The Digital Media Art program at the China Academy of Art is positioned at the deep intersection of art, computer science, engineering, and business disciplines within the context of the New Liberal Arts, directly addressing the evolving demands of design in the age of intelligent media. Building upon the China Academy of Art's century-old legacy of arts education, the program employs cutting-edge digital technologies as engines of innovation, focusing on emerging fields such as Technical Art (TA), Hyper-Vision, Digital Entertainment Development, and Digital Performance. It is committed to redefining the boundaries and forms of art amid the currents of new media.
The program adheres to an ecological teaching philosophy that fosters the symbiosis of "media and thought" and "media and industry." Employing algorithm-driven multi-modal perception and cross-media narrative as methodological framework, and grounding learning in real-world industry projects, it cultivates students' capacity for media innovation and content production in the intelligent media era. It is dedicated to nurturing innovative talents who possess not only proficiency in applying cutting-edge technological tools, but also the ability to comprehend industry dynamics, anticipate future trends, and effectively address real-world commercial and cultural challenges.
To achieve these objectives, the program has established a comprehensive support system. The faculty is led by distinguished domestic and international scholars and artists, with extensive influence in the creation and theoretical research of digital art. The institute-based teaching model is closely integrated with real-world industry projects, emphasizing the complete cycle from prototyping to tangible outcomes. The program actively expands its global network, supporting student participation in international competitions, cross-cultural collaborations, and academic conferences. Graduates are expected to take on leadering roles across a broad spectrum of fields, including the digital entertainment and gaming, film visual effects and virtual production, immersive experience and installation design, digital cultural heritage and museum technology, R&D of AI art tools, academic research, and innovation and entrepreneurship.
This major was selected as a National First-Class Undergraduate Program in 2021, and has been ranked 6th nationally in the 2026 Best Chinese Majors Ranking.
Curriculum Overview
Curriculum Structure
The curriculum features a talent cultivation model inspired by the Chinese character "士", a “scholar-shaped’ structure characterized by "broad horizontal exploration, + deep vertical specialization." It focuses on the development of four core competencies: "aesthetic judgment, social awareness, technological learning ability, and innovative breakthrough capacity." The curriculum is structured as follows: the first year provides a broad, open, and future-oriented foundational design education. In the second year, core professional courses help students build a foundational knowledge system while respecting individual interests and guiding them toward focused specializations. The third and fourth years employ an institute-based, project-driven teaching model, centering on social issues as the core research focus, targeting modern digital industries and emerging fields, and deepening inquiry-based interdisciplinary learning.
