Click on any of the following links to go right to that information:

Dean: Laurence D. Kaptain, DMA and FRSA
Associate Dean, Academic and Student Affairs: Joann Brennan

Contact

Dean’s Office / Office of Advising and Student Services

Physical Location:

Arts Building, Suite 177
1150 10th Street
303-556-2279 (option 1)
Fax: 303-556-2335

Mailing Address:
College of Arts & Media
Campus Box 162
P.O. Box 173364
Denver, CO 80217-3364

“Art Changing Lives” 

Mission: Established in 2001, the College of Arts & Media (CAM) at the University of Colorado Denver stands at the intersection of arts, technology and commerce. The faculty and staff of this public arts school are committed to providing opportunities and environments where students may learn with purpose and create with passion. Members of this creative community use powerful art making, arts practice, expansive teaching and learning to challenge cultural and social barriers wherever they encounter them, to record and interpret, through their scholarship and art, the vibrant dynamics of our society, and recognize their own accountability as active and necessary contributors to culture. This community of student and faculty creators, designers, entrepreneurs, scholars and leaders connect deeply with the arts disciplines and the creative industries. 

• Experimentation and Innovation
• Excellence and Professionalism
• Community
• Creative Research and Scholarship
• Leadership
• Entrepreneurship
• Technological Innovation
• Critical Thinking
• Diversity, Accessibility and Equity
• Intellectual Freedom and Artistic Integrity
• Sustainability
• Civic Engagement
• Experiential Learning
• Social Responsibility

Programs

CAM’s Department of Music & Entertainment Industry Studies  (MEIS) offers a master of science in recording arts (MSRA) with emphases in recording arts and media forensics. For details on program requirements, admissions, application deadlines and policies, please see the Recording Arts  page or the Media Forensics  page in this catalog.

CAM also offers a wide range of undergraduate degree options through its MEIS Department, as well as the Department of Theatre, Film & Video Production  and the Department of Visual Arts . Please see the Undergraduate Catalog or contact CAMadvising@ucdenver.edu for more information.

Faculty in CAM design their courses with explicit learning outcomes that define knowledge (what students will know) and skills (what students will be able to do). Dispositional outcomes that describe how students will be changed are often included. Sequentially-designed courses enable the scaffolding of knowledge, skills and dispositions while supporting CAM students to engage in art-making of consequence, creative innovations, new technologies, and building connections to creative industries. Our faculty infuse real-world knowledge in the classroom and create opportunities for students to develop an understanding of how their own art-making and scholarly pursuits impact others.  Opportunities to engage with arts professionals, attend lectures and workshops by visiting artists, work in the creative industries through internships and participate in other exciting activities help students connect their learning to careers in the arts. 

Recording Arts Facilities

• Five recording studios
  • Three studios include Surround Sound capabilities
  • All studios are ProTools HD equipped
• Large inventory of microphones and outboard equipment available
• Vintage keys collection which includes DX-7, ARP Odyssey, ARP 2600, MiniMoog, PolyMoog, D-10, YC-30, B3 and Rhodes
• MIDI lab featuring ProTools, Logic and Ableton; supplemental access to three College of Arts & Media computer labs
• Consoles include SSL AWS 924, Yamaha DM2000, DigiDesign Control 24 and Mackie 32x8 Bus, as well as an Avid Artist Control surface
• Workstations include ProTools, LogicPro and others for mastering, sequencing and synthesis applications
• 16-station piano lab featuring Apple Macintosh iMac computers with a wide selection of musical and songwriting/composition software applications

National Center for Media Forensics Facilities

• Computer lab featuring multimedia analysis and processing software such as Cognitech, Ocean Systems, DAC, Agnitio and MATLAB
• Security DVR and Camera Lab
• Digital Evidence Lab featuring EnCase and Cellebrite hardware/software systems
• Graduate student workstations accessible from anywhere in the world via Remote Desktop Connection
• Network on ENF (Electric Network Frequency) databases around the US

Scholarship Opportunities

Students are encouraged to review scholarship opportunities provided by CAM and the university through the university’s Scholarship Resource Office. Visit the Tuition, Fees and Financial Aid  page in this catalog for more information.

CAM General Academic Policies

Please see the Office of the Registrar , the University Policies  and the Information for Graduate Students  pages of this catalog for academic policies that apply to all students at the university. The policies that follow apply specifically to graduate students in the College of Arts & Media. Contact CAMadvising@ucdenver.edu with any questions about these or other college/university policies.

Students must also follow the policies outlined in the Graduate School Rules. Visit http://www.ucdenver.edu/academics/colleges/Graduate-School/Pages/default.aspx and click on the link to access these rules.

Adding/Dropping Courses After Census

Students wishing to add or drop a full-term course after the semester add/drop deadline (census) must submit a petition to the College of Arts & Media. Contact CAMadvising@ucdenver.edu for petition guidelines.

Grade Appeals

When a CAM student has questions or concerns regarding academic issues such as project grades, final grades, attendance policies, etc., the student is encouraged to speak directly with the faculty member teaching the course. If resolution or clarity of understanding is not reached, the following procedure should be followed:

• The student must first consult and discuss the issue with the original instructor.
• Depending upon the nature of the appeal, the relevant department chair may be consulted prior to or at the time the student contacts the original instructor.
• Should the student, the instructor(s) and the chair be unable to rectify the grade issues, the student can submit a petition to the CAM Academic Policies Committee for review. 
• Therefore, at the point which the Committee considers the case, it is the student’s responsibility to provide the Committee with all relevant course policies and documents (including syllabi, project descriptions, etc.).
  • The student should submit a 1-2 page (typed and double spaced) letter clearly detailing the original circumstances, a summary of the discussions between the instructor and the chair, and the issues the student feels have not been resolved.
• The instructor’s response to the appeal will also be considered by the Committee.
  • Documentation must be presented in the appeal showing that the instructor was consulted and that the initial appeal was submitted to the instructor for consideration.
  • Petitions that do not include documentation of instructor contact will not be reviewed.
• It is the function of the Committee to research and analyze grade issues with regard to consistency and fairness. The Committee is empowered to make recommendations directly to faculty, which may include the review of assigned grades in light of further evidence produced through the Committee’s examination of the issues.
• Due to the tenets of Academic Freedom, the Committee cannot override grades given in good faith by faculty.
• If circumstances and evidence submitted are in support, the Committee may recommend a particular grade be re-evaluated and faculty may be presented with the opportunity for good faith consideration of the recommendation and possible reconsideration of the assigned grade.

Incompletes

The College of Arts & Media has strict policies for granting incomplete grades. They include but are not limited to the following:

• Reason for incomplete must be a verifiable circumstance beyond the student’s control that made completion of the course impossible.
• The majority of course requirements (75 percent) must have been completed with a passing grade to be eligible for an incomplete (B [3.0] for courses toward recording arts; B- [2.7] for courses toward media forensics).
• CAM course completion agreement must be signed by both the instructor and student, with final approval by the associate dean.
• All course work must be completed within one calendar year of the end of the original course.
• Requests for a retroactive change from a letter grade to an incomplete will not be considered.

The student is responsible for requesting an incomplete grade and submitting all of the appropriate paperwork and obtaining approvals. Please contact CAMadvising@ucdenver.edu for additional information. 

Curricular Changes and Course Substitutions

Graduate students fall under the degree requirements that were in place when they first enrolled in their programs. If a program revises its curriculum, students have the option of following their original degree requirements or the revised curriculum. Courses under the original requirements may no longer be taught or may not be available for a set duration. In this case, the department will approve course substitutions.

Course substitutions in the graduate degree must be approved by the designated area head in the specific program area, the department chair and/or possibly the associate dean. Please contact CAMadvising@ucdenver.edu for additional information.

Applying to Graduate

Students expecting to graduate are required to apply to graduate via UCD Access by the published deadline. Students who do not apply by the deadline must apply to graduate for the following semester.

Applications will be accepted starting the first day of the student’s registration for the semester in which the student plans to graduate. Applications are due by 5 p.m. on census date (the drop/add deadline) of the semester in which the student is applying to graduate, as noted on the published academic calendar. Students are encouraged to meet with an MEIS Department advisor the semester before they intend to graduate to review graduation procedures and degree requirements.

Students who have not attended the university for one calendar year or more must gain readmission to the university prior to applying for graduation. It is the student’s responsibility to apply with enough time for the readmission process to be finalized by the census date. 

Academic Policies Committee

The CAM Academic Policies Committee is the appellate committee for all student-related academic petitions, issues and appeals. The committee is responsible for the evaluation and interpretation of the approved academic policies of the college. Questions about interpretation of policies may be directed to the Office of Advising and Student Services. Procedures and petition guidelines are available at the CAM Web site or by emailing CAMadvising@ucdenver.edu.

College of Arts & Media Courses

Click here  to see a complete list of courses.