This program structure applies to most students joining IMA from Fall 2022 and beyond.
With over one-third of the curriculum requirements devoted to writing, humanities, sciences, and social sciences, we are making sure that all IMA BFA students explore the intellectual world around them.
IMA students are required to take liberal arts courses offered at NYU’s College of Arts & Sciences. The IMA curriculum has a core set of foundation courses and then students can choose from a wide range of elective classes. Students can also expand beyond liberal arts to take courses in fine arts, business, social work, engineering, or other programs at NYU’s various colleges and schools.
IMA foundational courses introduce students to the fundamentals of computational media through the lenses of design, technology, and culture. Students will have fundamental skills and the capacity and flexibility to discover and pursue their own interests through electives ranging from collaborative game production to critical analysis, from adaptive design to specialized elements of visual and audio design.
The IMA BFA concludes with Capstone in the last semester, which can be a group collaboration or an individual project.
Authoritative curriculum information can be found exclusively in the University Bulletin. All other content, including this web-page is for informational purposes only. You can find the IMA curriculum on this page in the Bulletin. Incoming students can learn more about registering here.
Breakdown of Requirements
128 Credits Total
- Liberal Arts & Sciences: 48 credits
- General/Free Electives: 20 credits
- IMA Major: 60 credits
LIBERAL ARTS & SCIENCES – CORE
16 CREDITS
- Writing the Essay: Art & the World (EXPO-UA 5: 4 credits) or EXPOS-UA 4 / EXPOS-UA 3 (for international students placed in these two courses)
- Writing the Essay: The World Through Art (ASPP-UT 2: 4 credits) or EXPOS-UA 9 for international students who took EXPOS-UA 4 or EXPOS-UA 3
- Texts & Ideas (CORE-UA 400: 4 credits) or any course approved for this category
- Cultures & Contexts (CORE-UA 500: 4 credits) or any course approved for this category
LIBERAL ARTS & SCIENCES – ELECTIVES
32 CREDITS
Students may select from departmentally pre-approved listings of liberal arts courses. 32 credits total – 8 courses, including 1 course in each area listed below:
- Quantitative Reasoning OR select Math, Computer Science, or Engineering courses or courses from relevant/related departments
- Physical Science OR Life Science OR select Chemistry or Biology courses or courses from relevant/related departments
- Societies & the Social Sciences OR select History, Sociology, or Psychology courses or courses from relevant/related departments
- Expressive Culture OR select Open Arts or Art courses or courses from other relevant/related departments
Many CAS courses can count towards Liberal Arts Electives. See the Liberal Arts & Sciences category in the Interchange. If a course is not listed in the Interchange, email ima-advise@itp.nyu.edu.
UNRESTRICTED GENERAL ELECTIVES
20 CREDITS
General or free electives from any program department. These courses may also be used towards double major or minor credits.
IMA MAJOR REQUIREMENTS
60 CREDITS
- IMA Cohort: Community is a Practice (IMNY-UT 99: 0 credits)
- Creative Computing (IMNY-UT 101: 4 credits)
- Communications Lab (IMNY-UT 102: 4 credits)
- IMA Elective Courses (24 credits)
- IMA Major Distribution (24 credits)
- Capstone Studio (IMNY-UT 400: 4 credits)
IMA Elective Courses
These are general IMA major courses or courses outside of the program that we have identified as counting towards IMA credits. Students must take 6 courses that fulfill this category (24 credits total). This is a listing of IMA electives. Exact offerings will be available on a semester basis.
IMA Major Distribution
See courses below. These are primary IMA electives. Students must take a minimum of 4 credits in each category (24 credits total). One course will fulfill most categories. If a course does not amount to 4 credits, students will need to take an extra course to complete the 4 credit requirement.
Design & Fabrication
Media Arts
Physical Computing
- Designing Interfaces for Live Performance
- Physical Computing
- Interaction as Art Medium
Programming & Data
- Introduction to Machine Learning for the Arts
- The Code of Music
- Networked Media
- Reading and Writing Electronic Text
- Pixel by Pixel
- Nature of Code
- Live Web
Project Development & Research
- Creative Approaches to Emerging Media
- Critical Experiences
- Open Call
- Storytelling for Project Development
Tech & Society
- Big Ideas in the History and Future of Technology
- Useless Machines
- Communications and Technology
- Politics of Code
- Design Skills for Responsible Media
Sample Schedule
Only classes marked with (*) must be taken during the assigned semester. Other class requirements may be taken at any semester according to class availability and student preference.
YEAR ONE
Fall Semester | |
Creative Computing * | 4 |
Communications Lab * | 4 |
IMA Cohort: Community is a Practice * | 0 |
Writing the Essay: Art and the World * | 4 |
Liberal Arts Elective | 4 |
Credit Total: | 16 |
Spring Semester | |
Writing the Essay: The World Through Art * | 4 |
Tech & Society | 4 |
Media Arts | 4 |
Societies & the Social Sciences | 4 |
Credit Total: | 16 |
YEAR TWO
Fall Semester | |
Programming & Data | 4 |
Project Development & Research | 4 |
Texts and Ideas | 4 |
Liberal Arts Elective | 4 |
Credit Total: | 16 |
Spring Semester | |
Design & Fabrication | 4 |
Physical Computing | 4 |
Quantitative Reasoning | 4 |
Liberal Arts Elective | 4 |
Credit Total: | 16 |
YEAR THREE
Fall Semester (Maybe Study Abroad) | |
IMA Elective | 4 |
IMA Elective | 4 |
Cultures & Contexts | 4 |
General Elective | 4 |
Credit Total: | 16 |
Spring Semester | |
IMA Elective | 4 |
IMA Elective | 4 |
Physical/Life Science | 4 |
General Elective | 4 |
Credit Total: | 16 |
YEAR FOUR
Fall Semester | |
IMA Elective | 4 |
Expressive Culture | 4 |
General Elective | 4 |
General Elective | 4 |
Credit Total: | 16 |
Spring Semester | |
Capstone Studio * | 4 |
IMA Elective | 4 |
Liberal Arts Elective | 4 |
General Elective | 4 |
Credit Total: | 16 |