New Media Graduate Schools? 8
Skwirl asks: "I'm a journalism and computer science double major at Indiana University and I'm just about to finish my undergraduate career. If I go to grad school, I want to find a program that will accommodate someone with both writing and coding skills. At IU there's the new School of Informatics, as well as, the Masters in Immersive Mediated Environments programs. Both of these programs are intriguing, but I'm wondering what other schools have graduate programs focusing in New Media."
Gloriana Frangipana. ;) (Score:3)
You've asked a question near and dear to my heart. I graduated from IU last year with a double major in classical studies and cognitive science, and only a minor in computer science. After an internship at IBM (coding Java--bleah), I moved back to the Silicon Valley and got a job as a programmer here at Vovida, a partly open-source voice over IP company. (Now I spend most of my time coding Perl [not CGIs as you might think, but GUI apps]. Ahh, much better. ;) )
What is the point of this story? If you're interested in going into industry, you shouldn't bother going to grad school. You will likely learn more in the field actually creating real- life, commercial sites than you will learn doing projects in grad school. You'll be paid well rather than subsisting on a stipend, and I can guarantee you that x years of experience will look better on your resume than x years of grad school.
Do you feel you have the skills you need to do your work? I would suspect you do. I am certainly able to do my work with only a CS minor (though, in fairness, I am largely self-taught. Pretty much nothing I learned in school has any relevance to my work). Remember, you need just the skills, not the experience. The experience will come from actually working in the field.
My answer, then, is that you shouldn't go to grad school unless you have a compelling reason. I can see only two good reasons to go to grad school, and both involve getting a Ph.D. The first would be that you want to be a professor someday. The second would be that you want to work in research, in a place like Bell Labs, one of IBM's research centers, or analogous entities within other large companies.
Good luck. I know you'll make the decision that's right for you. I hope this post makes it a little easier. :)
Vovida, OS VoIP
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Emerson College (Score:1)
Whoops! (Score:1)
Georgia Tech's Information Design and Technology (Score:2)
I attended Georgia Tech's Information Design and Technology [gatech.edu] program. The program is cross-disciplinary (isn't everything thse days)concentrating on the intersection on theory and practice in new media design. I really liked the program because a lot of the emphasis is on doing and thinking at the same time.
The faculty tend to come from programs/backgrounds like English, Film, Design, Theatre, and Critical Theory, but are interested in the application of technology to those disciplines and then what impact that can have on the industry as a whole. They are generally very well known in their fields. Jay Bolter [gatech.edu] , Terry Harpold [gatech.edu] , and Janet Murray [gatech.edu] are well known for their writings. Matthew Causey [gatech.edu] is an avant garde theatre director of note. Ellen Strain [gatech.edu] and Greg VanHoosier-Carey [gatech.edu] have received a NEA grant to develop a CD-ROM to teach film history, history of the South, and film editing techniques [gatech.edu] which is amazing (note- these people are friends so this is a total plug). The department chair, Robert Kolker [gatech.edu] , is the author (note - not developer) of another CD-ROM dealing with film, Film, Form, and Culture which was landmark a couple of years ago. Diane Gramola [gatech.edu] is a well known digital artist (she does cool 3D stuff definately check out the site) who has been involved with organzing SIG-Graph.
The program teaches interactive design (both web on "traditional" interacive design), some graphical design, some web and multimedia scripting, audio and video production and editing, and HCI, as well as some really interesting/cutting edge material like the theoretical (I mean critical theory a la Beaudrillard here) impacts of the technologies and their uses. As you can see the program covers a lot of ground and can allow students to go in a lot of different directions.
Graduates have gone on the PhD programs, started their own companies, and gone on to work places like Macquarium [macquarium.com] (note this is a shamelessly self-serving plug - that is me), IXL, and IBM.
Anyway, that is the scoop.
In response to the stuff above about "skipping grad school, you don't need it to get a job, etc", just think about what it is that you want to do. Grad school should be about a lot more than getting a job. It should (even at the Master's level) be about advancing knowledge. If you aren't interested in that then don't bother going. I highly recommend the program, if nothing else it is a lot of fun and a good way to get out the IT or .com rat race.
Me like learning (Score:1)
Columbia U.'s new media program is affiliated w/ its school of journalism [columbia.edu].
Here's some advice from someone who:
Regarding work vs. school
Do both. Hook-up w/ a company offering tuition reimbursement. Get some real-world experience (grad schools like that). If, after working for a bit, you still want that masters or Ph.D go part time and let your company pay for it.
Granted, it will take longer, you will have less of a life but, you will drive a better car :-).
Regarding New Media
Find a good Computer Science program. It will take you farther.
If all you want is a job in New Media then go get one. More schooling won't help you be better at it. Besides, as journalist you already know how to communicate.
Since the New Media world rides on the tide of new technology, knowing the science behind it will help you stay afloat (sorry for the lame metaphor).
Luck.
Hey, someone else with the same double major! (Score:1)
If I decide to do the grad school thing, my company will foot the bill and I can get my Masters in 3 years or so. But for now, getting some work done is the right choice for me. It's given me a chance to find out that I'm not exactly in the right job, and therefore a chance to learn the stuff I need to get into a specialty I will enjoy more.
I work with people who have gotten their Masters, as well as people who have no degree at all. They're all treated pretty much equally. The M.S.'s may make a slightly higher salary, but in most positions it's not much of a difference.
I'm a "new media" undergrad at IU (Score:1)
Informatics program at University of Kentucky (Score:1)
While we don't offer a full degree program, we offer a certificate to complement your (MS/MA/Ph.D) in
- Biology
- English
- Foreign Languages
- Health Care
- Linguistics
Even though I'm an undergrad I've taken all the general/biology related courses except the design project with nothing but an excellent recomendation for the program. The bio program is a little weird because we've had a number of Ag. Science people (Plant pathology/Seed/Animal Pathology) join up even though they weren't in the School of Biology.Check out their site at http://grendl.rch.uky.edu/informatics/ [uky.edu]
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