Computational Media M.S.

Introduction

The goal of the M.S. in Computational Media (CM) is to help students build on existing strengths and move into new areas of computational media work. The design of the degree ensures, first, that students have a meaningful foundation in the key areas needed for undertaking interdisciplinary CM work. This may require some additional development in one or more areas (e.g., a sequence of computer programming classes). In addition, the M.S. coursework includes both broad and topical classes that help students understand the different ways that innovative work in CM connects the knowledge and methods of the different disciplines that contribute to it. Finally, the M.S. also includes a student-defined thesis, in which they demonstrate their ability to apply their foundational and integrative knowledge while developing novel work through supervised research. The M.S. is appropriate for students continuing in a variety of directions, including pursuing a terminal degree and performing innovative media creation.

M.S. students must complete a minimum of 35 quarter credits of graduate and upper-division courses, including 15 credits of core courses, 10 credits of topic courses, and between 7 - 10 credits of supervised research (CMPM 299). No more than 15 credits may be upper-division undergraduate courses.

Requirements

Course Requirements

Core Courses (15 Credits)

Topics Courses (10 Credits)

M.S. students are required to take 10 credits of CM topics courses. This category includes all 5-credit CMPM graduate classes, as long as they are not already counted in another category (e.g., it cannot include core courses), in addition to courses available in other departments. Current topics courses are listed below.

Current Topics Courses

Other Requirements

In addition to the above curricular requirements, students are also required to satisfy the three Foundation Areas requirements. There are three additional program requirements, though students may have completed the necessary work for one or more before admission. Students are expected to demonstrate an understanding of the following three Foundation Areas:

• Media Creation in a CM context
• Computer Programming sufficient to carry out CM research
• Interpretive Practices sufficient to carry out CM research

Media Creation: All M.S. students must demonstrate an understanding of media creation in a CM context, and must do so by the end of their second year in the program. This can be completed by any of:

• The Computer Science: Computer Game Design B.S. game studio sequence (CMPM 170, CMPM 171, CMPM 172) before graduate enrollment.
• The Art and Design: Games and Playable Media B.A. game studio sequence (ARTG 170, ARTG 171, ARTG 172) before graduate enrollment.
• A Digital Arts and New Media (DANM) project group sequence (three DANM 250 courses in same area, in sequence) during or before computational media M.S./Ph.D. graduate enrollment.
• The Games and Playable Media M.S. project sequence (GAME 270, GAME 271, GAME 272) before Computational Media M.S./Ph.D. graduate enrollment (due to Professional Degree Supplemental Tuition (PDST) and cohort model, these cannot be taken by students in other programs).
• At least three graduate or upper-division undergraduate courses from a list of offerings at UCSC that require programming knowledge and are focused on defining and developing CM-related projects (e.g., CMPM 148) during or before CM graduate enrollment. See the media creation courses list below.
• Petition to CM graduate director, presenting evidence of equivalent coursework at another institution and/or equivalent CM project experience in another context.

Computer Programming: All M.S. students must demonstrate an understanding of computer programming sufficient to carry out CM research, and must do so by the end of their second year in the program. This can be completed by:

• Taking a series of courses that integrate media and programming knowledge (e.g., GAME 235, GAME 236, and CMPM 120).
• Taking core programming (e.g., CSE 30 and CSE 101) and advanced programming (e.g., CSE 111) at UCSC or another institution.
• Petition to CM graduate director, presenting evidence of programming knowledge developed in another context.

Interpretive Practices:  All M.S. students are expected to have an understanding of interpretive and critical methods sufficient to carry out CM research. Students who lack such a background are strongly encouraged to take a series of courses in this area, consulting with their advisor regarding which courses would be most appropriate. The appropriate Interpretive Practices for a given student depends on the specific research area for the student. The key is that the student is able to critique and intervene in their research area from a broader social, cultural, and historical perspective. One recommended sequence (which may or may not be appropriate for a specific student) is:

• HISC 1: Introduction to the History of Consciousness. If this is not possible, take an 80-level course that integrates introductory interpretive content (e.g., FILM 80V: Video Games as Visual Culture).
• Take two more graduate or upper-division undergraduate courses that focus on interpretive practices. The CM department offers courses that integrate this with CM knowledge, such as some offerings of CMPM 290A (e.g., Media Constellations) and CMPM 176: Game Systems. Other programs also offer courses that make this integration, such as DANM 201: Recent Methods and Approaches to Digital Arts and Culture and DANM 202: Dialogues and Questions in Digital Arts and Culture. Courses that do not make this integration, but that are connected to the student's research area, are also acceptable.

Note: In extraordinary circumstances the graduate director can reduce the number of required courses based on a petition presenting past accomplishments, for example, reducing the number of required topics courses by one for each substantial past research publication or system accepted from the petition.

Current Media Creation Courses

M.S. Research Thesis (7-10 credits)

The M.S. requires a research thesis. It is a substantial undertaking within the CM field, which may emphasize technical, media-creation, or interpretive aspects—or may emphasize more than one area equally. Regardless of which of the above areas the M.S. research emphasizes, a written thesis is required. This written thesis is reviewed by a committee of at least two faculty that must include at least one member of the CM department and draw half or more of its members from the UCSC academic senate. M.S. students are required to take the CMPM 299 (Thesis Research) independent study twice with their faculty advisor for their thesis completion. The courses do not need to be taken consecutively. 

Lower-Division Courses

Students who are considering enrolling in lower-division courses in order to fulfill additional degree requirements (e.g., CSE 30, HISC 1) may wish to consult with the course instructor and their advisor about instead taking an independent study or directed study (with the course instructor, their advisor, or a third faculty member) that subsumes the work of the course and adds additional content to bring it up to a graduate level. Graduate students must be enrolled in some combination of at least 10 credits of courses or independent studies that are either graduate or upper-division undergraduate courses in order to be considered full-time enrolled.

Transfer Credit

Up to 10 credits transferred from equivalent courses in previous graduate work at UCSC or elsewhere can be applied toward the M.S. course requirements. This can satisfy the topics requirement, but is not to exceed the three-course overall limit on transfers from outside institutions. A Course Substitution/Waiver form can be found on the Baskin Engineering (BE) Graduate Advising website.

Review of Progress

On an ongoing basis, the faculty reviews the progress of every student remaining on track to complete the degree in six consecutive academic quarters. Students not making adequate progress toward completion of degree requirements (see the Graduate Handbook for policy on satisfactory academic progress) are subject to dismissal from the program. Students with academic deficiencies may be required to take additional courses. Full-time students with no academic deficiencies are normally expected to complete the degree requirements, which includes courses and a master's thesis, in two years. 

Students receiving two or more unsatisfactory grades (U or grade below B) in School of Engineering (SoE) courses, or who receive an unsatisfactory grade (U or grade below B) in the Computational Media core course sequence (CMPM 201, CMPM 202, CMPM 203), are not making adequate progress and will be placed on academic probation for the following quarter of registered enrollment. Withdrawing or taking a leave of absence does not count as enrollment. Part-time enrollment is counted as a half quarter of enrollment. Students who are on academic probation or are not enrolled full time are no longer guaranteed any previously committed funding. Should students receive an unsatisfactory grade (U or below B) in a School of Engineering course while on probation, the Computational Media Department may request the graduate dean to dismiss that student from the graduate program. If after being removed from probation, the student again receives an unsatisfactory grade (U or below B) in a School of Engineering course, he or she will return immediately to academic probation.

Graduate students experiencing circumstances or difficulties that impact their academic performance should contact their advisor and the graduate director immediately. Students may appeal their dismissal.

Planners

M.S. in One Year (Student with technical CM B.S. degree)

This is a sample program for a student who has completed a bachelor’s degree with significant technical content and a focus on some form of computational media (such as computer games). The B.S. in Computer Science: Computer Game Design at UCSC is such a degree. Such students will have already satisfied the requirement for understanding media creation in a CM context (e.g., by taking the CMPM 170, CMPM 171, and CMPM 172 sequence at UCSC) and the requirement for demonstrating an understanding of computer programming (e.g., by taking a core programming sequence and CSE 111 at UCSC). This program is for a student who wants to complete the M.S. degree in one year.

M.S. in Five Quarters (Student requiring technical and interpretive foundation work)

This is a sample program for a student who has graduated from a digital media program or other undergraduate degree that provides experience in media creation in a CM context, but not an understanding of computer programming or interpretive practices. (CMPM 202 is moved to the second year, to reflect the need for computer programming knowledge before taking this course.)

Applying for Graduation

Students planning to graduate should refer to the Baskin School of Engineering Graduate Studies website.