Visual and Media Arts BA Capstone Project

Undergraduate students in the Department of Visual and Media Arts (VMA) in Emerson College’s School of the Arts can apply for the optional VM 491 BA Capstone Project, an advanced production workshop that allows them to produce portfolio work as a capstone project during their senior year.

About the Visual and Media Arts BA Capstone Project

Applications for the capstone program must include a detailed description of the academic proposal for consideration by a faculty panel. The proposal can be for a creative project based in any area of the program, including film, TV, animation, sound design, or digital art and games.

BA Capstone students receive production support for their projects and have access to specialized professional equipment and facilities. The Department of Visual and Media Arts provides up to $300 in reimbursements per student, per BA Capstone Project. Additional funding opportunities are available.

Visual and Media Arts BA Capstone Requirements

Projects must be completed during the student’s senior year. Students are eligible to apply in the second semester of their junior year to start the program the following semester. Qualified applicants must have completed introductory-level production courses in VMA. It is recommended that applicants have completed (or will concurrently take) ​two​ related intermediate or advanced production courses.

The BA Capstone Project course welcomes and supports all types of production including, but not limited to, audio projects, animation, new media projects, scripts, documentaries, experimental film or video and narratives.

BA Capstone projects are expected to be of high caliber and a significant scope that can be realistically completed within a single semester. For single-channel visual media productions, this would mean a final running time of 7–15 minutes for a project. For single-channel audio production, this would include presentations between 10 minutes to half an hour in length. For multi-channel or interactive media, overall length is less a factor than architecture, navigation, and the amount of material presented.

All projects must be completed within the semester-long course.

How to Apply for the Visual and Media Arts BA Capstone Project

The BA Capstone project is a competitive, application-based program. (Note: The program application will be available at a later date.)

Students must submit a complete application no later than the specified deadline. All applications are reviewed by the BA Capstone Committee, made up of VMA faculty. Students will be notified of committee decisions prior to registration for the relevant semester.

If you are unable to make an information session or you have particular questions about the program/capstone, feel free to reach out to the BFA program director, Professor Cristina Kotz Cornejo at c_kotz_cornejo [at] emerson.edu (c_kotz_cornejo[at]emerson[dot]edu).

Application Deadlines

All Spring 2024 information sessions will be held virtually by Professor and BFA Program Director Cristina Kotz Cornejo and can be accessed via Zoom. (Note: you must log in to Zoom using your Emerson credentials to access the meetings.)

• Thursday, January 25, 2024: 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. - Virtual (see login details below).
• Monday, January 29, 2024: 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.  - Virtual (see login details below).
• Friday, February 2, 2024: 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. - Virtual (see login details below).

BFA / BA Capstone applications are open February 2–11, 2024. Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, February 11, 2024. No late applications will be accepted.

Notifications on program acceptance will be sent out on or by Friday, March 8, 2024.