PhD Media Arts and Sciences at Arizona State University

Programme overview

The Doctor of Philosophy program in media arts and sciences is housed in The GAME School, a transdisciplinary center for creativity and innovation. The school educates you to be a part of the next generation of learners, empowering you with technofluency --- its development, application and implications. You are prepared to be a socially aware, critically thinking global citizen who strives to bring about positive change in a society that's increasingly shaped by new technologies.

What you will study

84 credit hours, a written comprehensive exam, a prospectus and a dissertation Required core (18 credits) AME 520 Movement and Computing (3) AME 530 Philosophy of Media Technology (3) AME 531 Experimental Media Philosophy (3) AME 532 Creating Interactive Media (3) AME 533 Design for Media Arts (3) AME 534 Machine Learning for Media Arts (3) Research (33 credit hours) AME 792 Research (33) Restricted Electives (12 credit hours) Electives (9 credit hours) Culminating Experience (12 credit hours) AME 799 Dissertation Additional Curriculum Information Students are expected to be research-active throughout the program, taking at least three research credit hours per semester.

Career pathways

Graduates can go on to careers in areas such as: academia mobile and web development product design programming research and development across diverse industries software engineering 3D modeling user experience design

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. Applicants must have earned a bachelor's or master's degree in arts, humanities, design, media studies, computer science, engineering or a closely related field from a regionally accredited institution. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program. All applicants must submit: graduate admission application and application fee official transcripts curriculum vitae statement of purpose three letters of recommendation portfolio of supporting material writing sample proof of English proficiency Additional Application Information An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.

Domestic applicants: USD 13,327 a year (2026-27). Arizona resident tuition. Tuition only for the graduate on-campus (Tempe/Downtown Phoenix/Polytechnic/West Valley) rate band in the ASU tuition estimator, 2026-27: Fall 2026 plus Spring 2027 term tuition summed (full-time flat rate; part-time credit loads Source

International applicants: USD 24,780 a year (2026-27). International tuition. Tuition only for the graduate on-campus (Tempe/Downtown Phoenix/Polytechnic/West Valley) rate band in the ASU tuition estimator, 2026-27: Fall 2026 plus Spring 2027 term tuition summed (full-time flat rate; part-time credit loads ar Source

Entry terms: Fall, Spring and Summer; the terms available for each programme are listed in Degree Search.

Graduate application deadlines are set by each programme office and listed in Degree Search. The nonrefundable application fee is $75 for U.S. citizens, permanent residents, DACA and international online students outside the U.S., and $120 for international students on a nonimmigrant visa studying in the U.S.

Apply through the official page: https://admission.asu.edu/apply/graduate/admission

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