Undergraduate Catalog

Communications Major with Digital Media and Culture Concentration

Degree Type

Bachelor of Arts

Digital media such as social media, artificial intelligence, big data, podcasts, mobile apps, software, and video games have dramatically shifted society, offering new opportunities to communication and marketing specialists, redefining what it means to be a media creator. The primary objective of the Digital Media and Culture concentration is for students to learn how to navigate the shifting digital media landscape, explore the creative possibilities of these technologies, and gain professional marketing experience successfully and ethically. Students will evaluate critically and historically the cultural values at play in digital media. Further, students will understand the impact digital media has on individual identity and society, stay current with the latest digital technologies and trends, and ultimately influence the future of digital media and culture.

The proposed interdisciplinary concentration in Digital Media and Culture will enable students to cultivate the necessary skills of critical thinking, creative production, and cultural curiosity through rigorous analysis of issues related to power, politics, representation, and identity. The innovative concentration offers a variety of courses at the nexus of culture studies, digital marketing, critical data studies, and creative media production. Coursework will include Social Media Marketing, Music and Podcast Production, Critical Internet Studies, Sound and Game Studies, and Consumer Behavior. Students will gain a variety of technical skills in digital software environments, sound production, and social media marketing campaigns. Further, students will obtain real-world experience through an internship in a digital media field of their choice and graduate with a certificate in digital media marketing.

In addition to the General Education requirements, students complete the following courses.

Program length: 48 months (based on full-time enrollment)

Program Requirements

Communications Major Courses

COMM-106Mass Media

3

COMM-150Media Analysis

3

COMM-220Writing for Media

3

COMM-300Research Methods in Communications

3

COMM-460Senior Project Comm

3

COMM-452Internship in Communications

3

Total Credit Hours:18

Digital Media and Culture Concentration

COMM-250Data and Society

3

COMM-125Digital Skills

3

COMM-115Introduction to Digital Media Studies

3

COMM-205Sounding Off: Culture and Production

3

MKT-300Consumer Behavior

3

MKT-330Social Media Marketing

3

Total Credit Hours:18

Related Course Work (Choose 9 credits)

BUS-120Business Communications

3

ART-104Into to Computer Graphics

3

PSCI-101Intro to Political Science

3

MUS-105World Music

3

ART-260Film Video Art I

3

ART-273Photography I

3

ART-274Color & Digital Photography

3

ART-245Introduction to Web Design

3

ENG-240Technical Writing

3

SOC-220Social Stratification

3

PHIL-204Digital EthicsýComputer Ethics & Social Responsibility

3

MKT-250Sports Marketing

3

MKT-305Digital Marketing

3

ART-388Graphic Design Practicum

3

Total Credit Hours:9