Degree Programs
The University of Maryland’s Immersive Media Design (IMD) program offers two unique interdisciplinary majors that fuse the artistic expression of an Art degree with the technical mastery of a Computer Science degree. An IMD degree provides you with the career skills and design experience to create emerging forms of digital media that move beyond a flat screen to immerse the user in new and complex virtual environments such as augmented and virtual reality, projective domes and spaces, interactive installations and sculptures, and tangible computing. Excellent instructors in small classes guide students as they learn digital media tools like game development engines, computer modeling, motion capture, 3D scanning, 3D printing, virtual production, and 360 sound, and apply these tools to the design and creation of projects in computer games, interactive installations, historical recreation, scientific visualization, engineering design, whatever you can imagine.
Immersive Media Design is a limited enrollment program at the university. Prospective students interested in immersive media design should indicate this when completing their online application for admission. However, your preferred major does not affect your admissibility to the university. Admitted students who selected an LEP as their major are reviewed by the specific program to determine admission to that major.
Freshmen who were accepted to a University of Maryland limited enrollment program must complete a series of courses, or gateways, and earn a minimum grade point average in order to remain in the major.
Students not directly admitted to the program should visit lep.umd.edu for more information on how to apply to the major.
In the semester in which students take IMDM227, a portfolio will be submitted consisting of documentation or examples of selected artistic, digital media and computing projects. Students must also include a statement of interest in the major. Based on a review of this portfolio students will be invited to continue in the major. A minimum grade point average of 2.0 in all courses is required at this time.
The Bachelor of Arts in Emerging Creatives focuses on design and concept exploration from an aesthetic and artistic frame. Students take the same core sequence of art courses as Studio Art majors while taking computing courses in understanding and coding digital media. The Emerging Creatives degree pathway requires the core sequence of IMDM courses, seven courses in studio art, and two computing courses, in addition to general education campus requirements. The first year of requirements overlap with the studio art major, so students can decide after 30 credits whether to major in IMDM or ARTT.
The Bachelor of Science in Computing focuses on the technical foundations that underpin immersive media projects and software. Students take the same core sequence of courses as Computer Science majors while taking art courses in design and digital media. This degree pathway requires the core sequence of IMDM courses, eight courses in computer science, and four courses in ARTT, in addition to general education campus requirements.