Recently named one of the “Top Ten Digital Art Schools in the World” by ImagineFX magazine, the MFA Computer Art program was also ranked fifth in Multimedia/Visual Communication by U.S. News & World Report in 2007. Graduates of the department are employed by the most prestigious digital studios: Industrial Light & Magic, Pixar, DreamWorks, Disney, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Rhythm & Hues, Digital Domain, Blue Sky Studios, mtv and Electronic Arts. Other alumni choose the entrepreneurship of their own businesses. Those who pursue fine art careers exhibit their work in museums and galleries, including: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, P.S.1/MOMA, Whitney Museum of American Art, Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum and Tate Online.

Students come from around the world to study in our program, and the international representation provides unique perspectives that offer different cultural approaches to the creative process. First-year courses in studio, art history, computer systems and programming build the foundation for second-year thesis work, which is supported through weekly critiques and related advanced areas of study. The digital art seminar series, software workshops, guest lectures and visiting artist program provide in-depth exposure to all areas of digital art.

Awards have been bestowed upon our students by major international competitions, including Student Academy Awards (2004, 2007, 2008 and 2009); Adobe Design Achievement Award (2006); YouTube Award (2006); Prix Ars Electronica; SIGGRAPH Electronic Theater and Art Show; Webby Awards; ISEA; and the Leonardo Award for Excellence. Student works have appeared in such acclaimed film festivals as Cannes, Tribeca and Sundance, and animation film festivals in Annecy, Ottawa and New York, among dozens of others. The goal of our program is to develop artists who will produce significant creative work throughout their careers and become leaders in their chosen fields.