Bachelor of Arts in MAD with Emerging Media Arts Concentration

UT Dallas > Bass School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology > Degrees, Minors & Certificates > Undergraduate Degrees > Bachelor of Arts in MAD with Emerging Media Arts Concentration

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Take a look at our entire Design and Creative Practice Program and all of its offerings.

Take note: Effective Fall 2025, the Bachelor of Arts in Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication (BA in ATEC) degree program has been renamed the Bachelor of Arts in Media Arts and Design (BA in MAD). This new title better reflects the strengths of our Bachelor of Arts program and improves recognition across the University and in industry.

BA in Media Arts and Design with Emerging Media Arts Concentration Overview

The Bachelor of Arts in Media Arts and Design (MAD) with Emerging Media Arts (EMA) concentration offers students the opportunity to engage in studio art practices with emerging media and technology. Student coursework involves digital arts areas such as digital fabrication, projection mapping, new media art and performance, sound, time-based media, and video.

Students begin their study in the BA in MAD, which offers students foundational courses in UX/UI design, motion graphics, digital fabrication, and media histories. Starting in their third year, students have the option to select a concentration in Emerging Media Arts.

The Emerging Media Arts concentration emphasizes building a portfolio of studio-based artwork that reflects the evolving social role of art in reimagining and projecting the human condition. By selecting courses from a variety of Bass School electives, students can integrate other areas of interest into their focus.

Upon graduation, students will have created a professional-quality portfolio to enter their desired field.

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Career Paths with a Degree in Emerging Media Arts

An emerging media arts degree can be used for many creative careers in fields like advertising, journalism, public relations and more.

Emerging Media Arts Careers

3D modeler, advertising manager, artist, audio technician, digital musician, digital strategist, graphic designer, motion graphics artist, new media artist, photographer, videographer, video editor, web content manager, the possibilities are endless

Undergraduate Emerging Media Arts Program Options

BA in Media Arts and Design with Emerging Media Arts Concentration

View Emerging Media Arts in the University Catalog

View Degree Requirements (120 semester credit hours)

View an Example of Degree Requirements by Semester

Fact Sheet

BA in MAD Fact Sheet

Scholarships & Awards

The Greater Texas Foundation – Tech Titans Removing Educational Barriers Scholarship

The Marjorie Duckworth Endowment Award

The Anthony (Tony) Cross Memorial Student Support Fund

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Minors

Related Minors

Minor in Design

To minor in the Arts, Humanities, and Technology, students must take a minimum of 18 semester credit hours for the minor, 9 of which must be upper-division semester credit hours. Students who take a minor will be expected to meet the normal prerequisites in courses making up the minor, and should maintain a minimum GPA of 2.000 on a 4.00 scale (C average). Core courses offered by the school may count as lower-division semester credit hours toward the minor. Students may choose to minor in any of the following fields of study:

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Undergraduate Emerging Media Arts Courses

The Emerging Media Arts concentration allows students to be exposed to a large variety of design, programming, audio production, video production, digital fabrication and media history courses.

By selecting courses from a variety of Bass School elective options, students are able to synthesize other areas of interest into their focus on Emerging Media Arts.

Many courses in Media Arts and Design are open to all students in the University.

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Student Organizations

The American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) UTD presents career-development workshops and networking opportunities for those entering the design industry and the UX Club increases awareness and community around user-centered design.

Explore Arts, Humanities, and Technology Student Organizations →

Certificate in Applied Experience Design and Research

Students interested in Emerging Media Arts may also be interested in the Certificate in Applied Experience Design and Research. This certificate gives students the opportunity to explore the fast-growing field of user experience (UX) design and research. With an emphasis on practical, human-centered thinking, it offers insight into how intuitive digital experiences are created.

Whether paired with a creative degree or pursued alongside studies in other fields, this certificate signals to employers that a student is prepared to contribute to the design of user-focused products and services. It’s a valuable credential for anyone interested in the intersection of design, technology, and real-world application.

Learn More About the Certificate →

Contact Information

Mark McKinney
Design and Creative Practice Area Head and Professor of Instruction
Email: Mark.McKinney@utdallas.edu
Office: ATC 3.503

Bass School of Arts, Humanities, and Technology
The University of Texas at Dallas, JO31
800 W. Campbell Road
Richardson, TX 75080-3021
Phone: 972-883-2759 or 972-883-2980

Advising

Undergraduate Advising: ahtUGadvising@utdallas.edu

Graduate Advising: ahtGRadvising@utdallas.edu

Emerging Media Arts Alumni Spotlight

MAD (ATEC) alum Nagaris Johnson shares his story about the Gold record he received for his sound engineering work on Quavo’s solo album, ‘Quavo Huncho.’ Johnson also completed record engineering work on the Kanye West album “Donda,” released August 2021 in three genres, hip-hop, pop, and gospel.