Future Students
An interdisciplinary fine arts program for artist-technologists who use code, electronics, fabrication, interaction design and immersive media to explore technology as a creative material.
New Media is a Bachelor of Fine Arts program where creativity meets technology. Students develop a deep understanding of making with both emerging and existing technologies while exploring how art, design and technology can come together to create new experiences, systems and forms of expression. They work across creative coding, electronics, physical computing, digital fabrication, interaction design, games, installation and immersive media, combining technical experimentation with visual, spatial and conceptual thinking.
Through studio work and hands-on production, students move from research and early ideas through prototyping, testing, iteration and public presentation. They learn to use technology as a creative material and consider how interactive work can respond to people, spaces and contemporary social questions. Collaborative projects help them develop the flexibility to work across disciplines and continue learning as technologies change.
Building on the idea that innovation begins in art, the program prepares students to face the challenges of the 21st century. Students develop as resilient, creative and technologically literate individuals who can think analytically, critically and imaginatively about technology and the future.
Full-time format
4 years
Degree earned
Bachelor of Fine Arts
Experiential learning
Global learning • Internship available • Industry partnerships
Admission requirements
Grades only
What sets this program apart
Building on 30 years of creative technology education, the program integrates art, design and technology through making. Students combine code, electronics, fabrication and media production in studios and makerspaces. Hackathons, maker festivals, industry salons, exhibitions and partner projects allow them to collaborate, experiment and test their work in public and professional settings while developing a distinctive creative voice and the ability to adapt as technologies change.
Skills students develop
- Creative coding and computational media
- Physical computing, electronics and sensors
- Interaction, experience and interface design
- Game design and development
- Digital fabrication and prototyping
- Immersive, installation and spatial media
- Research, iteration and user-centred testing
- Collaborative production and emerging-technology learning
Career possibilities
- Creative technologist and interactive developer
- Experience and Interaction design
- Immersive media and installation production
- Digital fabrication and prototyping
- Games, experimental media and creative studios
- Museum, science-centre and cultural technology
- Independent art, design and technology practice
- STEAM education
Employers
Employers range from national to international firms.
- Atelier Lozano-Hemmer
- Adobe
- Apple
- Deloitte
- Snapchat
- Meta Platforms
- Ubisoft
- AMD
- WonderMakr
- Igloo Vision
- Receptiviti
- Royal Ontario Museum
- Ontario Science Centre
- TMU Design Fabrication Zone
- Seneca College
- George Brown College
- University of Waterloo
- University of Toronto
The TMU and downtown Toronto advantage
Toronto's art, design, gaming, and start-up communities give students many contexts in which to test interactive work. TMU adds makerspaces, exhibitions, research labs, internships and interdisciplinary collaborators within The Creative School and across the university.
New Media is a program for students who:
Love to explore and want to expand their palette by learning new ways of making.
Are looking to develop their own artistic voice and practice.
Want to engage in social justice and be reflective about the future.
Like to use Do It Yourself (DIY) in making with others in an inclusive and supportive community.
About New Media
- Customize your experience through electives and focus areas exploring art as practice, for problem solving or as play.
- Develop a portfolio of professional work through in studio classes.
- Make connections by working with acclaimed artists and professionals.
- Work in state of the art studios like the Design and Technology Lab and the New Media MakerSpace.
- Interaction Design
- User Experience Design
- Interactive Art
- Coding
- Electronics
- Digital Fabrication
- Game Engines
- Game Design
- Wearable Computing
- Virtual Reality
- Augmented Reality
- Exhibition Design
- Critical Thinking
- Project Management
- Community
- Kindness
- Inclusivity
- Respect
- Growth
Explore Your Journey
Frequently Asked Questions
Graduates of the New Media program go on to show their work at exhibitions and festivals, design experiences for and work with leading brands like Meta, Snapchat, and Google. Our program offers students a customizable curriculum with plenty of hands-on in studio courses that encourage you to create in a variety of mediums. With small class sizes and a dedicated MakerSpace, you will build a community of artists who will work with you on everything from class projects to industry collaborations.
The world of New Media is much bigger than you may think! With a Bachelor of Fine Arts, some general fields of expertise include but are not limited to creative technology, game design, exhibition curation, arts service organizations, interaction design, digital fabrication, and so many more. You can also use your BFA to pursue graduate studies, teacher’s college, law school, medical school, and other post-graduate study opportunities. Finally, many of our graduates work as freelance consultants or start their own business!
No - we recognize that our students come from many different backgrounds with skills in many disciplines. In New Media, you will have the opportunity to learn coding and computer skills to complement and integrate into your artistic practice.
In the first year of study, students explore all areas of New Media. First year students take classes in creative processes, game design, audio & video production, interaction design, coding, and fabrication, as well as elective courses from across the university to broaden their knowledge of the world.
In the first year, New Media students work on everything from creating woodworking projects and working with electronics to producing podcast episodes and designing computer games. By the final year of study all New Media students develop and produce a thesis project that they can use in their professional portfolio after graduation. You can look at student work from our most recent thesis exhibition at https://showcase.newmediatmu.com/ (external link)
Yes! Of course, remaining on campus means there is less back-and-forth, but because of Toronto’s elaborate transportation system, you are able to commute easily to and from school. A number of our students are commuters who can successfully maneuver through their courseload, and commitments, and thrive in our program.
Alumni Spotlight
Meet Ashley Jane Lewis, New Media Class of 2012
Postdoctoral Fellow and New Media Alum Ashley Jane Lewis has been honoured with the Viola Desmond Alumni Award, recognizing outstanding Black women making exceptional contributions to the TMU and the greater Toronto community. Known for her work at the intersection of science, technology, and storytelling, Lewis’ visionary approach continues to inspire.