New Media

Two students face each other in a gallery with a colorful installation behind them

Students in a New Media Senior Project Exhibition

Creativity in the digital age—where media, art, and technology meet.

What is New Media?

The term “new media” emerged in the 1990s to describe the intersection of media, art, and technology. Today, it’s a mix of computer science, visual arts, culture, history, sciences, and more, leading to countless career paths.

New Media at Purchase

In small classes with plenty of opportunities for hands-on learning, you’ll explore all aspects of media art production and theory—from design to photography, technology, culture, web, sound, programming, video, and more. You can tailor your path through the major to match what fascinates you most.

The New Media major encourages collaboration, experimentation, and social engagement, attracting artists and makers with all kinds of interests. Many channel their work with a double major, such as environmental studies, art history, or mathematics and computer science—whatever ignites your passion.

Through both practical and critical skill-building, you’ll learn not only how to make powerful work but why it’s worth making. Cut through the noise and make an impact.

Building Blocks: Foundation Courses

New Media majors take a core group of foundation courses before branching out into upper-level coursework.

Show Your Work: Exhibition Opportunities

With many venues on campus, you’ll be able to share your work with peers. A new gallery devoted to work by New Media majors will open this spring. It’s centrally located in Fort Awesome, near the Multicultural Center (and Starbucks). Other spaces include the Two Walls gallery in the Natural Sciences building lobby and student-run spaces in The Stood.

Providing Perspective: New Media Lecture Series

The New Media Lecture Series invites an impressive array of artists, designers, educators, writers, curators, and scholars to campus every semester. Take a look at some past lecturers.

Learn from Professionals

Our faculty aren’t just professors; they’re working professionals—artists and practitioners with a broad range of concerns working on the cutting edge. They’ll challenge you and push your thinking while they provide a supportive and collaborative environment to take risks and find your voice. They’ll be critical nodes in your network.

Convergence: The Senior Project

You’ll spend senior year working one-on-one with a professor as a mentor/advisor as you create a completely original work—the culmination of your studies. Past projects range from research papers to films to art installations to video games, and way more. Beyond the benefits of skill-building and the sense of confidence and accomplishment, your senior project is proof of your ability you can point to in job interviews, business plans, or on grad school applications.

Inside the Classroom: Special Projects in Tiny Computing

Students create speculative science fiction stories and build computers using Raspberry Pi devices in a cyberpunk immersion with Assistant Professor Lee Tusman.