Sonic Arts

M.F.A. in Sonic Arts—Overview

This program offers students advanced knowledge in the creation of artistic and commercial works of sound. The intended audience includes electroacoustic composers, other electronic music composers, sound artists, and sound designers.

The primary goal of the program is to develop historically and theoretically informed, technically skilled composers and artists working in the medium of sound. Graduates of this program will be capable of pursuing successful careers in the arts and commercial media industry.

This program has been designed to provide an academic route to promising composers and artists, primarily those working in digital media, including those who may not necessarily possess a bachelor's degree in music.

Apply for this program today!

Note that all sonic arts and media scoring courses entail payment of Academic Excellence fees that help fund the programs. Details on the costs of courses are explained on the Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema's Admissions page.

For more information, read this article about the M.F.A.s in Music and this article about the Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema.

M.F.A. in Sonic Arts—Curriculum

Prerequisites

Musicianship for Sound Artists (3 credits)
Introduction to Music Technology (3 credits)
Or demonstrated skills in the above areas

4. Sonic Arts Composition Study (12 credits)

One-on-one study with a member of the faculty on topics of electroacoustic composition or sonic art creation.

5. Technical/Professional Skills (Choose 12 credits)

Techniques for Recording Music/Audio Engineering (3 credits)
Advanced Audio Recording Techniques and Engineering (3 credits)
Sound Design 1 (3 credits) *
Sound Design 2 (3 credits) *
Special Topics in Sonic Arts (3 credits)
Sequencing and Sampling (3 credits) *
Scoring for Motion Pictures and New Media (3 credits) *
Music Business for Media (3 credits) *

6. Sonic Arts Capstone Seminar (3 credits)

7. Electives (Choose 12 credits)

Students are recommended to take courses in music, the Performance and Interactive Media Arts (PIMA) M.F.A. Program, art, computer science, etc. Electives must be approved by the sonic arts program director. Courses include MUSC 7744X, U7606G, PIMA 7741G, PIMA 7742G, and ARTD 7810G.