7Dec
PostgraduateCourse summary
Why study MFA Computational Arts at Goldsmiths Study a degree that develops your arts practice through the expressive world of creative computation. This Masters provides you with the historical foundations, frameworks and critical skills to produce a series of projects for public exhibition. What is computational art? Computation consists of all the changes brought about by digital technology. Art is an open set of ways of acting inventively in culture. Mixing the two together in a systematic way gives us computational art.
- This degree develops your arts practice through the expressive world of creative computation. Over two years (full-time) or four years (part-time) you will develop your artistic work and thinking through the challenge of developing a series of projects for public exhibition that will explore the technological and cultural ramifications of computation.
- You will learn the fundamentals of programming and how to apply this knowledge expressively. You will work with popular open source programming environments such as Processing, OpenFrameworks, P5.js and Arduino, and will learn how to program in languages such as Python and C++.
- Since computational artworks don’t necessarily involve computers and screens, we also encourage students to produce works across a diverse range of media. Supported by studio technicians in state-of-the-art facilities, our students are producing works using tools such as 3D printers, laser cutters, robotics, wearable technologies, paint, sculpture and textiles.
- You will also study contextual modules on computational art and the socio-political effects of technology. These modules provide you with the historical foundations, frameworks, critical skills and confidence to express your ideas effectively. You will have the opportunity to learn the cultural histories of technology, to reflect on computation in terms of its wider cultural effects, and to understand the way in which art provides rigorous ways of thinking.
- Through our masterclass series, we regularly invite world-class artists and curators to explain their work and engage in critical dialogue with the students. This allows you to develop a wider understanding of the contemporary art scene and how your work sits within the professional art world.
- The Department of Computing has a wealth of specialist facilities and equipment for students to use. From digital studios to motion capture, and games labs to sonic media.
Modules
Year 1 shares the same compulsory modules as our MA in Computational Arts programme: Workshops in Creative Coding 1 Workshops in Creative Coding 2 Computational Arts-based Research and Theory Final Project in Computational Arts You'll then take 4 option modules (60 credits worth), chosen from a list provided by the Department of Computing annually. Recent modules include: Physical Computing 1 Programming for Artists and Designers Special Topics for Performance and Installation Hacking your creative practice Visual Game Development Critical AI Advanced Audio-visual Processing Computational Form and Process Data and Machine Learning for Artistic Practice Physical Computing 2 Experimental Computational Art Extended Reality for Creative Practice Audio Experience for Games Game Development Escape Room Design and Immersive Theatre Motion Capture Techniques and Digital Embodiment Applied AI for Industry You may be able to take appropriate modules offered by other departments, in agreement with the programme leader. Year 2 In your second year, you will take the following compulsory modules: Studio Practice - Computational Arts Curating Computational Art and Professional Development Computational Arts Critical Studies You will also take two modules from a list approved annually by the department. Recent modules include: Advanced Audio-visual Processing Computational Form and Process Data and Machine Learning for Artistic Practice Physical Computing 1 Physical Computing 2 Programming for Artists and Designers Special Topics for Performance and Installation Hacking your creative practice Experimental Computational Art Extended Reality for Creative Practice Audio Experience for Games Visual Game Development Game Development Escape Room Design and Immersive Theatre Augmented Realities Motion Capture Techniques and Digital Embodiment Critical AI Applied AI for Industry In Year 2, you will also be encouraged to audit other classes offered by the department that fit your research interests and further develop your technical skills. Subject to agreement from the respective tutor, you can also audit other classes across Goldsmiths as well as classes across most colleges that form the University of London. Subject to availability you will also have access to all the technical facilities in the department in order to further develop your practice. Please note that due to staff research commitments not all of these modules may be available every year.
Entry requirements
You should have (or expect to be awarded) an undergraduate degree of at least upper second class standard in a relevant/related subject and a portfolio of work (supplied either as a DVD or a URL directing to a relevant web page). You might also be considered if you aren’t a graduate or your degree is in an unrelated field, but have relevant experience and can show that you have the ability to work at postgraduate level. If English isn’t your first language, you will need an IELTS score (or equivalent English language qualification) of 6.5 and no element lower than 6.0 to study this programme. Do I need to know how to program in order to join this course? Having a creative/art background is what we require and not necessarily a technical one. We want to work with people that have some arts practice and want to introduce computation in their work. In the past, we have had performers, film-makers, architects, musicians, painters and some computer scientists join the course. The majority of people on the course don't know how to program when they join us. When people join us we try to assess their level of skill in order to offer them a challenging learning environment. People that have previous coding experience are encouraged to take more advanced modules and are given assignments in lab and to take home that push their technical and creative skills further. We feel that this diversity of skills and backgrounds contributes to the course’s great success over the years. Do I need a strong maths background? We do not require a maths background nor do we expect people to be strong in maths to do well. Basic arithmetic (addition/subtraction/division etc) is all you need. We'll remind you in class of any new concepts you'll need. We currently have in the class dancers, writers, film-makers, photographers as well as architects, computer scientists, etc. We take pride in the diversity of backgrounds the students have and this contributes to the course's success.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
No fee information has been provided for this course
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
No additional fees or cost information has been supplied for this course, please contact the provider directly.
Provider information
Goldsmiths, University of London
New Cross
Lewisham
SE14 6NW