Bachelor of Fine Arts in New Media Design
About This Programme
New Media Design sits where visual communication, design strategy and user experience design meet. New media now covers anything that brings together communication, computing and technology, from social media and streaming services to wearables, virtual and augmented reality, and gaming. Students explore visual design, user experience design, interaction, motion graphics and technology to create engaging interactive media. The four-year, 122-credit sequence moves from drawing and 2D and 4D design through interactive, 3D, animation, graphical user interface and motion graphics courses, and the fourth year includes a two-part capstone.
Course Highlights
- 122 credit hours over four years in RIT Dubai's typical course sequence
- New Media Design Capstone I and II in the fourth year
- Art history, CAD studio and professional electives, plus open electives
- Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD), which lists this BFA for RIT's Dubai campus
- Labs: Arts Lab, NMD Computer Lab and Photography & Videography Lab
- Accredited by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research
What You'll Study
RIT Dubai publishes a typical four-year course sequence of 122 credit hours that combines new media design studios with foundation courses, art history, general education and electives.
First Year
- NMDE-103 New Media Design Interactive I3 credits
- FDTN-111 Drawing I3 credits
- FDTN-121 2D Design I3 credits
- FDTN-141 4D Design3 credits
- NMDE-111 New Media Design Digital Survey I3 credits
- NMDE-112 New Media Design Digital Survey II3 credits
- YOPS-10 RIT 365: RIT Connections0 credits
- One of: FDTN-112 Drawing II / FDTN-212 Drawing II Workshop: Topics3 credits
- One of: General Education – Natural Science Inquiry Perspective / General Education – Scientific Principles Perspective / General Education – Mathematical Perspective A or B3 credits
- General Education - Ethical Perspective3 credits
- General Education - First-Year Writing (WI)3 credits
Second Year
- IGME-101 New Media Interactive Design and Algorithmic Problem Solving I4 credits
- IGME-102 New Media Interactive Design and Algorithmic Problem Solving II4 credits
- NMDE-201 New Media Design Elements II3 credits
- NMDE-202 New Media Design 3D3 credits
- NMDE-203 New Media Design Interactive II3 credits
- NMDE-204 New Media Design Animation3 credits
- ARTH-### Any 100-level ARTH course (General Education-Artistic Perspective)3 credits
- ARTH-### Any 100-level ARTH course (General Education-Global Perspective)3 credits
- Professional Elective***3 credits
- General Education – Social Perspective3 credits
Third Year
- NMDE-301 New Media Design Elements III (WI-PR)3 credits
- NMDE-302 New Media Design Graphical User Interface3 credits
- NMDE-303 New Media Design Interactive III3 credits
- NMDE-305 New Media Design Motion Graphics3 credits
- Art History Electives±6 credits
- Open Electives6 credits
- General Education – Immersion 1 (WI)3 credits
- CAD Studio Elective †3 credits
Fourth Year
- NMDE-401 New Media Design Capstone I3 credits
- NMDE-404 New Media Design Interactive IV3 credits
- NMDE-406 New Media Design Experimental3 credits
- NMDE-411 New Media Design Capstone II3 credits
- General Education – Immersion 2, 36 credits
- General Education – Elective3 credits
- Open Electives9 credits
Notes on the sequence
(WI) marks a writing-intensive course. ± Art history electives are non-studio courses with the ARTH attribute at 200 level or above. † CAD studio electives are College of Art and Design courses with a studio or lab component. *** Professional electives are courses from GRDE, IGME, ISTE, IDDE, DDDD, SOFA or photography (PHAP, PHAR, PHFA, PHPJ, PHVM, PHPS).
What You'll Learn
Programme learning outcomes
- Organise and present information and multimedia content using research and interaction design principles
- Solve communication problems by creating digital imagery and design
- Identify and analyse the digital communications industry, its best practices and individual roles in collaborative workspaces
- Apply design theory, methods and practice by examining contemporary and historical design
- Take part in innovative, multidisciplinary team collaborations
Programme goals
- Future-oriented skills: stronger technical competence in digital media design and the use of artificial intelligence
- Creativity and productivity: professional methods for turning written content into formats suited to new media
- Community engagement: using new media design tools and strategies to contribute to discussions on complex issues
Entry Requirements
The maths placement test is optional, for students who want to take maths electives.
Careers
Typical job titles: App Designer, Creative Director, Design Director, Digital Product Designer, Graphic Designer, Interactive Designer, Junior Visual Designer, Motion Graphic Designer, Presentation Designer, Senior Visual Designer, UI/UX Designer, Web Developer. Industries: Advertising, PR, and Marketing; Design; Electronic and Computer Hardware; Healthcare; Higher Education; Insurance; Internet and Software; Journalism, Media and Publishing.
Accreditation & Professional Recognition
Accredited by the UAE Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, and listed as Active on the Commission for Academic Accreditation's register. Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD): its register lists the four-year Bachelor of Fine Arts in New Media Design at RIT's Dubai campus, with RIT's most recent comprehensive review in 2025 and the next scheduled for 2034-2035. The degree is issued by RIT's main campus in Rochester, New York.
Programme Details
Award
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)
Start Date
August (Fall) and January (Spring)
Typical Offer
70% overall (UAE General 75%); IB 24 points
Duration
4 years
Qualification
BFA
Subject Area
Design
Campus
Dubai Silicon Oasis
Tuition Fee
AED 68,000/yr
Applications for the Spring and Fall 2027 intakes are open and are reviewed on a rolling basis. Spring: early admission until 31 October, regular admission until 31 December, deadline 8 January. Fall: early admission until 15 January, regular admission until 31 May, deadline 22 August. RIT Dubai offers scholarships of up to 50% based on academic and non-academic achievements.