Degrees: "Designated Emphasis" in New Media for PhD Students
(Note: We are working on a similar program for Masters students to be available sometime in 2009.)Introduction
The Berkeley Center for New Media is a cross-disciplinary research and teaching program that offers its own graduate courses, recommends related courses, and encourages research collaborations to enhance the intellectual community of UC Berkeley scholars interested in New Media.
BCNM's Designated Emphasis (DE) program is for selected UC Berkeley PhD students from any Berkeley home department with research interests in New Media. It is supplemental to the PhD program in the regular departments, and provides enhanced skills in analyzing and/or designing future media with an awareness of historical, social, cultural, and other perspectives that might not be visible from any single disciplinary point of view. Upon completion of all requirements and the dissertation, your transcript and diploma will read "PhD in [Home Department] with Designated Emphasis in New Media."
The DE requirements and application process are described below.
BCNM Recommended Courses for Summer 2008 . (please see contact below for additions/changes)
Course Requirements
The course requirements are in addition to, but may overlap with, the PhD course requirements of your home department.
Breadth Course Requirements . The BCNM is cross-disciplinary and builds on three areas of inquiry: Humanities(H), Technology (T) and Art/Design (A). Some experience with all three is required based on completing three relevant graduate courses offered at Berkeley. To complete the Breadth requirements for the DE, students must identify and complete one Berkeley graduate course relevant to each area. It is possible to provide evidence of equivalent level of experience/skill in an area and request a waiver of a breadth course by writing a petition to the DE Graduate Advising Committee, endorsed by your program advisor, describing how the requirement has been met with a previous course (include a copy of your transcript to confirm completion) or provide evidence of equivalent experience.
Core Course Requirements . BCNM DE students are required to complete these two core courses:
- CNM 200, History and Theory of New Media, 4 units. Usually offered in Spring term. This lecture/seminar course provides a broad historical and theoretical background for new media production and practice. The class will map out theoretical approaches from different disciplines and allow graduate students to discuss and apply them to their own research projects.
- CNM 201, Interrogating New Media, 2 units. Usually offered in Spring and Fall terms. CNM 201 meets weekly and is held in conjunction with the Art, Technology, and Culture Colloqium http://atc.berkeley.edu, a monthly lecture series which brings internationally-known speakers to campus to present their work on advanced topics in new media: Students will enhance skills in "interrogating" new media: how to think critically about advanced topics in new media, how to formulate incisive questions about new media, and how to evaluate and create effective presentations on topics in new media.
Research and Committee Requirements
Your PhD Qualifying Exam Committee must include at least one member of the BCNM Affiliated Faculty who will evaluate your knowledge related to the Designated Emphasis. Your PhD dissertation topic must be related to New Media and your PhD Dissertation Committee must include at least one one member of the BCNM Affiliated Faculty who can evaluate it from that perspective.
Impact on Normative Time to Completion
Due to the interdisciplinary nature of training and research in the BCNM Designated Emphasis, and depending on the background of the student, completion of the BCNM DE could add one or possibly two additional semesters to your total program. Please note that no additional time can added to your home department's established normative "time to degree" to compensate for this.
Applying for the BCNM Designated Emphasis
Any UC Berkeley PhD student in good standing may apply. Interested students should apply at least two semesters before your PhD qualifying examination. Admission to the BCNM Designated Emphasis program is determined by the BCNM DE Admissions Committee on a rolling basis throughout the academic year.
To apply, please submit the following material in hard copy to the BCNM Assistant to the Director and confirm via email, and check back approximately one month later about your status if you have not received a reply:
- Letter of intent summarizing your research interests and background in New Media.
- Your curriculum vitae.
- Letter of recommendation from your UC Berkeley faculty advisor.
- Graduate Petition for Change of Major or Degree Goal (to indicate your interest in adding the DE). Registrar's Office forms.
- Petition for Admission to the Designated Emphasis in New Media.
- Breadth Course Requirements.
For more information and contact info, please visit the bcnm website: http://bcnm.berkeley.edu