Computational Media and Arts (CMA) are ubiquities in our daily life and we see them in movies, games, museums, advertisements, news, and many other media experiences. The rapid development of information technology such as artificial intelligence, augmented reality, data science, drones, robots, new materials and displays and human-computer interaction has changed the landscape of computational media and arts. They can be used not only for entertainment but also for education. New opportunities within computational media and the arts emerge on a regular basis. AR-based and AI-generated art is gaining popularity and has shown great potential.

The Master of Philosophy (MPhil) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Programs in Computational Media and Arts aim to integrate art and technology for education and research. They will focus on the emotional appeal and visual communication using the latest technology such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), AI-generated art, infographics and data visualization. They will promote the interplay of art and technology utilizing state-of-the-art technology in an effort to create social impact.

The MPhil Program aims to train students to gain knowledge and skills on computational media and arts such as 3D animation, studio art, computational art, games development, information art and so on. Students would be capable of creating computational media and arts using advanced technologies. An MPhil graduate should demonstrate sound working knowledge of related issues in the discipline so that he or she will be an expert in his/her expertise whether as an individual or as an employee.

The PhD Program aims to train students in acquiring the knowledge and skills to conduct original research related to computational media and arts. A PhD graduate will demonstrate mastery of knowledge in computational media and arts and will be able to generate new knowledge making a substantial scientific contribution to the discipline. Students’ original works will be exhibited at art galleries, auditoriums, museums and even within HKUST, and published in academic journals and conferences such as ACM SIGGRAPH, ACM CHI, IEEE VR, and IEEE VIS.

On successful completion of the MPhil program, graduates will be able to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge and skills of computational media and arts;
2. Master design and development methodologies and technologies for computational media and arts;
3. Utilize advanced technology for artistic creation; and
4. Demonstrate critical thinking, creativity, and communication skills essential for the discipline.

On successful completion of the PhD program, graduates will be able to:

1. Demonstrate superior knowledge and skills of computational media and arts;
2. Master a wide range of design and development methodologies and technologies for computational media and arts;
3. Utilize state-of-the-art technology for artistic creation;
4. Demonstrate superior critical thinking, creativity, and eloquent communication skills essential for the discipline; and
5. Conduct original research independently in the field of computational media and arts.

1. Minimum Credit Requirement

   MPhil: 15 credits
   PhD: 21 credits

2. Credit Transfer

   Students who have taken equivalent courses at HKUST(GZ) or other recognized universities may be granted credit transfer on a case-by-case basis, up to a maximum of 3 credits for MPhil students, and 6 credits for PhD students.

3. Cross-disciplinary Core Courses

2 credits

All students are required to complete either UCMP 6010 or UCMP 6030. Students may complete the remaining courses as part of the credit requirements, as requested by the Program Planning cum Thesis Supervision Committee.

4. Hub Core Courses

4 Credits

Students are required to complete at least one Hub core course (2 credits) from the Information Hub and at least one Hub core course (2 credits) from other Hubs.

  Information Hub Core Course

  Other Hub Core Courses

5. Courses on Domain Knowledge

MPhil: minimum 9 credits of coursework
PhD: minimum 15 credits of coursework

Under this requirement, each student is required to take one required course and other elective courses to form an individualized curriculum relevant to the cross-disciplinary thesis research. MPhil and PhD students must complete the CMA required course in the first year of their study and obtain a B+ or above. Students who cannot meet the B+ requirement have to retake the course in the second year. Only one Independent Study course may be used to satisfy the course requirements.

To ensure that students will take appropriate courses to equip them with needed domain knowledge, each student has a Program Planning cum Thesis Supervision Committee to approve the courses to be taken soonest after program commencement and no later than the end of the first year. Depending on the approved curriculum, individual students may be required to complete additional credits beyond the minimal credit requirements.

  Required Course List

  Sample Elective Course List

To meet individual needs, students will be taking courses in different areas, which may include but not limited to courses and areas listed below.

6. Additional Foundation Courses

Individual students may be required to take foundation courses to strengthen their academic background and research capacity in related areas, which will be specified by the Program Planning cum Thesis Supervision Committee. The credits earned cannot be counted toward the credit requirements.

7. Graduate Teaching Assistant Training

All full-time RPg students are required to complete PDEV 6800. The course is composed of a 10-hour training offered by the Institute of Educational Innovation and Practice (IEIP), and session(s) of instructional delivery to be assigned by the respective Thrusts/Base. Upon satisfactory completion of the training conducted by IEIP, MPhil students are required to give at least one 30-minute session of instructional delivery in front of a group of students for one term. PhD students are required to give at least one such session each in two different terms. The instructional delivery will be formally assessed.

8. Professional Development Course Requirement

Students are required to complete PDEV 6770. The 1 credit earned from PDEV 6770 cannot be counted toward the credit requirements.

PhD students who are HKUST MPhil graduates and have completed PDEV 6770 or other professional development courses offered by the University before may be exempted from taking PDEV 6770, subject to prior approval of the Program Planning cum Thesis Supervision Committee.

Students are required to complete INFH 6780. The 1 credit earned from INFH 6780 cannot be counted toward the credit requirements.

PhD students who are HKUST MPhil graduates and have completed INFH 6780 or other professional development courses offered by the University before may be exempted from taking INFH 6780, subject to prior approval of the Program Planning cum Thesis Supervision Committee.

9. English Language Requirement

Full-time RPg students are required to take an English Language Proficiency Assessment (ELPA) Speaking Test administered by the Division of Language Education before the start of their first term of study. Students whose ELPA Speaking Test score is below Level 4, or who failed to take the test in their first term of study, are required to take LANG 5000 until they pass the course by attaining at least Level 4 in the ELPA Speaking Test before graduation. The 1 credit earned from LANG 5000 cannot be counted toward the credit requirements.

Students are required to take DLED 5001. The credit earned cannot be counted toward the credit requirements. Students can be exempted from taking this course with the approval of the Program Planning cum Thesis Supervision Committee.

10. Postgraduate Seminar

Students are required to complete CMAA 6101 and CMAA 6102 in two terms. The credit earned cannot be counted toward the credit requirements.

11. PhD Qualifying Examination

PhD students are required to pass a qualifying examination to obtain PhD candidacy following established policy.

12. Thesis Research

  MPhil:

1. Registration in CMAA 6990; and
2. Presentation and oral defense of the MPhil thesis.

PhD:

1. Registration in CMAA 7990; and
2. Presentation and oral defense of the PhD thesis.

Last Update: 6 July 2023

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