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Information for Prospective Students

Prospective Comparative Media Studies (CMS) Graduate Students: Students must be creative thinkers capable of generating new ways to imagine ourselves and our societies using technology. Students should be at home with both critical thought and making things. We equally welcome, for instance, artists who use the computer as a medium, computer scientists who want to address the deeper cultural dimensions of technology, and social scientists who can express their ideas in creative ways. Better yet, we seek students with hybrid skill sets. For example, experience in one or more of the following is desirable: social media development, game development, cognitive science, sociology, art, design, cultural theory, or narrative theory. All students should have a passion for integrating issues of the imagination, creative expression, and social empowerment. Prospective Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) Ph.D. Students: Students must have interests in social, cultural, and/or expressive uses of computing. Students must have significant computational experience such as an S.B. in Computer Science, Cognitive Science, or a related field. For example, in addition to strong computer programming ability, some knowledge in one or more of the following is desirable: game development, cognitive science, cultural theory, art, creative writing, sociology, or film/video making. All students should have a passion for integrating issues of the imagination and computer science toward developing systems for cultural analysis, developing creative computational systems (e.g., games, educational software, or social media), and making positive change in the real world.