Course Description

In this course, students are expected to develop and present a significant original contribution to the field of digital art in the form of a visual project and a written documentation of the entire process, from research through completion.

This course does not entail any "formal" instruction. Class will meet as a whole and the instructor (Thesis Advisor) will speak with each student on an individual basis to discuss aesthetic, conceptual, and technical details regarding his/her Thesis. Each student will be alloted the same amount of time. Issues concerning all students will be discussed as a group. Students are expected to work on their projects before/after discussing their project with the advisor.

Additionally, students will regularly present their work in progress to the class and provide each other with feedback. Because students are expected to work independently, this course requires a high degree of self-motivation and organization.

Formal presentations to the thesis committee every semester are mandatory and an integral part of this course. Students are expected to attend presentations all day.

Entry Requirements

CG 650, Approval of Thesis Proposal

Goals of the Course

The goal of this course is to provide guidance for students who are embarking on the completion of their Thesis project. The instructor will assist students in an advisory role with both the completion of the actual work as well as the written thesis.

Course Requirements

Students are expected to carefully prepare for discussions with their advisors and presentations to peers. Students should plan ahead and ensure that technical requirements necessary for the review of work are met before class.

In the event a student has little or no progress to show, he/she is still required to attend class. If a student is unable to attend class, he/she is requested to contact his/her Advisor well in advance.

Please note: Missed class discussions will not be rescheduled; students will have to wait for their next assigned discussion time.

ThesisI, Thesis II, and Thesis in Progress (TIP) students will present their work in progress to the committee at the end of every semester. Students are advised that, in addition to the thesis advisor, it is the committee that evaluates students' progress and completed thesis projects.


This semester, Thesis I, Thesis II and TIP students will present their progress to the committe for review on... TBA.

Students who intend to graduate this semester will present their projects during the Graduate Candidate Review. This semester, the Graduate Candidate Review will take place on TBA.

Presentation Preperation: All thesis students have to arrive ahead of time (presentation lineups will be announced, expect presentations to start at 9 AM) and place their work on the computer in E2 ahead of time. Put all files in USER WORK, in a folder labeled "THESIS-notrash." Test your presentation beforehand. Students whose work is not there, or who did not test their files, will not be allowed to present their work.


Thesis I and II semesters should suffice to complete a thesis project. If the completion of a project requires more time, and in order to be granted a TIP semester, a student must demonstrate sufficient progress to the committee and provide a realistic schedule for the completion of his/her project. A student who does not demonstrate sufficient progress will not be granted an additional TIP semester for the completion of his/her thesis project and thus risks failing Thesis.

Thesis in Progress, TIP, students should review the section "Thesis in Progress" (below).

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

	Week 1	Course overview and introduction of syllabus. Thesis I students informally present their projects to their classmates and instructor.
	Week 2	Group meets -- individual discussions.
	Week 3	Group meets -- individual discussions.
	Week 4	Group Presentation
	Week 5	Group meets -- individual discussions.
	Week 6	Group meets -- individual discussions.
	Week 7	A draft of the Thesis paper outline is due for all Thesis I students. This includes a Word document that follows the exact formatting outlined in the sample paper and a detailed table of contents as discussed in class. Also, complete the introduction and chapter 1. Thesis II students have to hand in an advanced draft of their paper that includes at least three completed chapters of their paper. Papers are due at the beginning of class.
	Week 8	Group Presentation
	Week 9	Group meets -- individual discussions.
	Week 10 April 2nd	Group meets -- individual discussions.
	Week 11 April 9th	Group Presentation
	Week 12 April 16th	Group meets -- individual discussions.
	Week 13 April 23th	Group meets -- individual discussions.
	Week 14 May 2nd	Group Presentation A second draft of the Thesis paper is due for all Thesis I students. Students are expected to have completed a minimum of two chapters at this point. Graduating students: Finalized papers are due at the beginning of class.
	Week 15 May 7th	Formal Presentations to the Department Graduating students: Finalized papers are due to the chair.

Methods of Assessment

Format of Thesis Projects:
Each type of thesis project - depending on platform and type - has to follow a specific format.
For example, an interactive project has a different set of requirements than a 3D animation,
or a video project. It is the students' responsibility to find out what the guidelines for his/her
project are. For specifics, students should consult the Thesis Requirements and Guidelines
document (available in the DDA office). It is important all Thesis students carefully read this document.
(Click here for the credit template.)

Written Thesis:
The written component of a Thesis project discusses the aesthetic and technical issues of the Thesis project. Generally, the written Thesis is 25 - 40 pages in length. Students are advised not to underestimate the breadth and scope of writing such a paper. The written Thesis needs to be carefully planned and must adhere to specific guidelines. Students are advised to review previously completed Thesis projects and papers (available at the DDA Resource Center). Students are required to submit preliminary drafts of their Thesis paper throughout the semester. The deadlines for handing in drafts will be discussed in class (also, please see the Weekly Schedule section above). I suggest that students follow the MLA style of citation.

For the Library Guidelines, check here. Read the instructions carefully. (Please note that the binding fee is $60.)

Deadlines:
The deadlines for submitting completed theses are
The third week of April for May graduates.
The first week of December for February graduates.

Please note that the DDA deadlines for handing in final projects and papers are ahead of the library's deadlines. Students should keep in mind that only 100% completed projects will get approved. Upon approval by the thesis committee, the Thesis Advisor and the Chair of the Department (Peter Patchen) will have to sign off on the Thesis project and paper and require time to carefully review the submitted materials.

Only when the Thesis Advisor has signed off on a Thesis will it be given to the Chair of the Department for review. In other words, ample time has to be reserved for this process (min. of 2 weeks).

Each student enrolled in Thesis I/II is responsible to keep abreast of all requirements and deadlines he/she has to meet in order to successfully complete his/her Thesis project.

A thesis student is required to inform his/her instructor during the first week of the semester if he/she intends to graduate during that semester.

Thesis sudents who will require more than the two semesters usually dedicated to the completion of a Thesis project will become a "Thesis in Progress" (TIP) student. TIP students should be aware of the following:

1) Normally the Thesis Advisor remains the Thesis Advisor until the thesis project is completed.

2) A TIP student is expected to work even more independently than he or she did as a Thesis student. The instructor will continue to meet with the student, however, it is the student's responsibility to contact the instructor and to arrange for a meeting.

3) Every TIP student must remain in good standing in order to remain enrolled. A student who does not "remain in good standing" will receive an "F", and fail the course. In this event, the student would be required to re-enroll for Thesis, pay full tuition, and to start over.

4) In order to "remain in good standing" a student should
- meet with the instructor (his/her Advisor) at least twice per semester
- continue to make reasonable progress on his/her thesis project
- register and pay the registration fee every semester

The maximum time allowed by Pratt Institute for the completion of a thesis project is a total of 6 semesters. However, students are expected to demonstrate sufficient progress to the thesis committee at the end of every semester. Thus, additional semesters will only be granted to students who meet the requirements and demonstrate progress.

Readings/Bibliography

N/A

Supplementals

N/A

Student Guidelines

Please see the Thesis Guidelines document for a list of final Thesis materials to be submitted.
To avoid complications when you are trying to graduate, make sure to follow the requirements exactly.

Please note that all envelopes and cases must be labeled, indicating:
student name
title of work
type of work
duration
format of medium
"Pratt Institute DDA MFA Thesis Project"

Example of Label:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pratt Institute DDA MFA Thesis April 10, 2011
Nina Simone "My Baby Just Cares For Me"
3D animation, 3:00 minutes, NTSC
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Label al discs clearly with a permanent marker or use LightScribe.
CDs and DVDs with adhesive labels will NOT be accepted.


Signature Page Titles:
Claudia Tait, Thesis Advisor, Department of Digital Arts
Peter Patchen, Chair, Department of Digital Arts

Please note that the credits of your project have to follow a template and include the DDA logo.
For the proper formatting of credits, see the Thesis Requirements and Guidelines document.

Plagiarism Policy

When you copy work that was actually created by another person, without giving credit to the original author, you are implying that you yourself did the work. This is called plagiarism. It is dishonest and is not acceptable at Pratt Institute.

Digital Copyright and Intellectual Property Protection
It is the policy of DDA and Pratt to emphasize respect for the creative works of others. Infringement takes place when -- without permission -- a substantial part of a work is copied, made available to others, or adapted into a new form. Images, text, logos, software, sounds, film/video clips, email, postings to newsgroups, and other works distributed electronically are protected by copyright, just as they are in traditional media. Appropriate use of the internet and digital storage media implies responsibilities and is encouraged. Protection technologies such as watermarking and encryption are supported and must be respected. DDA does not condone copyright infringement and disciplinary action will be taken if this policy is violated.