About the Program
The New Media B.A. Program at SUNY Purchase offers an interdisciplinary curriculum that lies at the intersection of art, society, and technology. Students study the effects of digital media from multiple perspectives, giving them the tools to be well-rounded citizens in an increasingly complex society and allowing them to develop their own voice through guided research and hands-on creative production.
Students learn to work with the current technology and build the knowledge and skills to understand technologies on the horizon, always in relation to their social and historical contexts. The program’s strong liberal arts component provides students with critical and conceptual frameworks that, when combined with the acquisition of practical skills, help to prepare them for the workforce and/or graduate study.
Courses are drawn from the visual and performing arts, computer science, the social sciences, and other liberal arts disciplines. Students majoring in New Media are offered a structured, well-rounded foundation covering a range of methodologies and content areas, with analysis and production often present within the same course. Collaboration is particularly encouraged, as are experimental and creative approaches to media production and distribution. Each semester the New Media program hosts a series of lectures and workshops by accomplished artists, technologists, and theorists in the field of media art.
Advanced Standing and the Senior Project
After applying for and receiving advanced standing, new media majors pursue a program of upper-level study designed by the student. This provides students with the opportunity to pursue individual interests while at the same time developing a focus in media art. As part of this program of study, all students are expected to complete an 8-credit senior project, which is supervised by a New Media faculty member. Various types of senior projects are acceptable, and collaboration among students is encouraged.