Master of Fine Arts | Master of Science | Undergraduate Minor
The Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Digital Production Arts (DPA) at Clemson University is a professional degree program aimed at producing technically savvy, artistically talented graduates who are sought after by the growing electronic arts industry, particularly by those companies engaged in visual effects within the entertainment and commercial video, film, and gaming industries. The DPA program offers a unique blend of instruction from art, computer science, computer engineering, graphic communications, performing arts, philosophy, and psychology, together with newly designed courses targeted at production techniques specific to the animation, visual effects, and electronic games industries. Because the MFA is a terminal degree in fine arts, students will also be prepared to accept university faculty positions. The M.F.A. requires 60 credit hours including a MFA thesis. The GRE is no longer required for the MFA. More info
The Master of Science (MS) in Digital Production Arts (DPA) Program, offered since 2017, is a technical professional degree aimed at producing graduates who intend to seek employment in the software development of the electronic arts industry. Its focus includes the technical components of visual effects production for the film, electronic games, and commercial video industries. The MS in DPA is designed primarily to attract technically-minded students interested in learning applied technical knowledge and gaining the related experience to become competitive and pursue employment as a 3D graphics programmer, software engineer, tool builder, and/or technical director in the digital production entertainment industry, but interest may also include related fields, such as commercial virtual reality, 3D printing, and visualization. While the GRE is required for the MS, a portfolio submission is optional. More info
The undergraduate minor in Digital Production Arts (DPA) is designed so that students receive significant training across the artistic and technical disciplines that underlie computer animation, visual effects, computer games, graphics and animation production that incorporates the industry-standard application Maya. The Minor also features two-semester course sequences that teach computer scientists and engineers relevant foundation concepts in art, and that teach artists and architects relevant foundation concepts in computer science and mathematics. Students in other majors complete a subset of these courses. The Minor assists the student to develop the entry-level artistic and technical expertise necessary for effective production of 3D computer graphics and animation. It is especially well suited for students wishing to pursue graduate study in Digital Production Arts.
More info and program requirements
All programs are offered within the Division of Visual Computing in the School of Computing, with significant collaboration with the departments of Art and Performing Arts. Each offers a unique blend of instruction, with coursework ranging from the artistic to the technical, all with a strong emphasis on advanced studio methods for visual problem solving. Students in the MFA and MS can choose to study in Clemson or Charleston, SC.
Check out some of our latest videos. Click on an image to watch and access all other DPA videos on our Vimeo channel.
DPA MFA alum Alex Young, Associate Outsource Integrator with Sledgehammer Games, visited DPA and gave an industry talk featuring Design and Surfacing Techniques for Game Assets in Substance Painter.
DPA hosts Clemson Student Siggraph Chapter panel with speakers from Adobe Digital Studio, Clemson Makerspace, Clemson Immersive Space, Digital Interactive Arts Lab (DIAL), and Sunoco Institute.
Seth Christie, the Supervising Technical Director on the Madden NFL project at Electronic Arts, and a MS CS alumni, visited DPA engaging in discussions with faculty and students.
Congratulations to everyone Blur Studio, including DPA alum Alex Beaty who worked on the animation layout for the series, on their 2019 Emmys for Outstanding Short Form Animation Program for the Netflix series, Love, Death + Robots!
DPA alumna Jennifer Thompson worked as a lighting artist at MPC on the recently released #Aquaman film and on the upcoming release #Pokémon Detective Pikachu.
Clemson's primary graduate resource in Charleston, housed in the Zucker Family Graduate Education Center, boasts 20% increase in graduate student enrollment over last year.
Marc Bryant, who earned both an undergraduate and a graduate degree at Clemson, is living the dream at Disney Animation. [more]
DPA celebrates its 20th anniversary. The Program which begun in the fall of 1999, has grown to offer graduate studies in both MS and MFA in both is Clemson and Charleston locations.
DPA once again had a strong presence at this year's SIGGRAPH Conference in Los Angeles, CA, celebrating its 20th year! Checkout our Facebook photo album from SIGGRAPH.
The first DPA students that started in our Charleston campus were celebrated for their graduation at a reception in the Zucker Family Graduate Education Center.
Click on the images to link to external faculty/staff pages.
ZFGEC=Zucker Family Graduate Education Center in Charleston, SC
Applicants to the Digital Production Arts MFA and MS programs can choose to study in Clemson or Charleston, SC. You may indicate your choice during the online application process.We accept applications throughout the year on a rolling admission basis for the nearest term (Spring or Fall), however, our standard deadline for full consideration is January 15.
For undergraduate students interested in the Minor in DPA, you must declare the minor by discussion it with your advisor. For more information on the Minor in DPA, please contact Dr. Chris Plaue at cplaue@clemson.edu.
In addition to the standard application and supporting materials required by Clemson Graduate School, the DPA MFA program requires a portfolio (optional in MS) containing three parts: computer programming samples, art samples, and a writing sample.
To apply to the MFA or MS program, please fill out Clemson Graduate School online application. Be sure to submit all other necessary documentation with your online application, including all the requirements for the graduate school as well as the individual program.
For more information about the supporting materials required for the graduate school, checking the status of your application, or responding to the admission offer, please visit the Clemson Graduate School website.
