Media Major with tracks in Arts and Media[15]
In our increasingly interconnected world, emerging media and artistic expressions interweave, shaping not only our communities but also the industries of the future. The Arts & Media major fosters practical and analytical abilities in students, equipping them to navigate and innovate within these evolving landscapes. Our major has a dual structure, enabling students to concentrate on either Art, as reflective and creative intervention, or Media, as the processes and industry of communication. A shared core of interdisciplinary classes fosters an exchange of ideas and analytical perspectives between these tracks.
With a firm foundation in theoretical and historical principles, students proceed to specialize in one of three practical concentration areas of inquiry: 1) Film & Documentary, 2) Studio & Performance, or 3) Digital Culture & Communication. These concentrations afford students the opportunity to hone their practical skills within a specific domain, while maintaining a broad comprehension of their chosen track, be it Arts or Media. Whether their career aspirations lie in film and documentary, studio and performance arts, or digital culture and communication, graduates from this major will be well-prepared to pursue further study and assume leading roles within contemporary arts and media.
Film & Documentary
The Film & Documentary concentration offers a foundation in visual storytelling and documentary filmmaking, with a focus on both video and audio-based practices as well as scriptwriting. Students will gain comprehensive knowledge of various aspects of the film industry, including directing, cinematography, editing, screenwriting, and production. Graduates will be well-prepared for further studies in film school, having developed an initial portfolio in their chosen field.
Studio & Performance
The Studio & Performance concentration provides students with a platform to explore diverse forms of artistic expression and cultivate their creative potential. Encouraging a free-spirited and innovative mindset, this track fosters experimentation and pushes the boundaries of conventional artistic practices. Students are empowered to express themselves through multi-sensorial mediums, allowing them to transcend traditional artistic conventions and explore new avenues of creativity.
Digital Culture & Communication
The Digital Culture & Communication concentration combines insights from critical media studies, visual culture, and digital art history to deliver an immersive exploration of digital practices. Students delve into the role of digital media in society and creatively engage with diverse media formats. Hands-on experiences foster a deep understanding of media production and consumption, along with their socio-cultural implications. Graduates emerge equipped to innovate and pioneer transformative strategies within the media and creative industries.
[15]Students in the class of 2026 and in previous classes could major in similar major, entitled Media and Arts, with tracks in Creative Practice and History. Please consult the Bulletin from the relevant year for the requirements of those majors. This major—Arts and Media—is offered for the students in class of 2027 and beyond, and not all students from previous graduating classes will be able to satisfy the requirements of the Arts and Media major. Consult the Major Convener or your advisor for more information.
Major Requirements
(Not every course listed is offered every term, and the course list will be updated periodically. Please refer to the online Course Catalog for Courses offered in 2025-2026.)
Arts and Media/Arts
Divisional Foundation Courses
| Course Code | Course Name | Course Credit |
| ARHU 101 | The Art of Interpretation: Written Texts | 4 |
| ARHU 102 | The Art of Interpretation: Images and Sound | 4 |
Interdisciplinary Courses
| Course Code | Course Name | Course Credit |
| MEDIART 101[16] | Introduction to Arts and Media | 4 |
| MEDIART 209 | Introduction to Visual Culture | 4 |
| MEDIART 210[17] | Arts and Media Practicum | 4 |
| MEDIART 490 | Senior Seminar: Advanced Topics | 4 |
| Choose 4 Creative Practice Elective courses from within the same concentration, two at the 100-200 level and two at the 300-400 level. | ||
[16] This course was named MEDIART 101 Introduction to Media Studies and the Arts prior to fall term 2023.
[17] This course was named MEDIART 210 Media and Arts Practicum prior to fall term 2023.
Disciplinary Courses
| Course Code | Course Name | Course Credit |
| HIST 207/ARTS 207[18] | History of Art and Science | 4 |
| HIST 210/ARTS 211 | Global Art History | 4 |
| And choose two 4-credit courses from the list below | ||
| HIST 106/ARTS 106 | European Art History | 4 |
| ARTS 201[19] | Introduction to Film Studies | 4 |
| ARTS 202[20] | Contemporary Documentary Film | 4 |
| GCHINA 203/ARTS 203 | Visual China: Modern Chinese History and Culture through Film | 4 |
| HIST 217/ARTS 217[21] | Arts of China | 4 |
| HIST 218/ARTS 219[22] | Women in East Asian Art | 4 |
| LIT 208/ARTS 208 | From Cool Japan to the Korean Wave: Popular Culture from East Asia | 4 |
| MEDIART 211 | Media, Arts, and Critical Theory | 4 |
| MEDIART 224 | Animation: From Anima to Anime | 4 |
| PHYS 105/ARTS 105[23] | The Science of Traditional Asian Music | 4 |
[18]This course was named HIST 207 History of Media Art prior to fall term 2023.
[19] This course was named and numbered MEDIART 105 Introduction to Film Studies prior to fall term 2023.
[20] This course was named and numbered MEDIART 302 Contemporary Documentary Film prior to fall term 2023.
[21] This course was named and numbered HIST217/MEDIART 217 Ancient and Imperial Chinese Art prior to fall term 2023.
[22] This course was named HIST 218 Premodern East Asian Female Art prior to fall term 2023.
[23] This course was named PHYS 105 the Science of Asian sound prior to fall 2023 term.
Creative Practice Thematic Concentrations
In addition to serving as Creative Practice Concentrations, the courses listed in the tables below are recommended electives for the major. The course list reflects the most recent intellectual organization of major electives. Depending on the academic year in which you matriculated, some of the courses below may be requirements for your major. To verify required courses, always consult the requirements for the relevant class year in the bulletin of the year in which you matriculated unless you have been approved to complete the major requirements of a subsequent year. (See Ability to Meet Major Requirements Published in Years Subsequent to Year of Matriculation.)
Film & Documentary
| Course Code | Course Name | Course Credit |
| Choose two of the following 100-200 level courses | ||
| MEDIART 103 | Introduction to Moving Image Practice | 4 |
| MEDIART 110 [24] | Audio Documentary and the Podcast | 4 |
| MEDIART 207[25] | Elements of Story: Introduction to Narrative Structure | 4 |
| MEDIART 212 | Editing for the Video Essay | 4 |
| MEDIART 220 | Visual Anthropology | 4 |
| MEDIART 223 | Shot by Shot: Concept and Frame Composition | 4 |
| Choose two of the following 300-400 level courses | ||
| MEDIART 301 | Experimental Filmmaking | 4 |
| MEDIART 305[26] | Advanced Documentary Practice | 4 |
| MEDIART 310 | Screenwriting | 4 |
| MEDIART 311 | Cinematography | 4 |
| MEDIART 323[27] | Sound Design and Music for Film | 4 |
| MEDIART 498 | Special Topics in Film & Documentary | 4 |
[24] This course was named MEDIART 110 Audio Documentary and Storytelling prior to fall term 2023.
[25] This course was named MEDIART 207 Creative Writing and the Elements of Story prior to fall term 2023.
[26] This course was named MEDIART 305 Producing Docu-fiction prior to fall term 2023.
[27] This course was named MEDIART 218 Music and Cinema prior to fall term 2023.
Studio & Performance
| Course Code | Course Name | Course Credit |
| Choose two of the following 100-200 level courses | ||
| LIT 216 | Introduction to Creative Writing and Translation | 4 |
| MEDIART 104 | Introduction to Photography | 4 |
| MEDIART 117 | Studio Drawing and Animation | 4 |
| MEDIART 118 | Introduction to Dance and Choreography | 4 |
| MEDIART 120[28] | Introduction to Theatre and Performance Studies | 4 |
| MEDIART 198 | Special Topics in Creative Practice | 4 |
| MEDIART 221 | Introduction to Composition | 4 |
| MEDIART 222 | Electronic Sound: Sampling and Synthesis | 4 |
| MEDIART 225[29] | Fundamentals of Tonal Music Theory | 4 |
| Choose two of the following 300-400 level courses | ||
| LIT 311 | Poetry in Conversation | 4 |
| MEDIART 301 | Experimental Filmmaking | 4 |
| MEDIART 322 | Installation Art | 4 |
| MEDIART 323[30] | Sound Design and Music for Film | 4 |
| MEDIART 324[31] | The Photographic Essay | 4 |
| HUM 405/MEDIART 405 | The Curatorial: Theory and Practice | 4 |
[28] This course was numbered and named MEDIART 216 Performance, Embodiment, and Cultural Memory prior to fall term 2023.
[29] This course was numbered and named MEDIART 115 Introduction to Music Theory prior to fall term 2023.
[30] This course was named MEDIART 218 Music and Cinema prior to fall term 2023.
[31] This course was numbered MEDIART 204 The Photographic Essay prior to fall term 2023.
Digital Culture & Communication
| Course Code | Course Name | Course Credit |
| Choose two of the following 100-200 level courses | ||
| INFOSCI 105 | Experimental Interface Design | 4 |
| INFOSCI 202 | 3D Modelling and Animation | 4 |
| MEDIART 110[32] | Audio Documentary and the Podcast | 4 |
| MEDIART 202[33] | Creativity and Entrepreneurship | 4 |
| MEDIART 205 | Digital Imaging and Graphic Design | 4 |
| MEDIART 207[34] | Elements of Story: Introduction to Narrative Structure | 4 |
| MEDIART 212 | Editing for the Video Essay | 4 |
| MEDIART 213[35] | Web-Based Multimedia Design | 4 |
| Choose two of the following 300-400 level courses | ||
| LIT 307 | Digital Storytelling | 4 |
| INFOSCI 305 | Virtual Museums and Digital Cultural Heritage | 4 |
| INFOSCI 309 | Speculative and Critical Design | 4 |
| MEDIART 312 | Graphic Design in Motion | 4 |
| MEDIART 321 | Practices in Digital Humanities | 4 |
| MEDIART 401 | Campaigns, Marketing, and Persuasion | 4 |
[32] This course was named MEDIART 110 Audio Documentary and Storytelling prior to fall term 2023.
[33] The course was named MEDIART 202 Ideas, Imagination, and Creativity prior to fall term 2023.
[34] This course was named MEDIART 207 Creative Writing and the Elements of Story prior to fall term 2023.
[35] This course was named MEDIART 213 Foundations of Web-Based Multimedia Communications prior to fall term 2023.
Arts and Media/Media
Divisional Foundation Courses
| Course Code | Course Name | Course Credit |
| ARHU 101 | The Art of Interpretation: Written Texts | 4 |
| ARHU 102 | The Art of Interpretation: Written Texts | 4 |
Interdisciplinary Courses
| Course Code | Course Name | Course Credit |
| MEDIART 101[36] | Introduction to Arts and Media | 4 |
| MEDIART 209 | Introduction to Visual Culture | 4 |
| MEDIART 210[37] | Arts and Media Practicum | 4 |
| MEDIART 490 | Senior Seminar: Advanced Topics | 4 |
| Choose 4 Creative Practice Elective courses from within the same concentration, two at the 100-200 level and two at the 300-400 level. | ||
[36] This course was named MEDIART 101 Introduction to Media Studies and the Arts prior to fall term 2023.
[37] The course was named MEDIART 210 Media and Arts Practicum Prior to fall term 2023.
Disciplinary Courses
| Course Code | Course Name | Course Credit |
| CULANTH 201/MEDIA 201 | New Media and Society | 4 |
| MEDIART 211 | Media, Arts, and Critical Theory | 4 |
| And choose two 4-credit courses from the list below | ||
| CULANTH 202/MEDIA 202/GCULS 201 | Culture and Industry | 4 |
| CULANTH 207/MEDIA 207 | Cultures of New Media | 4 |
| LIT 204/MEDIA 204 | Online Novels and the Chinese Public Sphere | 4 |
| INFOSCI 104/MEDIA 104 | Digital Design | 4 |
| INFOSCI 201 | Interaction and Physical Computing | 4 |
| MEDIA 203 [38] | Global Media and Communication | 4 |
| MEDIART 208[39] | Chinese Mass Media | 4 |
| MEDIART 224 | Animation: From Anima to Anime | 4 |
[38] This course was named and numbered MEDIART 307 International Communication prior to fall 2023 term.
[39] This course was named MEDIART 208 Comparative Media Systems and Chinese Mass Media prior to fall term 2023.
Creative Practice Thematic Concentrations
In addition to serving as Creative Practice Concentrations, the courses listed in the tables below are recommended electives for the major. The course list reflects the most recent intellectual organization of major electives. Depending on the academic year in which you matriculated, some of the courses below may be requirements for your major. To verify required courses, always consult the requirements for the relevant class year in the bulletin of the year in which you matriculated unless you have been approved to complete the major requirements of a subsequent year. (See Ability to Meet Major Requirements Published in Years Subsequent to Year of Matriculation.)
Film & Documentary
| Course Code | Course Name | Course Credit |
| Choose two of the following 100-200 level courses | ||
| MEDIART 103 | Introduction to Moving Image Practice | 4 |
| MEDIART 110 [40] | Audio Documentary and the Podcast | 4 |
| MEDIART 207[41] | Elements of Story: Introduction to Narrative Structure | 4 |
| MEDIART 212 | Editing for the Video Essay | 4 |
| MEDIART 220 | Visual Anthropology | 4 |
| MEDIART 223 | Shot by Shot: Concept and Frame Composition | 4 |
| Choose two of the following 300-400 level courses | ||
| MEDIART 301 | Experimental Filmmaking | 4 |
| MEDIART 305[42] | Advanced Documentary Practice | 4 |
| MEDIART 310 | Screenwriting | 4 |
| MEDIART 311 | Cinematography | 4 |
| MEDIART 323[43] | Sound Design and Music for Film | 4 |
| MEDIART 498 | Special Topics in Film & Documentary | 4 |
[40] This course was named MEDIART 110 Audio Documentary and Storytelling prior to fall term 2023.
[41] This course was named MEDIART 207 Creative Writing and the Elements of Story prior to fall term 2023.
[42] This course was named MEDIART 305 Producing Docu-fiction prior to fall term 2023.
[43] This course was named MEDIART 218 Music and Cinema prior to fall term 2023.
Studio & Performance
| Course Code | Course Name | Course Credit |
| Choose two of the following 100-200 level courses | ||
| LIT 216 | Introduction to Creative Writing and Translation | 4 |
| MEDIART 104 | Introduction to Photography | 4 |
| MEDIART 117 | Studio Drawing and Animation | 4 |
| MEDIART 118 | Introduction to Dance and Choreography | 4 |
| MEDIART 120[44] | Introduction to Theatre and Performance Studies | 4 |
| MEDIART 198 | Special Topics in Creative Practice | 4 |
| MEDIART 221 | Introduction to Composition | 4 |
| MEDIART 222 | Electronic Sound: Sampling and Synthesis | 4 |
| MEDIART 225[45] | Fundamentals of Tonal Music Theory | 4 |
| Choose two of the following 300-400 level courses | ||
| LIT 311 | Poetry in Conversation | 4 |
| MEDIART 301 | Experimental Filmmaking | 4 |
| MEDIART 322 | Installation Art | 4 |
| MEDIART 323[46] | Sound Design and Music for Film | 4 |
| MEDIART 324[47] | The Photographic Essay | 4 |
| HUM 405/MEDIART 405 | The Curatorial: Theory and Practice | 4 |
[44] Thiscourse was numbered and named MEDIART 216 Performance, Embodiment, and Cultural Memory prior to fall term 2023.
[45] This course was numbered and named MEDIART 115 Introduction to Music Theory prior to fall term 2023.
[46] This course was named MEDIART 218 Music and Cinema prior to fall term 2023.
[47] This course was numbered MEDIART 204 The Photographic Essay prior to fall term 2023.
Digital Culture & Communication
| Course Code | Course Name | Course Credit |
| Choose two of the following 100-200 level courses | ||
| INFOSCI 105 | Experimental Interface Design | 4 |
| INFOSCI 202 | 3D Modelling and Animation | 4 |
| MEDIART 110[48] | Audio Documentary and the Podcast | 4 |
| MEDIART 202[49] | Creativity and Entrepreneurship | 4 |
| MEDIART 205 | Digital Imaging and Graphic Design | 4 |
| MEDIART 207[50] | Elements of Story: Introduction to Narrative Structure | 4 |
| MEDIART 212 | Editing for the Video Essay | 4 |
| MEDIART 213[51] | Web-Based Multimedia Design | 4 |
| Choose two of the following 300-400 level courses | ||
| LIT 307 | Digital Storytelling | 4 |
| INFOSCI 305 | Virtual Museums and Digital Cultural Heritage | 4 |
| INFOSCI 309 | Speculative and Critical Design | 4 |
| MEDIART 312 | Graphic Design in Motion | 4 |
| MEDIART 321 | Practices in Digital Humanities | 4 |
| MEDIART 401 | Campaigns, Marketing, and Persuasion | 4 |
[48] This course was named MEDIART 110 Audio Documentary and Storytelling prior to fall term 2023.
[49] The course was named MEDIART 202 Ideas, Imagination, and Creativity prior to fall term 2023.
[50] This course was named MEDIART 207 Creative Writing and the Elements of Story prior to fall term 2023.
[51] This course was named MEDIART 213 Foundations of Web-Based Multimedia Communications prior to fall term 2023.