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About the Program

Launched in 1996, the Digital Arts program at Stetson brings together faculty and resources from the disciplines of art, computer science and music to explore new ways of making art with technology. Student-artists can develop their skills by pursuing one of four undergraduate degrees:

  • Bachelor of Arts in Digital Arts – Art Track
  • Bachelor of Arts in Digital Arts – Computer Science Track
  • Bachelor of Arts in Digital Arts – Sound Track
  • Bachelor of Music in Music Technology

This unique program fosters collaborations and hybrid forms of visual art, music composition and programming that stretch the boundaries of artistic practice. You will explore the powerful inter-relationships among these disciplines in contemporary creative practice.

We believe the computer makes it easier for artists to move between media and collaborate across specialties. For this reason, the Digital Arts program allows students to hone their skills in many areas and creates a natural breeding ground for important collaborations. Music students can easily take electives in web design or digital video. Art students can learn to record and produce music in a recording studio. Both can learn about how to write their own software. Computer science students can develop their talents in writing software while working directly with artists and musicians.

All of our courses feature hands-on projects, giving students ample opportunity to practice their art and build their portfolios. Projects will often be refined through multiple revisions and receive ample critiques from faculty and peers in an effort to produce work of the highest quality. Students are challenged to both understand and articulate the reasons behind their own aesthetic decisions through written summaries and oral presentations of their work.

The curriculum also places a heavy emphasis on experimentation, pushing the students to imagine new ways of using the computer as an expressive tool. This is clearly evident in our resident new media collective, MPG: Mobile Performance Group, where faculty and advanced students work together to present unique art experiences outside of traditional venues.  It is also apparent in the videos that are showcased each year at our annual Festival of the Moving Image or the projects our seniors display at the annual thesis exhibition.

Our graduates are valuable contributors in a variety of creative environments, because they possess a diverse set of skills.  We have alumni working in top companies and innovative start-ups within the gaming, music, multimedia and online industries.  Many alums have also pursued graduate studies at some of the top masters and doctoral programs in the country and become the next generation of artists, professors and leading thinkers.

If you want more information about Digital Arts, we recommend the following video. It was produced by our students and provides an overview of the program for those interested in pursuing a Digital Arts major at Stetson University.