Computing and the Arts, B.A./B.S.

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Yale University

Program Overview

Computing and the Arts, B.A./B.S. is an interdisciplinary program for students who want to combine computing with creative and artistic practice across architecture, art, history of art, music, or theater, dance, and performance studies. Students build a substantial foundation in Computer Science and information technology while developing expertise in one arts concentration, allowing them to explore areas such as digital creativity, computational analysis, music technology, virtual environments, interactive media, and technology-enabled artistic expression.

Curriculum Structure

Year 1: Students begin developing their computing and arts foundations, with Yale recommending concentration-specific introductory courses such as ARCH 2001 History of Architecture to 1750, ART 1111 Visual Thinking, ART 1514 Basic Drawing, HSAR 1112 Introduction to the History of Art: Prehistory to the Renaissance, MUSI 2110 Counterpoint, Harmony, and Form: 1500–1800, or TDPS 1000 Collaboration. Students also begin the Computer Science sequence through courses such as CPSC 2010, while Art and Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies students complete their relevant prerequisites.

Year 2: Students strengthen their technical foundation through CPSC 2020 and CPSC 2230, which Yale recommends completing by the end of the sophomore year, while progressing into their selected arts concentration. Depending on the pathway, students may move into Architecture courses such as ARCH 2000, Art courses at the 1000 level, introductory History of Art courses, Music Theory and Creative Practices, or the Artistic Practice and Histories domains within Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies.

Year 3: Students progress toward intermediate and advanced interdisciplinary study, combining additional Computer Science with higher-level arts work. Depending on the concentration, this can include CPSC courses such as CPSC 3760, CPSC 4370, CPSC 4460, CPSC 4510, CPSC 4750, CPSC 4780, CPSC 4790, or CPSC 4840 alongside advanced Architecture, Art, History of Art, Music, or Theater, Dance, and Performance Studies courses.

Year 4: The final year brings the two disciplines together through a two-term senior project, beginning with CPSC 4900 and followed by a concentration-specific senior course such as ARCH 4901, ART 4996, HSAR 4499, a MUSI 4996–4999 course, or TDPS 4701/4900–4902. The project must be approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies and accepted by both departments, and students submit a written report with an electronic abstract and webpage or webpages.

Focus Areas

Computer Science, computational creativity, architecture and computing, digital art, art history and computing, music technology, computer-based music, virtual environments, interactive media, theater and performance technology

Learning Outcomes

Students develop strong computing foundations alongside artistic expertise, learn to apply computational methods to creative and cultural problems, understand the capabilities and limitations of digital tools, and develop interdisciplinary approaches for creating, analyzing, and communicating new forms of artistic expression.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation)

Yale does not identify a separate professional or specialized accreditation for the Computing and the Arts program on its official program page. The program instead combines substantial Computer Science coursework with a focused arts concentration and a faculty-approved interdisciplinary senior project.

Reputation (Employability Rankings)

Yale does not publish a program-specific employability ranking for Computing and the Arts. Yale does document alumni and student pathways into technology and creative industries; for example, Yale identifies Computing and the Arts graduate Asher Young as a designer and director working across theater, music, installations, entertainment venues, and other creative projects.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Computing and the Arts gives students opportunities to turn technical and artistic ideas into tangible projects through its interdisciplinary senior project and Yale's creative-technology facilities. The Yale Center for Collaborative Arts and Media (CCAM) provides dedicated spaces, powerful Mac workstations, media-production equipment, mentorship, and project-based opportunities that complement the computing and arts curriculum.

Students can build practical experience through:

Two-term senior project: Every student completes a two-term interdisciplinary senior project beginning with CPSC 4900 and a second course determined by the selected arts concentration, creating a substantial project that connects Computer Science with architecture, art, history of art, music, or performance.
CCAM Computer Lab: Students have access to powerful Mac workstations installed with the latest software for creative projects, providing a dedicated environment for digital production and experimentation.
Leeds Studio: CCAM's black-box Leeds Studio supports events, teaching, workshops, and creative projects, giving students a dedicated environment for experimental media and performance-related work.
Media-production equipment: Eligible students can check out advanced video cameras, lighting equipment, and sound kits through CCAM's Equipment Checkout at no cost.
Creative technology courses: Current CCAM-sponsored courses include 3D and So Can You!, Content Creation 1: 2D and Camera, The Media of Sound: Experimental Approaches to Sound Recording and Media Design, Documentary Film Workshop, and Film and Media Hybridity Lab, providing hands-on opportunities with digital and media technologies.
Creative project fellowships: CCAM Studio Fellows receive project-material funding, mentorship from the CCAM team, access to CCAM spaces and equipment, and an opportunity to present their completed work.
Art facilities: Students in the Art concentration have access to a shared studio and many School of Art facilities during their senior year, supporting practical studio-based work alongside their Computer Science studies.
Research and interdisciplinary projects: Yale's Computing and the Arts initiative connects computational methods with creative practice and research, including the development of digital technologies as tools for artistic expression.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates of Computing and the Arts can take their combined computing and creative expertise into technology, digital media, entertainment, design, cultural organizations, and other fields where technical and artistic skills intersect. Yale's own alumni examples demonstrate the breadth of these pathways, including creative direction, theater and music production, large-scale installations, entertainment design, and technology-oriented creative work.

Typical career opportunities include:

Software Developer, Digital Artist, Creative Technologist, Game Designer

Career development and professional opportunities:

Yale Office of Career Strategy: Yale's Office of Career Strategy provides career advising, experiential-learning support, employer engagement, graduate and professional-school advising, and career-outcomes information to help students plan their next steps.
Career and employment data: Yale's Class of 2025 recorded a 95.3% rate of employment or graduate-school enrollment within six months of graduation, with a mean starting salary of $94,028 among graduates employed full-time in the United States. These are Yale College-wide figures rather than Computing and the Arts-specific figures.
Technology and creative industries: Yale has documented Computing and the Arts alumni and students pursuing careers and internships spanning software engineering, digital production, museums and cultural heritage, video games, film, television, and other technology-driven creative fields.
Industry-facing creative experience: CCAM provides mentorship, equipment, project funding, specialized spaces, and opportunities to present creative work, helping students develop practical experience and portfolios that can support future employment or further study.
Alumni outcomes: Yale Computing and the Arts graduate Asher Young has worked on theater and music shows, large-scale installations, entertainment venues, hotel concepts, retail projects, and other creative productions, demonstrating how the interdisciplinary degree can support varied professional directions.
Employment statistics and salary: Yale does not publish a separate official employment rate or salary figure specifically for Computing and the Arts. Therefore, the Yale College-wide figures above should not be presented as program-specific statistics.
University–industry partnerships: Yale's official Computing and the Arts pages do not identify a dedicated corporate partnership exclusively attached to this major. Instead, students access Yale's wider employer engagement through the Office of Career Strategy and practical creative-technology opportunities through CCAM.
Long-term value: The program's interdisciplinary structure gives graduates a combination of computational and creative capabilities that can remain relevant across technology, design, media, entertainment, cultural heritage, architecture, and artistic practice.
Graduation outcomes: Yale's Office of Career Strategy tracks postgraduate destinations including employment, graduate school, independent research, military service, and other pathways, allowing students to explore multiple options after completing Yale College.

Further Academic Progression: Graduates can continue into master's and doctoral-level study in areas related to Computer Science, computing and the arts, digital media, architecture, art, music, design, or other specialized fields. Yale's Computing and the Arts initiative also connects undergraduate study with further research and graduate opportunities in computing and the arts.