Number of Credits and GPA
The MFA in Digital Arts requires completion of at least 60 semester credits with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better. The program typically spans five semesters of 15 weeks each, generally accomplished in two calendar years including the summer semester for students following the full-time recommended course sequence, and four calendar years for students following the part-time recommended course sequence.
| Subject Area | Credits | Required Courses |
|---|---|---|
| Digital Arts | 9 | CG 5000, CG 5001, and CG 5002. |
| Electives | 27 | In addition to the required courses, students must take nine electives:
|
| Fine Arts | 3 | ART 5001. |
| Projects and Thesis | 21 | PRJ 6001, PRJ 6002, PRJ 7000, PRJ 7001, and PRJ 7002. |
Length Restrictions
Full-time students in the MFA in Digital Arts should complete the requirements in three (3) calendar years. Students in the part-time MFA in Digital Arts should complete the program in six (6) calendar years. All students must remain in continuous matriculation throughout the duration of their program.
Graduation Requirements
In order to graduate from the program, students must demonstrate:
- Successful completion of 60 semester credits with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better.
- Successful presentation and official acceptance of the Final Thesis at Thesis Presentation.
- This can only happen after 60 credits of coursework are completed (or in progress) and the student has taken and passed PRJ 7002 (or is in progress).
- Submission of an archived copy for the DigiPen Library of the thesis and documentation.
Project, Capstone, Thesis Requirements or Options
Thesis Proposal Review
Candidates in the MFA in Digital Arts who are completing PRJ 7000 must schedule and present their thesis proposal to an assembled thesis committee. No student may register for PRJ 7001 without approval of their thesis committee.
Thesis Requirement
The goal of the DigiPen MFA in Digital Arts is to develop industry-quality graduates who have an innovative, creative and well-considered point of view. The MFA in Digital Arts thesis is a body of work that demonstrates this professional level of expertise with industry tools as well as showcases a unique voice in digital media. The thesis, created specifically based on the candidate’s project proposal, is expected to meet standards demonstrating technical mastery, depth of knowledge, aesthetics, and problem solving. At the same time, the work will represent the candidate’s individual perspective, style, and philosophy. The thesis project should show a thoughtful and deep understanding of the student’s theme that is compelling and persuasive, technically complete, and executed to a high degree.
The MFA in Digital Arts thesis production includes project planning, schedules and timelines, and design documentation as appropriate. Candidates are required to participate a thesis defense and produce a written paper. The final work and all documents will be archived in the DigiPen Library and gallery.
Written Component: The thesis will have a written component. Its contents will be similar to the information presented in the thesis defense, but it may include more detail and will be formatted as an academic paper.
Thesis Defense
The MFA in Digital Arts candidate thesis defense will be scheduled with the thesis committee once a student has successfully completed (or has in progress) the required coursework (minimum 60 approved credits) and the thesis project is nearing completion.
Students will be expected to deliver a verbal and visual presentation of the thesis work including motivation, research, design, execution, results, and conclusions. The thesis will be presented to the committee and invited public. A question and answer session will follow the presentation, during which the candidate will be required to defend their work.