Digital and Interactive Media Arts

Core Courses

DIMA CORE COURSES

DIMA students are required to complete a minimum of 32 semester hours within the core. In order to qualify for the major, all core classes require a grade of “C” or better. A full inventory of required core classes is included below.

 

DIMA 100, Introduction to Digital and Interactive Media Arts, 3 SH

This course is an introduction in the use of text, sound, and graphical image as a platform for interactive digital experiences. Students will explore how digital technology is a conduit for relating with the self, each other, and society at large. Areas of discussion include digital identity, social media, automated text, sound-based storytelling, graphical space as well as various forms of digital interaction. Students will produce multiple projects, including zines, twitter bots, podcasts, and computer-generated graphics. The course will culminate with a concept driven final project. Every semester.

 

DIMA 200, Storytelling for Digital and Interactive Media, 3 SH

This course examines and applies foundations of storytelling for new media technology and visual communications. Students will learn the creative process in digital imaging and interactive multimedia, such as linear vs. nonlinear storytelling, social media storyboarding, two-dimensional & three-dimensional imaging, editing, augmented reality, and virtual reality. Emphasis will also be placed on concept development, preproduction, and group-based collaboration within interactive digital media storytelling. Spring semester. Prerequisites: DIMA 100 and COM 146.

 

DIMA 300, Digital and Interactive Technologies, 3 SH

In this course, students will explore digital and interactive technologies through a process of practice and theory. Initially, the course will introduce technical procedures for creating presence within virtual spaces. Technologies to be covered may include photogrammetry, 3D modeling, game engine content creation or augmented/virtual reality. In addition to this practical exploration, students will conduct research and complete a comprehensive written project that is relevant to the field of digital and interactive media arts. The written project will satisfy the requirements of the W3 competency. Research topics may include posthumanism, digital persona, objectivity or art environments. Fall semester. Prerequisites: WRT 101, W2, DIMA 200 and junior-level standing. Competency: Writing Intensive Tier 3 (W3).

 

DIMA 436, Senior Project and Presentation, 3 SH

In this course, students will create an original capstone project that is the culmination, integration, and synthesis of their respective DIMA or Media Production learning experience. With the help of a faculty advisor, students will develop a production, project or portfolio that demonstrates their proficiency in an area of digital & interactive media arts or media production. The capstone requires students to engage in a comprehensive, three-stage approach towards project development. This process includes research, preparation, production, creative process, project completion, and distribution. A key method of capstone evaluation will include a juried review of senior productions. The capstone jury will be comprised of DIMA and/or media production faculty and may include professionals from other subject appropriate disciplines or media-based industries. All final productions, projects and portfolios must include research documentation. Spring semester. Prerequisites: DIMA or Media Arts: Media Production seniors in good standing in the major and DIMA 300 or COM 435. Competency: Culminating Experience (CE).

 

CED/DIMA 297, Cooperative Education/DIMA Internship, 1-12 SH

DIMA students are required to take 1-12 credits of cooperative education. The internship placement should be located within the field of digital media and technology.

 

ART 117 Digital Photography, 3 SH
An introductory course in digital photography using digital photographic media in various contexts. This overview course begins with a foundation in traditional camera mechanics and proceeds with digital darkroom techniques. Instruction will be by lectures, class demonstrations, slide talks, computer tutorials, and class discussions around assigned work. Competency: Creative Process (CP).

 

ART 121 Fundamentals of Two-Dimensional Design, 3 SH
A broad exploration of the fundamental techniques and principals of two-dimensional design. Through a series of visual exercises; composition, line, mass, volume, texture, surface, balance, tone, space, scale, etc., and the relationships between various elements are explored. Competency: Creative Process (CP).

 

COM 110 Sight, Sound & Motion, 3 SH
Sight Sound Motion is an introduction to the concepts and theories of applied media aesthetics. Students examine and analyze the effects of light, color, space, time, motion, sound, and visualization as these elements function in a finished product. Students are given the tools to identify, clarify, and interpret media content from TV, film, the Internet, steaming, and mobile devices. Every Semester. Competency: Critical Thinking (CT).

 

COM 146 Basic Video Production, 3 SH
The portable single camera system explored through both spontaneous and planned shooting with post-production use of editing, presentation and critical analysis. Every semester. Competency: Creative Process (CP) and Information Literacy (IL).

 

CS 110 Website Production, 3 SH
Using a problem-solving based approach, students will be introduced to the various aspects of website production including problem specification, requirements analysis, image, video, audio, HTML, and programming using a scripting language such as JavaScript. Through the use of interactive, hands-on sessions, students will be able to construct a website that satisfies a specific set of requirements. Not for CS major credit. Fall and spring semesters. Prerequisite: MAT 100 or MAT 100P or appropriate placement. Competency: Quantitative Reasoning (QR).

 

CS 140 Introduction to Programming, 4 SH
This is an introductory course in computer programming using a high-level programming language such as Java, C#, Python, etc. The registration booklet will indicate the language used in each section of the course. The course emphasizes problem solving and sound programming practices. No previous programming experience is necessary. During this course, students will learn how to construct algorithms and convert them into computer programs using typical flow control statements and data types. Every semester. Prerequisite: MAT 100 or MAT 100P or appropriate placement.