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Academics

Courses

UCSB's Online Schedule of Classes:

To search for a course at UCSB, or obtain a list of courses by department, use the online Schedule of Classes.

Schedule of Classes - Spring 2021

Undergraduate Courses

Course
Day
Time
Location
Course Code

MAT 80AS

Mediated Worlds/THEMAS Arts+Sciences Emphasis

4 units

Instructors: M. Novak
A. Crawshaw

TR
3:30pm - 4:45pm
Online
52449,
52456

Description

Integrative overview of media arts and technologies, emphasizing the interconnections between technologies and humanities (means and ends), engineering and mathematics (concrete and abstract), and arts and science (synthesis and analysis). The THEMAS model proposes a continuum across disciplines previously separated by narrow specializations. This class emphasizes Arts+Sciences (synthesis/analysis) within the overall model of THEMAS.

Graduate Courses

Course
Day
Time
Location
Course Code

MAT 200A

Arts & Technology

4 units

Instructor: M. Peljhan

M
T
10-12:50am
2-2:50pm
Online
29629

Description

Overview of the digital media arts field with an emphasis on technological developments and their integration in art research and production. Students are introduced to contemporary and historical directions and methodologies through seminar lectures, research presentation, and a final project.

MAT 200B

Music & Technology

4 units

Instructor: C. Roads

TR
4-5:50pm
Online
29637

Description

Overview of music and technology, including historical aspects. Readings and exercises with a range of music software applications. Basics of Internet audio and evolving media, music production, business, technical, and aesthetic aspects.

MAT 201B

Computing with Media Data

4 units

Instructor: K. Yerkes

TR
1-2:50pm
Online
52548

Description

Hands-on introduction to developing multimedia applications. Representation and perception of sound, images, and time. Media computing paradigms including OOP, callbacks, multithreading, OpenGL, distributed computing, algorithmic control, indeterminacy, real-time interactivity, and mapping data between sensory modalities. Students develop a series of audiovisual works (as C++ software) leading to a final project.

MAT 240C

Digital Audio Programming

4 units

Instructor: K. Yerkes

WF
10-11:50am
Online
52555

Description

A six-quarter practical programming course devoted to digital audio applications development. The emphasis is on learning to use current state-of-the-art programming methods, tools, and library APIs. Programming assignments are given in the C, C++, Java, Smalltalk and/or SuperCollider programming language. Topics: A. Using Commerical I/O APIs; B. Spectral Transformations; C. Spatial Sound Manipulation; D. Sound Synthesis Techniques; E. Multi-rate Control and Synchronization; F. Media Application Integration.

MAT 255

Concepts and Aesthetics of the Computational Image

4 units

Instructor: G. Legrady

TR
1-2:50pm
Online
52530

Description

Interdisciplinary course to analyze the digital computational image, its history, the theoretical, conceptual, philosophical underpinnings, issues of aesthetics, and critical analysis of simulation and representation. Course bridges arts, engineering, humanities. Assignments include reports and possibly projects.

MAT 261E

Transvergence Projects

4 units

Instructor: M. Novak

W
2-5pm
On Line
29660

Description

Advanced projects course fusing all modalities of transvergence into implemented works embodying the Transmodal Continuum. Physical Worldmaking: addition of physical computing, spatial sensing, and digital fabrication to immersive, eversive, and locative Worldmaking. Worldmaking and phenomenology.

MAT 276IA

Direct Digital Synthesis - Processing and Composition

4 units

Instructor: J. Kuchera-Morin

TR
10-11:50am
Online
29686

Description

First quarter of general purpose computing for computer music applications. Topics include: music synthesis using computer programs, and score input programs.

MAT 276LC

Digital Audio Montage

2 units

Instructor: C. Roads

M
4-5:50pm
Online
29694

Description

Third quarter of a three-quarter sequence course concentrating on studio based composition.

MAT 293

Internship in Industry

1-4 units

Instructor: Use specific instructor code

TBD
TBD
TBD
29702

Description

Special projects for selected students. Offered in conjunction with selected industrial and research under direct faculty supervision. Prior departmental approval required.

MAT 294CR

Presenting MAT Projects

1 unit

Instructor: M. Peljhan

T
4-6pm
Online
29710

Description

Students develop concise descriptions and practice mock presentations that will be critiqued by faculty and peers in preparation for public exhibition of their work. Emphasis on technical and aesthetic clarity.

MAT 299

Independent Study

4 units

Instructor: TBD

TBD
TBD
Online
29728

Description

Independent research under the guidance of a faculty member in the department. Offers an opportunity to qualified students to undertake independent research or work in a group laboratory in digital media arts and technology.

MAT 502

Teaching in MAT

1-4 units

Instructor: TBD

TBD
TBD
TBD
29736

MAT 594CE

CREATE Ensemble

1-4 units

Instructor: K. Yerkes

F
2-4:50pm
Online
29744

Description

Hands on practical approach to composition, improvisation, critique, refinement, and research dedicated to live performance.

Open to laptops, new interfaces for artistic expression, audiovisual art, live coding, local and/or wide area networked performance, interactive dance, music for acoustic and electronic instruments, performance art, trans-categorical live performance, etc.

Prerequisite: graduate standing in MAT or Music or consent of instructor; students are expected to contribute some combination of technical development, composition, and/or performance skills. Optionally, take in conjunction with independent study for related research.

We will prepare one structured improvisation for the entire group and several smaller pieces according to our resources. Will discuss many potential venues on and off campus for events.

MAT 594H

Special Topics in Multimedia Engineering, Visual Arts or Electronic Music.

1-4 units

Instructor: Y. Visell

TR
2-3:15pm
Online
52191

MAT 594O

Critical Machine Learning Studies

1-4 units

Instructor: F. Offert

TR
11am-2:15pm
Online
51409

Description

Artificial intelligence now impacts nearly all aspects of human life and knowledge production, from labor to language, and from fundamental physics to the arts. This omnipresence of AI is the direct effect of a deep technical differentiation that has taken place over the course of the past five-to-seven years. Yet, critical inquiries into artificial intelligence still focus predominantly on “posthuman” issues, i.e. the speculative problems of general artificial intelligence, or on highly visible cases of dataset bias and model failure. The idea of “Critical Machine Learning Studies” shifts the critical focus of the humanities to the epistemology, aesthetics, and politics of concrete machine learning models. Topics include: history and philosophy of artificial reason and perception, ML models as socio-technical systems, opacity and interpretability of ML models, ML models in the special sciences, ML models creating and analyzing art/literature, bias in ML models.

MAT 594P

Special Topics in Multimedia Engineering, Visual Arts or Electronic Music.

1-4 units

Instructor: J. Kuchera-Morin

MW
10-11:50am
Online
29751

Description

MAT 594P is a studio class for creating or adding to your professional portfolio. The work can be any media installation, composition, performance, or material computing project. It is also a media composition class, where we go through each persons’s process of how they compose media art works of any type. These works can be visual, sonic, interactive, material, and they do not have to include all modalities, it is whatever you are working on. Students will present their work weekly and the we will go through the process of making media art works. You can use any software you wish for this class.

MAT 594X

Computational Fabrication

1-4 units

Instructor: J. Jacobs

TR
10-11:50am
Online
29769

Description

The increase in diversity and functionality of digital fabrication technologies has provided new ways to transition between the digital and physical realms. Computational fabrication - a particularly powerful application of digital fabrication - combines computer programming with digital fabrication. Computational fabrication enables people to design digital forms by writing code and then construct these forms, at least partially, via fabrication machines, like 3D printers and computer-numerical-controlled (CNC) machines. In this course, students will explore tools, workflows, representations, and applications of computational fabrication. Students will be instructed in the use of computer-aided-design software tools and programming languages aimed at the design of physical artifacts. The course also will cover the process of converting digital designs to physical form through computer-aided machining (CAM) for different forms of additive and subtractive CNC machines. Students will design and create functional physical objects through additive digital fabrication technologies. In the process, the class will critically evaluate the opportunities and limitations of standard computational fabrication technologies with respect to mass manufacturing and traditional craft. Technical instruction will be complemented by readings about computational design, making, and manufacturing.

MAT 595M

Media Arts and Technology Seminar Series

1 unit

Instructor: M. Peljhan

M
1-2:30pm
Online
29777

Description

A weekly writing, theory and guest lectures seminar, focused on research topics of interest to the wide fields at the intersection of media arts and technology. The seminar is organized in topical modules, covering writing methodologies, media theory, philosophy and critique.

MAT 596

Directed Research

2-12 units

Instructor: Use specific instructor code

TBD
TBD
TBD
29785

MAT 597

Individual Study, PhD exams

1-12 units

Instructor: Use specific instructor code

TBD
TBD
TBD
29793

MAT 598

Master's Thesis/Project Research

1-12 units

Instructor: Use specific instructor code

TBD
TBD
TBD
29801

MAT 599

PhD Dissertation Research and Preparation

1-12 units

Instructor: Use specific instructor code

TBD
TBD
TBD
29819

Miscellaneous

M - Monday,  T - Tuesday,  W - Wednesday,  R - Thursday,  F - Friday.

Choose your electives from Art, Computer Science, ECE, and Music, then have them approved by the instructor.

Instructor Codes: A. Cabrera (17), T. Höllerer (27), J. Jacobs (02), J. Kuchera-Morin (33), G. Legrady (09), M. Novak (03), F. Offert (12), M. Peljhan (11), C. Roads (08), Y. Visell (18), K. Yerkes (21).