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Concentrations

Learn about SIAT's concentration options.

Concentration application form

Concentrations (effective Fall 2024 and Fall 2025)

A concentration is an area of specialization that approved students in the SIAT Major may pursue within their Bachelor’s degree. As of Fall 2024, the Design, Media Arts, and Interactive Systems concentrations will not be available to new students. Students already enrolled in SIAT can still complete their degrees with the Design, Media Arts, or Interactive Systems concentrations, or choose to change their graduation requirements and take the new concentrations instead.

SIAT is changing the definition of concentrations (for majors):

  • It is a group of related courses that approved IAT majors can pursue within their degree
  • Students may complete more than one concentration
  • Students may complete no concentrations (if they choose)
  • Concentrations will be recognized on your transcript
  • There is no GPA requirement to access a concentration
  • There are no ‘reserves’ or ‘reserved seating’ in courses for those declared in a concentration
  • Joint majors are required to complete one concentration

The new concentrations (effective Fall 2024 and 2025) are as follows:

AI and data science for human-centred systems

This concentration is aimed to teach students the skills to extract insights from data, design and build AI systems for interactive technologies, data-driven decision-making, and computer assisted creativity. It emphasizes applying human-centered computing principles and ethical considerations to AI and data science to design, evaluate and deploy state-of-the-art interactive systems.

This concentration includes the following courses:

Creative Media

In the Creative Media Concentration, students gain skills in emergent areas such as narrative, interactivity, video, sound design, motion capture, visual effects and immersive technologies to tackle meaningful and critically-engaged stories, preparing them for further work in graduate studies or careers in entertainment, film, media arts, and software media industries.

This concentration includes the following courses:

  • Narrative and New Media (IAT 313)
  • Sound Design (IAT 340)
  • Moving Images (IAT 344)
  • Senior Project in Creative Media (IAT 443)  (see changes to IAT 443)

Critical making (effective Fall 2025)

Focuses on practices of digital fabrication emphasizing hands-on exploration of thinking with materials, artefacts, contexts of use and situated meanings. Applying critical practices ranging from diverse traditional craft knowledge to integrating computational and physical materials, students create artefacts in the context of social and cultural themes, including sustainability, health, social justice, and learning.

This concentration includes the following courses:

  • Materials in Practice (IAT 336)
  • Body as Interface (IAT 320)
  • Critical Making Senior Project (IAT 420)

Design and Development for Web & Mobile

This concentration provides students with the theories, tools and methods for developing digital applications for the web and mobile. There is a heavy focus on modern development practices, accessibility considerations and creating applications tailored to meet the unique needs of the target audience while considering the context of use.

This concentration includes the following courses:

Designing Interactions

Designing Interactions develops competencies in interaction design, speculative design and user experience design. Projects develop problem-solving capabilities rigorously tested by critique after framing and research for interventions for people and communities. The role of the designer is explored in a range of contexts. Projects range from screen-based to tangible artifacts, products and services.

This concentration includes the following courses:

Evidence-based interactive systems (effective Fall 2025)

Takes an evidence-based approach to designing interfaces that better support human performance and societal well-being. Its design methods are grounded in sensory-motor, behavioural, and social science theory, critical analysis, and scientific testing of interactive software systems using qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods.

This concentration includes the following courses:

  • Interface Design (IAT 334)
  • Advanced HCI (IAT 351)
  • Design Evaluation (IAT 432)
  • Developing Evidence-Based Interfaces (IAT 452)

Extended Reality & Game Design

The XR & Game Design concentration provides a blend of technical, theoretical, and practical skills in diverse areas of extended reality and game design. Students learn to create compelling gaming and immersive experiences, apply user-centered design, manage projects, work collaboratively, communicate effectively, and engage in critical thinking and ethical practices.

This concentration includes the following courses:

  • Foundations of Game Design (IAT 312)
  • Animation (IAT 343)
  • Advanced Game Design (IAT 410)
  • Immersive Environments (IAT 445)

Concentrations prior to Fall 2024

As of Fall 2024, the Design, Media Arts, and Interactive Systems concentrations will not be available to new students. Students already enrolled in SIAT can still complete their degrees with the Design, Media Arts, or Interactive Systems concentrations, or choose to change their graduation requirements and take the new concentrations instead.

Students who are not accepted into a concentration may take concentration required courses. Students who complete the concentration requirements may choose to apply for recognition of the completed concentration on their transcript at the time of graduation.

Students may complete more than one concentration. All completed concentrations will be recognized on their transcript. 

Design concentration

Students in our design concentration examine the relationship between people and technology and how thoughtful design practices improve these relations. Design principles are examined in order to improve the accessibility and intuitive nature associated with using technology. It also has an aesthetic mandate to provide products of clarity and attractiveness suited to their functional purposes within society and industry.

Students who choose this concentration must complete six of:

Apply to the design concentration ↗

INTERACTIVE SYSTEMS CONCENTRATION

Students in interactive systems learn about software applications used by people in work, living, learning and play. Interactive systems students study how to design, develop and apply interactive systems with particular emphasis on how people use them. Through a combination of computing foundations, user-centred design principles, and programming practice, this concentration prepares students for creating applications in areas such as the web, handheld devices and games.

Students who choose this concentration must complete six of:

Apply to the interactive systems concentration ↗

Media Arts Concentration

The media arts concentration prepares students to be creators of computational and interactive media, ranging from mobile devices to large-scale virtual environments. Media Arts students learn how to analyze, design and innovate in building narrative, interactivity, video, animation, sound design, programming, performance and immersive technologies. These skills are a foundation for careers in digital entertainment, film, communications and software industries.

Students who choose this concentration must complete all of:

Apply to the media arts concentration ↗

Applying to a concentration

If you are an IAT major or joint major, you can have one or more concentrations added by contacting advising at siatadv@sfu.ca or techadv@sfu.ca

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