Postgraduate Courses

This course introduces students to the conceptual fundamentals of computational media and arts, technologies behind computational media and arts, and software and hardware tools used in computational media and arts production. It will cover principles of visual communication, design aesthetics, image and video synthesis, audio editing, animation and game design, etc.

From screenplay through post-production, students are immersed in the collaborative animation pipeline. In this course, students will utilize a variety of animation tools and techniques to tell a compelling story and experience the diverse roles within the animation industry through storyboarding, editing and completion of a short animated film.

This course explores the creative power and expressions in visual storytelling and cinematic production with real-time rendering technology, LED-based virtual production, Gen AI and other digital tools. Students will learn and apply creative arts and principles of storytelling and filmmaking and integrate them in real-time virtual platform with virtual assets and characters. This course prepares and equips students with the soft and hard skills for endless creative possibilities in virtual production and visual content creation.

This course covers the most fundamental knowledge and techniques of Chinese calligraphy and its important role in the modern technological advances. The history and various styles of calligraphy, history and principles of making rice paper, seal making and its role, and best-known calligraphers are introduced. Students will first learn and practice writing Chinese calligraphy on rice paper and then use deep learning tools to transfer interesting calligraphy styles. Students will develop projects, such as programming to generate or drive robots to write calligraphy. There will be guest lectures by well-known Chinese calligraphers and researchers in digitizing and modernizing Chinese calligraphy. A trip is planned to visit the best-known rice paper factory (红星宣纸厂) in Jingxian, Anhui, where all Four Treasures of calligraphy are located.

This course focuses on the arts and design of visual communication and expression with emphasis on both theory and practice. Students will learn about the design principles and techniques in visual communication and expression, develop good visual senses and relevant research skills that can inspire and enrich the creative and production process of projects that enable students to communicate and express visually and effectively.

This course explores interactive storytelling as cinematic, narrative and interactive art forms. It focuses on the art and techniques of visual storytelling that can interact thematically with the audience in meaningful ways. Students will learn about the key aspects of filmmaking and can apply narrative and interactive principles to storytelling in playable media and platform.

This course examines the practice and theory of 3D computer graphics in the context of visual arts. Students will acquire the technical skills of both traditional 3D animation software programs as well as emerging real-time 3D engines, and gain a critical understanding of its technology and history. Technical instructions will be given to cover all aspects of 3D animation production, including modeling, texturing, shading, animation, lighting, and rendering. Both pioneering and emerging artists working with 3D computer images will be introduced. Lectures and discussions on other related media, including photography, film, sculpture, and installation art will also be included.

This course serves as an introduction to understanding interactive art and the new media art scene in general. In addition to an overview of art history concerning active audience involvement in an artwork, the course will offer a practice-led approach allowing the students to experience modalities and challenges of interactive installations. Apart from hands-on program, the course contributes to critical thinking, reflection, contextualization, and understanding different types of audience interaction modes and interfaces. The core principles and methodologies of interaction design will be introduced. In addition to that, the problematics of preservation and also presentation of the interactive artworks in the exhibition space will be addressed.

In this course students use well established creative coding frameworks, specifically designed for artists to program graphics, sound and interaction for generating creative work. Students will initially experiment with basic generative techniques for graphics and will then be introduced to genetic algorithms, simple machine learning for interaction, using robots to draw on paper, generating NFTs of the work they create and many more emerging technologies in order to express themselves creatively.

This course introduces students to the concepts, theories, and interaction techniques in AR/VR/MR/XR. It covers both the fundamental concepts and design theories and the state-of-the-art interaction techniques in the field. In addition, students will work independently or in teams to design, develop, and evaluate AR/VR/MR/XR applications. In sum, by the end of the class, students will have a solid grasp of the fundamental concepts, and theories and hands-on experience in AR/VR/MR/XR.

This course teaches students the design and evaluation of novel smart assistive technologies for people with disabilities (e.g., blind, deaf, motor-impaired) and the aging population. Students will learn user-centered methods to identify true user needs and design smart assistive technologies that leverage immersive media (e.g., VR/AR/MR) or AIoT (e.g., AI, mobile and wearable sensing). Moreover, students will also learn how to evaluate the performance and user experience of such assistive technologies.

As Machine Learning (ML) permeates numerous aspects of culture, industry, and scholarship, it is crucial for the next generation of computational artists to be ML-literate, possessing the ability to critically evaluate and apply this rapidly evolving technology. Through hands-on experience with cutting-edge ML tools, students will hone their skills in this domain and establish critical perspectives on the strengths and limitations of current methods. This course employs free, open-source ML toolkits, enabling students to become familiar with various classification and regression models, RNNs, Convolutional Neural Networks, Transfer Learning, large language models, Text-to-Image generators, and more, for the purpose of implementing art projects. Each week, pertinent computational artworks utilizing various techniques are introduced, analyzed, and discussed.

Topics in aesthetic computing include generative art with focus on automatic generation of various styles of abstract art. Students engage in developing creative showcase projects, including program solving using visual languages, innovative visualization, generation of aesthetic images and digital art / AI art showcases. Assessment includes attendance in the class, technical presentations and report writing.

This course introduces art and media students to the various online social media platforms, as well as the fundamentals of producing artistic and creative media content in collaborative group projects. The course covers a wide range of interesting topics related to art and creativity techniques and functions on social media platforms, including but not limited to: digital storytelling, games and gamification, immersive art technologies, presentation, and advertisement. By the end of this course, students will have a better understanding of art and creativity on social media platforms.

This course introduces students to programming skills and selected topics for virtual and augmented reality (VR and AR) projects. Students will initially learn basic programming skills relating to modelling, motion controllers, animation, rendering, navigation, networking using Unity3D. Next, students will be exposed to selected topics in VR and AR, including multi-modal interactions, collaborative interactions, visual perceptions in AR, etc. By the end of the course, students will be able to create their own interactive VR and AR creative applications as a course project (games, storytelling, VR experiences, etc.).

This course focuses on creating art projects using virtual reality (VR) technology. Students learn the fundamentals of VR-related frameworks, tools, and hardware, with specific emphasis on using a game engine to create immersive content and interaction. Students also get familiar with the historical development and contemporary examples of VR art and relevant theoretical topics, including simulation, virtual body, spatial sound, etc. The course content will include lectures and tutorials, and will be supplemented by visiting speakers, discussions and readings to provide diverse perspectives. By the end of the course, students will complete a creative VR project either individually or in teams.

This course provides an in-depth introduction to algorithms and interfaces that bridge sketching and modeling, with a particular focus on tools that support the conceptual design of shape and creation of artwork at a variety of scales. We will explore the full pipeline of concept to fabricated shape. Topics to be covered include: 2D and 3D representations, non-photorealistic rendering, sketch processing, image synthesis, sketch-based modelling, fabrication, pen and touch, and XR interfaces. We will also cover classic and cutting-edge papers published on top computer graphics and HCI venues. We will discuss how these techniques and systems benefit art and design, and vice versa.

The course provides an overview into the doctoral research processes and introduces research tools for conducting art-based research. The students will explore relevant literature, familiarize themselves with methodologies, and learn how to do critical analysis of artistic practices. The course will help students advance their art-based research and teach them how to approach their practice in a systematic way. The main outcome of the course is to apply the gained understanding in improving one's own research plan for guiding one's doctoral research and funding of it.

This course provides students with the necessary knowledge and skills to critically evaluate the role and use of emerging computational technologies in Art, Media, and Heritage. These technologies include Generative AI, Natural Language Processing, Sentiment Analysis, and others. Students will learn to select and assess these technologies based on their ability to best support the core values of art creation, media production, and heritage applications through various coursework. The course will feature real-world experience, case studies, and guest speakers to provide students with a practical understanding of these technologies. Furthermore, students will receive hands-on technical training through weekly or bi-weekly practical activities. Eventually, students will develop innovative content or applications for exhibition or real-world collaboration.

Creating immersivity in virtual reality allows creators to have an engaging experience in creating arts, animation, or visual assets for building virtual world. The way of creating is significantly different compared to traditional methods of creating. In this studio-based course, students will be introduced creating methods using different immersive authoring tools in VR, such as QuillVR and Gravity Sketch; and have opportunities to practice the sketching, assets building, animation and pipeline building for world building projects.

Pre-visualization is an important stage for time-based and real-time projects. In this course, the instructor will introduce different pre-visualization and storyboarding techniques covering cinematic language and stage art language for screen-based projects and VR/AR projects. Traditional methods of storyboarding focusing on gaining cinematic knowledge will be introduced; and applying that, emerging techniques for storyboarding in VR will be covered with pre-visualization projects.

The course provides a comprehensive overview of the main digital sound manipulation and synthesis and their application in the design of interactive music systems. At the end of the course, students will have a solid knowledge of Pure Data, a visual programming language that can be incorporated in a number of interactive environments. Additionally, a number of research topics in the field will be explored.

This is a comprehensive course designed to introduce students to the fundamental aspects of game creation. Covering topics from game design principles, programming basics, art and sound design, to industry-standard software and tools, this course offers a hands-on approach to learning. Students will engage in both theoretical understanding and practical application, leading to the development of their own simple game project by the end of the course. This course is ideal for beginners aspiring to enter the field of game development and those seeking to understand the basics of this dynamic and creative industry.

This course delves deeper into the intricacies of creating sophisticated and engaging video games. This course is designed for students who have a foundational understanding of game development and are looking to enhance their skills in areas such as advanced programming, complex game mechanics, AI integration, and immersive storytelling. Emphasizing a project-based approach, the course allows students to work on elaborate game projects, encouraging collaboration and innovation. Throughout the course, students will also explore emerging trends and technologies shaping the future of the gaming industry. This course is perfect for those aiming to refine their game development expertise and craft compelling, high-quality gaming experiences.

This course delves into the critical exploration of cultural and philosophical theories that underpin the evolving landscape of computational media arts. It immerses students in relevant readings and discussions, providing them with a deep understanding of the complex interplay between humanities, science, technology, culture, and art. Through the examination of key texts and critical debates, students will engage with concepts that shape the field, such as digital aesthetics, media archaeology, cybernetics, posthumanism, and the impact of technology on society.

This course represents the advanced level of critical exploration and intellectual growth in the realm of computational media arts. Building upon the foundations established in CMAA 5033, this course delves deeper into the theoretical dimensions of the field while placing a heightened emphasis on honing students' theoretical and reflective writing skills. Through an engaging blend of readings, discussions, and writing assignments, this course empowers students to not only grasp complex theoretical concepts but also articulate their insights with clarity and precision through reflective writing in relation to their artistic practice, preparing students for thesis writing.

This course provides an in-depth introduction to procedural modeling with a focus on algorithms and applications. Procedural modeling techniques use computer-generated randomness and processing power to create content algorithmically as opposed to manually. Through critical reading and hands-on exercise, students will explore the value of procedural content generation in art, design, education, movies, and games.

This course will integrate electronic technologies for signals and light, programming of computer embroidery machines, and explore new textile manufacturing technologies. The class is grounded in project-based learning, combined with reading and discussion of research papers. We will create and exhibit wearable and/or portable eTextile items as final projects.

This course reimagines human-robot interaction (HRI) through the lenses of human-computer interaction (HCI), speculative design, and artistic practice, centering creativity, empathy, and critical inquiry over technical implementation. Students will have hands-on opportunities to work directly with a few types of robotics, including but not limited to robotics arms, dogs, small swarms, drones, and so on. Through implementing a robotics prototype for human-robot interaction purposes, this course will lead students to explore how social robots amplify human agency, foster collaboration and artistic creation, and challenge societal norms in spaces ranging from homes and hospitals to galleries and public installations. The course will cover both theoretical and technical foundations through seminars, discussions of cutting-edge research papers, technical tutorials, and collaborative work on an empirical, practical, or creative robotics research project.

This hands-on course brings together artists, engineers, and multidisciplinary creators to solve real-world challenges through collaborative problem-solving. Teams will leverage AI tools for rapid ideation and prototyping, alongside human-centered design thinking, iterative testing, and artistic critique. The curriculum explores how AI can enhance cross-disciplinary workflows while emphasizing ethical co-creation, hybrid human-machine creativity, and tangible outcomes that merge technical with artistic vision. Final projects will be showcased publicly through exhibitions, installations, or live demonstrations.

This course offers practical methods for designing and developing interactive techniques using off-the-shelf sensors, focusing on creative experiences like art creation and spatial interaction in computational arts and HCI. Students will gain hands-on experience throughout the entire process of developing sensor-based interaction methods and applications. The course, structured around case studies, covers sensor data collection, data organization, signal processing, and the use of machine learning to create engaging, responsive systems.

This course is for students who want to improve their skills in designing and optimizing experiment protocol in HCI study. It focuses on helping students understand the difference between exploring new ideas and confirming what we already know. The course covers key concepts like how to plan experiments, test different variables, and find the best solutions using advanced techniques to verify their new interaction protocol. Students will also learn both quantitative (numbers-based) and qualitative (observation-based) research methods, giving them a strong foundation for conducting experiments. Along with learning how to design experiments, students will get hands on experience with statistical tools to analyze data and make informed decisions. By the end of the course, students will be confident in using these methods to solve real-world problems and improve processes in different areas of research.

In this course we will explore the artistic, formal, and technical processes involved in creating motion pictures for non-standard screens and multi-channel, immersive cinema installations that occupy a unique, multi-projection cinema architecture. We will create work that expands cinema from passively viewed, two-dimensional projection in a traditional theater architecture to an embodied, poly-perspectival configuration of cinema in space. Approaching cinema as a form of concrete poetry, we will investigate the potential for expression and meaning-making rooted within the specificity of different formal presentation formats to develop an individual language of expression.

This course offers a comprehensive introduction to UX/interfaces/interaction design methods with a focus on prototyping interactive and intelligent interfaces and systems. Students will explore core design theories, human-centered design principles, and gain hands-on experience in developing prototypes using web frameworks and generative AI tools. Through a combination of seminars, practical design sessions, and a final project, students will acquire the technical and critical thinking skills needed to create innovative, interactive, and intelligent technologies.

Interactive physical devices are a cornerstone of contemporary media art. The course addresses this field by introducing students to a suite of essential tools and processes, including 3D printing, laser cutting, CNC milling, electronics, coding, and circuit design. Through a hands-on, project-based approach, students will develop foundational skills in prototyping. Under the instructor's guidance, they will progress step-by-step through the design and creation of their own interactive, electronic objects. Graded P or F.

This course introduces the practice, theory, and history of 360° fulldome cinema, emphasizing hands-on experimentation alongside critical inquiry. Students will explore hemispherical cinematography and animation, hemispheric optics, spatial audio, and somatic montage, while investigating how images, sound, and architectonic space shape immersive spectatorship. Approaching cinema as a hyper-medium and a form of concrete poetry, the course examines how meaning emerges through spatialized representation, temporality, embodied perception, and the interplay of art, science, and technology. Throughout the semester, students develop 2D and 3D image and sound techniques to compose “in the round,” culminating in an original immersive work for fulldome exhibition.

An independent research project carried out under the supervision of a faculty member.

The course serves as an experimental ground for the instructor and students to explore unique and emerging themes within the realm of computational media and arts, with a focus on a different topic to be determined by the instructor for each offering.

Group Critique fosters critical thinking and collaborative engagement among students. In this course, participants engage in a structured environment where they present their ongoing computational arts projects for peer review and feedback. Through constructive discussions and critiques, students learn to evaluate and analyze their work within the context of contemporary media arts, technology, and cultural discourse. They develop the essential skills of articulating their artistic intentions, receiving constructive criticism, and providing thoughtful assessments of their peers' projects. Group Critique serves as a vital forum for refining ideas, enhancing artistic practices, and cultivating a deeper understanding of the role of computation in art and culture. Students are required to take this course in each regular term and for at least three terms. Graded PP, P or F.

A regular series of seminars presenting research problems currently under investigation. Graded P or F.

A regular series of seminars presenting research problems currently under investigation. Graded P or F.

The guaranteed internship offers students the opportunity to further explore their creative boundaries in an alternative environment within the realm of computational media arts. The internship empowers students to embark on artistic journeys in a context beyond the regular learning environment within academic institutions, providing fresh guidance and new resources to experiment with new ideas, technologies, and processes. This course is the first part of the 6-month guaranteed internship. Graded P or F.

The guaranteed internship offers students the opportunity to further explore their creative boundaries in an alternative environment within the realm of computational media arts. The internship empowers students to embark on artistic journeys in a context beyond the regular learning environment within academic institutions, providing fresh guidance and new resources to experiment with new ideas, technologies, and processes. This course is the second part of the 6-month guaranteed internship. Graded P or F.

Master's thesis research supervised by co-advisors from different disciplines. A successful defense of the thesis leads to the grade Pass. No course credit is assigned.

The MFA Thesis Project in Computational Arts is a culmination of the student's creative and technical journey, embodying their unique vision at the intersection of art and technology. This intensive project requires students to conceptualize and realize a significant piece of work that pushes the boundaries of digital art, integrating coding, digital media, and interactive technologies. Guided by faculty mentors, students will demonstrate mastery in their chosen area, be it interactive installations, digital fabrication, VR/AR experiences, or generative art, culminating in a public exhibition and a comprehensive written thesis that contextualizes their work within contemporary artistic discourse. In Part I, students will establish a direction in their practice and do an extensive literature review of their specific field. Graded P or F.

The MFA Thesis Project in Computational Arts is a culmination of the student's creative and technical journey, embodying their unique vision at the intersection of art and technology. This intensive project requires students to conceptualize and realize a significant piece of work that pushes the boundaries of digital art, integrating coding, digital media, and interactive technologies. Guided by faculty mentors, students will demonstrate mastery in their chosen area, be it interactive installations, digital fabrication, VR/AR experiences, or generative art, culminating in a public exhibition and a comprehensive written thesis that contextualizes their work within contemporary artistic discourse. In Part II, students will have to plan how to showcase their work and develop a narrative about how their work fits in the current computational arts context. Graded P or F.

This is a capstone course designed for students in the Master of Fine Arts in Computational Arts program, focusing on the practical and organizational aspects of staging an exhibition. This course offers hands-on experience in exhibition planning, space management, curation, and publicity, providing students with the necessary skills to effectively showcase their computational art projects. Through this immersive experience, students will learn to navigate the complexities of exhibition design, from conceptualization to execution, ensuring their artistic visions are communicated effectively to the public. This course does not center on creating artworks; instead, it emphasizes the behind-the-scenes processes essential for successful art exhibitions. Graded P or F.

Original and independent doctoral thesis research supervised by co-advisors from different disciplines. A successful defense of the thesis leads to the grade Pass. No course credit is assigned.