This flexible interdisciplinary major allows you to blend courses in media design, art, art history, creative arts and communication, and there’s room to customize further based upon your career interests. For example, you might use your 12 credits of electives for a minor in business to work in e-marketing or content development, or in history or art history if you want to work with museums, or in political science if you want to get involved in political campaigns or math if you plan to focus on infographics.
You’ll master the fundamentals of design and learn how to make beautiful, technically sophisticated digital media using creative tools from the Adobe Creative Cloud and other applications. You will expand your media design skills and cultural literacy through courses in digital and traditional arts, communication, art history, exhibition design and planning community events. Courses in self-employment, grant writing, internship and portfolio assessments advance your professional presentation skills.
As a media design major you will develop an expansive portfolio and the communication skills to present your wide range of media expertise. Because this major is rooted in interdisciplinary creative strategies you will develop confidence and fluency in the expression of your style and viewpoint across media. Your knowledge of design and communication theory will help you work in team settings to understand your audience and create useful media to meet the needs of diverse clients.
This versatile major prepares you for a variety of career paths. Depending on your area of interest, you might develop websites, create web content, design media in commercial spaces, theaters, museums or galleries, work on a video production team, plan or document special events though multi-media design or photography or run a social media campaign. Some of our graduates work for advertising agencies or marketing and communication departments of major companies and not for profit organizations, while others freelance in illustration or graphic design for a variety of clients.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Beginning Requirements | ||
| A-100 | Community Art/Design Midsemester | 0 |
| MDIA-193C | MDIA in the Professions | 2 |
| A-189S | Form and Space | 4 |
| or FA-112 | Intro to the Arts: Digital Art | |
| A-146 | Self Employment in the Arts | 1 |
| A-121 | Analytic Drawing | 3 |
| MDIA-134 | 2-D Design | 3 |
| A-147 | Grant Writing for Artists & Educators | 1 |
| AHS-251 | Pages Through Time: Art of the Book | 4 |
| MDIA-234 | 3-D Design | 3 |
| MDIA-262 | Graphic Designs & Illustration | 3 |
| MDIA-130 | Aesthetic Engagement Ext Assessmnt Lev 1 | 0 |
| MDIA-230 | Aesthetic Engagement Ext Assessmnt Lev 2 | 0 |
| MDIA-330 | Aesthetic Engagement Ext Assessmnt Lev 3 | 0 |
| MDIA-395 | Ext Assessmnt Aesthetic Engagement Lev 4 | 0 |
| Intermediate Requirements | ||
| A-100 | Community Art/Design Midsemester | 0 |
| MDIA-381 | Content Development Media Design | 3 |
| A-140G | Glass Forming | 1 |
| or A-140S | Special Projects | |
| MDIA-359 | Digital Art for MDIA Majors | 3 |
| COMM Electives | Take 9 credits from COMM, excluding: COMM-230, COMM-380, COMM-490 | 9 |
| A Elective | Art (A) Elective, 300 or 400 level | 3-4 |
| MDIA Elective | Media Electives from MGT-100, CA-300, CLD 437, CA-400, MDIA-459, A-464, MDIA-362, MDIA-481, A-483, A-484, or any A-140 | 5 |
| INTERN-383 | Internship Seminar | 2 |
| MDIA-399 | Formal Introduction to Advanced Work | 0 |
| MDIA-400 | Ext Assessmnt Aesthetic Engagement Lev 5 | 0 |
| Advanced Requirements | ||
| A-100 | Community Art/Design Midsemester | 0 |
| A-364 | Digital Photography | 3 |
| MDIA-482 | Ext Assmnt of Effective Citzenship Lvl 4 | 0 |
| MDIA-401 | New Media | 3 |
| AHS-409 | Modern & Contemporary Art | 3 |
| A-384 | Art Gallery Mgt & Social Media | 1 |
| MDIA-491 | Media Design Senior Art Semina | 1 |
| ELECTIVE | Choose Electives to enhance your degree, or declare a Minor | 12-18 |
| MDIA-450 | Ext Assessmnt Aesthetic Engagement Lev 6 | 0 |