Additional Requirements
Thesis Project
In order to begin work on the thesis/advanced project, students must first successfully propose their project to a committee of MFA interactive media program faculty. The proposal is prepared during the second year of study in CTIN 548 Preparing the Interactive Project and is submitted at the end of the second year. The proposal itself will include a written treatment of the project with a discussion of similar work in the field and its relationship to the proposed project. It will describe aesthetic issues to be explored and specific techniques to be employed in its realization. It will also include a project visualization, design macro, risk assessment and a polished piece of the experience, equivalent to the milestones associated with the end of the pre production period. The faculty committee will make comments and decide whether the student may go forward with his or her project. Upon acceptance, the student will begin production work on the project, otherwise revising the proposal and meeting again with the committee.
In the third and final year, students concentrate on their thesis projects in CTIN 594a and CTIN 594b Master’s Thesis, completing production and post-production. A final review will take place in the second semester of the third year. The committee will meet and the student must show and defend the work. The student does not need to submit a thesis paper in conjunction with this project, though students interested in doing so may take CTIN 510 and prepare a paper for academic publication.
Criteria for successful completion include: 50 percent originality and 50 percent quality of execution.
Internship
Though the Internship class is not required, the division requires all MFA students to do work at an internship or in a professional context while enrolled in the program. The graduate adviser will work with each student to find an appropriate work environment and certify the student’s completion thereof.
Grade Point Average Requirement
An overall GPA of at least 3.0 (A = 4.0) must be maintained in all USC course work toward the master’s degree.
A minimum grade of C (2.0) must be earned in all required courses. Students who do not achieve a grade of C (2.0) in the core courses CTIN 532L , CTIN 534L , CTIN 542 and CTIN 544 after repeating these requirements will be disqualified from the program. Two-thirds of the non thesis units applied to the degree must be taken at the 500 level or above. The core courses as well as CTIN 594a and CTIN 594b cannot be waived or substituted with transfer credits under any circumstances.
Time Limit
Students must maintain satisfactory progress toward their master’s degrees at all times. The degree must be completed three years from the first course at USC applied toward the Master of Fine Arts degree. Course work more than seven years old is invalidated and will not be applied toward the degree.
Graduate Review
One year prior to graduation, students are required to file MFA forms for a curriculum and graduation review. Contact the Interactive Media Program Office for forms.
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