Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis

School of Informatics at IUPUI

Overview

M.S. in Media Arts & Science

Preparing for Study

Back to Media Arts & Science

Successful applicants for admission to the Master's program in Media Arts and Science must demonstrate particular skills and knowledge obtained from their undergraduate or graduate education. Typically, applicants desiring to enter the graduate program will have a strong background in new media, fine arts, graphic design, computer science or other areas of technology, informatics, communication or media studies, or film or cultural studies. At the same time, however, students with backgrounds in the sciences or the humanities are also encouraged to apply if their interest is in developing a multidisciplinary approach to media arts and science.
Promising applicants who have deficiencies in new media technologies will be directed to take one or more remedial courses before entering the program. Competencies gained from these courses are meant to help overcome the skill-sets needed to apply in graduate course projects and research. For example,  (Note: all remedial courses will not count toward the total number of credits required for the advanced degree.)
Basic applicant requirements include:       

  • Evidence of an undergraduate degree: Transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work must be provided.
  • Minimum Overall Grade Point Average: All applicant should have a GPA of 3.0 or higher (4.0 point scale).
  • Three letters of recommendation: Three letters of recommendation should come from current or recent academic instructors and/or employers. If applicants have been out of school for several years, obtaining letters from prior faculty should still be attempted, because they may provide the best insights into one’s academic performance.
  • Scores from the Graduate Record Examination: Candidates do not need to submit GRE scores unless they are requesting financial support from the School of Informatics. If, however, domestic or international applicants are requesting a scholarship, fellowship, research assistantship, or support of any kind, they must provide GRE scores, specifically in the areas of Verbal and Quantitative.
  • Statement of purpose: The statement of purpose is written by the applicant to explain his or her reason for applying to the program and what career path they plan to take upon graduation. They may also outline their research interests and a name a particular faculty member in the school that they are interested in studying under to do their thesis or project. (Maximum length of the statement should be approximately 1500 to 2000 words.)
  • Portfolio or other evidence of academic excellence: If an applicant has a background in fields that are more visual/graphic/new media in nature, they should provide a professional portfolio. The work may be provided through submitting a CD or a Web site dedicated to the applicants work. (The URL of the portfolio should be indicated clearly in the Statement of Purpose.) Applicants that do not have a visual/graphic/new media background, should provide samples of their academic writing, published papers, software or programs, or any other evidence of scholarship. It is imperative that applicants use their Statement of Purpose to explain or refer to the contents of the portfolio or other submitted work.