Interdisciplinary Film and Digital Media

Miguel Gandert, Director, Distinguished Professor of Communication and Journalism
2414 Central Ave SE
MSC04 2570
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001
Phone: (505) 277-2286
Fax: (505) 277-2221
Web site: http://ifdm.unm.edu/wordpress/
Email: ifdm@unm.edu

Affiliated Faculty
Dorothy Baca, Theatre and Dance
David Bashwiner, Music
Holly Barnet-Sanchez, College of Fine Arts
Joel Castellanos, Computer Science
Tim Castillo, Architecture, ARTS Lab
Thomas Caudell, Electrical and Computer Engineering
David Dunaway, English
Charles Fleddermann, School of Engineering
Nick Flor, Anderson School of Management
Deborah Fort, Cinematic Arts
Miguel Gandert, Communication and Journalism
Peter Gilbert, Music
William Liotta, Theatre and Dance
Lee Montgomery, Art and Art History
Andrea Polli, Art and Art History, School of Engineering
Vladimir Reche, Theatre and Dance
James Stone, Cinematic Arts
Mary Tsiongas, Art and Art History
Claudia Valdez, Art and Art History
Bill Walters, Theatre and Dance

The Interdisciplinary Film and Digital Media Program (IFDM) is a model of interdisciplinary education that provides students the opportunity to develop the critical, creative, and technical skills to apply digital media technologies in innovative and productive ways. Students whose goal is to become an artist, writer, game developer, entrepreneur, engineer, critical thinker, scientist, film and video maker, animator, storyteller, designer, computer scientist or educator using or developing digital media, will find a path in this program. Students may pursue their degree in one of four different colleges within the University - College of Fine Arts, Anderson School of Management, School of Engineering or College of Arts and Sciences.

All students admitted to the program have to complete a University Core curriculum. Students will also have a set of ten common core courses for the IFDM program listed below. A grade of "C" or better (grades of "C-" are not accepted) must be earned in all IFDM common core courses. These core classes are taken in order from the time a student is admitted as a pre-major into the program. Additional specific courses are required for selected degree majors, minors, and concentrations that are determined by each participating college: College of Fine Arts, School of Engineering, College of Arts and Sciences, Anderson School of Management. Students must be accepted into those Schools and Colleges. Please see IFDM requirements in each school and college section of the catalog. The final courses of the program include capstone courses, in which students work in interdisciplinary teams to complete projects relevant to their IFDM curriculum.

The IFDM Program requires a three-tier admissions process:

I. Apply to the University of New Mexico
Whether the student is an incoming freshman or, a student transferring from another institution, all prospective IFDM students must first be admitted to the University of New Mexico. Prospective students can learn about UNM’s academic admission requirements, tuition rates, financial aid options, and apply online by visiting http://admissions.unm.edu/. This site provides links to the various colleges within the university, and contains contact information for general UNM admissions questions.

II. Apply to IFDM as a Pre-Major
In order to be accepted as a pre-major student in the IFDM program, students have to apply in early spring. If accepted, the student will become part of a cohort that will begin in the fall immediately following admission. Each group will continue through the program together. Keep in mind that this is a separate application from the general UNM Admissions application. Separate deadlines apply.

This portion of the application process is designed to allow the students to demonstrate their ability to perform to a high artistic and academic standard. Applicants will be asked to submit a written essay and samples of creative work. At this point, the screening committee will review ACT and SAT scores, and review transcripts.

More information on the IFDM pre-major application process, including an online application, can be found online at http://ifdm.unm.edu/wordpress/.

III. Apply for Admission to UNM IFDM Host College/School
The final stage of the IFDM application process is to apply to the individual college or school that houses the IFDM degree in which you are interested. This should occur between the student’s sophomore and junior years, depending on the College/School within UNM from which the student is pursuing the IFDM program.

The four colleges offering IFDM curriculum are the College or Fine Arts, the School of Engineering, College of Arts and Sciences and the Anderson School of Management. Each college or school has its own application requirements and process.

Arts and Sciences Required Courses (including UNM General Education Core Curriculum)- 34 credit hours
Selected from courses offered by departments of the College of Arts and Sciences. Specific requirements for those in the Critical Studies Concentration include PHIL 156, and AMST 182.