Master of Arts in New Media - Sound in New Media
Are you passionate about discovering and widening the scope of sound design in the digital era? Welcome to study Sound in New Media Major Subject. The education is project-oriented, joining practice with theory. It combines art, design and media driven aspects of sound, covering a wide range of disciplines from concept design to live performance and from storytelling to programming. Teaching is fully in English, and students can write their Master's thesis in Finnish, Swedish or English.
Learning Outcomes
The general learning objectives of Sound in New Media are the following core competences, which the students will develop during their studies:
- project management skills,
- design skills,
- transdisciplinary and teamwork skills,
- musical competence and
- creative use of software
The studies at Media Lab emphasise interdisciplinary and collaborative work, while individual skills are studied in workshops and through tutored studio work according to a personal study plan. You will also learn the theory related to sound design and music culture.
Academic communication and writing are a part of the studies, and more research courses can be chosen if you are planning to become a researcher. Students are encouraged to network internationally and have an option to spend a part of their studies abroad.
The curriculum contains some essential software and programming courses, but in general we expect students to be either proficient in using the tools of the trade, or willing to set aside time for self-study. For this, we provide a library of tutorials, as well as one-on-one coaching.
We work in close collaboration with the best units and faculties in various universities in the Helsinki region, for example Centre for Music and Technology in the Sibelius Academy, as well as the Department of Computer Science and the Department of Acoustics and Signal Processing in Aalto University. The curriculum is designed in co-operation with other academic institutions and the industry, which supports the students' career planning.
Career opportunities
During your studies, you can specialise according to your personal skills and motivation. Your future careers can relate to the various fields of sound and music design both in private industries and public sector (academia, museums etc.), including game audio and music, sonic interaction design, sound design for animation and sound in media art. Aalto University supports entrepreneurship in various ways, and many graduates work as entrepreneurs. Across the wide range of positions, Sound in New Media graduates are independent professionals who have the capacity to lead and manage the development of their field internationally.
Admission procedure and criteria
The programme is targeted for students who have completed their BA, BSc or similar degree in sound design or music, or have gained basic sound design skills through other kind of activities. The selection process is aiming at a diverse and well-balanced group of students with different backgrounds, i.e. the chances to get selected depend also on other applicants' profiles.
The selection to the MA in New Media, Major in Sound in New Media happens in the ARTS Aalto master's students admission process. The criteria includes
- strong professional interest towards sound design and/or music in the context of new media
- insight into new media design and/or new media production and/or related research
- some proven musical competence and talent
- fluent oral and written English language skills
Deciding factors are demonstrated talent and suitability within the field of study. The selection is based on application documents, the applicant's personal aims and motivation as a student, an interview and possible entrance test assignments, prepared in advance, as well as work presented during the interview.
This school offers programs in:
- English
Last updated December 14, 2016
