To search for a course at UCSB, or obtain a list of courses by department, use the online Schedule of Classes.
MAT 80AS
Mediated Worlds/THEMAS Arts+Sciences Emphasis
4 units
Instructors: M. Novak
A. Crawshaw
Description
Integrative overview of media arts and technologies, emphasizing the interconnections between technologies and humanities (means and ends), engineering and mathematics (concrete and abstract), and arts and science (synthesis and analysis). The THEMAS model proposes a continuum across disciplines previously separated by narrow specializations. This class emphasizes Arts+Sciences (synthesis/analysis) within the overall model of THEMAS.
MAT 200A
Arts & Technology
4 units
Instructor: M. Peljhan
Description
Overview of the digital media arts field with an emphasis on technological developments and their integration in art research and production. Students are introduced to contemporary and historical directions and methodologies through seminar lectures, research presentation, and a final project.
MAT 200B
Music & Technology
4 units
Instructor: C. Roads
Description
Overview of music and technology, including historical aspects. Readings and exercises with a range of music software applications. Basics of Internet audio and evolving media, music production, business, technical, and aesthetic aspects.
MAT 201B
Computing with Media Data
4 units
Instructor: K. Yerkes
Description
Hands-on introduction to developing multimedia applications. Representation and perception of sound, images, and time. Media computing paradigms including OOP, callbacks, multithreading, OpenGL, distributed computing, algorithmic control, indeterminacy, real-time interactivity, and mapping data between sensory modalities. Students develop a series of audiovisual works (as C++ software) leading to a final project.
MAT 240C
Digital Audio Programming
4 units
Instructor: K. Yerkes
Description
A six-quarter practical programming course devoted to digital audio applications development. The emphasis is on learning to use current state-of-the-art programming methods, tools, and library APIs. Programming assignments are given in the C, C++, Java, Smalltalk and/or SuperCollider programming language. Topics: A. Using Commerical I/O APIs; B. Spectral Transformations; C. Spatial Sound Manipulation; D. Sound Synthesis Techniques; E. Multi-rate Control and Synchronization; F. Media Application Integration.
MAT 255
Concepts and Aesthetics of the Computational Image
4 units
Instructor: G. Legrady
Description
Interdisciplinary course to analyze the digital computational image, its history, the theoretical, conceptual, philosophical underpinnings, issues of aesthetics, and critical analysis of simulation and representation. Course bridges arts, engineering, humanities. Assignments include reports and possibly projects.
MAT 261E
Transvergence Projects
4 units
Instructor: M. Novak
Description
Advanced projects course fusing all modalities of transvergence into implemented works embodying the Transmodal Continuum. Physical Worldmaking: addition of physical computing, spatial sensing, and digital fabrication to immersive, eversive, and locative Worldmaking. Worldmaking and phenomenology.
MAT 276IA
Direct Digital Synthesis - Processing and Composition
4 units
Instructor: J. Kuchera-Morin
Description
First quarter of general purpose computing for computer music applications. Topics include: music synthesis using computer programs, and score input programs.
MAT 276LC
Digital Audio Montage
2 units
Instructor: C. Roads
Description
Third quarter of a three-quarter sequence course concentrating on studio based composition.
MAT 293
Internship in Industry
1-4 units
Instructor: Use specific instructor code
Description
Special projects for selected students. Offered in conjunction with selected industrial and research under direct faculty supervision. Prior departmental approval required.
MAT 294CR
Presenting MAT Projects
1 unit
Instructor: M. Peljhan
Description
Students develop concise descriptions and practice mock presentations that will be critiqued by faculty and peers in preparation for public exhibition of their work. Emphasis on technical and aesthetic clarity.
MAT 299
Independent Study
4 units
Instructor: TBD
Description
Independent research under the guidance of a faculty member in the department. Offers an opportunity to qualified students to undertake independent research or work in a group laboratory in digital media arts and technology.
MAT 502
Teaching in MAT
1-4 units
Instructor: TBD
MAT 594CE
CREATE Ensemble
1-4 units
Instructor: K. Yerkes
Description
Hands on practical approach to composition, improvisation, critique, refinement, and research dedicated to live performance.
Open to laptops, new interfaces for artistic expression, audiovisual art, live coding, local and/or wide area networked performance, interactive dance, music for acoustic and electronic instruments, performance art, trans-categorical live performance, etc.
Prerequisite: graduate standing in MAT or Music or consent of instructor; students are expected to contribute some combination of technical development, composition, and/or performance skills. Optionally, take in conjunction with independent study for related research.
We will prepare one structured improvisation for the entire group and several smaller pieces according to our resources. Will discuss many potential venues on and off campus for events.
MAT 594H
Special Topics in Multimedia Engineering, Visual Arts or Electronic Music.
1-4 units
Instructor: Y. Visell
MAT 594O
Critical Machine Learning Studies
1-4 units
Instructor: F. Offert
Description
Artificial intelligence now impacts nearly all aspects of human life and knowledge production, from labor to language, and from fundamental physics to the arts. This omnipresence of AI is the direct effect of a deep technical differentiation that has taken place over the course of the past five-to-seven years. Yet, critical inquiries into artificial intelligence still focus predominantly on “posthuman” issues, i.e. the speculative problems of general artificial intelligence, or on highly visible cases of dataset bias and model failure. The idea of “Critical Machine Learning Studies” shifts the critical focus of the humanities to the epistemology, aesthetics, and politics of concrete machine learning models. Topics include: history and philosophy of artificial reason and perception, ML models as socio-technical systems, opacity and interpretability of ML models, ML models in the special sciences, ML models creating and analyzing art/literature, bias in ML models.
MAT 594P
Special Topics in Multimedia Engineering, Visual Arts or Electronic Music.
1-4 units
Instructor: J. Kuchera-Morin
Description
MAT 594P is a studio class for creating or adding to your professional portfolio. The work can be any media installation, composition, performance, or material computing project. It is also a media composition class, where we go through each persons’s process of how they compose media art works of any type. These works can be visual, sonic, interactive, material, and they do not have to include all modalities, it is whatever you are working on. Students will present their work weekly and the we will go through the process of making media art works. You can use any software you wish for this class.
MAT 594X
Computational Fabrication
1-4 units
Instructor: J. Jacobs
Description
The increase in diversity and functionality of digital fabrication technologies has provided new ways to transition between the digital and physical realms. Computational fabrication - a particularly powerful application of digital fabrication - combines computer programming with digital fabrication. Computational fabrication enables people to design digital forms by writing code and then construct these forms, at least partially, via fabrication machines, like 3D printers and computer-numerical-controlled (CNC) machines. In this course, students will explore tools, workflows, representations, and applications of computational fabrication. Students will be instructed in the use of computer-aided-design software tools and programming languages aimed at the design of physical artifacts. The course also will cover the process of converting digital designs to physical form through computer-aided machining (CAM) for different forms of additive and subtractive CNC machines. Students will design and create functional physical objects through additive digital fabrication technologies. In the process, the class will critically evaluate the opportunities and limitations of standard computational fabrication technologies with respect to mass manufacturing and traditional craft. Technical instruction will be complemented by readings about computational design, making, and manufacturing.
Description
A weekly writing, theory and guest lectures seminar, focused on research topics of interest to the wide fields at the intersection of media arts and technology. The seminar is organized in topical modules, covering writing methodologies, media theory, philosophy and critique.
MAT 596
Directed Research
2-12 units
Instructor: Use specific instructor code
MAT 597
Individual Study, PhD exams
1-12 units
Instructor: Use specific instructor code
MAT 598
Master's Thesis/Project Research
1-12 units
Instructor: Use specific instructor code
MAT 599
PhD Dissertation Research and Preparation
1-12 units
Instructor: Use specific instructor code
M - Monday, T - Tuesday, W - Wednesday, R - Thursday, F - Friday.
Choose your electives from Art, Computer Science, ECE, and Music, then have them approved by the instructor.
Instructor Codes: A. Cabrera (17), T. Höllerer (27), J. Jacobs (02), J. Kuchera-Morin (33), G. Legrady (09), M. Novak (03), F. Offert (12), M. Peljhan (11), C. Roads (08), Y. Visell (18), K. Yerkes (21).