The purpose of the Master of Fine Arts program is to prepare practitioners in the field of audio recording and production for advanced work in an integrated electronic media environment. Preparation for advanced professional practice requires that students specialize in one area and develop a common understanding of the theoretical concepts behind other disciplines such as video production, digital animation, music, and computer science. The program offers a strong technical component utilizing the latest advancements in software and hardware. The degree plan also offers preparation for graduates to teach at the postsecondary level in the field of audio recording and production.
The M.F.A. degree is a 60-hour, six-semester program as outlined below including 30 hours of required courses, 18 hours of guided electives, plus 9 hours of work on a final project. It is expected that students attend full time taking 9 to 12 hours per semester. Guided electives will be selected from the Recording Arts and Technologies courses and approved courses from other departments. Up to 6 hours of guided electives may be from the other departments. Up to 6 hours of guided electives may be from other departments upon permission of the student’s advisor. A maximum of 12 hours of 5000-level courses may be counted toward the degree.
Fall Semester
MRAT 6030 MIDI and Musical Synthesis Seminar, 3 hours
MRAT 6040 digital Audio Studio Seminar
MRAT 6050 Multitrack Recording Seminar, 3 hours
MRAT 6070 Visual Aesthetics and Technology I, 3 hours
Spring Semester
MRAT 6010 Recordings in Cultural Context, 3 hours
MRAT 6090 Visual Aesthetics and Technology II, 3 hours
MRAT 6110 Production Seminar I, 3 hours
LEST 6000
Fall Semester
MRAT 6130 Production Seminar II, 3 hours
Guided Electives, 6 hours
Spring Semester
Portfolio Jury
MRAT 6150 Legal Rights of the Creative Individual, 3 hours
MRAT 6210 Production Seminar III, 3 hours
Guided Elective 3 hours
Fall Semester
MRAT 6650 Final Project, 3 hours
MRAT 6650 Final Project, 3 hours
Guided Elective, 6 hours
Spring Semester
MRAT 6650 Final Project, 6 hours
Guided Elective, 3 hours
Comprehensive Exam
5810 Topics in Recording Industry. Three credits. Prerequisites: Permission of department. Examination and critical evaluation of current issues related to operation and function of various aspects of the recording industry. Subject matter varies. Course may be repeated one time for additional credit.
6010 Recording in Cultural Context. Three credits. Designed to acquaint learners with the evolution of the complexities of technologies and to provide tools for cultural analysis and critique of recorded artifacts. An interdisciplinary mosaic of scholarly approaches to the examination of contemporary recorded culture will be engaged.
6030 MIDI and Musical Synthesis Seminar. Three credits. Technical skills and conceptual foundation necessary to undertake advanced creative projects. Emphasis on mastery of hardware and software platforms currently used in MIDI-based production.
6040 Digital Audio Studio Seminar. Three credits. Technical skills and conceptual foundation necessary to undertake advanced creative projects. Emphasis on the mastery of hardware and software platforms currently used for DAW hard disk-based digital audio systems.
6050 Multitrack Recording Seminar. Three credits. Systematic examination of the technology used in the modern recording studio. Techniques for using this technology in the creative recording and mixing process examined.
6070 Visual Aesthetics and Technology I. Three credits. Designed to help the beginning graduate student develop skills to effectively communicate an idea visually.
6090 Visual Aesthetics and Technology II. Three credits. Prerequisite: MRAT 6070. Continuation of MRAT 6070 with introduction to visual elements and technology used in the entertainment industry. Introduction to creative conceptualization, elements of composition, and how the production process works. Demonstration of basic and advanced visual technology as a foundation for more advanced courses in the graduate program.
6110 Production Seminar I. Three credits. Prerequisites: MRAT 6030, 6050, and 6070. Applications course in which students use skills and theory obtained in previous courses and work in a cooperative environment toward the completion of an audio or multimedia production.
6120 Disk-Based Audio Postproduction. Prerequisites: MRAT 6030 and 6050. Advanced practitioner-oriented approach to the principles of tapeless digital audio recording on a variety of digital workstation platforms. In-depth discussion of the principles of digital audio, synchronization, and audio for video.
6130 Production Seminar II. Three credits. Prerequisite: MRAT 6110. Continuation of MRAT 6110. 6140 Graduate Seminar in Audio Recording. Three credits. Prerequisites: MRAT 6030 and 6050. Advanced application of techniques in a digital multitrack setting.
6150 Legal Rights of the Creative Individual. Three credits. Examines legal rights and duties of creative persons. Students apply concepts from copyright, trademark, trade secrets, privacy, publicity, defamation, and other branches of the law to media productions.
6160 Composition for Contemporary Media. Three credits. Prerequisites: Fundamental skills in reading music notation, a basic understanding of harmonic analysis, and the ability to play either guitar or keyboard and sing. Students will apply concepts drawn from analysis of contemporary popular music for elements of melody, harmonic language, form, and lyric craft to their own compositions.
6180 Introduction to Film Scoring. Three credits. Prerequisites: Four semesters of theory/sight singing/ear training; MRAT 6030 and 6050. Overview of the film scoring process. Discussion of the aesthetic relationship between music and film. Thematic analyses of representative film scores. Composition exercises demonstrating traditional film scoring techniques. Application of compositional techniques through laboratory assignments using computers, synthesizers, and digital samplers. SMPTE time code, MIDI time code, and film time formats and their application to tape synchronization.
6210 Production Seminar III. Three credits. Prerequisite: MRAT 6130. Continuation of MRAT 6110 and 6130.
6320 Directed Research. Three credits. Prerequisite: Permission of department. Research in recording techniques and related topics. 6340 Directed Production. Three credits. Prerequisite: Permission of department. Independent advanced audio production.
6360 Graduate Internship. Three to six credits. Prerequisite: Permission of department. Practical experience for advanced students in a professional recording industry setting. Pass/Fail.
6650 Final Project. One to nine credits. Prerequisite: Permission of department. A directed production project of substantial size and scope proposed, developed, and realized under the guidance of the major faculty advisor in consultation with the final project faculty committee. The culminating experience in the M.F.A. program. S/U grading used.
Courses in Recording Industry [RIM]
6300 Recording Industry Economics. Three credits. Prerequisite: ECON 6030 or equivalent. Focuses on macro- and microeconomic issues and analysis of the recording industry, with particular attention to market/demand analysis, economics of the firm, and political economic issues.
6630 Applied Recording Industry Research. Three credits. Prerequisites: QM 6000; MKT 6000; acceptance to M.B.A. program. Focuses on applied qualitative and quantitative research projects for the recording industry, with particular attention to research design and implementation.
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