Integrated Design & Media M.S. Online

You must hold a Bachelor's Degree from an accredited institution, which includes a minimum of four years of full-time study. Bachelor of Engineering degrees (based on 180+ ECTS credits) may also be considered. Attention will be given to the programs accredited by ABET and programs accredited/approved by other various regional accrediting associations.

No GRE is required for the Graduate IDM application.

Our portfolio guidelines are wide in scope and not specific to design projects. You may include works that are physical or digital. These works may be academic, personal, or professional. There is no expectation as to the number of projects that should be included, but the admissions committee reviews many applications, so keep that in mind when choosing the amount of content you share.

Over the years, we have received a large variety of portfolio materials: code samples, creative writing, research papers, design documents, documentation of performances and installations, documentation of community engagement, audio recordings, paintings, and many more. We are not looking for a specific kind of work, but we do want to get a sense of what you do and make, be it professionally, as a hobby, or in the classroom. We want to see what best represents your body of work, no matter what the domain.

Our portfolio upload system, which you will complete as part of the application process, accepts PDFs. Many applicants opt to send a website as a portfolio. If this is the case for you, please submit a pdf with the URL included in the document, indicating any required passwords or specific works you wish to highlight.

For any group work, please make sure it is clear what your contribution to the project was.

If you require portfolio requirement accommodations please contact idmadvise@nyu.edu.

The one-minute video required for application to IDM is an opportunity for you to give us a stronger sense of who you are as a person. We’d like to hear specifically what you might expect to do with your time at NYU. This may include faculty you want to work with and why, which of our courses are exciting to you, a project you're currently passionate about that you'd like to explore, or what labs or research activities spark your interest. This video should be as unique as you. Think of it as a extension of your portfolio and use your own voice. We get many videos of people reading our website back to us, this is an opportunity for your personality to come through.

Post to Youtube or Vimeo and share the link for viewing. We strongly encourage you to post this privately and share the password with us. There are many IDM application videos on the web, and yours should not look like any of the others out there.

If you require accommodations for either the portfolio or video requirements, please contact Jenelle Woodrup at jjw10@nyu.edu to discuss.

You must complete 30 credits over a minimum of 3 semesters to obtain a Master of Science in Integrated Digital Media.

• IDM Grad Core (4 courses)
• 4 Elective Courses
• Thesis sequence (2 courses)
• Grad colloquium every semester you are enrolled (0-credits, pass/fail)

3 Credits Theories and Cultural Impact of Media & Technology DM-GY6043

In this course, students will examine and analyze the history and theoretical
discourse of media and technology, while connecting these studies to contemporary trends and issues. Students will also explore the cultural impact of media and technology. Lectures, discussions, readings, research, and writing constitute the body of this course.

3 Credits Ideation & Prototyping DM-GY6053

In this class, the creative process will be investigated in order to generate ideas for art, design, technology, and business endeavors. The course will show how ideation, design research & thinking, and prototyping can inspire, inform, and bring depth to what one ultimately creates. Students will expand their arsenal of design research skills, learn how to think critically about their audience, content, form, and processes, as well as, understand the importance of utilizing more than one research and design strategy.

3 Credits Creative Coding DM-GY6063

This course is an introductory programming class, appropriate for students with no prior programming experience. Traditionally, introductory programming teaches algorithmic problem-solving, where a sequence of instructions describe the steps necessary to achieve a desired result. In this course, students are trained to go beyond this sequential thinking – to think concurrently and modularly. By its end, students are empowered to write and read code for event-driven, object-oriented, graphical user interfaces.

3 Credits Media Law DM-GY7033

This advanced seminar explores in depth the theoretical and practical aspects of media-communications principles and regulations. Knowledge of media law is crucial for professionals. A full range of models will be explored, from Open Source public license to Digital Rights Management, as well as working definitions of Fair Use and the practical limits of sampling/mixing in different idioms and economic sectors.

Electives, which may include Special Topics Courses, an Independent Study, or a 3-credit Internship, augmented reality (AR), user-experience design (UX), sound, cinema, interaction design, game design, and web to raise your expertise level in a particular area.

Special Topics courses, taught by regular and adjunct faculty, are selected each year from a group of possible courses based on the interests of the first-year class. For example, if the entering DM class is specifically interested in UX/UI or Mobile Application Development (based on its project work in the first-semester seminar), the faculty will “commission” an elective on that topic.

Internships are available for students seeking to gain job experience outside of the School of Engineering in the commercial or nonprofit sector. Students should contact the instructor for DM 4034 Internship one semester in advance to prepare for the internship. Both undergraduate and graduate students are eligible for internships for credit.

Students can take graduate courses offered by other departments at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, including Computer Science & Engineering and Technology Management & Innovation and others. After the first semester of study, students can also take up to 3 elective, graduate courses offered through other NYU programs such as NYU Steinhardt’s Music Technology, Digital Media Design for Learning, and Art & Arts Professions, and the graduate programs at NYU Tisch in Emerging Media, such as the Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP) and the Game Center.

3 Credits MS Pre-thesis in Digital Media: Research Methods DM-GY9963

This course is the research portion of the MS Thesis in Integrated Digital Media. Each student, guided by a thesis adviser and other faculty support, completes the research and process documentation for their MS thesis.

MS Thesis in Digital Media DM-GY997X

This 3-6 credit course is the capstone of the MS program in Integrated Digital Media. Each student, guided by a thesis adviser and with the other faculty support as required by the specific project, completes a major media-production project. The thesis form and format are determined by agreement between the student and adviser with department approval. The goal is to advance the student’s career and to contribute to the profession. Students are encouraged to seek professional outlets for their thesis. The department and the Polytechnic School of Engineering will do everything possible to help ensure that graduates’ excellent work find an audience and a market. The thesis may be undertaken in consecutive 3-credit increments, or all at once by agreement with the thesis adviser.

3 Credits Ideation & Prototyping DM-GY6053

In this class, the creative process will be investigated in order to generate ideas for art, design, technology, and business endeavors. The course will show how ideation, design research & thinking, and prototyping can inspire, inform, and bring depth to what one ultimately creates. Students will expand their arsenal of design research skills, learn how to think critically about their audience, content, form, and processes, as well as, understand the importance of utilizing more than one research and design strategy.

3 Credits Creative Coding DM-GY6063

This course is an introductory programming class, appropriate for students with no prior programming experience. Traditionally, introductory programming teaches algorithmic problem-solving, where a sequence of instructions describe the steps necessary to achieve a desired result. In this course, students are trained to go beyond this sequential thinking – to think concurrently and modularly. By its end, students are empowered to write and read code for event-driven, object-oriented, graphical user interfaces.

3 Credits Theories and Cultural Impact of Media & Technology DM-GY6043

In this course, students will examine and analyze the history and theoretical
discourse of media and technology, while connecting these studies to contemporary trends and issues. Students will also explore the cultural impact of media and technology. Lectures, discussions, readings, research, and writing constitute the body of this course.

One Elective

3 Credits Media Law DM-GY7033

This advanced seminar explores in depth the theoretical and practical aspects of media-communications principles and regulations. Knowledge of media law is crucial for professionals. A full range of models will be explored, from Open Source public license to Digital Rights Management, as well as working definitions of Fair Use and the practical limits of sampling/mixing in different idioms and economic sectors.

One Elective

Two Elective Courses

3 Credits MS Pre-thesis in Digital Media: Research Methods DM-GY9963

This course is the research portion of the MS Thesis in Integrated Digital Media. Each student, guided by a thesis adviser and other faculty support, completes the research and process documentation for their MS thesis.

MS Thesis in Digital Media DM-GY997X

This 3-6 credit course is the capstone of the MS program in Integrated Digital Media. Each student, guided by a thesis adviser and with the other faculty support as required by the specific project, completes a major media-production project. The thesis form and format are determined by agreement between the student and adviser with department approval. The goal is to advance the student’s career and to contribute to the profession. Students are encouraged to seek professional outlets for their thesis. The department and the Polytechnic School of Engineering will do everything possible to help ensure that graduates’ excellent work find an audience and a market. The thesis may be undertaken in consecutive 3-credit increments, or all at once by agreement with the thesis adviser.

This is the recommended sequence of courses. However, other combinations are possible.

Alongside the grad colloquium, we highly suggest that you take 3 courses at 3 credits per course for your first 3 semesters and take only the thesis course in your final semester.

3 Credits Creative Coding DM-GY6063

This course is an introductory programming class, appropriate for students with no prior programming experience. Traditionally, introductory programming teaches algorithmic problem-solving, where a sequence of instructions describe the steps necessary to achieve a desired result. In this course, students are trained to go beyond this sequential thinking – to think concurrently and modularly. By its end, students are empowered to write and read code for event-driven, object-oriented, graphical user interfaces.

3 Credits Ideation & Prototyping DM-GY6053

In this class, the creative process will be investigated in order to generate ideas for art, design, technology, and business endeavors. The course will show how ideation, design research & thinking, and prototyping can inspire, inform, and bring depth to what one ultimately creates. Students will expand their arsenal of design research skills, learn how to think critically about their audience, content, form, and processes, as well as, understand the importance of utilizing more than one research and design strategy.

One Elective Course

3 Credits Theories and Cultural Impact of Media & Technology DM-GY6043

In this course, students will examine and analyze the history and theoretical
discourse of media and technology, while connecting these studies to contemporary trends and issues. Students will also explore the cultural impact of media and technology. Lectures, discussions, readings, research, and writing constitute the body of this course.

Two Elective Courses

3 Credits MS Pre-thesis in Digital Media: Research Methods DM-GY9963

This course is the research portion of the MS Thesis in Integrated Digital Media. Each student, guided by a thesis adviser and other faculty support, completes the research and process documentation for their MS thesis.

3 Credits Media Law DM-GY7033

This advanced seminar explores in depth the theoretical and practical aspects of media-communications principles and regulations. Knowledge of media law is crucial for professionals. A full range of models will be explored, from Open Source public license to Digital Rights Management, as well as working definitions of Fair Use and the practical limits of sampling/mixing in different idioms and economic sectors.

One Elective Course

MS Thesis in Digital Media DM-GY997X

This 3-6 credit course is the capstone of the MS program in Integrated Digital Media. Each student, guided by a thesis adviser and with the other faculty support as required by the specific project, completes a major media-production project. The thesis form and format are determined by agreement between the student and adviser with department approval. The goal is to advance the student’s career and to contribute to the profession. Students are encouraged to seek professional outlets for their thesis. The department and the Polytechnic School of Engineering will do everything possible to help ensure that graduates’ excellent work find an audience and a market. The thesis may be undertaken in consecutive 3-credit increments, or all at once by agreement with the thesis adviser.