A new graduate certificate program in new media and culture will give University of Oregon master's and doctoral students an opportunity to study the history, criticism, aesthetics and production of new media technologies in conjunction with their existing degree programs.
The aim of the New Media and Culture Certificate is to provide scholars, designers, and media practitioners with appropriate skills and credentials for 21st century workplaces. The program is also designed to serve as a hub for related scholarship and activities on the UO campus, such as coordinating courses, posting professional development activities and connecting scholars and practitioners engaged in similar work. The NMCC is a collaborative effort of the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Architecture and Allied Arts and the School of Journalism and Communication at the UO.
The certificate is designed to provide students’ degrees with additional value, which in turn could help them stand out in the job market. The certificate website features profiles of all students in the program and their respective projects, allowing students to reach broader audiences.
The certificate requires students to complete at least 24 credit hours in approved courses, and is designed so it can be finished in two years in conjunction with students’ primary graduate programs and won’t add additional time to degree completion. Half of the credits are more specific courses within the program, while the other half are student-chosen electives. Students can also petition to have electives that aren't listed count toward their certificate.
The NMCC is open to current UO graduate students from all departments and on a standalone basis to non-degree-seeking students (such as pre- and post-master’s students). Information on current students in the program is available here.
“I'm convinced that the future belongs to analytical and creative 'thinker-makers,' and I'm pleased that the NMCC shares this vision,” said Kate Mondloch, who assumed directorship of the program in fall 2013. “During my tenure as director I hope to publicize the program to students in all fields across campus and ensure that the NMCC is responsive to their specific needs and interests.”
Mondloch has been teaching at the UO since 2005 and is currently an associate professor of contemporary art and theory in the Department of the History of Art and Architecture in the School of Architecture and Allied Arts. In addition, she serves on the executive committee of the university’s Cinema Studies program. Her research focuses on late 20th and early 21st century art, theory and criticism, particularly as those areas of inquiry intersect with the cultural, social and aesthetic possibilities of new technologies. Her first book is titled “Screens: Viewing Media Installation Art,” and she is currently working on her second book. She also recently received a UO Faculty Excellence Award.
Those interested in pursing a NMCC can apply here. For additional information, interested parties are also welcome to attend an informal Q&A about the certificate Friday, Nov. 1 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. The session will take place at the Digital Scholarship Center on the main level of Knight Library with coffee and snacks provided.
- by Katherine Cook, UO Office of Strategic Communications intern