Advancement to Candidacy
Course Requirements
Ph.D. students will complete 15 credits of core courses, 20 credits of topics courses, and 12 credits of courses involved in preparation for the comprehensive examination.
Core Courses (15 Credits)
Topics Courses (20 Credits)
Ph.D. students are required to take 20 credits of CM topics courses. The courses may be any combination of these types (as long as not already counted in another category):
- 5-credit CMPM graduate classes.
- Classes in other subject codes that cover the theory and/or practice of a CM area, as listed in the “topics courses.”
- Up to 10 credits transferred from equivalent courses in previous graduate work at UC Santa Cruz or elsewhere (not to exceed three course overall limit on transfers from outside institutions, between this and other requirements).
Current Topics Courses
| CMPM 230 | Data Science in Computational Experiences | 5 |
| CMPM 232 | Psychology of Play | 5 |
| CMPM 235 | User Evaluation of Technology | 5 |
| CMPM 237 | Advanced Topics in Human-Robot Interaction | 5 |
| CMPM 243 | Social Computing Research: Design, Algorithms, and Incentives | 5 |
| CMPM 244 | Artificial Intelligence in Games | 5 |
| CMPM 248 | Interactive Storytelling | 5 |
| CMPM 265 | Generative Methods | 5 |
| CMPM 268 | Immersive Analytics | 5 |
| CMPM 269 | Machine Learning for Creativity and Design | 5 |
| CMPM 290A | Topics in Computational Media | 5 |
| CMPM 290J
/DANM 250D
| Playable Media | 5 |
| CMPM 290K | Social and Emotional Approaches to Human Computer Interaction | 5 |
| CMPM 290P
/DANM 290P
| Topics in Computational Cinematography | 5 |
| CSE 245
/LING 245/CMPM 245
| Computational Models of Discourse and Dialogue | 5 |
| CSE 260 | Computer Graphics | 5 |
| CSE 261 | Advanced Visualization | 5 |
| CSE 263 | Data Driven Discovery and Visualization | 5 |
| CSE 265
/DANM 231
| Human-Computer Interaction | 5 |
| CSE 290L | Topics in Crowdsourcing and Collaboration | 5 |
| DANM 250A | Art and Science | 5 |
| DANM 250B | Socially Engaged Art | 5 |
| DANM 250C | Performance and Embodiment | 5 |
| DANM 250E | Collaborative Research Project Group: Experimental Play | 5 |
| FILM 228 | Moving Image Archives and the Frontiers of Information | 5 |
| FILM 230 | Expanded Documentary | 5 |
| FILM 234 | Toward an Ethics of New Media | 5 |
| GAME 232 | Advanced Game Technologies | 5 |
| GAME 238 | Computer Graphics for Games | 5 |
| GAME 240 | Game Usability | 5 |
| GAME 250 | Foundations of Serious Games and Gamification | 5 |
| GAME 251 | Games User Research | 5 |
| GAME 290A | Advanced Topics in Games | 5 |
| HCI 250 | Participatory Design | 5 |
Exam Courses (12 Credits)
| CMPM 206 | Computational Media Research Preparation | 5 |
| CMPM 297B | Independent Study or Research | 10 |
CMPM 206: Teaches skills for gathering literature and preparing portfolio for comprehensive exam, taken the same quarter as exam. 2 credits.
CMPM 297B: Research in preparation for the comprehensive exam, usually taken with the student’s advisor. Students should enroll in 5 credits of CMPM 297A the quarter prior to their comprehensive exam, and then 5 credits of CMPM 297A alongside CMPM 206 the quarter they plan to take the comprehensive exam.
Additional Requirements
In addition to the above curricular requirements, students are also required to satisfy the three Foundation Areas requirements. The Foundation Areas are evaluated through the completion of the Comprehensive Exam, and must be completed by the end of students' second year in the program (sixth quarter, excluding summer quarter). Individual plans for demonstrating competency in the Foundation Areas will depend on students' previous studies. A student should consult with both their faculty advisor and graduate director to determine the best path for being prepared to demonstrate competency in the Foundation Areas through the Comprehensive Exam. Many students opt to complete the Foundation Areas via graduate coursework, but the requirements can also be met via past projects, undergraduate coursework, or professional experience in the given area.
Students are expected to demonstrate competency in the following three Foundation Areas, which are evaluated through the completion of the Comprehensive Exam:
- Media Creation in a CM context
- Computer Programming sufficient to carry out CM research
- Interpretive Practices sufficient to carry out CM research
Media Creation: Ph.D. students must demonstrate sufficient and appropriate media-focused knowledge to develop a significant CM research contribution. 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 DANM project group sequence (three DANM 250 courses in same area, in sequence) during or before CM M.S./Ph.D. graduate enrollment.
- The Games and Playable Media M.S. project sequence (GAME 270, GAME 271, GAME 272) before CM MS/PhD graduate enrollment (due to 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 UC Santa Cruz 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 list of media creation courses.
- 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 Ph.D students must demonstrate sufficient and appropriate technical knowledge, including computer programming, to develop a significant CM research contribution. 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 UC Santa Cruz or another institution.
- Petition to CM graduate director, presenting evidence of programming knowledge developed in another context.
Interpretive Practices: All Ph.D. students are expected to demonstrate sufficient and appropriate knowledge of interpretive practices to develop a significant CM research contribution. 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.
The final determination that a student has satisfied the media creation, programming, and interpretation requirements is made during the comprehensive exam, including the portfolio review portion of the exam. The coursework suggested above is intended to provide students with the knowledge and skills to successfully pass their comprehensive exam, and to provide appropriate projects for the portfolio portion of the exam. A student should consult with both their advisor and the grad director to determine the best path for being prepared for the comprehensive exam.
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
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.
Pre-Qualifying Requirements
The Ph.D. requires two examinations before the qualifying examination.
First-Year Examination
The Ph.D. first-year exam measures students’ understanding of, and ability to synthesize and apply core computational media knowledge (history, theory, research approaches, and evaluation methods). This is the material covered in the CM core courses. The first-year exam must be taken the spring of the year in which students finish their core coursework. This should be spring quarter of their first year (third quarter, excluding summer quarters) unless students need additional foundation work before taking one of the core courses, in which case it may be the second year (sixth quarter, excluding summer quarters).
There are three possible outcomes of the first-year exam:
- Pass at Ph.D. level
- Pass at M.S. level
- Fail
Students who pass at the Ph.D. level are done with the exam. Students who pass at the M.S. level may elect to leave the program with an M.S., upon completion of all M.S. requirements. Both students who pass at the M.S. level and students who fail have the option to take the exam again, in the immediately following summer offering (unless granted an exception to take it the following academic year). Students who take the exam again may not decrease their outcome (e.g., a student who passes at the M.S. level in spring, then fails in summer, retains the option of completing the M.S.). Students may only take the exam twice. Students are recommended for dismissal from the program immediately if they either (a) fail twice or (b) fail once and elect not to take the exam again.
In extraordinary circumstances the graduate director may give a student the option of taking the first-year exam without having taken the core coursework (CMPM 201, CMPM 202, and CMPM 203) during any quarter. Those who pass may complete the degree without taking the core courses.
Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination
The Ph.D. comprehensive exam measures students’ preparation to perform independent CM research. It must be taken (for the first time) no later than the end of a student’s second year in the program (sixth quarter, excluding summer quarters). Before taking the exam, students must have completed the preparatory coursework for understanding media creation and computer programming, as well as demonstrated an understanding of interpretive practices (Foundation Areas, as outlined above). The quarter prior to taking the comprehensive exam, students enroll in a 5-credit independent study (CMPM 297A) with their advisor to prepare for the exam. During the quarter in which they plan to take the exam, students enroll in CMPM 206 (a 2-credit course, usually offered by the CM graduate director each quarter) and a 5-credit independent study (CMPM 297A, usually with their advisor), and take an exam evaluated by advisor and graduate director (with another faculty member stepping in if advisor is graduate director). The exam itself includes two components, a literature review and portfolio:
- Literature Review: Reading a significant body of material in two or three depth areas of CM—from a list developed by the student, advisor, and course instructor—integrating it, and writing one or more essays about it.
- Portfolio: A portfolio review of CM projects, with (a) a detailed written description of the computational system-building goals and process of at least one project led (in this aspect) by the student and (b) a detailed written description of the media-making goals and process of at least one project led (in this aspect) by the student. The projects may be from during or before enrollment in the program, and the written descriptions may be of the same or different projects.
There are three possible outcomes of the comprehensive exam:
- Pass at Ph.D. level
- Pass at M.S. level
- Fail
As with the first-year exam, students who pass the comprehensive exam at the Ph.D. level are done with the exam. Students who pass at the M.S. level may elect to leave the program with an M.S., upon completion of all M.S. requirements. Both students who pass at the M.S. level and students who fail have the option to take the exam again, in a future quarter, not later than the middle of their third year in the program (eighth quarter, excluding summer quarters). Students who take the exam again may not decrease their outcome (e.g., a student who passes at the M.S. level in spring, then fails the following fall, retains the option of completing the M.S.). Students may only take the exam twice. Students are recommended for dismissal from the program immediately if they either (a) fail twice or (b) fail once and elect not to take the exam again.
Qualifying Examination
Qualifying Examination and Advancement to Candidacy
The Ph.D. qualifying examination (QE) measures students’ preparation to begin Ph.D. research. It must be taken (for the first time) no later than the end of a student’s third year in the program (ninth quarter, excluding summer quarters). It has two parts: first, a detailed written description of a proposed dissertation project, distributed to the committee before the oral examination; second, an oral presentation of the project, followed by questioning from the committee.
The committee policy for the CM Ph.D. follows that of UC Santa Cruz. Specifically: The qualifying examination committee shall consist of at least four examiners, one of whom is not a member of the student's department. The department shall submit to the Office of the Graduate Dean at least one month before the proposed examination a list of four qualified persons who are willing to serve on the examination committee, and who meet the following conditions:
- The chair of the examination committee must be a tenured faculty member.
- The student's thesis advisor cannot chair the examination committee.
- The outside member must be (a) a tenured faculty member from a different discipline on the University of California, Santa Cruz, campus, (b) a tenured faculty member of the same or different discipline from another academic institution involved in research and graduate education, or (c) a qualified person outside of academia with significant research experience (as determined by the Graduate Division).
After passing the qualifying examination, students advance to candidacy. Students who do not pass the examination may take it again, but must do so no later than the end of their fourth year in the program (12th quarter, excluding summer quarters). Students may only take the examination twice. Students are recommended for dismissal from the program immediately if they either (a) fail twice or (b) fail once and elect not to take the examination again.
Planners
Ph.D., Not Seeking M.S. Degree (Students with Technical CM M.S. Degree)
This is a sample program for a student who has completed a master’s degree with significant technical content and a focus on some form of computational media (such as computer games). The M.S. in games and playable media at UC Santa Cruz (offered in Silicon Valley) 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 GAME 270, GAME 271, and GAME 272 sequence at UC Santa Cruz) and the requirement for demonstrating an understanding of computer programming (such master’s degrees generally only accept students who know how to program). This program is for a student who wants to complete the Ph.D. without getting a second M.S. in the process.
Ph.D., Seeking M.S. Degree (Students with Non-technical Master’s Degree)
This is a sample program for a student who has completed a master’s degree with significant arts content and a focus on some form of computational media (such as digital art). The M.F.A. in digital art and new media at UC Santa Cruz is such a degree. Such students will have already satisfied the requirement for understanding media creation in a CM context (e.g., by taking one of the DANM 250 sequences at UC Santa Cruz) but not necessarily the requirement for demonstrating an understanding of computer programming (such master’s degrees generally focus on the strength of the student’s arts portfolio, rather than technical skills). This program is for a student who wants to complete the Ph.D. while getting an M.S. in the process.
Ph.D., Also Seeking M.S. Degree (Students with Technical Non-CM B.S.)
This is a sample program for a student who has completed a bachelor’s degree with significant technical content but little focus on any form of computational media. The B.S. in computer science at UC Santa Cruz is such a degree. Such students will have already satisfied the requirement for demonstrating an understanding of computer programming (e.g., by taking a core programming sequence and CSE 111 at UC Santa Cruz) though students strongly focused on theoretical computer science may need to take an advanced programming course. This program is for a student who wants to complete the M.S. degree on the way to the Ph.D.
Transfer Credit
Up to 10 credits transferred from equivalent courses in previous graduate work at UC Santa Cruz or elsewhere can be applied toward the Ph.D. course requirements. This can partially 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 BE Graduate Advising webpage.