Kinetic Imaging

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Sponsored by the Office of the Provost

2023-2024

School of the Arts

Program description

The Department of Kinetic Imaging prepares students to use video, animation, coding, and sound for the purpose of art-making, self-expression and experimentation. The kinetic imaging programs are designed for students who want to study video art, sound design, creative coding, and experimental two-dimensional and three-dimensional animation. Emphasis is placed on artistic uses of the media.

The department offers an undergraduate curriculum leading to a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Kinetic Imaging as well as a graduate level program that results in a Master of Fine Arts in Fine Arts.

Career opportunities

The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Kinetic Imaging prepares students to be multidisciplinary artists. This opens pathways into career fields ranging from being an experimental artist to working for an animation studio or contemporary art gallery or media production company. Skills gained in sound design and video editing translate to careers in media and entertainment, live events, and performing arts as well as emerging fields such as AR, VR, and immersive live experiences.

Change of major requirements

Completion of the Art Foundation Program is a prerequisite for entry into all fine art and design departments.

Students are required to submit their application and required portfolio here.

Typical application deadlines are November 1 (for spring applicants) and April 1 (for fall applicants).

Bachelor-level job titles

Animator
Audio Sound Editor
Audio Sound Producer
Electro-Acoustic Sound Artist
Media Technician
Motion Graphics Technician (Designer)
Multimedia Artist
Multimedia Designer
Multimedia Production Specialist
Video Production Editor

Graduate and professional level job titles

Art Director
Marketing Manager
Museum Director
Producer

Professional associations and resources

Degree requirements in Bulletin

Kinetic Imaging, Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.)

Plan of study in Bulletin

Kinetic Imaging, Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.)

Requirements

Highest level of math required

Quantitative Foundations requirement only

Science required

Natural Sciences requirement only

Foreign language requirements

Additional tuition/fees

GPA requirements (to progress/graduate in the major)

2.0 major GPA

Transfer Maps

View Transfer Maps for this major

Contact information

Department name:

Department of Kinetic Imaging

Building/room location:

The Depot Annex

Phone:

(804) 828.2787

Email:

kineticimage@vcu.edu

http://arts.vcu.edu/kineticimaging/

Campus (where 75% of courses are taken):

Monroe Park

Major map

Year 1

Explore

MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING

Enroll in a student success course to connect with campus advisors and build community around your interests and goals.
Map out a 4-year course plan in the DegreeWorks Student Educational Planner.
Meet with a writing consultant to hone your writing skills.
Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor to review your CSI self-report, start goal planning, and choose electives.
Sharpen your study skills in supplemental instruction sessions at the Campus Learning Center.

GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY

Apply to live in a program-in-residence or a living learning community.
Consider applying to the Honors College.
Get involved, meet people, and develop your interests by joining one of VCU's 50 student clubs and organizations.
If living on campus, connect with your Resident Assistant, attend hall events, and participate in Community Council.
Participate in RAM CAMP to get a jump start on learning about VCU’s campus community.
Register to vote in Virginia and explore Richmond’s many museums and parks.
Check out university art spaces and the VCUArts Calendar.

DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY

Check out the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs and follow @vcuomsa.
Connect with the Global Education Office to explore leadership and intercultural communication skill-building programs like the Peace Corps Prep Certificate.
Join RAMmalogues to talk with peers about social identities in the context of acceptance, belonging, and inclusion in life at VCU.
Review Global Learning's Major Advising Sheets to explore studying abroad opportunities and other global learning opportunities.
Visit a study abroad fair and complete Rams Abroad 101.
Visit local and regional museums of art, history, and diversity every semester.

EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS

Activate your Handshake profile and opt-in to industry email lists.
Apply to be a Division of Student Affairs peer leader.
Consider applying for a federal work-study job on- or off-campus in Handshake.
Seek research opportunities by applying for research funding through the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program.
Set up a profile in the Student Opportunity Center to explore REAL opportunities.
Explore The Vault to learn about employers and job titles related to your artistic interests.

PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE

Access your free credit report and begin making responsible credit choices to prepare for your future.
Build a resume and LinkedIn profile with help from VCU Career Services, make at least 10 connections, and check out the VCU alumni career programs page.
Explore “What Can I Do With This Major” to learn about employers in your field of study.
Join Students Today Alumni Tomorrow to connect with VCU traditions and alumni networking opportunities.
Make a 4-year affordability plan with your financial counselor.
Digitally archive studio and personal work.

Year 2

Experience

MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING

Explore innovation and business/non-profit creation classes with the da Vinci Center.
Get familiar with the research process with the VCU Libraries Research Basics Guide.
Schedule an appointment with your advisor to explore minors, certificates, and plan your required REAL experience.
Talk to professors about your research interests, electives, and strategies for success in your classes.
Learn foundational and technical skills needed to master your direction within your department.

GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY

Discuss personal and professional interests with faculty.
If living on campus, join the Residence Hall Association.
Learn about the Sophomore Year Experience in Cary & Belvedere.
Take a service-learning class to get involved with local organizations while earning credit.
Volunteer to address a social issue and check out Hands on Greater Richmond for opportunities.
Attend student art exhibitions, Richmond’s First Fridays art walk, and other regional art events.

DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY

Apply for the Critical Languages Scholarship.
Explore social issues, develop cultural competency skills, and engage with faculty through iExcel pop-up courses.
Investigate globally-focused courses in your major by pursuing language coursework or setting language proficiency goals with advisors and faculty.
Make friends with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization.
Consider a minor in art history or world studies to augment and round out your VCUarts degree.
Make an appointment with your education abroad advisor on Navigate: junior year is the best time to study abroad while completing fine arts studio or major requirements in locations like Florence, Lima, and London.

EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS

Attend career and internship fairs and other professional development events.
Complete a gap analysis with your career advisor to identify key skills required for your professional field.
Explore global career options with a career advisor to set goals for getting your dream job.
Organize examples of your academic and professional experiences, accomplishments, and reflections in an ePortfolio.
Pursue a digital badge to highlight the knowledge, skills, and experiences employers and graduate schools value.
Seek out practical experience through independent skill-building, internships, shadowing, or part-time work.
Attend career and internship fairs and other professional development events.

PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE

Ask a faculty or staff member to be your academic and professional mentor and to provide future letters of recommendation.
Build a resume and LinkedIn profile with help from VCU Career Services, make at least 10 connections, and check out the VCU alumni career programs page.
Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of professional interest.
Connect with alumni on VCULink for career advice, industry contacts, and meaningful professional relationships.
Meet with a coach in the Financial Success Center to set financial goals, understand student loans, and create spending plans.
Talk to your professors about what electives can help lead to your dream job: consider the skills you will need and choose classes to get the most out of your learning experience.

Year 3

Experience

MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING

Enhance your business, software, technology, and creative skills using LinkedIn Learning.
See your academic and career advisors to discuss graduation progress and career planning.
Take a virtual library tour to learn about library spaces, services, and research help.
Discuss possible directions in the arts as they relate to your goals and courses.

GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY

Attend civic meetings, such as school board, neighborhood association, city council, or state legislative sessions.
Design a community-engaged research project.
Make an appointment with the National Scholarship Office to explore post-graduate scholarship and fellowship opportunities, such as the Fulbright Student Scholarship.
Motivate your peers by presenting at Leaders Unleashed: Student Leadership Conference or at TEDxVCU.
Attend regional art events, faculty and student exhibitions, programs, workshops, and our Midday Muse collective.

DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY

Build language proficiency and cultural competence by carrying out your plans for study abroad, internships, and service-learning.
Explore new cultures at one of Richmond’s wide array of festivals.
Get required REAL experience and effect community change by using iExcel’s Active Citizen’s Toolkit to vote and volunteer.
Prepare for future work on multidisciplinary and multicultural teams by showcasing your interpersonal skills on your resume.
Consider studying abroad in your junior year or the summer between your junior and senior years.

EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS

Apply for the Graduate School Mentorship Program to learn more about graduate school and the graduate student experience.
Get expert advice from VCU Alumni ranging from graduate school to your career simply by asking a question through Ask A Ram.
Take advantage of mock interview opportunities through InterviewStream or meeting with a career advisor.
Attend career and internship fairs to begin applying for internships and other professional development opportunities.
Take advantage of opportunities such as being published in our VCU magazines or having your work displayed on the Library’s Big Screen.

PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE

Make a plan with your academic, career, and faculty advisors for applying to graduate school or land a micro-internship.
Prepare for job offer negotiation by researching salaries, benefits, and other opportunities for flexibility.
Study for and complete any standardized exams required for graduate school the summer before senior year.
Begin building a professional online website of your work and arts endeavors.

Year 4

Excel

MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING

Choose REAL electives to diversify your skillset and round out your degree.
Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor the semester before you graduate to ensure that all graduation requirements will be met.
Discuss your senior projects with your professors and advisor and ask for their feedback before you present your work in the Kinetic Imaging Senior Show.

GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY

Apply for post-graduation programs like Peace Corps, Literacy Lab, Richmond Teacher Residency, or AmeriCorps.
Attend professional association conferences that offer student rates or scholarships.
Serve in a leadership role on campus in a local community organization.
Serve in a leadership role on campus or as a board member of a local community organization.

DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY

Carry out globally-oriented research projects with multilingual faculty and international partners.
Master your answers to interview questions about your experience working with diverse populations.
Plan for how you will grow your cultural agility after graduation.
Read scholarly articles about diversity in your field.
Investigate all of the cultural and diverse events and groups that have caught your interest during your VCU experience.

EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS

Consider becoming an educator through programs like RTR, which prepare graduates from a variety of majors to become teachers in high-need schools.
Meet with your academic or professional mentor and identify examples of your experiential learning to share with employers.
Publish your original research in Auctus: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creativity.
Apply for internships and other professional development opportunities.
Meet with your academic, professional mentor, or career advisor and identify examples of your experiential learning to share with employers.

PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE

Connect with the Office of VCU Alumni Relations at Grad Fair, Grad Bash, and the VCULink Industry Network or alumni chapter.
Have a personal statement or cover letter reviewed by Career Services.
Prepare for graduation by making a plan to complete licensing exams, applications, and self-marketing activities.
Single out prospective employers and create a job or graduate school search strategy at least 8 months before graduation.
Research prospective employers and create a job or graduate school search strategy 6-8 months before graduation.

Visit majormaps.vcu.edu for the online version with links.
Sponsored by the Office of the Provost

2023-2024

Kinetic Imaging

School of the Arts

Concentration(s):

No concentration

		MAXIMIZE COURSE AND DEGREE PLANNING	GET CONNECTED WITH YOUR COMMUNITY	DEVELOP CULTURAL AGILITY	EXPLORE CAREERS AND DEVELOP ESSENTIAL SKILLS	PREPARING FOR LIFE AFTER COLLEGE
Explore	Year 1	Enroll in a student success course to connect with campus advisors and build community around your interests and goals. Map out a 4-year course plan in the DegreeWorks Student Educational Planner. Meet with a writing consultant to hone your writing skills. Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor to review your CSI self-report, start goal planning, and choose electives. Sharpen your study skills in supplemental instruction sessions at the Campus Learning Center.	Apply to live in a program-in-residence or a living learning community. Consider applying to the Honors College. Get involved, meet people, and develop your interests by joining one of VCU's 50 student clubs and organizations. If living on campus, connect with your Resident Assistant, attend hall events, and participate in Community Council. Participate in RAM CAMP to get a jump start on learning about VCU’s campus community. Register to vote in Virginia and explore Richmond’s many museums and parks. Check out university art spaces and the VCUArts Calendar.	Check out the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs and follow @vcuomsa. Connect with the Global Education Office to explore leadership and intercultural communication skill-building programs like the Peace Corps Prep Certificate. Join RAMmalogues to talk with peers about social identities in the context of acceptance, belonging, and inclusion in life at VCU. Review Global Learning's Major Advising Sheets to explore studying abroad opportunities and other global learning opportunities. Visit a study abroad fair and complete Rams Abroad 101. Visit local and regional museums of art, history, and diversity every semester.	Activate your Handshake profile and opt-in to industry email lists. Apply to be a Division of Student Affairs peer leader. Consider applying for a federal work-study job on- or off-campus in Handshake. Seek research opportunities by applying for research funding through the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program. Set up a profile in the Student Opportunity Center to explore REAL opportunities. Explore The Vault to learn about employers and job titles related to your artistic interests.	Access your free credit report and begin making responsible credit choices to prepare for your future. Build a resume and LinkedIn profile with help from VCU Career Services, make at least 10 connections, and check out the VCU alumni career programs page. Explore “What Can I Do With This Major” to learn about employers in your field of study. Join Students Today Alumni Tomorrow to connect with VCU traditions and alumni networking opportunities. Make a 4-year affordability plan with your financial counselor. Digitally archive studio and personal work.
Experience	Year 2	Explore innovation and business/non-profit creation classes with the da Vinci Center. Get familiar with the research process with the VCU Libraries Research Basics Guide. Schedule an appointment with your advisor to explore minors, certificates, and plan your required REAL experience. Talk to professors about your research interests, electives, and strategies for success in your classes. Learn foundational and technical skills needed to master your direction within your department.	Discuss personal and professional interests with faculty. If living on campus, join the Residence Hall Association. Learn about the Sophomore Year Experience in Cary & Belvedere. Take a service-learning class to get involved with local organizations while earning credit. Volunteer to address a social issue and check out Hands on Greater Richmond for opportunities. Attend student art exhibitions, Richmond’s First Fridays art walk, and other regional art events.	Apply for the Critical Languages Scholarship. Explore social issues, develop cultural competency skills, and engage with faculty through iExcel pop-up courses. Investigate globally-focused courses in your major by pursuing language coursework or setting language proficiency goals with advisors and faculty. Make friends with diverse perspectives and join a cultural or identity-related student organization. Consider a minor in art history or world studies to augment and round out your VCUarts degree. Make an appointment with your education abroad advisor on Navigate: junior year is the best time to study abroad while completing fine arts studio or major requirements in locations like Florence, Lima, and London.	Attend career and internship fairs and other professional development events. Complete a gap analysis with your career advisor to identify key skills required for your professional field. Explore global career options with a career advisor to set goals for getting your dream job. Organize examples of your academic and professional experiences, accomplishments, and reflections in an ePortfolio. Pursue a digital badge to highlight the knowledge, skills, and experiences employers and graduate schools value. Seek out practical experience through independent skill-building, internships, shadowing, or part-time work. Attend career and internship fairs and other professional development events.	Ask a faculty or staff member to be your academic and professional mentor and to provide future letters of recommendation. Build a resume and LinkedIn profile with help from VCU Career Services, make at least 10 connections, and check out the VCU alumni career programs page. Conduct informational interviews or shadow someone in a field of professional interest. Connect with alumni on VCULink for career advice, industry contacts, and meaningful professional relationships. Meet with a coach in the Financial Success Center to set financial goals, understand student loans, and create spending plans. Talk to your professors about what electives can help lead to your dream job: consider the skills you will need and choose classes to get the most out of your learning experience.
Experience	Year 3	Enhance your business, software, technology, and creative skills using LinkedIn Learning. See your academic and career advisors to discuss graduation progress and career planning. Take a virtual library tour to learn about library spaces, services, and research help. Discuss possible directions in the arts as they relate to your goals and courses.	Attend civic meetings, such as school board, neighborhood association, city council, or state legislative sessions. Design a community-engaged research project. Make an appointment with the National Scholarship Office to explore post-graduate scholarship and fellowship opportunities, such as the Fulbright Student Scholarship. Motivate your peers by presenting at Leaders Unleashed: Student Leadership Conference or at TEDxVCU. Attend regional art events, faculty and student exhibitions, programs, workshops, and our Midday Muse collective.	Build language proficiency and cultural competence by carrying out your plans for study abroad, internships, and service-learning. Explore new cultures at one of Richmond’s wide array of festivals. Get required REAL experience and effect community change by using iExcel’s Active Citizen’s Toolkit to vote and volunteer. Prepare for future work on multidisciplinary and multicultural teams by showcasing your interpersonal skills on your resume. Consider studying abroad in your junior year or the summer between your junior and senior years.	Apply for the Graduate School Mentorship Program to learn more about graduate school and the graduate student experience. Get expert advice from VCU Alumni ranging from graduate school to your career simply by asking a question through Ask A Ram. Take advantage of mock interview opportunities through InterviewStream or meeting with a career advisor. Attend career and internship fairs to begin applying for internships and other professional development opportunities. Take advantage of opportunities such as being published in our VCU magazines or having your work displayed on the Library’s Big Screen.	Make a plan with your academic, career, and faculty advisors for applying to graduate school or land a micro-internship. Prepare for job offer negotiation by researching salaries, benefits, and other opportunities for flexibility. Study for and complete any standardized exams required for graduate school the summer before senior year. Begin building a professional online website of your work and arts endeavors.
Excel	Year 4	Choose REAL electives to diversify your skillset and round out your degree. Schedule an appointment with your academic advisor the semester before you graduate to ensure that all graduation requirements will be met. Discuss your senior projects with your professors and advisor and ask for their feedback before you present your work in the Kinetic Imaging Senior Show.	Apply for post-graduation programs like Peace Corps, Literacy Lab, Richmond Teacher Residency, or AmeriCorps. Attend professional association conferences that offer student rates or scholarships. Serve in a leadership role on campus in a local community organization. Serve in a leadership role on campus or as a board member of a local community organization.	Carry out globally-oriented research projects with multilingual faculty and international partners. Master your answers to interview questions about your experience working with diverse populations. Plan for how you will grow your cultural agility after graduation. Read scholarly articles about diversity in your field. Investigate all of the cultural and diverse events and groups that have caught your interest during your VCU experience.	Consider becoming an educator through programs like RTR, which prepare graduates from a variety of majors to become teachers in high-need schools. Meet with your academic or professional mentor and identify examples of your experiential learning to share with employers. Publish your original research in Auctus: The Journal of Undergraduate Research and Creativity. Apply for internships and other professional development opportunities. Meet with your academic, professional mentor, or career advisor and identify examples of your experiential learning to share with employers.	Connect with the Office of VCU Alumni Relations at Grad Fair, Grad Bash, and the VCULink Industry Network or alumni chapter. Have a personal statement or cover letter reviewed by Career Services. Prepare for graduation by making a plan to complete licensing exams, applications, and self-marketing activities. Single out prospective employers and create a job or graduate school search strategy at least 8 months before graduation. Research prospective employers and create a job or graduate school search strategy 6-8 months before graduation.