What degrees does DXARTS offer?
DXARTS currently offers a minor and a PhD in Digital Arts and Experimental Media.
Are the DXARTS courses open to students from all departments/majors?
Yes, our courses are open to all students on campus. We encourage students with diverse backgrounds to contact the course instructors and discuss their interests with them.
Are there prerequisites?
It depends on the class. Please check the UW course catalog for rerequisites: http://www.washington.edu/students/crscat/dxarts.html
I cannot take a foundation course (DXARTS classes that end in a zero: DXARTS 450/460/470) prior to taking an introductory course (DXARTS classes that end in a one: DXARTS 451/461/471). Can I still enroll, or is the foundation course a prerequisite?
Although students continuing from foundation classes (450/460/470) are given priority enrollment, foundation classes are not a prerequisite for introductory level courses (451/461/471), but we expect students getting directly into these courses to have some previous experience. Students interested in these classes should contact the course instructor to request an add-code.
Can I take a DXARTS class if I am not a UW student?
Preference is given to matriculated students (students formally admitted to the university). However, you can register for classes through the Non-Degree Registration Services Office: http://www.nondegree.washington.edu/nondegree/contact/ . Enrollment for non-UW students is on a standby, space-available basis with the approval of the instructor and department.
I am interested in commercial video production for projects such as music videos, promotional videos, and movies. Is DXARTS 450 a good fit for me?
While DXARTS 450 introduces fundamental video techniques such as camera work, lighting, and non-linear editing, it is an upper-level studio art course focused on contemporary and experimental uses of video in gallery art, installation art, performance art, and interactive art. Class assignments are focused on new and creative uses of video in these fields rather than commercial production.
Is animation taught in DXARTS?
Computer animation is primarily taught in the UW’s CSE Animation Research Lab, and is not explicitly presented in DXARTS. However, in our classes students are introduced to the historic and conceptual backgrounds of rotoscoping, stop-motion, and time-lapse animation, and are encouraged to independently explore these techniques through their projects and assignments.
I am interested in sound synthesis and dance/techno music. Are DXARTS 460-2 a good fit for me?
The DXARTS Experimental Sound sequence is NOT about dance/techno music. In this series you will explore the practice and aesthetics of the Western “Art Music” tradition (think Western symphonic music), the principles of electro-acoustic music composition, and the scientific study of sound perception (including the psychological and physiological responses associated with sound).
You will experiment with sound properties (sound wave, vibration, acoustics, wavelength, etc.), sound synthesis and signal processing, and composing music via computer programming. All this framed by Western “Art Music” theory and practice.
Do I need computer programing experience to take DXARTS classes?
No, theses courses do not presume knowledge of computer programing of entering students.
What is the statement of purpose (for the PhD application)?
For our application, the project proposal and written statement of purpose are one of the same. The project proposal element of the application is where we get to see your plans for the time you will spend at DXARTS. So take this as an opportunity to imagine a new and ambitious project that challenges you as an artist, and makes a contribution to the field. Don't take a safe option in proposing something that fits within your existing comfort zone (although of course the work should make sense within the general trajectory of your existing work). We will not hold you to this project - in practice once students begin their doctoral studies here they transform their practice considerably and the scope of their work expands accordingly.
Simply, it is a way for us to see where you see your research going.
Is there a specific format or length requirement for the project proposal?
No, the format is flexible. We are much more interested in your ideas and your ability to articulate them.