The Master of Fine Arts in Computational Arts is a rigorous professional program offering first rate education and training in the practice, theory, and technology of computational arts. Artistic education is in growing demand and increasingly recognized as a crucial factor in driving innovation and creativity in society. One example is the flourishing and fruitful STEAM movement in recent years which promotes the integration of Art into the traditional STEM fields. Technology oriented institutions like MIT are strong advocates and supporters of this effort. Many fields in society today are facing increasing challenges that require novel and unconventional ways of visualizing, conceiving, planning, and problem-solving, which are exactly the core of an art education. The creative skills and methods provided by a fine arts degree not only prepare aspiring professional artists, but can also benefit the science, technology, business, and public sectors by training students to become future creative leaders and collaborators.

With growing demands from the ever expanding artistic and creative industries including visual arts, video games, virtual and augmented reality, digital content, film production, hybrid and immersive performances, and other emerging areas of art, design, media, and entertainment for artists and creative technologists, computational arts is an emerging interdisciplinary field of study and practice within the arts and academia, bringing together knowledge and creativity from computer science and fine arts. 

The Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree is an international standard professional degree for educating aspiring artists, designers, or other professional practitioners in the visual and performing arts field. General MFA degrees have been successfully offered for many decades by top universities like Stanford, Yale, Columbia, Chicago, UC Berkeley, UCLA, Duke, Oxford, UCL, Goldsmiths, Royal College of Arts, among many others.

The MFA is a professional degree with high artistic standards, professionalism, and selectivity, targeting those with an outstanding arts portfolio and a clear artistic career path in mind. The students of the MFA program will come from a strong academic background of fine arts, design, technology, and music. Graduates from other disciplines would also be welcome as long as they fulfill the entry criteria (ex. extensive portfolio).

The program will provide skill training in the key areas of computational media and arts, such as creative coding, 3D animation, game design, virtual and augmented reality, electronic sound, digital fabrication, network culture, etc. It will also offer abundant opportunities for exploring emerging technologies, interdisciplinary practice, theory literacy, idea exchange, and artistic discourse. The rich offering and artistic community of this program will also be beneficial to the entire HKUST(GZ) by enriching the artistic and cultural environment of the university and local communities.

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

1. Gain proficiency in a set of technologies and media in computational arts, including but not limited to creative coding, 3D animation, game design, electronic music composition, physical computing / electronics, VR and AR experience design, etc;
2. Use computational methods to generate thoughtful artistic output for media arts exhibitions, screenings, and distributions in galleries, museums, art spaces, festivals, performances, public spaces, print media, mobile devices, game consoles, and virtual and online environments
3. Conceive, plan, and realize complex computational arts projects either independently or collaboratively;
4. Provide critical assessment and analysis for existing media arts and design projects;
5. Reflect on computation in terms of its wider cultural effects, and understand the way in which art provides rigorous ways of thinking;
6. Demonstrate fluency in relevant concepts, theories, histories, and examples related to contemporary media arts and technology;
7. Develop an individualized methodology and sustainable practice for a professional career in computational media arts and design;
8. Communicate the thinking behind their practice effectively both in speaking and writing; and
9. Project manage, develop and deliver ambitious computational art projects.

1. Minimum Credit Requirement

   60 credits

2. Core Courses

9 credits

3. Elective Courses

24 credits

Students may take any CMAA postgraduate courses as electives. Students may take up to 6 credits of courses from other Thrusts, subject to prior approval of the Program Director.

4. Group Critique

4 credits

Students are required to take CMAA 6020 in each regular term. They must complete CMAA 6020 for at least four terms.

5. Internship

6 credits

Students are required to take a 6-month guaranteed internship, including CMAA 6700 in the summer of Year 1, and CMAA 6701 in the summer of Year 2.

6. Thesis Project

17 credits

Students are required to complete an MFA Thesis Project in Computational Arts in Year 2 under the guidance of faculty supervisors. This involves establishing a direction and conducting an extensive literature review of their specific field in CMAA 6991, planning how to showcase their work and developing a narrative about their work in CMAA 6992, and focusing on the practical and organizational aspects of staging an exhibition in CMAA 6993.