The Digital Media Studies (DMS) major seeks to advance expertise in a rapidly growing field. Students concentrate their studies in emphasis areas of web design, front-end coding (HTML/CSS/Javascript), interactive media, and computer programming. This unique interdisciplinary program incorporates coursework from the Computer Science, Art + Design, and Communication departments. Media majors at Clarke are prepared to enter a career in web design, web development, mobile app development, eCommerce, entertainment, digital marketing, or interactive animation after graduation. Digital Media Studies students learn web page design, creative content development (images, ads, audio/video, and animations), and web development through the use of emerging web technologies. Students develop technical expertise, aesthetic sensitivity, and the ability to construct on-screen interfaces for mobile applications and websites.
The DMS major seeks to advance expertise in a rapidly growing field. Students concentrate their studies in emphasis areas of web design, front-end coding (HTML/CSS/Javascript), interactive media, and computer programming. This unique interdisciplinary program incorporates coursework from the Computer Science, Art + Design, and Communication departments.
Why Digital Media Studies?
You might wonder, what is media studies? The Digital Media Studies major is a unique pre-professional liberal arts program that spans across the Art + Design and Computer Science departments. Graduates of the Digital Media studies program meet a growing need for career-ready professionals in the field of interaction design. Coursework in Graphic Design and Computer Science provide a broad foundation for student developers and designers to hone technical expertise and aesthetic sensitivity. Digital Media Studies students will learn visual content creation, coding, and delivery of on-screen interfaces for computer applications and websites. At the intersection of these emerging fields of hardware and software, and device and user, students engage in the practical, theoretical, and ethical foundations of critical thinking in an increasingly media-driven world. With an emphasis on visual communication and information design systems, hands-on learning prepares a media major for a lifetime of experimentation and innovation. If this sounds right up your alley, visit Dubuque, Iowa, to learn about our digital communication degree.
Why Clarke University for Digital Media Studies?
With state-of-the-art technologies, leading faculty, and flexible studies, Clarke University is the ideal place to explore the connections between digital technology, critical analysis, production, and innovation. By blending Clarke’s two excellent disciplines of graphic design and computer science, students are capable of completing a Bachelors of Arts degree in Digital Media Studies with the opportunity to focus specifically on web + mobile design development, as well as potentially pursue another major or minor.
As a Digital Media Studies major, you will complete at least one internship experience within the local/regional area. The senior capstone experience provides one-on-one mentorship with a member of faculty while students prepare a professional portfolio for a senior thesis presentation. Students acquire digital production and development skills partly through classroom learning but primarily through experiential learning and collaborative team-building projects inside and outside of the classroom. Graduates with a Digital Media Studies degree are equipped to find competitive jobs working with cutting edge tools of communication across the internet and emerging media platforms like virtual and augmented reality.
Students majoring in DMS develop skills with both Macintosh and Windows-based computer platforms. Upon graduation, students are prepared to enter careers in web design, web development, mobile app development, digital marketing, digital content creation, and interactive animation. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the employment of web developers is projected to grow 13 percent from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the national average growth of other fields. Demand is driven by the growing popularity of mobile devices, digital marketing, and eCommerce solutions.