Kinetic Imaging (BFA)

Why study Kinetic Imaging?

To be competitive in the industries of the future, students will require more than just technical skills and training. They will need to be highly creative individuals who can balance the technical aspects of the disciplines with the design and creative thinking strategies that are key to driving innovation.

The department of Kinetic Imaging at VCUarts Qatar offers a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in Kinetic Imaging with a Concentration in Interaction and Game Design. The program is designed for students interested in taking a creative approach to technology and emerging media, experimenting with art and design processes to explore new possibilities for creative practice. The modules in this program allow students to shape their own education by selecting courses from areas of study including game design, sound design, 3D animation, video, coding and interaction design.

What skills will you gain in this program?

The BFA in Kinetic Imaging offers an education focused on creativity, art, and design within the areas of technology, computation and emerging media. The program is flexible, allowing students to tailor their education toward individual interests and career goals.

Students in Kinetic Imaging are able to study within and across the following areas:

• Game Design (Emergent systems design, Game development, World building)
• Creative coding (parametric design, generative art, artificial intelligence)
• Physical computing (Robotics, interactive installations, product design)
• Interaction design (app design, user interface design)
• 3D modeling (AR, VR, Immersive media)
• Video art, Video editing
• Animation & Motion graphics (3D & 2D animation)
• Sound (sound art, sound design)

Additionally, students in the Kinetic Imaging program can build their area of study by taking related electives from the Graphic Design program, Interior Design program, the Painting and Printmaking program, and from partner universities in education city including Carnegie Mellon and Northwestern. Example courses include:

• Type+Code
• Eclectic Elective Dub
• Sonic Explorations
• Discourses on Arab Design
• Exhibition Design
• Digital Formations
• Film & Design

Students can also cross-register for courses at partner universities in Education City including Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar and Northwestern University in Qatar.

Curriculum

All new students who choose a BFA pathway first need to complete a one-year Art Foundation program. In addition to this, all our graduates complete a Liberal Arts and Sciences core curriculum. High-achieving students will also be invited to join our Honors program to enhance their education. 

The culmination of a student’s BFA journey is VCUarts Qatar’s annual BFA + MFA Exhibition where projects by the graduating class are showcased and celebrated with the wider community.

For further information on the program’s structure, please visit the following links:

Potential Careers

Students who graduate with a BFA in Kinetic Imaging with a Concentration in Interaction and Game Design will be prepared to pursue careers such as:

• Game designer
• UI / UX designer
• Motion graphics designer
• Video editor / director
• Media artist
• Sound designer
• Sound artist / performer

And within the following industries:

• Web design
• Human-Computer interface
• Music industry
• Artistic / Creative practice
• Game design industry
• Film & Television

Internships & Student Employment & Research

The Kinetic Imaging department engages students in a range of extra-curricular experiences that coalesce to make the degree a highly competitive platform preparing students to play meaningful roles in the creative economies of the future. Students who study in the Kinetic Imaging department will have opportunities to collaborate with faculty, guest designers, and community partners on real-world projects through in-class experiences, internships, and research assistantships. Our areas of study allow students to work in the student employment program as research assistants for many of the cutting edge research labs at the university, including xLab, Boost Lab and Sonic Jeel.

International Field Trips

Students also have the option to participate in an annual field study program, offering the chance to engage with the international creative community through festivals, workshops, exhibitions, and events related to art and design. In the fall of 2023, our community exhibited at the prestigious ARS Electronica festival in Austria:

Facilities

Supporting our teaching and research activities, VCUarts Qatar hosts a number of sophisticated facilities open to students and faculty. Additionally the Kinetic Imaging department continues to build contemporary resources related to student areas of study and faculty research. These facilities, resources, and capacities include:

• Dedicated student studio space (students in KI can apply for an individual working space on a per-semester basis)
• Digital Fabrication Lab (including laser cutting, water jet, 3D printing, CNC milling)
• Woodshop
• Light metalworking studio
• Innovative Media Studio (including photography studio, green screen capture stage, AV equipment loans, sound recording booth, and sound mixing studio)
• Physical computing workshop
• Black box performance & capture space
• Materials Library
• Art & Design Library

Community

Kinetic Imaging at VCUarts Qatar hosts a diverse group of researchers, teachers, technicians, students, and alumni. Our growing faculty includes both artists and designers from around the world who bring with them years of experience, innovative research practices, and student-centered teaching methodologies. In addition to our core faculty, Kinetic Imaging engages faculty from across the university to bring new points of view, collaborative research, and innovative new classes to the department. To cultivate a vibrant community, we draw in a diverse and competitive student body from Qatar and neighboring regions. We sustain meaningful partnerships with the community, industry, and region in our efforts to foster a culturally rooted yet future oriented creative discourse in art, design, and technology.

Faculty

Levi Hammett
Director of Kinetic Imaging