MFA Computational Arts

Study a degree that develops your arts practice through the expressive world of creative computation. This Masters provides you with the historical foundations, frameworks and critical skills to produce a series of projects for public exhibition.

• This degree develops your arts practice through the expressive world of creative computation. Over two years (full-time) or four years (part-time) you will develop your artistic work and thinking through the challenge of developing a series of projects for public exhibition that will explore the technological and cultural ramifications of computation.
• You will learn the fundamentals of programming and how to apply this knowledge expressively. You will work with popular open source programming environments such as Processing, OpenFrameworks, P5.js and Arduino, and will learn how to program in languages such as Python and C++.
• Since computational artworks don’t necessarily involve computers and screens, we also encourage students to produce works across a diverse range of media. Supported by studio technicians in state-of-the-art facilities, our students are producing works using tools such as 3D printers, laser cutters, robotics, wearable technologies, paint, sculpture and textiles.
• You will also study contextual modules on computational art and the socio-political effects of technology. These modules provide you with the historical foundations, frameworks, critical skills and confidence to express your ideas effectively. You will have the opportunity to learn the cultural histories of technology, to reflect on computation in terms of its wider cultural effects, and to understand the way in which art provides rigorous ways of thinking.
• Through our masterclass series, we regularly invite world-class artists and curators to explain their work and engage in critical dialogue with the students. This allows you to develop a wider understanding of the contemporary art scene and how your work sits within the professional art world.
• The Department of Computing has a wealth of specialist facilities and equipment for students to use. From digital studios to motion capture, and games labs to sonic media.

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Jesse Wolpert.

You should have (or expect to be awarded) an undergraduate degree of at least upper second class standard in a relevant/related subject and a portfolio of work (supplied either as a DVD or a URL directing to a relevant web page).

You might also be considered for some programmes if you aren’t a graduate or your degree is in an unrelated field, but have relevant experience and can show that you have the ability to work at postgraduate level.

Do I need to know how to program in order to join this course?

Having a creative/art background is what we require and not necessarily a technical one. We want to work with people that have some arts practice and want to introduce computation in their work. In the past, we have had performers, film-makers, architects, musicians, painters and some computer scientists join the course. The majority of people on the course don't know how to program when they join us.

When people join us we try to assess their level of skill in order to offer them a challenging learning environment. People that have previous coding experience are encouraged to take more advanced modules and are given assignments in lab and to take home that push their technical and creative skills further.

We feel that this diversity of skills and backgrounds contributes to the course’s great success over the years.

Do I need a strong maths background?

We do not require a maths background nor do we expect people to be strong in maths to do well. Basic arithmetic (addition/subtraction/division etc) is all you need. We'll remind you in class of any new concepts you'll need. We currently have in the class dancers, writers, film-makers, photographers as well as architects, computer scientists, etc. We take pride in the diversity of backgrounds the students have and this contributes to the course's success.

International qualifications

We accept a wide range of international qualifications. Find out more about the qualifications we accept from around the world.

If English isn’t your first language, you will need an IELTS score (or equivalent English language qualification) of 6.5 with no element lower than 6.0 to study this programme. If you need assistance with your English language, we offer a range of courses that can help prepare you for postgraduate-level study.

Where this degree can take you

Our programme opens multiple career options including:

• Solo artists/performers working independently and responding to commissions
• Creative technologist in digital/creative agencies
• Software developer in creative industries
• Educator in creative computing at all levels
• Technicians in arts/computing/digital fabrication environments
• Postgraduate researchers

Students are supported from the start to the finish of this programme in order to understand the different potential career journeys they can follow and to build a portfolio of work to demonstrate their capability to gain employment or freelance work in that area.

Skills you'll gain

All programmes are designed in consultation with employers to make sure you develop transferable skills to improve your career opportunities and you will be applying your skills to real-world problems through live project briefs and group projects.

The board and other employers attend showcase events where you can present your ideas, get feedback and build important connections.

We have dedicated employability resource within the department to build employer relations and manage additional initiatives to support your future career opportunities, including regular communication of external opportunities for mentoring and work experience and an annual Career week (a focused week of career support in the department where you can access alumni panels and a range of industry talks).