MFA in Emergent Media Begins at Champlain in Fall 2010

BURLINGTON, VT (02/22/2010)(readMedia)-- Champlain College will offer its first on-campus master's program - a Master of Fine Arts in Emergent Media - beginning in September to prepare a new generation of designers, artists, technologists and entrepreneurs for the future.

According to Jeff Rutenbeck, dean of the Communication & Creative Media Division at Champlain College, the new five-semester program "is not only about the knowledge we possess, it's about the processes we use to create new knowledge. All knowledge has a built-in expiration date, we focus on how to shape 'what's next' and help define what 'what's next' means in our society," he explained.

The MFA in Emergent Media will take full advantage of the college's Emergent Media Center (EMC). The Center already offers undergraduate students real-world work experience designing video games, designing and building virtual environments, using stop-motion graphic animation tools as part of their work for clients such as IBM, CIMIT, the City of Burlington, and the United Nations.

Ann DeMarle, director of the Emergent Media Center and the MFA program, has assembled a team of top educators and innovators in their fields for the graduate program's faculty. Learn more about the faculty at http://www.champlain.edu/MFA/Co-Creators.html.

"Our computers, phones, and even our household appliances are connected over advanced, high speed networks. Each of us is connected through a complex web of social networks, participatory platforms, and forums that allow our voices to be heard and our points of view to be understood, enabling us to collaborate as never before," she explained.

"This new curriculum, which seeks to build on these myriad connections, has been designed for the creative and curious mind. While not strictly for students with advanced technology or creative skill sets, these skills will be integral to their studies. But in addition to teaching and developing these skills, the MFA program will also focus on the contextual environment in which they're used, providing the foundation necessary to recognize and harness the forces of change."

Champlain College offers five online graduate degrees: an MBA, an MS in Managing Innovation and IT, an MS in Digital Investigation Management, an MS in Mediation and Applied Conflict Studes, and an MS in Law.

"What makes this course of study unique," DeMarle said, "is the level of collaboration that allows students to work with new forms of technology in a studio-based learning environment and to discover how to use them to make a viable impact in virtually any arena they choose."

Augmented Reality

Even the marketing plan behind the new program is pushing the boundaries. Working with Tag New Media in Burlington, where recent graduates of Champlain College and veterans of the Emergent Media Center apply their knowledge, an interactive "augmented reality" website was developed to introduce prospective students to the program. Among those working on the project, Senior Art Director and Champlain graduate Jackie Stukey, Champlain Emergent Media Adjunct Professor and Senior Flash Developer Chris Rolfs, and Lead Flash Developer and Champlain Emergent Media Professor Joe Manley.

Prospective students, using the MFA postcard they receive in the mail, can hold up the "eye" symbol in front of an online webcam to make the augmented reality link. Once recognized, an on-screen image pops to life releasing a streaming of words and phrases describing characteristics of individuals who would benefit from this degree. By shifting or tilting the card a video appears on the screen. The marketing tagline for the program is "Create. Collaborate, Innovate."

"It's definitely something different," said Champlain College Marketing Art Director Julia Caminiti. "We needed to market the program in a way that reflected the new technologies these students will experience in the program and recognize the innovative ways in which they are now receiving information."

Another strong selling point for the on-campus masters program, Rutenbeck noted, is Champlain's location in Burlington – an area offering unmatched quality of life and plentiful opportunities.

"We're set between Boston and Montreal, two of North America's most important cities when it comes to emergent media, and home to companies such as Ubisoft, A2M, Eidos, and Electronic Arts. Burlington itself has become a center for emergent media in its own right, with organizations like Polhemus, Ascension Technology, JDK Design, Tag New Media, EpikOne, Resolution Inc., and Vermont Film Commission providing ample opportunities for our students to try out their skills and get jobs," he said.

Fostering Entrepreneurial Spirit

Both the state of Vermont and Champlain College work diligently to foster an entrepreneurial culture, characteristics that are integral to this field. Upon completion of this program students will have improved not only their core artistic and technical skills, they will also have developed the expertise and intellectual agility needed to understand and master all the pieces to the puzzle, DeMarle said.

Ken Howell, one of the MFA faculty members and a lead developer at the EMC, quoted Dan Pink by saying "the MFA is the new MBA" to prospective students at a recent open house. "When you get to creativity itself, you can solve any problem anywhere. When technology is constantly changing the playing field, the only skill that stays relevant is creativity."

The thought provoking 60-credit curriculum ranges from lectures and seminars studying digital image making and how technology works as a disruptive force in society to individual and group community projects and emerging business models from concept through research and test-marketing products. I think you could put some of the course titles in here . . .

"Learning how the brain works and the cultural underpinnings allows you to engage markets and groups in ways that really touch people," DeMarle explained.

Applications are currently being accepted now for the fall class, according to Jon Walsh, head of graduate admission at Champlain. He expects there it will be a competitive process with eye toward applicants who bring with them a range of majors and experiences to the program.

"We are looking for people who are creative, collaborative and comfortable with technology," he said.

May 1 is the application deadline for fall enrollment and for full consideration of financial aid; applications may be considered later on a space available basis. For additional information, call (802) 865-5410 or toll-free (866) 282-7259. Email gradschool@champlain.edu.

ONLINE INFORMATION SESSION

An online information session will be held March 3, 2010, noon to 1:15 pm EST. Join MFA in Emergent Media Program Director Ann DeMarle to learn how this innovative on-campus program builds upon the strengths of Champlain College's internationally renowned Emergent Media Center and Champlain's long tradition of innovative program development in areas such as graphic design, digital filmmaking, software engineering, game design, game programming and web design. DeMarle will be joined by a Graduate Admissions representative to discuss the application process. May 1 is the application deadline for full consideration of financial aid; applications will be accepted through July 15 for the fall. For additional information, call (802) 865-5410 or toll-free (866) 282-7259. Email gradschool@champlain.edu.

ABOUT CHAMPLAIN COLLEGE

Since 1878, Champlain College has provided career-focused education to students from its hilltop campus in Burlington, VT. In 1993, the College pioneered online education by offering its first online courses and has quickly grown to offer hundreds of online courses as well as more than 25 degree and certificate programs. Champlain's distinctive educational approach embodies the notion that true learning only occurs when information and experience come together to create knowledge. Champlain was named a "Top-Up-and-Coming School" by U.S. News & World Report's America's Best Colleges 2010 and ranked third nationwide among colleges and universities offering online programs. To learn more about Champlain College, www.champlain.edu

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Posted Monday February 22, 2010 at 02:55 pm by Champlain College
Last Updated Tuesday August 24, 2010 at 12:39 pm