Chairman   Neil B. Rolnick
Director of Graduate Studies   Neil B. Rolnick
Department Home Page   http://www.arts.rpi.edu/

The Department of the Arts offers a B.S. in electronic arts and a graduate program leading to an M.F.A. in electronic arts, as well as a B.S. in Electronic Media, Arts, and Communication (EMAC) offered jointly with the Department of Language, Literature, and Communication. Studio courses in the arts provide students with the opportunity to engage in hands-on activities that stress creative and expressive development. They encourage students to develop their perceptual sensitivity, as well as build the confidence to apply creative exploration and problem-solving skills to a wide range of aesthetic challenges. Traditional disciplines such as drawing, painting, sculpture, music, and acting are offered, as are newer fields that utilize electronic media such as digital video, computer imaging and animation, interactivity, virtual reality, multimedia installation, and computer music.

Rensselaer’s Master of Fine Arts degree in electronic arts is unique in its stress on the integration of a variety of electronic arts disciplines into a single curriculum. It offers students with undergraduate backgrounds in music composition or the visual arts professional level training in a technologically sophisticated artistic environment. The 60-credit degree emphasizes the development of creative skills in digital video, computer music, imaging, animation, interactive media, performance, and installation art.

Areas of Advanced Research and Study

The members of the faculty take a variety of approaches to the use of the electronic media in artistic creation and performance. All faculty have active artistic careers, with their works represented internationally in museums, galleries, and performances. Students are required to become familiar with creative tools in a variety of electronic media and are encouraged to work with combinations of media.

Creative work is focused in the Integrated Electronic Arts at Rensselaer (iEAR) Studios, which include professional quality facilities in electronic and computer music, digital video production and post production, computer imaging and animation, interactive media, installation art and performance. In addition, qualified students in the M.F.A. program may use elective credits to explore Rensselaer’s extensive technological resources. There are numerous opportunities to engage in creative or research projects with students or faculty from other departments and schools within the Institute.

Faculty

Professors

Kagan, L.   M.A. (University at Albany, SUNY); studio arts.
Rolnick. N.   Ph.D. (University of California, Berkeley); music composition, electronic and computer music, electronic arts.

Associate Professors

Canier, C.   M.F.A. (Boston University); painting, drawing.
Miller, B.   M.F.A. (New York University Graduate Film and Television Program); video art, media art.

Assistant Professors

Bahn, C.   Ph.D. (Princeton University); computer music and interactive performance.
Csikszentmihalyi, C.   M.F.A. (University of California at San Diego); multimedia installation, robotics.
Ruiz, K.   M.A. (New York University); interactive and computer art.
Staniszewski, M.   Ph.D. (Graduate School and University Center, City University of New York); art history and critical theory.
Vamos, I.   M.F.A. (University of California at San Diego); video, film production and theory.

Clinical Professors

Gibson, D.   M.M. (Yale School of Music); music history and theory, orchestra performance, cello.
Shur, P.   Ph.D. (St. Petersburg Institute of Theatre, Music and Film); theatre.

Undergraduate Programs

B.S. in Electronic Arts   The B.S. degree in Electronic Arts provides students with an opportunity to pursue an arts degree with a particular emphasis on the use of high technology and an interdisciplinary approach to electronic arts, including computer music, interactivity, video, computer imaging, animation, web, multi-media installation and performance. The degree is designed for students who aspire to be artists and who are also strong in math, science, and technology.

The program prepares students for careers as working artists and performers who use technology to make works of art and music. It also prepares students for graduate studies in the electronic arts. The program integrates an intensive curriculum of studio and theory courses in electronic and traditional arts and music with Rensselaer’s rigorous core requirements in Math and Science. As an art program situated within the context of a technological university, we offer a unique creative environment in which to develop and realize cutting edge electronic art. Practical experiences in performing and exhibiting are also built into the curriculum, which takes advantage of the Arts Department’s Electronic Arts Performance Series and collaborations with the new Art Center in Troy and WMHT public television and radio stations to provide participation in live professional productions.

Applicants are expected to submit a portfolio and written statement of intent. The statement of intent should be connected to the work submitted in the portfolio and the applicant’s interest in the program. The successful portfolio should include 10-20 examples of work that show promise as an artist and a desire to work with all the electronic arts tools. The portfolio should represent what the applicant considers to be his/her best work in any medium. Acceptable submissions include drawings, paintings, photographs, slides, CD-ROMs, video and audio recordings, music scores, and digital images.

The B.S. in Electronic Arts is part of a constellation of undergraduate programs recently developed by Rensselaer’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences. This degree, along with the Communication Department’s undergraduate concentration in Web Analysis and Design and the B.S. in Electronic Media, Arts, and Communication, provide our students with a broad spectrum within the area of electronic communications and new media.

Whereas the EMAC program offers undergraduates the opportunity to study electronic arts with relation to the communication field and prepares students for careers in the applied arts and communication, the B.S. in Electronic Arts offers a fine arts/performing arts studio oriented program within a strong, technological context.

The B.S. in Electronic Arts builds upon Rensselaer’s already significant presence in the field of Electronic Arts through the M.F.A. in electronic arts, the B.S. in Electronic Media, Arts and Communication (EMAC), and the facilities at iEAR Studios in the Arts Department.

The program is strengthened by Rensselaer’s location within a thriving community of technological innovation and proximity to cutting edge art and cultural centers such as Williams College, Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA), Bard College, and Bennington College.

*These courses may be taken in any order.
**These courses may be taken in reverse order.

Professional Electives in History/Theory
(8 credit hours required)

Professional Electives in Studio
(8 credit hours required)

Math/Science Requirement

Required courses in the school of Math and Science are: MATH-1500 Calculus I for Humanities and Social Science, MATH-1520 Multivariable Calculus and Matrix Algebra, and CSCI-1100 Computer Science. MATH-1010 Calculus I and MATH-1020 Calculus II may be substituted for MATH-1500 and MATH-1520, respectively. All students must fulfill the Institute requirement of 24 credit hours of Math/Science.

Baccalaureate Program in Electronic Media, Arts, and Communication (EMAC) with the Department of Language, Literature, and Communication (LL&C)

Electronic Media, Arts, and Communication   EMAC is a joint B.S. degree from both Arts and the Department of Language, Literature, and Communication (LL&C). The degree combines offerings in LL&C and Arts for a total of at least 60 credit hours. Required beginning level courses are: Art, Technology, and Society, Introduction to Communication Theory, Introduction to Visual Communication, Media Studio: Imaging and Video/Audio. Students are then required to choose eight intermediate-level credits each from Arts and LL&C. Students are also required to complete a Capstone Project in their final year. For details and a sample curriculum of the EMAC degree, please see the Department of Language, Literature, and Communication pages.

Institute Requirements   In addition, EMAC majors must satisfy the Institute core requirements —24 Humanities and Social Science credit hours and 24 Math and Science credit hours—and complete a total of at least 124 credit hours before graduating which allows for 16 credits of open electives. We strongly advise EMAC majors to develop a minor in a compatible field of interest (e.g., computer science, management, science and technology studies, philosophy of science, and logic), in order to strengthen and broaden their possible career choices. We also recommend that students participate in an internship or co-op in their junior year in order to gain professional work experience.

The Information Technology degree with an Arts second discipline presents students with an exciting program of study that emphasizes the creativity of arts studio practice in shaping and influencing information technology. The program extends the activities of the Integrated Electronic Arts program at Rensselaer (iEAR), an extensive state-of-the-art facility dedicated to interdisciplinary research/artistic development in interactivity, digital video, computer imaging, digital audio, animation, virtual reality, web design, multimedia installation, and performance. Students will take a series of courses designed to give them hands-on experience with a full range of arts practice within our unique technological environment. Intermediate and advanced courses offer the student the opportunity to focus on an area of research specialization and to develop innovative collaborative projects. Study in the Arts second discipline will provide students with both theoretical foundation and practical experience needed for careers in the many fast-growing fields related to digital arts and multimedia.

Minors and Professional Programs   Music course offerings include Music History, Theory, Jazz, Electronic Music, World Music, and performance ensembles. Students may elect to apply for a music minor degree, which requires 16 credits from the music curriculum. Eight credits from either the Orchestra (ARTS-2300) or Chorale (ARTS-2310) may be applied toward the music minor. In addition there are many noncredit ensembles on campus, which change from time to time depending on student interest. Presently these include symphonic band, jazz ensemble, swing band, percussion ensemble, and two vocal groups, the Rensselyrics and Rusty Pipes. All students are encouraged to attend the rich variety of concerts both on campus and in the Troy area.

Studio arts include courses in drawing, painting, and sculpture. Minors in studio arts consist of sixteen credit hours. All studio arts minors must take at least three studio courses, at least one of which must be at the 4000 level. The remaining four credits may be fulfilled by another studio course or one course in art history. An electronic arts minor is also available, consisting of sixteen credit hours of coursework. At least one Media Studio (ARTS-1010 or ARTS-1020) course, one art history or theory course, and one 2000-level electronic arts studio course are required for electronic arts minors. Students may opt to take either another media studio course or a 4000-level electronic arts studio course to complete the minor.

Electronic arts courses are taught in the iEAR Studios. The department supports several visiting artist series that bring leading composers, performers, and media artists to campus for performances, exhibitions, lectures, and workshops. The iEAR Studios are also the center for instruction for the Arts Department’s M.F.A. program in electronic arts. Advanced undergraduates may be permitted to enroll in these graduate courses, which include theoretical, historical, and critical examinations of selected topics in the field.

Graduate Programs

This is a professional degree program for students who are motivated to pursue careers in the fine arts and music, with specific emphasis on work with electronic media. Admission is highly competitive, and applicants are expected to have completed a bachelor’s degree and to display a high level of ability in either musical composition or the visual arts. In addition to the standard transcripts, recommendations, and background and goals statements, prospective students for the M.F.A. program submit a portfolio of creative work in any medium. Evidence of talent and commitment to personal development as a creative artist is the primary consideration in the selection process.

Graduate Degree Requirements

The M.F.A. degree requires 60 credit hours of courses at Rensselaer, including up to eight credit hours of work on a master’s thesis. It will generally take two and a half to three years to complete. The core of the program is independent creative work done under the supervision of a faculty mentor. Creative work can take the form of musical compositions and performances, video tapes and installations, multimedia presentations, performance art, and computer-generated or mediated images. The culmination of a student’s work at Rensselaer is the thesis project, which is a major artistic effort and may take the form of a full-length performance, installation, or exhibition, the submission of a written thesis document, and a thesis defense.

All students are required to develop a fluency in the use of the various media available in the iEAR Studios, as well as in the theoretical and critical issues relevant to their fields of interest. Students take introductory courses in computer music, video, and computer imaging, or may take more advanced courses by demonstrating proficiency in any of these areas to the satisfaction of the faculty. Since the program is geared towards preparing students to become active participants in the art and music communities, there is an emphasis on practical aspects of production and presentation of creative work.

The historical and critical aspects of the curriculum are covered as an integral part of the studio courses, as well as in seminars in Electronic Arts Theory and related critical theory seminars offered in other departments.

Master of Fine Arts Program in Electronic Arts

This is a 5-6 semester program designed to prepare students for careers as artists and as teachers at the college and university levels. Students entering the program must have an undergraduate degree in art, music, or a related field. Applicants must submit a portfolio of previous work in any media, which need not necessarily include work in the electronic media. The portfolio is evaluated on the basis of demonstrated talent, creativity, and accomplishment.

The Plan of Study consists of 60 credit hours beyond the Bachelor’s degree,(1) including:

• at least 30 credit hours in 6000-level courses
• 3 art or music history or theory courses at 4000 or 6000 level, including: (2)
  • Electronic Arts Overview
  • 1 course offered within the department
  • 1 course offered outside the department
• demonstration of competency in interdisciplinary electronic arts (3)
• 4 credits of Technical Production & Documentation (ARTS-4965)
• 4 credits of Artist Residency (ARTS-4xxx)
• enrollment in Electronic Arts Practice or Thesis every semester of residency (4)
• 6-9 credits of Thesis

1. Individual requirements can be waived, in exceptional circumstances, by the department, without decreasing the total number of credits required for the degree. It is also possible to reduce the total number of credits required for the degree by transferring up to 6 credits of previous graduate work, or by waiving up to 12 credits for professional experience, up to 6 credits of which can be graduate transfer credits.
2. History/Theory courses may be either 4 credits (4000-level courses) or 3 credits (6000-level courses).
3. Competency is demonstrated through two qualifying critiques. Each student will select two end of semester departmental critiques which will be judged by the Electronic Arts Faculty Review Committee. The first review will identify the technical and creative areas to be addressed in the second review. The Committee must agree that the student’s work shows competency and artistic merit in interdisciplinary media in order for the student to progress toward his or her final thesis by enrolling in Thesis supervision credits rather than Electronic Arts Practice.
4. All levels of Electronic Arts Practice and Thesis supervision meet together in a weekly three hour seminar format, which is required of all students in residence. When enrolled for Thesis credits, students will also be expected to have regular individual meetings with their thesis advisers. In their final 2-3 semesters of residency, students must enroll in a minimum of 6 thesis credits. The maximum number of thesis credits a student can enroll in is 9.