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The Master of Science in Art, Culture and Technology is a studio program within the MIT Program in Art, Culture and Technology. Students challenge traditional genres and push the limits imposed by gallery and museum contexts. Exploring experimental media and expanded definitions of site is encouraged.
Study is organized and directed by a select group of internationally recognized artists. Students learn through project critiques and seminars, complemented by readings and discussion in contemporary theory and criticism.
Central to the curriculum is the potential for links with programs in architecture, urbanism, technology and media studies. Related areas of research include: the dialogue between art and architecture; critical approaches to public art; demarcations between public and private space; anti-monuments and new instruments of collective memory; prosthesis and extended body; nomadic design tactics; new interfaces between visual art and landscape; and performance and sound works.
Candidates compete for the six places available each year in the Department of Architecture's Master of Science in Art, Culture and Technology (SMACT) program. Admission is based on a careful examination of the applicant's previous artistic and academic record, including relevant samples of completed work, a statement of purpose and letters of recommendation. The applicant should demonstrate superior achievement and the ability to initiate and complete independent academic work in the visual arts.
The minimum IELTS score required for SMACT candidates is 7 and the minimum TOEFL score is 600 (250 for computer-based test, 100 for Internet-based test). While either test score is accepted, the IELTS score is preferred.
The Graduate Record Examination is not required of SMACT candidates.
ACT applicants are required to submit a portfolio of their work. The portfolio should include evidence of recent creative work, whether personal, academic or professional. Work done collaboratively should be identified as such, and the applicant’s role in the project needs to be clearly defined.
Please be aware that all applicant portfolios will be reviewed using computer monitors. Double-check your files to make sure they open before submitting. Submit the portfolio material in the formats indicated below.
The portfolio must include project documentation, images, or time-based media (or a combination of these):
The portfolio may also include the following optional items, which are considered as secondary material, and will be reviewed if time permits.
Although not required, an interview is recommended for applicants to the SMACT program.
The minimum required residency for students enrolled in the SMACT program is two academic years. SMACT students do not register for summer term.
A faculty advisor from the Art, Culture and Technology Program is assigned to each SMACT student at matriculation. The advisor will consult on the student's initial plan of study and on each subsequent term's choice of subjects. This individual should be a faculty member with whom the student is in close contact; changes in advisor may be made to make this possible. The advisor monitors the student's progress through completion of the degree.
A minimum of 156 units of coursework is required, not including thesis. Of these units, 111 must be H-level graduate credits. Subjects to be taken:
Art, Culture and Technology Studio (4.390) is restricted to SMACT degree students and serves as the center of the curriculum. It is coordinated by an ACT faculty member and involves the participation of all faculty currently advising SMACT candidates. Students are expected to participate in all class meetings and present project development regularly. Attendance at the ACT Lecture Series and other ACT events is expected. Project work is related to the evolving thesis project. Participation in ACT Studio midterm and final reviews is required.
Artistic research, development and execution of projects are central to the studies and culminate in a thesis. The thesis is twofold: a realized project and a written thesis book.
Thesis Comittee:
The thesis committee is composed of a minimum of two members: a thesis supervisor and a reader. The thesis supervisor must be a permanent faculty member of the Art, Culture and Technology program. The reader may be any permanent MIT faculty member. A third member of the committee (a second reader) is optional and may be from within or outside of the MIT Community.
SMACT students may have no more than one incomplete in a required subject when they register for thesis (4.THG). This incomplete can be no more than one term old (received the semester prior to thesis registration).
Students who have incompletes from several subjects or incompletes from earlier terms will be denied registration until those subjects are finished and graded. This policy applies to incompletes in subjects required by the specific degree curriculum or needed for units toward the degree
All students whose first language is not English are required to take the English Evaluation Test (EET) prior to registration at MIT. Even students who satisfy the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or TOEFL requirement for admission may be required to take specialized subjects in English as a Second Language (ESL), depending on their EET results. These subjects do not count toward the required units but will prove valuable in helping students develop the skills necessary to comfortably write a thesis.