Interaction Design and Electronic Arts (IDEA)
| Course Duration (full time): Credit points for completion: Commencing semesters: |
1.5 years 72 in total (core, option and elective units) Semester 01 Semester 02 |
What is this course about?
The Interaction Design and Electronic Arts (IDEA) program is the first of its kind in Australia to prepare students in the skills and knowledge of interaction possibilities offered by modern computing technologies.
As technology becomes a greater part of our daily lives, there is a growing need for products, systems and devices that are functional, pleasurable and innovative to fit the needs of the user. The IDEA degree seeks to teach students the possibilities of such technologies and new applications and explore their relation to a number of emerging fields such as biotechnology, sustainability, social networking, global health and cultural diversity. Learn more about student design projects from the Design Lab gallery.
About the Design Lab
The aim of the Design Lab is to foster design as a means of knowledge production in its own right. Our view is that design is fundamentally a knowledge-producing activity. Different from the natural sciences, which studies the world as it is, the humanities, which studies the human condition, and the arts, which explores the possibilities of expression, design is a study of the world the way it could be through the creation and interrogation of the "designed" world.
What does the IDEA Program cover?
The course focuses on four distinct areas:
- Virtual – online immersive cyber worlds and games
- Screen – from small, mobile devices to architectural media facades
- Installation – experimental, responsive environments for performance and direct engagement
- Devices – smart artefacts and wearable electronic fashion that sense and inform their wearers; computing embedded in smart everyday objects.
Students will explore how humans behave and will interact with computers, and how art, technology and culture have merged in inspiring forms of media and interactive art. Each design studio unit endeavours to develop the student’s conceptual design abilities, within the framework of research-based and human-centred design.
Who should apply?
The IDEA program is for students interested in blending computing with humanity. You may come from either a technical or communications background, but either way you have a passion for human-centric design. Your previous degree may be in anything from IT to Computer Science to Design Computing to Industrial Design. We are looking for students who demand to be challenged by the integration of the newest computing technologies and creative design thinking, and who are ready for a cutting-edge future in interaction design and electronic arts.
If you would like to prepare yourself for the challenges of IDEA and are not from a Computing background, we recommend that you look into acquiring some basic programming skills. In particular, you might want to look at learning a free programming language online in a simple development environment - aimed at artists and designers.
The web site has some basic tutorials to get you started but if this is your first experience of programming, we also recommend the book "Getting Started with Processing" published by O'Reilly as both an inexpensive paperback and e-book from the site below.
You can find links to the software, tutorials and books below:
Processing.org website
Processing: Getting started
Processing: e-Books
Program Director: Dr Rob Saunders
Admission Requirements
Masters applicants should hold a bachelors degree with a credit average. Graduate Diploma applicants should hold a bachelors degree. Other applicants can apply for the Graduate Certificate, eligible for upgrade with a Weighted Average Mark of 70 on completion of the certificate. All admissions are subject to the course quota due to the studio-centred teaching paradigm and opportunities for individually supervised Honours track or capstone graduation studio experience.
Course structure
The IDEA program will consist of small classes of under 40 students, with a student intake from around the globe. Classes are taught in a combination of intensive block mode and weekly sessions. Purpose-built studios and labs ensure students have access to the most advanced software and interaction design equipment.
Students undertaking the Interaction Design and Electronic Arts complete a set program of core units in addition to a predefined set of options units as well as elective units. The program is structured on a 4-semester timetable, with students in the Masters program completing 3 out of the 4 semesters.
Total credit points required
| Qualification |
Core |
Option |
Elective |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Master of Interaction Design and Electronic Arts |
54 |
12 |
06 |
72 |
| Graduate Diploma |
36 |
06 | 06 |
48 |
| Graduate Certificate |
18 |
00 |
06 |
24 |
|
Core units of study
|
Optional units Elective units Electives can come from a range of subject |
| Units available in Semester 1 | Units available in Semester 2 |
|---|---|
Course structure tables
2010 structure
Show Semester 01 course structureShow Semester 02 course structure
2011 structure
Show Semester 01 course structureShow Semester 02 course structure
Student works
Below, you can see some examples of work created by students previously enrolled in this course. Click here to view more works from students undertaking this course.
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How to apply
Visit the Admissions page for more information on how to apply for this course.
Career Profile
"I was very encouraged to discover that the University of Sydney is planning a new degree ... Master of Interaction Design and Electronic Arts (M.IDEA). Our present situation is one where the demand for our services in this area (worldwide) is placing enormous strains on our current personnel resources
... The elements that this course is dealing with have now become the cornerstone of many commercial marketing programs. The idea of delivering messages through interesting and engaging technologies is being embraced by many international companies."
CEO, Spinifex Interactive, www.spinifexinteractive.com
Clients include Lexus, Cisco, Scion, Nissan, Cirque du Soleil and China Mobile.
Enquiries
Enquiries about the Master of Architecture can be made via email or telephone to:
Anne-Marie Leo, , +61 2 9351 2686.
For enquiries relating to current application progress, class timetables, credit transfers and enrolment, please contact the Student Administration Centre for further information.
Ph: +61 2 9351 3248.