DIGITAL MEDIA ARTS (DIMA)
College of Arts and Sciences, Department of Emerging Media
The Digital Media Arts program offers foundational and advanced skills and knowledge about the planning, creation, influence, and critique of media content such as media production, web design, image composition, game design, and emerging technologies. Digital Media Arts graduates will be able to analyze, produce, and develop audiovisual content in its digital media forms.
Students begin the major by learning foundational skills and theories in a combination of courses, giving them a broad understanding of media and society, visual media theory, and how stories are created and how audiences are persuaded by still and moving imagery.
Majors select an area of emphasis in either Media Production or Media Design. Media Production focuses primarily on the purposes, methods and processes for creating audio-visual messages in diverse mass media formats like television programs, documentaries, news, video games, interactive video, web video and live streaming, educational and social video, and promotions or advertising. Students take introductory and advanced courses in this discipline, including courses in film, video, and audio theory and production. Media Design focuses primarily on the purposes, methods and processes for creating still and interactive audio-visual content, including web design, print design, game design, user-friendly design, and creative coding. Some courses count for both tracks.
Digital Media Arts curriculum also draws on courses from many disciplines, including Journalism, Advertising and Public Relations, Computer Science, Communication Studies, Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Film Studies, English, and Music. Many courses in the major are cross-listed or have a home in those areas.
Digital Media Arts minors take the same foundational courses as majors and build on that foundation by taking additional courses in either or both concentrations.
This major emphasizes both the encoding and decoding sides of media literacy: how the circulation loop of media producers, content, and audiences create and shape our understanding of the world. Students experience working with clients in crafting creative media content for small and big screens, including projects like industrial videos, interactive web design, socially engaged games, projects involving community outreach, recruiting videos, promotions, advertisements, live events, documentaries, and short films.
Students learn to consider the purpose of a message, how to write or design its creative content, and how to produce that content using both basic media technologies like smartphones and advanced media technologies like EFP video cameras, drone cameras, and motion graphics applications.
While in these courses, students may get hands-on media experience with opportunities at UST at organizations like TommieMedia, KUST, the university’s multimedia studio, the Playful Learning Lab, and STELAR.
All students will complete the program with a community-focused capstone project course, ensuring that they have a strong portfolio in preparation for career and personal life upon graduation as a media-savvy citizen, creator, and learner.
Students graduate with the essential skills needed to work in the digital arts: producing for visual media like film, television, and computer-based audio/video and interactive media. Students will have the skills needed to plan, coordinate, and execute media projects as producers and to evaluate media messages as consumers.
Major in Digital Media Arts
All majors must take at least 11 courses totaling 44 credits.
All students in the program must complete:
- DIMA/JOUR 111 Introduction to Mass Media +
- DIMA/JOUR 232 Visual Media in Theory and Practice +
- DIMA 240 Digital Imagery and Sound (WI)
- DIMA 480 Capstone: Digital Media for the Common Good (WID)
Students will also select a major concentration.
Media Production concentration
Required courses
- DIMA 262 Audio Production
- DIMA 360 Videography
- DIMA 460 Advanced Video Production
Electives in Media Production (Pick 4):
At least one elective 4-credit course must be at the 300/400 level. Electives can include individual study, experiential learning, study abroad or topics courses.
- AMCD 200 American Culture: Power and Identity +
- ARTH 204 Typography and Visual Culture +
- ARTH 297 Type Design and History
- ARTH 304 Typeface Design
- CISC 131 Introduction to Programming and Problem Solving
- CISC 360 Data Visualization
- COMM 326 Comm. & Popular Culture +
- COMM 332 Documentary in American Culture +
- COMM 340 TV Criticism +
- DIMA 246 Game Design
- DIMA 256 Design Concepts
- DIMA 342 Media, Culture and Society
- DIMA 346 Game Production
- DIMA 358 Web Design
- DIMA 456 Graphic Design Studio
- DIMA 475 Experiential Learning 2 cr
- DIMA 476 Experiential Learning 2 cr
- DIMA 477 Experiential Learning 4 cr
- DIMA 478 Experiential Learning 4 cr
- DIMA 487 Topics 2 cr
- DIMA 488 Topics 2 cr
- DIMA 489 Topics 4 cr
- DIMA 490 Topics 4 cr
- DIMA 491 Research 2 OR 4 cr
- DIMA 495 Individual Study 2 OR 4 cr
- FILM 200 Intro to Film Studies +
- FILM 297 Screenwriting
- FILM 300 World Cinema
- FILM 310 Filmmaking
- ENGL 203 Texts in Conversation: Thematic and Intertextual Perspectives +
- ENGL 204 Texts in Conversation: Perspectives on Language, Culture and Literacy +
- ENGL 255 Intro to Imaginative Writing +
- ENGL 325 Special Topics in Genre, Region, or Theme +
- ENGL 326 Topics in Creative Writing +
- FREN 490 French Cinema +
- JOUR 251 Multimedia Reporting
- JOUR 270 Media Literacy +
- JOUR 330 Media History +
- JOUR 336 Media Law +
- JOUR 355 Sports Broadcasting
- JOUR 451 Advanced Multimedia Reporting
- MUSC 170 Music of Film
- MUSC 205 Advanced Studio Recording +
- MUSP 110 Digital Music Lessons
- SPAN 415 Hispanic Cinema +
- STCM 234 Principles of Strategic Communication
- STCM 250 Science, Media, and Social Impact
- STCM 344 Writing for Strategic Communication
- STCM 346 Digital Content & Strategy in Strat. Comm.
Media Design concentration
Required courses
- DIMA 256 Design Concepts
- DIMA 358 Web Design
- DIMA 456 Graphic Design Studio
Electives in Media Design (Pick 4)
At least one elective 4-credit course must be at the 300/400 level. Electives can include individual study, experiential learning, study abroad or topics courses.
- AMCD 200 American Culture: Power and Identity +
- ARTH 204 Typography and Visual Culture +
- ARTH 297 Type Design and History
- ARTH 304 Typeface Design
- CISC 131 Introduction to Programming and Problem Solving
- CISC 360 Data Visualization
- COMM 326 Comm. & Popular Culture +
- COMM 332 Documentary in American Culture
- DIMA 262 Audio Production
- DIMA 298 Creative Coding
- DIMA 342 Media, Culture and Society +
- DIMA 360 Videography
- DIMA 460 Advanced Videography
- DIMA 475 Experiential Learning 2 cr
- DIMA 476 Experiential Learning 2 cr
- DIMA 477 Experiential Learning 4 cr
- DIMA 478 Experiential Learning 4 cr
- DIMA 487 Topics 2 cr
- DIMA 488 Topics 2 cr
- DIMA 489 Topics 4 cr
- DIMA 490 Topics 4 cr
- DIMA 491 Research 2 OR 4 cr
- DIMA 495 Individual Study 2 OR 4 cr
- ENGL 203 Texts in Conversation: Thematic and Intertextual Perspectives +
- ENGL 204 Texts in Conversation: Perspectives on Language, Culture and Literacy +
- ENGL 255 Intro to Imaginative Writing +
- ENGL 325 Special Topics in Genre, Region, or Theme +
- ENGL 326 Topics in Creative Writing +
- JOUR 330 Media History +
- JOUR 336 Media Law +
- STCM 234 Principles of Strategic Communication
- STCM 250 Science, Media, and Social Impact
- STCM 346 Digital Content & Strategy in Strat. Comm.
- STCM 344 Writing for Strategic Communication
Minor in Digital Media Arts
All minors must take at least five courses totaling 20 credits, consisting of the following:
- DIMA/JOUR 111 Introduction to Mass Media
- DIMA 240 Digital Imagery and Sound
- Any additional DIMA-related theory course [+ designates theory courses]
- Any additional DIMA-related 200-level production course
- Any additional DIMA-related 300/400-level production course
Courses that are not currently on this list of electives for majors or minors may be accepted on a case-by-case basis by the program director. This list will be revised as courses are added to departments' curricula.
Minor in Game Design
20 credits
The Game Design minor provides skills, theoretical knowledge, and experience in making interactive digital media that they may apply to jobs in advertising, public relations, journalism, digital art, and the entertainment industries, among others. Digital games are critical to media culture, and they can do more than provide entertainment: teachers use games in their classrooms, news organizations create interactive experiences to explain complicated phenomena, and artists make game to express personal stories and critique social issues. The wide and varied impact of games requires that we train game designers in the common good: courses in the minor address critical ethical questions regarding identity representation, accessibility for people with disabilities, and making games more inclusive, uplifting spaces.
The minor includes core courses: an introduction to game design theory and practice in DIMA 246 Game Design, principles of programming in CICS 131 Introduction to Programming and Problem Solving, and an upper-level course DIMA 346 Game Production. Students will also take additional elective courses that will allow them to broaden their understanding and application of game design as a digital media art.
Twelve credits from the core required courses:
- DIMA 246 Game Design (4 credits)
- CISC 131 Introduction to Programming and Problem Solving (4 credits)
- DIMA 346 Game Production [prerequisites: DIMA 246 and CISC 131, or instructor permission] (4 credits)
Eight credits from the following elective courses:
- DIMA 256 Design Concepts
- DIMA 262 Audio Production
- DIMA 358 Web Design
- ENGL 294 Writing Video Games
The following stipulation applies only to Digital Media Arts majors looking to minor in Game Design: No more than eight (8) credits may overlap between the Game Design minor and DIMA major. Note: For Media Design majors these will be DIMA 256 and 358, meaning the required courses for the minor cannot count towards DIMA electives. For Media Production majors these will most likely be DIMA 262 and 246.
Students may not seek both a DIMA minor and a Game Design minor. They would need to choose one or the other.
Courses that are not currently on this list of electives for the minor may be accepted on a case-by-case basis by the program director. This list will be revised as courses are added to departments' curriculum. For example, ENGL 204 or DIMA 298 could be accepted as minor electives if the subject matter of these topics-oriented courses aligned with the goals of the minor.
List of Digital Media Arts Courses
| Course Number | Title | Credits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIMA 111 | Intro to Mass Media | 4 | |
| Description of course Intro to Mass Media : | This course will introduce the student to mass media, including news media, social media and entertainment media. The course examines the mass media as cultural industries. Students will consider how the mass media shape and are shaped by society, the history of particular media, current research and media trends. Students will be expected to obtain an understanding of how print, broadcast, social, film and other media work, as well as a sense of their influence. Students are also expected to learn to be critical media consumers, asking themselves why they watch or read or listen to what they do. Students are strongly encouraged to take this course before taking upper-level Journalism or Digital Media Arts courses. The course is cross listed as JOUR 111 and STCM 111. | ||
| DIMA 232 | Visual Media Theory & Practice | 4 | |
| Description of course Visual Media Theory & Practice : | Introduction to the history, theory and principles of communicating visually through art, illustration, photography, design, typography, film, video and other visual forms. Cross-listed as JOUR 232. | ||
| DIMA 240 | Digital Imagery and Sound | 4 | |
| Description of course Digital Imagery and Sound : | This class provides a foundation for producing digital photographs, videos and sound recordings that will enable the student to create a wide range of media texts, including journalistic multimedia stories, documentary films, dramatic or comedic productions, and audio productions. The class covers the basics of digital information, basic equipment operation, basic composition for still and moving images, high quality sound recording and basic digital editing, including digital storage and workflow. Students learn how to create digital media with an eye on technique and aesthetic quality. | ||
| DIMA 246 | Game Design | 4 | |
| Description of course Game Design : | This course will introduce students to fundamental theories of game design and the practice of creating video games. Students will learn digital tools for video game creation, such as familiarity with an introductory-level game creation engine. Students will engage in ethical questions in design and how video games can contribute to the common good. Course content will explore the expressive possibilities of games as cultural productions. | ||
| DIMA 256 | Design Concepts-Communication | 4 | |
| Description of course Design Concepts-Communication : | This course has been developed to provide students with an elementary understanding of graphic design elements and principles. Applied projects in typography and publication layout will be completed via the Macintosh. | ||
| DIMA 259 | Creative Coding | 4 | |
| Description of course Creative Coding : | This course examines the application of new and emerging technologies in creative and interactive media production and development. Modern audiovisual, music, and interactive projects benefit from the expressive use of coding, visual programming environments, microcontrollers, sensors, data visualization, data sonification, automated fabrication, and open-source platforms. As technologies advance, these tools have become more common, less expensive, and easier to use. Students will put several of these recent technologies into practice through several assignments including a final project publicly exhibited or performed at the end of the class. | ||
| DIMA 262 | Audio Production | 4 | |
| Description of course Audio Production : | An introduction to audio production. Students will produce projects digitally that are designed to acquaint them with genres, styles and production techniques. Production planning, scripting, the use of sound effects, field production, multitrack recording, mixing and editing are covered. | ||
| DIMA 298 | Topics | 4 | |
| Description of course Topics : | No description is available. | ||
| DIMA 342 | Media, Culture and Society | 4 | |
| Description of course Media, Culture and Society : | Media, Culture and Society examines the role media play in social and cultural formations. This course looks beyond the media as transmitters of information to their broadest social and cultural effects. Students study media as agents of enlightened social modernism, as political and economic institutions, as purveyors of popular culture, and as aspects of cultural and sub-cultural rituals. History, political economy, critical studies, cultural anthropology, semiotics and sociology are among the areas from which approaches for studying the media are considered in the course. Prerequisite: Junior standing or permission of instructor | ||
| DIMA 346 | Game Production | 4 | |
| Description of course Game Production : | Students will apply game design concepts through a production and practice-focused course. Students will work as individuals and as teams to produce games from the perspective of designers. The course will also explore ethical issues of game design and work through projects to imagine how games can contribute to the common good. Competence in an introductory-level game engine and basic programming skills are required. Prerequisites: DIMA 246 and CISC 131 or permission from the instructor. | ||
| DIMA 358 | Web Design | 4 | |
| Description of course Web Design : | This course teaches students HTML and Web-page production. The goal is to help students develop strategies for writing, editing, designing and publishing a Website that meets professional standards. | ||
| DIMA 360 | Videography: TV Prod in Field | 4 | |
| Description of course Videography: TV Prod in Field : | This course will examine the aesthetic and technical components associated with producing video projects outside of the television studio. Students will examine current theory and practice of field production and will engage in the conceptualization, execution and analysis of field- produced video. Prerequisite: DIMA 240 or or COJO 240 permission of instructor | ||
| DIMA 456 | Media Design Studio | 4 | |
| Description of course Media Design Studio : | Graphic Design Studio is an advanced graphic design course. Students study the history of graphic design and typography, the elements of fine typography, techniques in interactive media / web design, and create projects suitable for their portfolio. Prerequisite: DIMA 256 or DIMA 258 | ||
| DIMA 460 | Advanced Video Production | 4 | |
| Description of course Advanced Video Production : | This course will examine advanced aesthetic and technical components associated with producing and directing video projects individually and as a part of production teams. Students will examine current theory and practice of emerging media production and will engage in the conceptualization, execution and analysis of advanced video production. Prerequisite: DIMA 360 or permission of instructor. Prerequisite: DIMA 360 | ||
| DIMA 476 | Experiential Learning | 1 TO 4 | |
| Description of course Experiential Learning : | No description is available. | ||
| DIMA 480 | Digital Media for Common Good | 4 | |
| Description of course Digital Media for Common Good : | This class represents the culmination of learning in the program and provides a capstone involving the planning and creation of a large-scale digital media project within the student's area of emphasis and a professional demo reel or portfolio, including components dealing with the ethical responsibilities of media producers and how the student’s work reflects those responsibilities. It is required of all majors. Prerequisite: Senior Standing | ||
| DIMA 495 | Individual Study | 2 TO 4 | |
| Description of course Individual Study : | No description is available. | ||