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New Media

Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)
Program Website: New Media
Administered by: New Media Department
Program Format: Full-time, four-year program.

O.S.S.D. with six Grade 12 U/M courses including Grade 12 U English.

Notes:

  1. ENG4U/EAE4U is the preferred English. 
  2. The grade required in the subject prerequisite (normally in the 65-70 percent range) will be determined subject to competition.
  3. Subject to competition, candidates may be required to present averages/grades above the minimum.

 

Commensurate with the technological challenge it faces within an ever-evolving field, the program uses a variety of innovative teaching approaches to move students through an immersive, hands-on course of study.

Emphasizing creativity, New Media expands the idea of computing. It encourages risk taking and experimentation within a supportive, collaborative environment designed to address the emerging challenges of the communication age. To this end, students engage new technologies not only as a means of art production but as instruments of social, cultural, and artistic change.

The curriculum is unique both in its substance and in its structure, which emphasizes depth as well as breadth and flexibility. The remarkable learning environment offered by The Creative School, combined with Toronto Met's proximity to Toronto's art community, as well as the media production, telecommunications, and cultural industries, provide unparalleled opportunities for developing not only the tools, but an understanding of the medium in a field that is continually in the process of self-invention.

The New Media BFA prepares fine art students to become creators of digital art, mobile media, interactive storytelling and virtual worlds.

Creative Practice Hours

To graduate from the New Media program, each student must complete a minimum of 60 hours of Creative Practice unpaid volunteer work in a qualifying institution or project. This can be done at any time over the four years of the program. This is a mandatory condition for the successful completion of NMA 82A/B.

Liberal Studies

Students must take three lower level liberal studies courses and three upper level liberal studies courses to graduate. Students must not choose courses that are restricted for their program or major.

Please refer to the liberal studies chapter of this calendar for more information on the Liberal Studies Policy. Further information on liberal studies can also be found at the Faculty of Arts' Liberal Studies website (opens in new window) .

Table A - Lower Level Restrictions

NMA 120 is not available for credit.  

Table B - Upper Level Restrictions

IRL 500, PSY 713 and PSY 813 are not available for credit.

Minors

Students may pursue any Minor offered by Toronto Met (with some exceptions). Please refer to the Minors chapter of this calendar for further information on individual Minor requirements and exclusions.

The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education Certificates

Undergraduate students wishing to pursue a continuing education certificate program should be aware of possible program exclusions. Please refer to the Certificate Registration section of the Curriculum Advising website (opens in new window)  for complete details.

Some course codes in this program have changed. See RTA-NMA Course Code Conversion Chart for further information.

3rd & 4th Semester

Last offered 2026-2027 to students admitted Fall 2025 and before.

3rd Semester

REQUIRED:

  • NMA 321     Intro to Tangible Media
  • NMA 322    Technology, Identity and Creativity
  • NMA 867    Game Engines

CORE ELECTIVE: One course from Table I.

LIBERAL STUDIES:
One course from Table A - Lower Level Liberal Studies.

4th Semester

REQUIRED:

CORE ELECTIVE: One course from Table I.

OPEN ELECTIVE: One Open Elective

LIBERAL STUDIES:
One course from Table A - Lower Level Liberal Studies.

  

5th & 6th Semester

Last offered 2026-2027 to students admitted Fall 2024. Students admitted Fall 2025 see revised curriculum below.

5th Semester

REQUIRED GROUP 1: Choose one of the following three options:

Option 1: Art as Practice

  • NMA 520     Art As Practice
     

Option 2: Art as Problem Solving

  • NMA 807 Problem Solving Practices


Option 3: Art as Play

  • NMA 928 Introduction to Game Design

CORE ELECTIVE: Two courses from Table I.

OPEN ELECTIVE: One Open Elective

LIBERAL STUDIES:
One course from Table B - Upper Level Liberal Studies.

6th Semester

REQUIRED GROUP 1: Students must continue with the options from 5th Semester:

Option 1: Art as Practice

  • NMA 323     Contemporary Issues in New Media Art
  • NMA 501     Studio Practice


Option 2: Art as Problem Solving

  • NMA 814 Problem Solving Studio
  • NMA 856 Speculative Design: Making Change
     

Option 3: Art as Play

CORE ELECTIVE: One course from Table I.

OPEN ELECTIVE: Two Open Electives

  

5th & 6th Semester

Revised curriculum begins and last offered 2027-2028 to students admitted Fall 2025.

5th Semester

REQUIRED GROUP 1: Choose one of the following three options:

Option 1: Art as Practice:

Option 2: Art as Problem Solving

  • NMA 807 Problem Solving Practices


Option 3: Art as Play

CORE ELECTIVE: Two courses from Table I.

OPEN ELECTIVE: One Open Elective

LIBERAL STUDIES:
One course from Table B - Upper Level Liberal Studies.

6th Semester

REQUIRED GROUP 1: Students must continue with the options from 5th Semester:

Option 1: Art as Practice

  • NMA 323  Contemporary Issues in New Media Art
  • NMA 501  Studio Practice


Option 2: Art as Play

  • NMA 814 Problem Solving Studio
  • NMA 856 Speculative Design: Making Change
     

Option 3: Video Games

  • NMA 820 Game Prototyping and Testing
  • NMA 891 Games Industry and Trends

CORE ELECTIVE: One course from Table I.

OPEN ELECTIVE: Two Open Electives

  

7th & 8th Semester

Last offered 2028-2029 to students admitted Fall 2025 and before.

7th Semester

REQUIRED:

CORE ELECTIVE: One course from Table I.

OPEN ELECTIVE: One Open Elective

LIBERAL STUDIES:
One course from Table B - Upper Level Liberal Studies.

*NMA 82A/B has a GPA Weight of 3.00 and a Course Count of 2.00.

8th Semester

REQUIRED:

  • NMA 82A/B   New Media Thesis Project
  • NMA 821        New Media Master Class

OPEN ELECTIVE: One Open Elective.

LIBERAL STUDIES:
One course from Table B - Upper Level Liberal Studies.

*NMA 82A/B has a GPA Weight of 3.00 and a Course Count of 2.00.

1st & 2nd Semester

First offered 2026-2027 to students admitted Fall 2026 and after.

1st Semester

REQUIRED:

  • NMA 107  Creative Processes - New Media
  • NMA 111    Introduction to New Media
  • NMA 928  Introduction to Game Design
  • RTA 104    Introductory Audio Production

LIBERAL STUDIES:
One course from Table A - Lower Level Liberal Studies.

2nd Semester

REQUIRED:

  • CSE 100 Wicked Problems
  • NMA 201     Video Art Production
  • NMA 222     Intro to Computational Arts
  • NMA 223     Designing Material Experiences
  • NMA 962     Interaction Design

  

3rd & 4th Semester

First offered 2027-2028 to students admitted Fall 2026 and after.

3rd Semester

REQUIRED:

  • NMA 321     Intro to Tangible Media
  • NMA 322    Technology, Identity and Creativity
  • NMA 867    Game Engines

CORE ELECTIVE: One course from Table I.

LIBERAL STUDIES:
One course from Table A - Lower Level Liberal Studies.

4th Semester

REQUIRED:

CORE ELECTIVE: One course from Table I.

LIBERAL STUDIES:
One course from Table A - Lower Level Liberal Studies.

  

5th & 6th Semester

First offered 2028-2029 to students admitted Fall 2026 and after.

5th Semester

REQUIRED GROUP 1: Choose one of the following three options:

Option 1: Art as Practice:

  • NMA 520     Art As Practice
     

Option 2: Art as Problem Solving

  • NMA 807 Problem Solving Practices


Option 3: Art as Play

CORE ELECTIVE: One course from Table I.

OPEN ELECTIVE: Two Open Electives

LIBERAL STUDIES:
One course from Table B - Upper Level Liberal Studies.

6th Semester

REQUIRED GROUP 1: Students must continue with the options from 5th Semester:

Option 1: Art as Practice 

  • NMA 323     Contemporary Issues in New Media Art
  • NMA 501     Studio Practice


Option 2: Art as Problem Solving

  • NMA 814 Problem Solving Studio
  • NMA 856 Speculative Design: Making Change
     

Option 3: Art as Play

  • NMA 820 Game Prototyping and Testing
  • NMA 891 Games Industry and Trends

REQUIRED GROUP 2: One course from the following

CORE ELECTIVE: One course from Table I.

OPEN ELECTIVE: One Open Elective

  

7th & 8th Semester

First offered 2029-2030 to students admitted Fall 2026 and after.

7th Semester

REQUIRED:

OPEN ELECTIVE: Two Open Electives

LIBERAL STUDIES:
One course from Table B - Upper Level Liberal Studies.

*NMA 82A/B has a GPA Weight of 3.00 and a Course Count of 2.00.

8th Semester

REQUIRED:

REQUIRED GROUP 1: One course from the following: 

  • CSE 400 Special Projects Placement
  • CSE 410 Creative Capstone Enrichment
  • FCD 815 Design Solutions Supercourse I
  • NMA 821 New Media Master Class

OPEN ELECTIVE: One Open Elective.

LIBERAL STUDIES:
One course from Table B - Upper Level Liberal Studies.

*NMA 82A/B has a GPA Weight of 3.00 and a Course Count of 2.00.

A Program Advisory Council (PAC) is a group of volunteers that provides expert advice to a school or department on program related matters such as curriculum, program review, technology and trends in the industry, discipline or profession. For more information, see Senate Policy #158 (Program Advisory Councils).

Jason French
AVP Project Management, Exhibitions & Galleries
Royal Ontario Museum

Cindy Poremba
Associate Professor and Co-Director of the game:play Lab
OCAD University

David Rokeby
Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, Director of the BMO Lab
University of Toronto

Tristan Sauer
New Media Artist and Curator
Program Alumni