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.
Minor Structure and Courses
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.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Because MAT 10 and MAT 189 are offered only in Summer, students will need to plan their path to completing the minor accordingly.
Minor Courses Offered in Summer 2024:
MAT 10 – Introduction to Media Arts and Design (Session A)
Introduces students to the technology/art/science/society/creativity/computation matrix. Covers the history of this field, and a set of conceptual and theoretical strategies that will enable students to navigate this complex transdisciplinary environment.
MAT 111AU – Audio Engineering, Sound Design, and Generative Music Systems (Session B)
This project-based course will cover concepts in audio mixing, editing, and sound design. Students will learn fundamentals of audio engineering through recording and producing original audio tracks, develop skills in audio programming to create bespoke audio effects and generative music systems, gain skills using industry-standard audio software Ableton Live as well as Max4Live, get a chance to collaborate and work alongside other creators here on campus, and have their work showcased in an event at the end of the session.
MAT 111FS – Fundamental Skills of Media Arts and Design (Session A)
This is an introductory course that focuses on the skills and practices of media arts and design. Students identify a theme and explore it through reading and making over six weeks. The course emphasizes a hands-on approach and requires physical evidence of students' efforts. Students analyze successful architects, designers, and artists who defined the areas of media, arts, and design. The course format includes two in-person lectures and one in-person section per week, with a focus on producing examples for the final project. The end goal is a successful final project presented in an exhibition format on campus.
MAT 111PF – Materialize: Prototyping and Fabrication (Session A)
This course covers the entire process from concept design to detailed plans, and students navigate it using traditional sketching and cutting-edge AI tools. Practical lessons in laser cutting and 3D printing empower students to create multi-material constructs, emphasizing iterative design processes to refine outcomes. The course is partly held in the Library Makerspace, and it includes hands-on sections promoting active learning. Students culminate their learning in a final project, where they explore innovative form factors, interactive prototypes, and fabrication practices.
MAT 111WN – Web-Based Interactive Narratives (Session B)
This course offers a hands-on approach to learning creative coding, enabling students to design and develop web-based interactive stories with a blend of text, images, sound, and interactions. The curriculum will introduce narrative structures, creative coding techniques, and the basics of web design and development. Projects range from simple animations to complex, user-driven narratives. No prior coding experience is required.
COMM 154 — Video Game Research (Session F)
An introduction to social scientific research on the motives, responses, and consequences of playing video games.
ENGL 147AP — Animating Poetics: Stop-Motion Video as Literary Analysis (Session B)
Can stop-motion animation be used as a form of literary analysis? How can animation enrich our critical understanding of ‘animatedness,’ a term used in literary studies to challenge the notion of the human and to excoriate gendered and racialized dehumanization? Students will perform literary analysis through conventional close readings as well as through the production of stop-motion animated videos. They will work with animation as a critical term in media theory and in literary affect studies.
Note: requires a petition to apply to the minor
MAT 110CF — Fundamental Concepts of Media Arts and Design (Session A)
This is an introductory course that covers the principles and practices of media arts and design. Students learn to create digital graphics, audio compositions, and video productions using digital tools and technologies. The course adopts a hands-on approach, emphasizing emerging design techniques such as generative artificial intelligence, parametric design, and algorithmic composition. The course challenges students to critically evaluate the role of media arts and design in contemporary society. The course format includes two in-person lecture sessions and one section per week, with a focus on technological literacy, software proficiency, and computational design.
MAT 189 – Media Arts and Design Capstone (Session B)
Synthesizes learning from other Media Arts and Design courses through the development of a digital portfolio and meetings with guest speakers.
Questions?
Contact Allyson Walker (allyson@mat.ucsb.edu) with questions or to declare the minor.