Mar 29, 2024  
Rensselaer Catalog 2016-2017 
    
Rensselaer Catalog 2016-2017 [Archived Catalog]

Electronic Arts


Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Schools & Departments

The Bachelor of Science in Electronic Arts (EARTS) degree is designed to support either a single­ or dual ­major option. It is intended for students who want to critically and creatively explore the arts at the intersection of the humanities, and the physical, computational, engineering, and social sciences.

Situated within the context of a premiere technological university, the EARTS program offers a unique environment in which to investigate art and technology in relation to a broad range of disciplinary practices.

The Rensselaer campus is located within a thriving community of technological innovation. On campus resources include the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC), the Center for Deep Listening (CDL), the CRAIVE Lab, and the Emergent Reality Lab (ERL). In close proximity are established art and cultural centers such as The Sanctuary for independent Media, Williams College, Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA), Dia: Beacon, Bard College, and Bennington College. Boston, New York City, and Montreal are within three hours drive.

Applicants are expected to submit a written statement of intent describing their interest in the program, and if a dual, how it relates to their other major of study.

All majors in EARTS take a total of 44 credits, 20 credits of Foundation courses that includes 8 credits of Senior Thesis. The remaining 24 credits are for electives that allow students to concentrate in one of five Focus Areas:

  • Animation & Algorithmic Art
  • Integrated Visual Art
  • Sonic Arts
  • Video, Performance & Social Practice
  • DIY (Do It Yourself)

Outcomes of the Undergraduate Curriculum
Students who successfully complete this program will be able to demonstrate:

  • an ability to evaluate works of art in relation to style, period, and social context.
  • an ability to effectively discuss and critique one’s own work and the work of others.
  • proficiency integrating technologies appropriate to creative practice.

Electronic Arts - Computer Music and Sound Art Concentration


First Year


Second Year


Fall


  • ARTS Performance Elective Credit Hours: 1
  • HASS Elective Credit Hours: 4

Spring


  • ARTS Performance Elective Credit Hours: 1
  • HASS Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • Math/Science Elective Credit Hours: 4

Third Year


Fall


  • ARTS Performance Elective Credit Hours: 1
  • ARTS Advanced Technical Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • HASS Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • Math/Science Elective Credit Hours: 4

Spring


  • ARTS Performance Elective Credit Hours: 1
  • ARTS History/Culture Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • HASS Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • Math/Science Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • Free Elective Credit Hours: 4

Fourth Year


Fall


  • HASS Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • Free Elective Credit Hours: 4

Spring


  • Free Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • Free Elective Credit Hours: 4

Electives


Performance Electives


  • ARTS 2000-level Performance Topics Courses

History/Culture Electives


  • ARTS 296X Audio Culture Credit Hours: 4
  • ARTS 4000-level History/Theory Topics Courses Credit Hours: 4

Advanced Technical Electives and Advanced Studio


  • ARTS 496X Creative Collaborations Credit Hours: 4
  • ARTS 496X Music Composition Credit Hours: 4
  • ARTS 4000-level Technical/Studio Topics Courses Credit Hours: 4

Electronic Arts - Media, Ecology, Entrepreneurship, and Experimentation Concentration


First Year


Second Year


Fall


  • HASS Elective Credit Hours: 4

Spring


  • HASS Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • HASS Elective Credit Hours: 4

Third Year


Fall


  • ARTS 4000-level Advanced Video Topics Course Credit Hours: 4
  • HASS Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • Math/Science Elective Credit Hours: 4

Spring


  • ARTS 4000-level Advanced Radical Culture Topics Course Credit Hours: 4
  • HASS Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • Math/Science Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • Free Elective Credit Hours: 4

Fourth Year


Fall


  • ARTS 4000-level Advanced Video Topics Course Credit Hours: 4

        or

  • ARTS 4000-level Advanced Radical Culture Topics Course Credit Hours: 4
  • HASS Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • Free Elective Credit Hours: 4

Spring


  • Free Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • Free Elective Credit Hours: 4

Recommended Courses


  • ARTS 4000-level Advanced Video Topics (including: Postproduction; TV Content and Development Studio; Writing and Directing for Video; Speculative Fiction; Expanded Video) Credit Hours: 4
  • ARTS 4000-level Advanced Radical Culture Topics (including: Art, Community, and Technology; Eco Chic; Creative Activism; Globesity; Urban Survival) Credit Hours: 4
  • ARTS 496X Pure Performance Credit Hours: 4
  • ARTS 496X Inflatables Public Sculpture Credit Hours: 4

Electronic Arts - Visual Arts and Animation Concentration


First Year


Fall


  • HASS Elective Credit Hours: 4

Second Year


Fall


  • ARTS 2000-level Visual Arts Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • HASS Elective Credit Hours: 4

Spring


  • ARTS 2000-level Visual Arts Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • HASS Elective Credit Hours: 4

Third Year


Fall


  • ARTS 4000-level Visual Arts Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • HASS Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • Math/Science Elective Credit Hours: 4

Spring


  • ARTS 4000-level Visual Arts Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • HASS Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • Math/Science Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • Free Elective Credit Hours: 4

Fourth Year


Fall


  • ARTS 4000-level Visual Arts Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • Free Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • Free Elective Credit Hours: 4

Spring


  • ARTS 4000-level Visual Arts Elective Credit Hours: 4
  • Free Elective Credit Hours: 4

Electives


4000-Level Visual Arts Electives


  • ARTS 496X Advanced Video Credit Hours: 4
  • ARTS 49XX Topics Courses Credit Hours: 4

Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Schools & Departments