Extend Your Reality
Immersive Media Design at the University of Maryland is a four-year, cross-disciplinary undergraduate program that prepares students to excel in digital creativity and innovation using the latest immersive media tools and technologies.
Immersive Media Design (IMD) offers a unique undergraduate program giving students an opportunity to combine their artistic talents with computer science.
Steeped in technology, this program allows students an opportunity to code, create, and collaborate in immersive ways. Innovative researchers, digital artists, computer scientists, and experts in augmented and virtual reality and human-computer interaction comprise the faculty. They represent just a small portion of what students can do with a degree in Immersive Media Design at the University of Maryland.
If you're interested in Artificial Intelligence and digital media, the Immersive Media Design program offers a major in the nationally ranked Computer Science Department with its exceptional AI faculty. Five IMD faculty are experts in AI. You can learn how to apply AI to art, games and media at UMD.
Students can pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Emerging Creatives or a Bachelor of Science in Computing. Students choose their degree pathway based on their interest in technical or aesthetic approaches to immersive media. The Bachelor of Arts is offered through the College of Arts and Humanities and the Bachelor of Science is offered through the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences.
Bachelors of Science in Computing
- Technology and computing-focused: Emphasizes the technical foundations, programming, and software development that power immersive media experiences.
- Potential Career Paths: XR/VR Software Developer, Game Developer, Graphics Programmer, Simulation Developer, Technical Artist
- Computing-centered curriculum: Follows the same core sequence of courses as Computer Science majors, complemented by art courses in design and digital media.
Bachelors of Art in Emerging Creatives
- Artistic and design-focused: Emphasizes creative exploration, visual design, and concept development through an artistic, innovative and aesthetic lens.
- Potential Career Paths: Immersive Experience Designer, Digital Artist, 3D artist, Game Designer, Creative Technologist
- Art-centered curriculum: Follows the same core sequence of studio art courses as Studio Art majors, complemented by computing courses in digital media concepts and coding.
The major offers excellent instructors in small classes who guide students as they learn digital media tools—including game development engines, computer modeling, motion capture, 3D scanning, 3D printing, virtual production, and 360° sound—and apply these tools to create computer games, interactive installations, historical recreations, scientific visualizations, engineering designs. Students can take advantage of the events, clubs, courses and community in the Departments of Art and Computer Science.
Students can get involved beyond the classroom through game design and XR clubs, as well as annual hackathons such as Technica, the world’s largest hackathon for underrepresented genders. They can also contribute to innovative research projects spanning a wide range of fields—from visualizing weather data for NASA to using machine learning to generate 3D models for games. These hands-on experiences allow students to explore emerging technologies, collaborate across disciplines, and develop creative solutions with real-world impact.
Current Students
Current Immersive Media Design students can find pertinent college and department policies and procedures, portfolio information, and campus resources available to them here.
Prospective Students
Interested in pursuing Immersive Media Design at the University of Maryland? You can find more information based on whether you are a current UMD student interesting in changing majors, a transfer student, or an incoming first-year student here!
Articles
David Obajemu IMD ’25 Documents NASA Field Work
By Jessica Weiss ’05 While scrolling Twitter in 2021, David Obajemu was intrigued to read about a new major at the University of Maryland mixing graphic arts with computer science. “Immersive media design,” or IMD, seemed to be a good fit for the recent transfer student; Obajemu had long practiced various art forms and was increasingly interested in extended reality (XR) technology like augmented and virtual reality. But the more he looked into it, Obajemu had one hesitation: he didn’t know how to code.
Aishwarya Tare Selected as a Finalist for NCWIT Collegiate Award
Aishwarya Tare, an iSchool student working with the Immersive Media Design program and MAVRIC, has been selected as a finalist for the National Center for Women Information Technology (NCWIT) 2022 NCWIT Collegiate Award, celebrating 80 undergraduate and graduate women, genderqueer, and non-binary students from 59 academic institutions nationwide.