The Advanced Certificate

An advanced certificate is awarded to a student who has completed a course of graduate-level study in a specialized field. It is not a graduate degree, but it is a formal recognition of a completed course of graduate study.

The first Interactive Arts program was conceived as an advanced certificate because it is intended for professionals in the arts, artists with full- or part-time jobs, recent graduates who seek to work while continuing their education, and students wishing to augment their current graduate study.

Factors specific to the Interactive Arts Advanced Certificate program, Brooklyn College, and the City University include:

• Interactive Arts advanced certificate students will have the ability to work part or full-time while enrolled in the program, since the three-semester program is designed for part-time students.
• New York City is a center for electronic media, and the fine and performing arts. Jobs, internships, and other opportunities related to students’ ultimate career goals exist in abundance, and the Interactive Arts curriculum is structured to allow students to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the region.
• Many practicing artists and industry professionals seek advanced, cross-disciplinary study, but not necessarily an M.F.A., the terminal degree required for teaching at the university level in the arts. The advanced certificate provides the desired course of study without the constraints of most M.F.A. curricula. An M.F.A. in Interactive Arts is also offered by the College.
• The program is based upon a collective approach to advanced university study, combining:
  • interdepartmental cooperation in the administration of the program, design of the curriculum, and management of facilities and technology
  • interdisciplinary, cross-departmental team teaching in all required Interactive Arts courses
  • student collaboration on all major production projects
  • an element of community involvement in at least one major student production project
• There are no directly comparable programs offered in New York City.