Program Overview

Digital Communication and Media Arts (DCM) Program

Master of Arts

The MA in Digital Communication and Media Arts (DCMA) teaches students to bring stories to life through the art and craft of telling a story across a span of digital and non-digital media. This program uniquely bridges two colleges, resulting in a truly interdisciplinary degree that affords students the opportunity to apply theory and research to medium-specific design practices and transmedia storytelling.

Program Tracks

• The Media Arts track prepares professional media artists to be leaders in transmedia storytelling and media production.
• The Digital Communication track, which focuses on the theory and strategy of planning and writing about media, is offered through the College of Communication.

Degree Requirements

Students will learn to understand and effectively explain how digital technology has affected communication practices, assess and inventory relevant media projects, demonstrate key competencies in still and moving image production, and identify and employ the affordances of digital media components.

Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

• Understand and effectively explain how digital technology has affected communication practices across a range of subjects and disciplines.
• Assess and inventory relevant media projects; apply varied research methods and design thinking to develop new and relevant digital media products.
• Adequately demonstrate key competencies in still and moving image production, graphic and interactive design, and other technologies related to digital media arts.
• Identify and employ the affordances of digital media components in order to effectively develop a story or campaign across multiple media formats.
• Develop and deliver professional-level project pitches and research presentations.

Admission Requirements

Admission requirements include application deadlines and specific materials required for admission to this program.

Faculty

The program features faculty members such as LeAnne Wagner, Professional Lecturer, CDM School of Design, and Samantha Close, Assistant Professor, College of Communication, who bring diverse backgrounds and research interests to the program.

Student Experience

The program offers a range of facilities, labs, studios, events, and student organizations that provide environments for students to engage, create, collaborate, and stand out. This includes the Idea Realization Lab, a 4,500 square foot, student-driven makerspace, and Production Resources, a one-of-a-kind, 32,000 square foot professional production facility.

Career Opportunities

The program prepares students for a range of career opportunities, including online marketing, mobile communications, interactive media design, online content creation, web design, social media, digital product design and development, media art direction, project management, and digital media management.

International Students

The program is a STEM-designated program, which can qualify international students to extend their post-graduation stay in the United States.