Graduate Programs: CS and Media - emphasis in sound/signal processing

Graduate School
1

<p>Hi guys,</p>

<p>I'm a rising junior at the Jacobs School of Music. There, I study Recording Arts, which is essentially a "music technology" degree. The JSoM is one of the top-rated music schools, but it's at Indiana University--Bloomington, which is probably nothing more than a first or second tier state university. Nevertheless, it's a highly competitive program, and I'm sure it carries a good deal of weight to graduate from such a competitive music program.</p>

<p>I have a particular interest in new media and new technologies. I am a software developer, and have a strong knowledge of computer science, programming, and digital media. I have always wanted to manifest this knowledge within a sound/music/audio focus, hence my decision to study at the JSoM. </p>

<p>However, I can't help but feel concerned about my particular prospects in graduate school. In fact, I can't even figure out what area of graduate study would be right for me.</p>

<p>My program's curriculum is extremely rigid, which nearly forbids me from studying any outside areas. I am almost forced to take 17 credits a semester, only to fulfill my departmental requirements. Thus, I have not had time to think about non-requirement or non-major courses.</p>

<p>So, this basically forbids me from doing many of the major CS programs (like the ones at NYU, MIT, and Columbia). They all require that you do particularly well in "math, business, science, or computer science" courses - the problem is that, upon graduation, I will not have taken a single class in any of those fields!</p>

<p>If I examine the "Media Labs" or "Interactive Media" type programs out there, I believe I could get into a lot of these programs, but I'm concerned that the subject matter is not right for me. The MIT Media Labs seem focused specifically on research, and the NYU Tisch ITP program seems strangely "untechnical" and seems to focus a lot on "visual art." But I would like to get a degree that could prepare me for a powerful, high-earning, invigorating career involved in software development and/or interactive/new media. The Media Labs seem to be more interested in research instead of education, and the ITP program seems beneath my ability level, or at least not conducive enough to my interested field of study.</p>

<p>Do I have the wrong impression about any of these programs I've mentioned? Would it be necessary or highly advisable for me to declare a second major before moving to graduate studies? I have an enormous amount of passion and dedication to this field, but I'm having trouble finding a program that is suitable for both my interests and my current academic positions. Can anybody here recommend some good programs, a good place to start, or a few institutions to look into? Can anybody here show me that (hopefully) I'm dead wrong about all of this?</p>

<p>I highly appreciate any responses or insights provided. Thanks in advance!</p>

2

<p>Bump? :slight_smile: Hope I could get some insight into this…</p>

3

<p>You might want to stay for a fifth year to get the computer science and math courses on your transcript – if that’s at all possible. A double major would be ideal.</p>

<p>But if you don’t want to double major, you may want to apply to musicology PhD programs that will allow you to turn your computer science background toward music. You won’t be getting a PhD in CS, although you will be using it for your research and therefore won’t need the CS courses on your transcript. If you go this route, you’ll have to be careful to seek out programs that allow interdisciplinary work of this kind. If you find a musicology professor who uses computers as a research tool, you will provide a unique fit that will boost your odds of acceptance.</p>

<p>Of course, if your real interest in not in music but in the computer science aspect of digital media and programming, then you’ll need that double major. You need to decide which is more important: the music or the computer science. I see no reason why you cannot combine both at the graduate level as long as you choose an emphasis. If you study musicology, you’ll have to take qualifying exams that cover areas of music that aren’t your focus and which have nothing to do with computer science, and if you study computer science, the reverse will be true.</p>

4

<p>“Research” ? </p>

<p>May be the word is “Investigation”? DS did “Investigation” into different input eye-hand pointing devices at CMU’s HCI and Toronto’s DGP. Sounds like you would want to “Investigate” input/output of audio data?</p>