ITP / IMA

Course Requirements

A set stage of a broken hut with snow falling; photo by Christina Hall

Photo: Christina Hall

ITP does not train people for their first jobs after graduation. We train people for their last jobs.

We don’t focus on just teaching technical skills — there are cheaper programs for that. Instead, we focus on critical thinking, creative exploration, and the ability to learn how to learn. We embrace failure — as long as you learn from it. ITP is sometimes described as an art school for engineers and at the same time an engineering school for artists. Perhaps the best way to describe us is as a Center for the Recently Possible.

The Details

ITP is a two-year program of full-time study leading to the Master of Professional Studies (M.P.S.) degree. The degree requires completion of a minimum of 60 graduate credits within a three-tier structure. ITP is a full-time program and thus students must take 12-18 points per semester to maintain full-time status. It is possible to go part-time (below 12 credits) in the last semester to reach the minimum of 60 credits to graduate. 

The degree is a terminal degree and also considered a qualified STEM program. 

The department brings together smart, passionate people from different disciplines, provokes them with the skills and conceptual understanding necessary to manipulate new media and then supports the applications students dream up. It is sometimes described as an art school for engineers and at the same time an engineering school for artists.

Located in New York City, we constantly attract the best and the brightest faculty to guide our students, making ITP one of the top-ranked departments in the interactive arena.

Take a look at the diverse array of courses we offer with small class sizes - from the practical to the experimental, we are pushing the boundaries of interactivity.

The Curriculum

Tier 1 - Foundation Courses
(16 credits)

Foundation classes provide a baseline of technical skills, conceptual understanding and creative process to support and catalyze student projects. Each foundation course will be offered at least once a year. Generally, students will be expected to complete these foundation courses before moving to Tier Two or Tier Three. Sixteen credits in foundation courses are required for completion of the degree program. Due to previous studies or work experience, some students may consider themselves already proficient in a field covered by a foundation course. They may apply to a faculty advisor for permission to waive it. Waiver of a foundation course does not in itself reduce the 60-point requirement for graduation; it means a student will increase the number of elective studies or fieldwork courses taken.

Tier 2 - Workshop and Seminars
(40 credits)

The second tier classes provide students with contexts in which to develop their creative thinking, problem solving and technical abilities. The curriculum changes in response new developments in the field, student interests, opportunities to bring interesting practitioners as teachers and the outcomes of previous semesters. It is a mixture of seminar classes where students read, discuss and write about the implications of new media and production classes where they make things. Students are encouraged to maintain a balance of three production classes and one seminar every semester. Though most classes run for many years, as many as 20% may be experimental. Because failure is a natural outcome of experimentation, students must be prepared to derive value from unexpected outcomes.

Students may also arrange for internship credits. See course listings for more ideas about the types of classes that we have run in the past. The majority of classes are 4 points and students typically take 4 courses each semester. There are a few 2 point classes as well. 

ITP students can take up to 8 credits outside of the department at NYU. Students need the approval of an ITP academic advisor and approval from the other department. The classes need to be on the graduate level and related to the ITP course of study.

Tier 3 - Final Thesis Project
(4 credits)

Students register for a final project seminar that is designed to help them define and execute their final projects. It is structured as a series of critique and presentation sessions in which various aspects of individual projects are discussed. Critique sessions are a combination of internal sessions (i.e., the class only) and reviews by external guest critics. Students are expected to complete and present a fully articulated thesis project and related documentation by the end of their last semester. Thesis takes place over 2 semesters in the students' second year (part 1 for 2 credits in the Fall, and part 2 for 2 credits in the Spring semester).

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"ITP is about enhancing the human spirit, using the power of technology to respond to the human need for communication and expression."

— Red Burns, Former ITP Chair

ITP Overview

  • Apply now!

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    Learn more about the admissions application process.

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  • ITP Courses

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    See a sample listing of ITP courses.

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  • ITP FAQ

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    Read on for more admissions and department requirements.

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  • Informational Open Houses

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    ITP attracts so many different types of students who are interested in studying creative uses of interactive multimedia technologies. Whether you are a sculptor or a computer programmer, an architect or a philosopher, a dancer or a scientist, and want to apply your interests to interactive media, we would like an opportunity to learn more about you.

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  • Transfer of Credits

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    Applications for a transfer of credits based on comparable graduate-level courses may be submitted only after three courses have been completed within the program. A maximum of 8 points may be transferred. Applications require the approval of the faculty.

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  • Ownership Policy

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    The creative works produced by students at the Tisch School of the Arts in fulfillment of class assignments, or as individual study projects, whether made on Tisch School of the Arts premises or elsewhere, with or without Tisch School of the Arts equipment, and with or without extra funds, are subject to certain restrictions until the educational experience associated with such works has been completed. These restrictions are spelled out in the Ownership Policy section in the Tisch School of the Arts Bulletin.

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  • Facilities

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    ITP is a state-of-the-art multimedia production center located in New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. It is housed in a 15,000-square-foot complex in which a turn-of-the-century industrial loft has been transformed into a striking high-technology studio. Students can reserve a wide variety of digital production equipment for creating and showing dynamic content. Also featured is a fabrication workshop for physical computing and carpentry, including various wood and metal working tools, spray booth, 3 laser cutters, 4 mills and a CNC machine. There are areas dedicated to pc board making, soft circuit design and 3D printing. All classrooms and presentation spaces support projection sharing and live view cameras. The space as a whole is highly reconfigurable and responsive to support cluster work, large audience presentations and open gallery shows. New York City, the richest communications environment in the world, provides the ideal location for the department, which is situated at New York University’s Washington Square Center in Greenwich Village.

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  • International Students

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    All applicants must meet the English language requirements. If English is not your native language, you should plan to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). The test should be taken no later than November to ensure that results are received in time to meet admissions deadlines. Only TOEFL scores that are less than two years old are acceptable. Late receipt of scores will cause delays in the admissions process and departmental evaluation. Alternatively, you can meet this requirement by submitting the results of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) examination or For more information visit http://www.ielts.org. PTE is another test that we will accept.

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  • Financial Aid

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    ITP offers a limited number of tuition scholarships to incoming students. All students are automatically considered for academic merit-based and financial need-based scholarships after applying for admission and financial aid (applicants planning to file should so indicate on the admission application). Awards are made on the basis of academic excellence, demonstrated ability, professional promise, and financial need. Tuition scholarships are funds applied toward the cost of tuition. Please keep in mind that requesting financial aid will have no effect on the admission decision.

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  • Propose A New Course

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    For those who either want to teach a course, or students who have course ideas, please submit.

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  • ITP Alumni Visualizer

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    LinkedIn ITP Alumni information

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