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GRADUATE PROGRAM IN DIGITAL FUTURES

Description

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”
– Arthur C Clarke

The Graduate Program in Digital Futures responds to the increasingly important and sophisticated role of digital technology as a ‘magical catalyst’ for integrating societal, cultural and economic change. Students in the program essentially participate in and prepare for Renaissance 2.0 – the global digital revolution that fuses together disruptive technology and new thought leadership. This revolution is catalyzing our innovation in digital applications, products, media content, practices and services.

The graduate program is deeply international in terms of the student cohort and faculty, our collaborative overseas eGlobal courses and our industry partners. Fostering a global perspective is key to securing our graduates’ futures in the eclectic international creative digital industries – the United Nations definition of these encompasses design, arts, culture, creative services, media and new media.

The focus of the program is to develop “X-shaped innovators” for the creative digital industries. Each point of the X is an expertise: in art, design, science and enterprise. Students acquire practical knowledge in these areas but also learn to collaborate brilliantly with industry and experts across the fields. Students at the heart of the X work with faculty to develop their own unique creativity and solver engine. Industry is now demanding X-shaped innovators to lead the Renaissance 2.0 into the future.

Our student-centered learning approach applies to both research and practice. This allows participants to gain core foundation knowledge and also to explore specific areas of interest through electives that include access to courses across the whole of OCAD University, internships or independent study. There is an emphasis on projects and prototyping and an enterprise component is personalized through collaborations with industry to help students build a career runway in advance of graduating. Masters and Diploma students are encouraged to work with industry on an individual basis during their studies. Additionally, Master’s students can collaborate with industry during their 12 month project-based research thesis.

Most students have backgrounds in design, technology or enterprise. The program is open to designers, artists, marketing, media and cultural industry participants, entrepreneurs, technologists, educators, social scientists, scientists and engineers. This diversity drives peer learning, collaboration and group working across numerous parts of the program.

The program is situated within the Digital Futures Initiative (DFI) at OCAD University. This initiative is a set of cross-disciplinary programs in practice, research and innovation that are related to creative digital industries. The Graduate Program also features an industry partnership with the Canadian Film Centre (CFC) Media Lab.

The Graduate Program in Digital Futures offers both a part-time Graduate Diploma and full-time Master’s (MA, MFA or MDes).

Objectives

The objectives of the Graduate Diploma in Digital Futures are:

 • To educate innovators from industry wishing to establish or enhance their knowledge of digital technologies for application in the digital creative industries
• To help students engage with industry on projects with a view to enhancing enterprise opportunities.
• To educate and train students from a diversity of professional backgrounds to innovate digital applications, products, media content, practices and services.
• To encourage students to develop strategic and creative digital projects that create sustainable value, and address pressing societal, cultural and economic issues.
• To provide collaborative multidisciplinary digital learning experiences in combinations of art, design, science and enterprise through applied projects, industry engagement and peer activities.
• To use a project-based approach to nurture creativity and problem solving through reflection, discovery and experimentation.
• To promote an ethical and sustainable approach to design and the innovative uses of technology.

The objectives of the Master’s in Digital Futures are:

• To provide systematic and conceptual understanding and the research competence needed to research, frame, critique, explore, make and test approaches to technological innovation, creation and production.
• To help students engage with industry with a view to enhancing enterprise skills and to build a career runway in advance of graduating.
• To educate and train students from a diversity of backgrounds to innovate digital applications, products, media content, practices and services.
• To encourage students to develop strategic and creative digital projects that create sustainable value, and address pressing societal, cultural and economic issues.
• To provide collaborative multidisciplinary digital learning experiences in combinations of art, design, science and enterprise through applied projects, industry engagement and peer activities.
• To use a project-based approach to nurture creativity and problem solving through reflection, discovery and experimentation.
• To promote an ethical and sustainable approach to design and the innovative uses of technology.

In a world that demands multidisciplinary innovation at a fast pace, the program helps to shape and nurture a new breed of innovator. Graduates of the program will contribute to the development and application of new knowledge in creative digital technology practices, content and experiences, providing insights into human needs and desires in a technologically dependent world.

Required Courses

Diploma (24-27 credits, 24 credits required) 

Fall (4.5-7.5 credits) Winter (1.5-4.5 credits)
Summer (6-9 credits)
DIGF 6B01 Creative Techniques (3)

(OR DIGF 6B12 in Winter term)
DIGF 6B12 Digital Theory (3)

(OR DIGF 6B01 in Fall term)
DIGF 6C01 CFC Media Lab Prototyping (6)
*Optional* 1.5 - 3 credits from the following:

-Internship (1.5 or 3)

-Independent Study (1.5 or 3)
DIGF 6K04 1.5 credits from the following:
Trans
-Media (1.5)
Creation and Computation (3)
OR DIGF 6A10 Mobile and Social Media (1.5)
OR DIGF 6A11 Information Visualization (1.5)
Year Two
Fall (3 credits) Winter (6 credits)
3 credits from the following: DIGF 6B04 Business and Leadership (3) DIGF 6B22 Interactive Exhibition (3)
DIGF 6B18
eGlobal (1.5) Ubiquitous Computing (1.5)
OR DIGF 6B19
Affect and Emotion in Practice (1.5) Digital Games 2 (1.5)
OR DIGF 6B20
eGlobal (1.5) Digital Games 2 (1.5)
OR DIGF 6B21
Affect and Emotion in Practice (1.5) Ubiquitous Computing (1.5)
OR Elective (3 credits)

Core (required) courses
• Transmedia
• Creation and computation
• CFC Media Lab Prototyping
• Business and Leadership
• Interactive Exhibition

Electives (not all courses are offered each year)
• Creative Techniques
• Digital Theory
• Information Visualization
• Mobile and Social Media
• Digital Games 1
• Affect and Emotion in Practice
• eGlobal
• Digital Games 2
• Ubiquitous Computing

DIGF 6B18, DIGF 6B19, DIGF 6B20 and DIGF 6B21 are paired courses: each has two components, worth 1.5 credits each. If one of the two components is not successfully completed, students can take a replacement 1.5 credit course with the approval of the Graduate Program Director.

Alternatively, students may choose from:

e) Approved graduate level courses in other OCAD U graduate programs. . Approved elective choices will be published annually in the Academic Calendar, which is available on the OCAD U website at
www.ocadu.ca/students/records_registration/course_calendar
f) A 300- or 400-level undergraduate course in any discipline, with the approval of the instructor and Graduate Program Director (supplementary readings and a graduate level research project or essay are to be arranged with the instructor). Students should consult the Academic Calendar for undergraduate course offerings and must complete a “Request to Enroll in an Undergraduate Course as an Elective” form and secure the appropriate permissions before they will be allowed to register. Please see “Courses and Registration” in this handbook for more information.
g) A graduate course at another university through the Ontario Visiting Graduate Student Plan (OVGS), or the Canadian University Graduate Transfer Agreement (CUGTA). Information on this process is available in this handbook under “Courses and Registration” and on the OCAD U website at www.ocadu.ca/gradstudies.

Summer Options
Students must make their summer plans with the written approval of the Graduate Program Director. Any elective credits are evaluated by an OCAD U faculty member. Summer options available to students in the Graduate Diploma program are:
• Internship
Internships provide graduate students with opportunities to gain experience in the professional worlds of digital creative industries: design, arts, culture, creative services, media and new media. On-site work is performed under the guidance of the internship sponsor and the internship credit is supervised and evaluated by an OCAD U faculty member.
• Independent Study
Independent Study courses provide graduate students with the opportunity to undertake studies of significance to their educational objectives, where otherwise not available through the regular university curriculum. Independent studies are supervised and evaluated by OCAD U faculty members. The Independent Study proposal must be approved in writing by the supervising faculty member, the student’s Principal Advisor (if applicable), and the Graduate Program Director.
Transmedia Immersion
For all students, an introductory, two-week, cohort-based Transmedia course provides a program and peer introduction. This prepares students by helping to facilitate collaborative ties across both the Masters and Diploma cohort.

Exhibitions
Diploma students exhibit their program projects in two exhibitions. These are online and in appropriate physical venues and are a mandatory component of the program. The Interim Exhibition takes place on completion of the CFC Media Lab prototyping course in the first year and showcases both Diploma and Masters work from that course. The Final Exhibition concludes the Interactive Exhibition Diploma course in the second year and showcases selected work by the Diploma students, alongside thesis work by Masters students. All work to be shown at each exhibition requires the written approval of the Graduate Program Director.

Master’s (48- 51 credits, 48 credits required)

Fall (10.5 credits) Winter (7.5 credits)
Summer (12-15 credits)
DIGF 6L01 DIGF 6B12 Digital Theory (3) DIGF 6G01 MDes/MFA
Thesis Stage 1: Foundation and Industry (6)

OR
DIGF 6G02 MA Thesis Stage 1 (6)
Trans
-Media (1.5)
Creation and Computation (6) DIGF 6K01
Mobile and Social Media (1.5) Discovery (3)
  DIGF 6B01 Creative Techniques (3) OR DIGF 6K02
Digital Games (1.5) Discovery (3)
OR DIGF 6K03 DIGF 6C01 CFC Media Lab Prototyping (6) *Optional*
1.5-3 credits from the following:


-Intership (1.5 or 3)


-Independent Study (1.5 or 3)
Information Visualization (1.5) Discovery (3)
Year Two
Fall (9 credits) Winter (9 credits)
DIGF 6G01 MDes/MFA Thesis Stage 2: Experimentation and Development (6)

OR

DIGF 6G02 MA Thesis Stage 2 (6)
DIGF 6G01 MDes/MFA Thesis Stage 3: Production, Reflection and Exhibition (6)

OR

DIGF 6G02 MA Thesis Stage 3 (6)
3 credits from the following: DIGF 6B04 Business and Leadership (3)
DIGF 6B18
eGlobal (1.5) Ubiquitous Computing (1.5)
OR DIGF 6B19
Affect and Emotion in Practice (1.5) Digital Games 2 (1.5)
OR DIGF 6B20
eGlobal (1.5) Digital Games 2 (1.5)
OR DIGF 6B21
Affect and Emotion in Practice (1.5) Ubiquitous Computing (1.5)
OR Elective (3 credits)

 Core (required) courses
• Transmedia
• Creation and Computation
• Creative Techniques
• Digital Theory
• Discovery
• CFC Media Lab Prototyping
• Business and Leadership
• Digital Futures MDes/MFA Thesis, or Digital Futures MA Thesis

Electives (not all courses are offered each year)
• Information Visualization
• Mobile and Social Media
• Digital Games 1
• Affect and Emotion in Practice
• eGlobal
• Digital Games 2
• Ubiquitous Computing

DIGF 6B18, DIGF 6B19, DIGF 6B20 and DIGF 6B21 are paired courses: each has two components, worth 1.5 credits each. If one of the two components is not successfully completed, students can take a replacement 1.5 credit course with the approval of the Graduate Program Director.

Alternatively, students may choose from:

a) Approved graduate level courses in other OCAD U graduate programs. . Approved elective choices will be published annually in the Academic Calendar, which is available on the OCAD U website at
www.ocadu.ca/students/records_registration/course_calendar
b) A 300- or 400-level undergraduate course in any discipline, with the approval of the instructor and Graduate Program Director (supplementary readings and a graduate level research project or essay are to be arranged with the instructor). Students should consult the Academic Calendar for undergraduate course offerings and must complete a “Request to Enroll in an Undergraduate Course as an Elective” form and secure the appropriate permissions before they will be allowed to register. Please see “Courses and Registration” in this handbook for more information.
c) A graduate course at another university through the Ontario Visiting Graduate Student Plan (OVGS), or the Canadian University Graduate Transfer Agreement (CUGTA). Information on this process is available in this handbook under “Courses and Registration” and on the OCAD U website at www.ocadu.ca/gradstudies.

Degree Choice
Students will declare their intention to pursue the Master of Design (MDes), Master of Fine Arts (MFA), or the Master of Arts (MA) at the time of application. The outcomes of the chosen degree are distinctive, with a focus on scholarly practice-based research creation with a supporting thesis in the MDes/MFA; and the scholarly research thesis with a supporting creative project in the MA.

Summer Options
Students must make their summer plans with the written approval of the Graduate Program Director. Any elective credits are evaluated by an OCAD U faculty member. Summer options must be relevant to a student’s thesis area of study. The options available to students in the Master’s program are:
• Internship
Internships provide graduate students with opportunities to gain experience in the professional worlds of digital creative industries: design, arts, culture, creative services, media and new media. On-site work is performed under the guidance of the internship sponsor and the internship credit is supervised and evaluated by an OCAD U faculty member.
• Independent Study/Research
Independent Study courses provide graduate students with the opportunity to undertake studies of significance to their educational objectives, where otherwise not available through the regular university curriculum. Independent studies are supervised and evaluated by OCAD U faculty members. The Independent Study proposal must be approved in writing by the supervising faculty member, the student’s Principal Advisor (if applicable), and the Graduate Program Director.
Transmedia Immersion
For all students, an introductory, two-week, cohort-based Transmedia course provides students a program and peer introduction. This prepares students by helping to facilitate collaborative ties across both the Masters and Diploma cohort.

Exhibitions
Masters students exhibit their projects in two exhibitions. These are online and in an appropriate physical venue and are a mandatory component of the program. The Interim Exhibition takes place on completion of the CFC Media Lab prototyping course in the first year and showcases both Masters and Diploma work from that course. The Final Exhibition showcases the demonstration component of the Masters students’ thesis work in the second year, alongside selected work by the Diploma students. All work to be shown at each exhibition requires the written approval of the Graduate Program Director.

Master’s Thesis: Supervision, Industry Partners and Assessment

The MDes/MFA or MA thesis is the culminating work of the Masters program. As well as providing academic supervisors, the program facilitates the matching up relevant partners from industry to provide expertise, a project context, or other forms of support and can offer a 'career runway'. The thesis includes a reflection of the process involved in developing critical thinking, research methods, challenges, and benefits.

The Masters thesis takes place in three main stages. The first stage is called Foundation and Industry. This stage starts at the end of the Winter semester in the first year and students engage in the following:

• Updated synopsis
Students review their thesis outline made as part of the application process to the program. These are updated or rewritten by the students and used to help facilitate both industry and supervisor engagement in the thesis.
• Industry partner meetings
Students are introduced to potential industry partners for involvement in the thesis. Industry support can for example include expertise, specific project contexts, access to data or users, equipment or funding. Industry engagement is optional but encouraged both from an academic and a career perspective.
• Supervisors
Students will begin working with a Principal Advisor and secondary Committee member beginning in the Summer term of first year. Please refer to the Graduate Studies website at www.ocadu.ca/gradstudies for an up to date list of appointed graduate faculty who are eligible to supervise in this program.
Guidance is given at this stage to help students initiate their foundation research. Student thesis research is expected to continue during the Summer and is ideally integrated with an internship or independent study.

The second stage is called Experimentation and Development. This stage starts in the Fall of the second year and is supported by studio classes, supervisors, visiting academics and industry partners. In addition to providing feedback on students’ project work, help is provided to orientate and prepare students to achieve a significant thesis result.

The final stage runs throughout the Winter semester in the second year and it is called Production, Reflection and Exhibition. This stage is also supported by studio classes, supervisors, visiting academics and industry partners. The emphasis of this stage is on preparing any work for exhibition and completing the written part of the thesis. Students create their final work and exhibit it physically and online. The student gives a defense presentation at the end of the Winter semester, followed by the final submission of a written thesis by the dates established by the Office of Graduate Studies (usually mid May). Guidelines for the Preparation of the Thesis are published by the Office of Graduate Studies and available on the OCAD U website.

The thesis is assessed based on three components: the exhibition, the defense presentation and the written component. The Examining Committee for the defense consists of the Graduate Program Director, the Principal Advisor, the Supervisory Committee member, an internal faculty member, and an External Examiner (five members in total).

For the MDes/MFA thesis, the marks are based on: 50% for exhibition, 25% for defense presentation, 25% for written component. This reflects a particular emphasis on the applied project.

For the MA thesis, the marks are based on: 25% for exhibition, 25% for defense presentation, 50% for written component. This reflects a particular emphasis on the research and theory.

 

Last Modified:7/5/2012 5:10:12 PM