Carnegie Mellon University
IDeATe

Integrative Design, Arts, and Technology

Immersive Technologies in Arts & Culture

Immerse yourself in the human experience

IDeATe  ›  Undergraduate Programs  ›  Immersive Technologies in Arts & Culture

Immersive Technologies in Arts & Culture

Immersive and spatial media encompass a suite of emerging production and embodied viewing technologies that offer innovative possibilities in the arts, entertainment, science, industry, and countless other domains. Technologies seeded 50 years ago are now entering commercial, political and cultural realms; and the potential for augmented and immersive experiences to further disrupt our current media ecosystem is tremendous. 

As immersive experiences and augmented realities increasingly feature in work and leisure, young innovators are needed who can blend technological skills with creative imagination and critical humanistic practice. Students in the Immersive Technologies in Arts & Culture minor will be hybrid technologists, media-makers, and storytellers who can create mediated experiences at the intersection of technology, design, and the humanities. They will be equipped with the social consciousness, global awareness, and cross-cultural skills needed to forge positive new paths for immersive media going into the future. 

Learn to:
  • Construct and deconstruct immersive and augmented experiences with respect to the cultural, socio-emotional, and embodied aspects of human experience.
  • Develop the technical know-how and creative production skills to collaboratively author original narratives and prototype spatially mediated experiences.
  • Explore narrative possibilities and technical affordances of the genre while attending to aesthetic consideration, humanistic concerns, and design conventions.

Immersive Technologies in Arts & Culture Minor - Minimum of 54 Units

One IDeATe Portal Course - Minimum of 9 units
  • 82-250 Digital Realities: Introducing Immersive Technologies for Arts & Culture
  • 62-150 IDeATe Portal: Intro to Media Synthesis and Analysis
    • Section C: Life in the Digital Factory

One Intercultural Focus Course - Minimum of 9 units
  • 82-280 Bilingual & Bicultural Experiences in the US
  • 82-282 Interpreting Global Texts & Cultures
  • 82-283 Language Diversity & Cultural Identity

One Computing Course - Minimum of 9 Units
  • 15-104 Introduction to Computing for Creative Practice
  • 15-110 Principles of Computing
  • 15-112 Fundamentals of Programming and Computer Science
  • 60-212 Intermediate Studio: Creative Coding

IDeATe Immersive Technologies Courses - Minimum of 27 Units
  • 15-463 Computational Photography
  • 53-353 Understanding Game Engines
  • 53-354 Principles of Lighting for Games and XR
  • 53-451 Research Issues in Game Development: Designing for XR
  • 54-397 Sound Design for Interactive Environments
  • 54-399 Decoding Media
  • 60-415 Advanced ETB: Animation Studio
  • 82-187 Documentary, Found Sound, and Hidden Frequencies in Language and Culture
  • 82-200 Curating Cultural and Arts Festivals through Theory and Practice
  • Additional courses as available. Please check IDeATe Courses for the options for the current and upcoming semester.
Double-counting:  Students may double-count up to two of their IDeATe minor courses for other requirements.

How to Participate

The Immersive Technologies in Arts & Culture minor is offered through a collaboration between IDeATe and the Department of Languages, Cultures & Applied Linguistics, bringing together expertise from across the university.

Students interested in the minor should contact the IDeATe advisor to discuss curriculum and to make a loose plan of study. All students are welcome to take IDeATe's Immersive Technologies in Arts & Culture courses to fulfill requirements or to explore an area of interest. Pursuing the minor is not required to take the courses.

Immersive Technologies in Arts & Culture Faculty

The Immersive Technologies in Arts & Culture faculty represent Carnegie Mellon's expertise in Languages, Cultures & Applied Linguistics, Entertainment Technology, Art, Human-Computer Interaction, and Drama. They carefully oversee the collaboration of students while delivering the IDeATe Immersive Technologies courses. Learn more about participating faculty here.