Last updated: January 8, 2014 @ 01:30PM

Interactive Arts and Science

This program is offered through the Centre for Digital Humanities

Director
Martin Danahay

Academic Adviser
Alisa Cunnington

General Information

Administrative Assistant
Christine Coughlin Poerschke

905-688-5550, extension 5363
Thistle 269F
http://www.brocku.ca/iasc

The Interactive Arts and Science (IASC) program, offered through the Centre for Digital Humanities, provides students an opportunity to study and work in the exciting and rapidly expanding interdisciplinary field of new media and digital interactivity. In this program students will explore the interplay of digital media and our understanding of human identity and values with careful attention to ways in which discourses in technoculture, narrative, gameplay, computing and media production intersect. In addition to core IASC courses that blend theory and practice and facilitate the development of new media portfolios, students can satisfy their individual interests in selection of courses from departments as diverse as Classics, Communications, Popular Culture and Film, Computer Science, Dramatic Arts, Education, English, Geography, History, Music, Studies in Arts and Culture and Visual Arts.

The IASC program aims to engage students in learning through independent inquiry, problem solving and portfolio building. The program encourages the exploration of digital and interactive tools for analyzing, representing and visualizing ideas in many traditional academic areas. Conceptual strategies such as interactive fiction, games and simulations are tested in hands-on projects and multimedia creation. Students will enjoy the freedom to probe, analyze, manipulate and transform ideas into action. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of interactivity, team-based work creates opportunities to tackle complex projects in new and exciting media.

Facilities
The Centre for Digital Humanities provides two classroom laboratories; two multimedia learning spaces; a game testing and new media development labs. Also accessible to the program is a video conferencing facility; computer graphics and multimedia lab.

Language Requirement for Humanities Majors

Students in the Interactive Arts and Science program are required to complete one credit in a language other than English. Where half-credit courses are used to satisfy the requirement, both half-credits must be in the same language. With the permission of the Director students may use the following computer language courses, IASC 1P00, 1P30, or 1P93 to satisfy this requirement.

Program Notes
  1. Context credits and language requirement must normally be completed within the first ten credits. CLAS 1P95, 1P97, DART 1F93, FILM 1F94, MUSI 1F50, IASC 1Q98, 1Q99 are recommended as the Humanities context requirement; PSYC 1F90, GEOG 1F90, CHYS 1F90 are recommended as the Social Sciences context requirement.
  2. IASC 1P01 or 1P30 are recommended.
  3. Year 3 courses are normally restricted to students with a minimum of three credits numbered 2(alpha)00 or above or permission of the instructor.
  4. Non-majors and those without a declared minor in IASC may enroll in a maximum of one IASC studio course without a portfolio.
  5. Enrolment in IASC is restricted due to space and equipment limitations.
  6. Portfolio evaluation and interview are required of students seeking to change their major to Interactive Arts and Science. The Program will consider these requests in January and May of each year. Contact the Program for further information.
  7. In 20 credit degree programs a maximum of eight credits may be numbered 1(alpha)00 to 1(alpha)99; at least three credits must be numbered 2(alpha)90 or above; at least three credits must be numbered 3(alpha)90 or above; and the remaining credits must be numbered 2(alpha)00 or above.
    In 15 credit degree programs a maximum of eight credits may be numbered 1(alpha)00 to 1(alpha)99; at least three credits must be numbered 2(alpha)90 or above; and the remaining credits must be numbered 2(alpha)00 or above.

Honours Program

Year 1
·   IASC 1F00 and 1P10
·   one language credit (see language requirement)
·   one Humanities context credit (see program note 1)
·   one Social Sciences context credit (see program note 1)
·   one-half elective credit (see program note 2)
Year 2
·   IASC 2F00 and 2P10
·   one credit from IASC 1P30, 1P96, 1P97, 1Q98, 1Q99, 2P03, 2P04, 2P25, 2P50, 2P57, 2P70, 2P93, 2P94, DART 2F94, 2P92, FILM 1F94 (not taken in Year 1)
·   one and one-half credits from IASC 2P07, 2P27, 2P60, 2P89, 2P90, 2P91, 2P95, 2P96, COMM 2P26
·   one Sciences context credit
Year 3
·   IASC 3F00 or 3F90
·   one and one-half credits from IASC 2P28, 3F01, 3P01, 3P14, 3P26, 3P39, 3P62, 3P90, DART 3F94, FILM 2P94, PCUL 2P20
·   one and one-half credits from IASC 2P97, 2P98, 2P99, 3P05, 3P10, CHSC 3P92, DART 3P95, 3P96 MUSI 2Q98, 2Q99
·   one elective credit
Year 4
·   IASC 3P97 and 4F00
·   two credits from IASC 3F96, 3P98, 3P99, 4F30, 3P28, 3P92, 3P94, DART 3F61, DART 3P92, DART 4F90, MLLC 3P99
·   one and one-half elective credits

Pass Program

Year 1
·   IASC 1F00 and 1P10
·   one language credit (see language requirement)
·   one Humanities context credit
·   one Social Sciences context credit
·   one-half elective credit (see program note 2)
Year 2
·   IASC 2F00 and 2P10
·   one credit from IASC 1P30, 1P96, 1P97, 1Q98, 2P03, 2P04, 2P25, 2P50, 2P57, 2P70, 2P93, 2P94, DART 2F94, 2P92
·   one and one-half credits from IASC 2P07, 2P27, 2P60, 2P89, 2P90, 2P91, 2P95, 2P96, COMM 2P26
·   one Sciences context credit
Year 3
·   One and one-half credits from IASC 2P97, 2P98, 2P99, 3P05, 3P10, CHSC 3P92, DART 3P92, MUSI 2Q98, 2Q99
·   one and one-half credits from IASC 3F00, 3F90 and 3P97
·   one and one-half credits from IASC 2P28, 3F01, 3P01, 3P14, 3P26, 3P39, 3P62, 3P90, DART 3F94
·   one-half elective credit

Combined Major Program

Interactive Arts and Science students may combine either an Honours or Pass program and a second discipline. For requirements in the other discipline, the student should consult the relevant department/centre. It should be noted that not all departments/centres provide a combined major option.

Honours
·   IASC 1F00, 1P10, 2F00, 2P10 and 3F00
·   three IASC credits (see program note 3)
Pass
·   IASC 1F00, 1P10, 2F00, 3F00
·   two IASC credits (see program note 3)

Concentration in Computer Game Development

Students may earn a Concentration in Computer Game Development by successfully completing the following courses as part of the academic work leading to a BA (Honours) in Interactive Arts and Science:
·   IASC 1P00, 1P30, 1P50, 1P93, 2P10, 2P60, 2P89, 2P95, 3F90, 3P26 and 3P94

Minor Program

Students in other disciplines can obtain a Minor in Interactive Arts and Science within their degree program by completing the following courses with a minimum 60 percent overall average:
·   IASC 1F00, 2F00 and 3F00
·   one credit from IASC 1P00, 1P10, 1P30, 2P10, 2P60, 2P95, 2P96
·   one credit from IASC 2P90, 2P91, 3F90, 3P01, 3P26, 3P62, 3P90,4F00, 4F30

Description of Courses

Note that not all courses are offered in every session. Refer to the applicable term timetable for details.

# Indicates a cross listed course
* Indicates a primary offering of a cross listed course

Prerequisites and Restrictions

Students must check to ensure that prerequisites are met. Students may be deregistered, at the request of the instructor, from any course for which prerequisites and/or restrictions have not been met.
IASC 3P95
Internship to Interactive Media
Part-time internship in a business related to interactive media or the gaming industry.
Tutorial, 1 hour per week, plus internship placement time.
Restriction: Open only to IASC majors with the permission of the instructor.
Note: Enrolment will be limited to the number of placements available. Students will be required to submit a project setting the internship experience within a theoretical framework.