What is a Summer minor?
A Summer minor is a minor program structured such that it can be completed over 1-2 summers. In today’s job market, students are consistently looking for ways to set themselves apart with employers and graduate schools. Adding a minor to your degree can help you to develop a breadth of knowledge and skills that will allow you to stand out. Plus, summer is an ideal time to pursue a minor, as students often have more time and flexibility in summer than during the regular academic year.
Why Media Arts and Design?
Media Arts and Design is an interdisciplinary program that exists at the intersection of the arts and technology. While housed within Media Arts and Technology, the minor electives come from a wide range of subject areas including Art, Communication, English, Film and Media Studies, German, Linguistics, Music, and more.
The program is intended to help students develop a blend of creative and technical literacies that are invaluable in the job market, and critical for jobs bringing together design and technology, such as systems analysis, audio engineering, or user experience design. Students in the arts and humanities can develop their technical literacy by using digital tools to analyze and present information, and produce original creative works. Students in the sciences can enhance their creative design skills, and gain practical experience through project-based learning.
How is the minor structured?
The minor in Media Arts and Design consists of two required courses and four elective courses taught across Summer Sessions A and B, and may be completed in one or more Summer quarters.
View the full Minor Sheet to see all program requirements.
Because the minor does not officially become active until the 2023-2024 academic year, students will not be able to complete the minor in Summer 2023. However, students who wish to pursue the minor can begin taking courses, and finish the remainder in Summer 2024.
Minor Courses Offered in Summer 2023:
Minor Preparation:
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MAT 10: Introduction to Media Arts and Design
Electives:
Elective Area A:
- HIST 102HH: Hydraulic Histories: Using GIS tools to Explore Water and Empire in the Nile Valley and Colorado River Basin (requires a petition to apply to the minor)
- LING 194: Visualising Language in Conversational Interactions (requires a petition to apply to the minor)
- MAT 111FS: Fundamental Skills of Media Arts and Design
Elective Area B:
- ENGL 148EN: Epidemiological Narratives: How We Tell Stories About Disease
- MAT 110CF: Fundamental Concepts of Media Arts and Design
- SPAN 186TM: Translation, Technology, and the Mind (requires a petition to apply to the minor)
Note that the Minor Capstone course, MAT 189, will not be offered until Summer 2024.
Scholarships for Media Arts and Design courses
The following courses in the Media Arts and Design minor are also part of the campus’s Creative Computing Initiative, which offers students scholarships of $500-$1000 to help offset unit fees:
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HIST 102HH
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LING 194
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ENGL 148EN
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SPAN 186TM
Check out the Creative Computing Initiative’s website to learn how to apply for a course scholarship.
Frequently Asked Questions:
No! Many of the minor electives are available during the academic year, and students can complete them at any time. However, the two required courses (MAT 10 and MAT 189) are only offered in Summer, so students should plan accordingly.
Students who begin working toward the minor this year will not be able to complete the capstone course, MAT 189, until Summer 2024. However, students who wish to complete the minor can push their graduation quarter to Summer 2024, and will still be able to walk in Commencement in June 2024.
To officially declare the minor, please email Allyson Walker (allyson@mat.ucsb.edu) in Media Arts and Technology. Students do not need to declare the minor to begin taking courses, but must declare the minor before applying to graduate to ensure the degree is awarded.
Have other questions? Contact the Office of Summer Sessions at info@summer.ucsb.edu, or Allyson Walker in Media Arts and Technology at allyson@mat.ucsb.edu.