UMBC combines the emphasis on teaching found at the best liberal arts colleges with the innovation of a research university. You’ll find students—inspired by and often working alongside faculty who are leaders in their fields—thinking about the hard questions of society, science and creative expression, and then moving beyond the classroom to make a difference. The Carnegie Foundation ranks UMBC in the category of Research Universities with high research activity.

The IRC is dedicated to investigating new technologies and their use for interpreting and presenting content. Since its inception in 1987, artists and researchers across disciplines have collaborated in the IRC's creative environment to develop new strategies and techniques in digital media. State-of-the-art facilities enable research in 3D visualization, immersive technologies, interactivity, installation, animation, high definition video, and sound.