Established in April 1992 by Yamagata Prefecture and Yamagata City, the Tohoku University of Art and Design is the first venture of its kind in Japan where a university built with funds by the government has been turned over to be operated as an entirely private university. In the Department of Informatique Design, the Visual Communication Design Programs offer programs in Graphic Design and Media Arts, aimed at developing the talent to create expressive visual products through various "visual media." The three media of photography, video, and computer graphics are the main subjects in the Media Arts Program, which trains students to become experts in media arts for the new information age. After experiencing these media and understanding their properties, each student selects one media to further investigate. The training supports advanced extensions such as video installation and interactive movies.