successfully complete the following course
requirements:
Digital Media 5010 3.0: Foundations of Digital Media;
Digital Media 5020 3.0: Advanced Vertical Studio/Lab I;
three credits from a specified list of computer science graduate level courses;
three credits from a specified list of computational arts graduate level courses; and,
six credits at the graduate level, with Graduate Program Director/supervisor approval.

No more than six credits can be integrated with undergraduate
courses.

Candidates for the MA degree must complete 18 credits and conduct a major research-creation project under the general direction of a supervisor with a review essay that details and contextualizes the project. The Digital Media MA is research degree and projects are defined as a body of work similar to a thesis in quality, scope and/or degree of originality. Projects entail a public presentation and critique of the work, which could include an exhibition.
Degree by Coursework and Major Research Project
Students must successfully complete the following course
requirements:
Digital Media 5010 3.0: Foundations of Digital Media;
Digital Media 5020 3.0: Advanced Vertical Studio/Lab I;
six credits from a specified list of computer science graduate level courses; and,
six credits at the graduate level, with Graduate Program Director/supervisor approval.

No more than six credits can be integrated with undergraduate
courses.

Candidates for the MSc degree must complete 18 credits and conduct a major research project under the general direction of a supervisor with a review essay that details and contextualizes the project. The Digital Media MSc is a research degree and projects are defined as a body of work similar to a thesis in quality, scope and/or degree of originality. Projects entail a public presentation and critique of the work, which could include an exhibition.
Program Entry
The MA program can be completed on a full- or part-time basis.
Entry is fall term.		Program Entry
The MSc program can be completed on a full- or part-time basis. Entry is fall term.
Program Length
 The expected degree completion time for full-time master’s students is 5 consecutive terms. Students must register and pay fees for a minimum of the equivalent of 5 terms of full-time study. All requirements for a master’s degree must be fulfilled within 12 terms (4 years) of registration as a full-time or part- time master’s student in accordance with Faculty of Graduate Studies’ registration policies.		Program Length
The expected degree completion time for full-time master’s students is 5 consecutive terms. Students must register and pay fees for a minimum of the equivalent of 5 terms of full-time study. All requirements for a master’s degree must be fulfilled within 12 terms (4 years) of registration as a full-time or part-time master’s student in accordance with Faculty of Graduate Studies’ registration policies.

Doctor of Philosophy Program

Courses
Doctoral students must successfully complete 12 graduate credits (four 3.0 credit courses).

Required Courses

  • Digital Media 6020 3.0:  Advanced Vertical Studio/Lab II;
  • PANF 7500 3.0: AMPD Advanced Research Doctoral Colloquium

Elective Courses

  • six credits at the graduate level, in consultation with Graduate Program Director/supervisor; and,
  • additional courses if assessed as deficient.

No more thanone-third of the course requirement can be integrated with undergraduate courses.

No more than one-third of the course requirement be an independent study course as approved by the Graduate Program Director.

In some cases, an incoming student's letter of offer may require additional courses be taken by the student to ensure preparedness to succeed in the program requirements.

Comprehensive Examination, Dissertation and Oral Examination

Comprehensive Examination
Students are expected to complete all components of the comprehensive exam, normally by the end of the second year of registration.  The objectives of the comprehensive examination are to equip students with the specialized knowledge they need to undertake research for their doctoral dissertation.

Comprehensive exams follow Faculty of Graduate Studies’ regulations governing Graduate Milestone Examinations. Detailed guidelines for the conduct and format of comprehensive examinations are available from the program office. These guidelines may be revised from time to time by the program executive committee.

Dissertation Proposal
Students should normally submit a dissertation proposal, including ethics approval (if applicable), for approval by their dissertation committee, the graduate program, and the Faculty of Graduate Studies, no later than two months after completion of the comprehensive examination.

Dissertation formats include
a) standard scholarly monograph thesis/dissertation
b) manuscript-based thesis/dissertation
c) complex digital thesis/dissertation;
and
d) multi-modal thesis/dissertations in various forms of research-creation projects.

Dissertation and Oral Defence of Dissertation
For their dissertation students conduct a significant body of original research or research-creation under the supervision of the supervisory committee and submit a doctoral dissertation embodying its results, demonstrating a significant contribution to knowledge and evidence of critical understanding of the relevant literature. The material embodied in the dissertation should merit publication.

Dissertations are evaluated by standard Faculty of Graduate Studies’ oral defence procedures. When the supervisory committee is satisfied that a dissertation is ready for oral examination, it sends a signed oral defence examination notification form to the Faculty. The supervisor, working in conjunction with the Graduate Program Director, forms an examination committee according to the standards of the Faculty. A complete copy of the dissertation is sent to all members of the oral examination committee at least four weeks before a scheduled oral defence date.

Program Entry
The PhD program can be completed on a full- or part-time basis. Entry is fall term.

Program Length
The length of time required to complete the PhD is normally four years (12 terms). Doctor of Philosophy students must register and pay fees for a minimum of the equivalent of six terms of full-time registration. All requirements for a doctoral degree must be fulfilled within 18 terms (6 years) of registration as a full-time or part-time doctoral student in accordance with Faculty of Graduate Studies’ registration policies.