Master in Immersive Arts and Digital Narratives

Master in Immersive Arts and Digital Narratives is one of 7 English-taught Arts, Design & Architecture programmes at master’s level in the register, offered by 4 institutions. 7 of them list an annual fee for students from outside the EU, EEA and Switzerland; this programme lists EUR 1,453 a year. 7 are at a public university, where EU, EEA and Swiss students pay no tuition within the standard duration plus two semesters.

The Master's programme Immersive Arts and Digital Narratives at Mozarteum University Salzburg is a liberal arts degree taught in English. It explores visual arts and new narrative forms against the backdrop of technological change. Students work in the X-Reality Lab, a space for immersive and interactive art. The programme is run by the Institute for Open Arts.

What you study

The curriculum is competency oriented. You build skills in artistic practice and independence, conceptualisation and collaboration, narration and dramaturgy, digital and cross-media methods, theory and research, analysis and reflection, and critical and ethical awareness. The programme covers media art, media history, digital art, creative technologies and artificial intelligence. You learn to combine digital, time-based, performative, immersive, interactive or cross-media methods in your own projects.

Teaching is organised around several formats. In Artistic Practice/Project you work on your own projects that use technological possibilities. The Digital Forum is a regular exchange between students of all years, teachers and supervisors. The ThinkLab lectures deepen knowledge of media theory and media history, artificial intelligence and creative technologies, and the ethics and aesthetics of the digital. Seminars 1 to 3 focus on stories, structures and systems; text, context and image; and space and time. The Immersive and Digital Arts Lab runs over three semesters. In the practical workshop Digital Arts and Narratives 1 to 3 you explore image generation, worldbuilding and audiovisual, time-based composition. In Interactive and Immersive Arts 1 to 3 you focus on interaction and immersion, including spatial staging with real and virtual spaces and human and non-human actors. Excursions in the second and third semesters include visits to international festivals for immersive arts or new narrative forms. Free electives can be taken from across the Mozarteum, and courses from other universities may be credited.

How the programme is organised

The degree runs over four semesters and 120 ECTS. You work continuously on projects dealing with immersive, interactive art forms or storytelling in the digital age, with individual guidance throughout. The programme is open, non-hierarchical and collectively organised. Courses are open to external interested parties, subject to capacity, and are held in English.

Who it suits

It is open to artists from all artistic or scientific disciplines who have completed a degree, have artistic practice and prior knowledge of technology, and want to explore how technological developments can open new avenues in the arts. If your previous studies are not artistic, you must show experience and practical knowledge in digital technologies or proof of relevant professional practice. Collaborative work in artistic teams is explicitly encouraged.

Admission, language and next steps

The teaching language is English. At the time of admission you need an English language certificate at A2 level. Applications go directly to the institution, not through a central portal. The application periods are 1 February to 28 March and 29 June to 27 July. You apply online and submit a portfolio as a single PDF (maximum 25 MB). The portfolio must contain a project concept of up to two pages, a critical reflection with a vision for the future of art and storytelling, a portfolio of selected artistic works showing your methods and roles, a signed declaration that the works are your own (including any AI tools used), a letter of motivation of one to two pages, and a tabular CV. You also upload your bachelor's degree certificate or a confirmation of enrolment or planned graduation date, a transcript of records, and the English certificate if available. If your documents are not in German or English, include an official translation. After a positive portfolio assessment you are invited to an online interview of about 10 to 15 minutes. If successful, you attend a workshop and on-site interview in Salzburg. At a public university, EU/EEA and Swiss students pay no tuition within the standard duration plus two semesters; other students pay a fee per semester. Check the university's own page for the exact application steps and dates.

visuelle Künste vor dem Hintergrund technologischer Entwicklungen

X-Reality-Lab als Forschungslabor

aktives Eintauchen und künstlerisches, kritisches Erforschen technologischer Räume

There is no central application portal in Austria: you apply to the institution, here Mozarteum University Salzburg. A public university sets the admission requirements and dates for this level, so read them on the programme page. Entrance examination, as the register states it: An admission or aptitude procedure applies (see the programme page). Entry requirements and language tests are set by the institution, so start from the official programme page. Our guides cover tuition fees, the student residence permit and housing.