Graduate Certificate in Digital Technologies in Design Art Practice

The Graduate Certificate in Digital Technologies in Design Art Practice provides qualified applicants with the conceptual and technical resources to advance their knowledge in relation to new digital technologies used in design practice. The one-year certificate program focuses on digital technologies as media tools in the design process and their economic, social, political and cultural impact. As the central part of the program, participants undertake individual research projects that critically integrate new digital technologies into their practices. Students in the certificate program have access to a wide range of facilities to pursue their research and practice.

Who should apply

The Graduate Certificate is for those who wish to expand their present level of expertise, make a career change, or improve opportunities for advancement in digital media, the design professions, and the arts and cultural industries. It also serves as a bridge program between undergraduate training and graduate work at the master’s level.

The program is geared toward individuals working in the following areas:

1. Creative direction with the responsibility for the creative aspects of a project from concept through production, incorporating new solutions using digital technologies.
2. Design responsible for the creation, research and analysis of projects incorporating digital media as it relates to visual communication, interaction design, constructed objects and conceptual/theoretical investigations.
3. Screen and installation based interactive projects using creative and interpretative abilities combined with technical and computer programming skills.
4. Independent artists in the Fine Arts who use or wish to use digital technologies in support of their creative practice.
5. Students with degrees in other disciplines who are interested in interdisciplinary research/creation practices around all facets of design.

Courses

The Graduate Certificate is a 15 credit program that combines an individualized research project with three group seminars. Participants are expected to finish the program in the Fall/Winter semesters.

DART 500 Individual Research Project (6 credits; fall/winter)
Students will have the opportunity to research the application of digital design in one or two of the following areas of concentration, under the direction of a full-time faculty advisor.

• Design for Print Media
  Student research projects will explore aspects of digitally-generated print media. Projects can be undertaken in experimental and applied image, in graphic design, typography, font exploration and generation, packaging book works and posters.
• Applied and Experimental 3D Object Making
  Student research projects will involve the design of three-dimensional objects, space and environments. This design option integrates the learning of computer software for 3D modeling, rendering and animation programs, computer aided design (CAD), computer aided machining (CAM) programs for plotting, rapid prototyping for block and concept modeling and using a 3D scanner to measure existing objects for computer input.
• Interactive Media
  Student research projects will investigate screen-based digital design and interactive systems. These will include websites, animation, the design of virtual spaces, interactive desktop presentations and visual navigation systems, the design and interface of virtual communities, distance learning and CD ROM based interactive educational and cultural projects, and web based national and international exchange opportunities.
• Inter-media and Hybrid Practice
  Student research projects will focus on digital integration or hybrid practices including social design or art interventions, installations, exhibitions, compilation works that use cross-discipline means of expression, and include the integration of digital technology into the process or final production.
• Theoretical Investigations in Design Art
  Student research projects will be used to investigate the theoretical constructs and discourse relating to the impact of digital technologies in art and design. This will also include the application of digital technologies for appropriate pedagogies and the development of innovative teaching methodology.

DART 502 Language, Politics, Manifestos - Reading Seminar (3 credits; fall)
The readings in this seminar will examine the ethical responsibilities, social impact, and cultural consequences of the new technologies in design art practice. The course will identify, situate and develop a language for dialogue and discourse. The issues considered will be on design ecology and ethics, gender polarization and biases, political strategies in the public sphere, and essential declarations of the digital era, in present and future technological environments.

DART 503 Theories of Interactivity (3 credits; fall)
This course will explore the new opportunities designers have to fundamentally change the ways in which information is organized, manipulated and disseminated in the context of new communications technologies. The computer, as a medium for expression, will be explored through issues of cognition, metaphor, narrative structures, the creation of three dimensional objects and environments, symbolic interaction, information architecture and interactive visual navigational systems.

DART 504 Contextualizing Design Practice (3 credits; winter)
This course approaches design and digital technologies through interdisciplinary theoretical engagement to investigate the cultural and discursive context in which design resides. Through a combination of seminar discussions, workshops, and individual writings, students situate their work in different environments, such as commercial, public or domestic contexts, and explore new venues of dissemination. Such investigations enhance students’ ability to contextualize, articulate and exhibit the thesis work.

DART 510 Independent Study (3 credits)
Independent study proposals must be supported by a full-time faculty supervisor and approved with written permission by the Graduate Program Director. The student undertakes research in a specific field or topic relevant to their area of study. Students requiring full-time status for funding support or international visa will be required to take this supplementary course.

Further information may be found in the School of Graduate Studies calendar.

Application requirements

Deadline for applications is March 1st. Late or incomplete applications will not be considered. All applications must include the following documents:

1. Application form and fee
2. Letter of intent
3. Research proposal (500 words)
4. Portfolio (15 samples)
5. Current CV
6. Transcripts
7. Two letters of reference
8. TOEFL Requirement

Application form and fee
The applicant must submit a completed application form online at Connect2Concordia.

An undergraduate degree or equivalent is required. If the applicant is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, proof of Canadian citizenship or permanent resident (landed immigrant) status is required. Do not send originals of birth certificates, passports, etc. - a photocopy is sufficient.
Applications must be accompanied by a $100.00 non-refundable application processing fee.

Letter of intent
A general statement about your work, reasons for entering the program and expectations for the work to be done in the program must accompany the application.

Research proposal
An important part of the selection process is a 500 word research proposal that must be submitted with your application. The proposal should clearly state your objectives, the anticipated methods of research, and the format in which the completed research will be presented. Your research project must be appropriate for digital applications in one of the following five categories: image design for print media, applied and experimental object making, interactive media, inter-media and hybrid practices, theoretical investigations in design.

Portfolio
Applicants are required to submit a portfolio of past works up to a maximum of 15 individual pieces. Documentation of projects may be submitted in print format or on CD-ROMs, DVDs, and by URL. The total required time for viewing each applicant's submission should not exceed 10 minutes. A written description must accompany each item submitted providing the title, date and brief description, and all information required to access each item.

Expenses and insurance for shipping are to be borne by the applicant. Please enclose postage in the form of Canadian stamps or money order if you want your portfolio materials sent back to you. We cannot send portfolios back until we receive the postage to do so.

The portfolio should be mailed or hand-delivered directlt to the Department by March 1st at:

Graduate Certificate, Digital Technologies in Design Art Practice
Department of Design & Computation Arts
Faculty of Fine Arts
Concordia University
1515 St. Catherine Street West, EV-6.761
Montreal, Quebec H3G 2W1
514-848-2424 extension 4626

Curriculum Vitae
Include a copy of your most recent curriculum vitae, including jobs, major projects and clients, exhibitions, awards, and other relevant information.

Transcripts
One official copy of academic transcripts from the institution(s) previously attended is required.

Letters of reference
Two letters from qualified referees are to be sent by the referees directly to the School of Graduate Studies at the address below. The applicant should provide the reference forms to the referees at least one month in advance of the applicant deadline (March 1st).

Concordia University

School of Graduate Studies

2145 Mackay Street, S-105

Montreal, Quebec H3G 2J2

514-848-2424 extension 3800

TOEFL requirement
International applicants from non-English speaking countries must provide proof of having passed a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) test with a minimum score of 550.For further information, consult the Educational Testing Service website.

Tuition and fees

The most current information regarding the University’s Financial regulations and fees is available on the Concordia University website, on the Tuition and Fees page. Select the Other Graduate Programs tab before following the steps in the Tuition Fee Calculator.

International students

The International Students Office (ISO) is a member of Advocacy and Support Services, Enrolment and Student Services, and has developed support services to promote the adjustment of international students to life and study in Canada.

Upon arrival at Concordia University, new international students must attend an Immigration Information session, organized by the International Students Office, in order to pick up their Information Package about Concordia and the City of Montréal. Students must also attend a Health Insurance Information session and sign up a Health Insurance card or, in exceptional cases, opt-out of the health insurance plan.

Further information may be found in the International Students section on the School of Graduate Studies website.