2015-2016 Student Catalog 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
2015-2016 Student Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Digital Media, A.S.


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Contact Information

Program Requirements

Typical Program - Web Production Track

Typical Program - Video and Audio Production Track

Degree/Certificate:   Associate in Science
HEGIS Code:           5012
SUNY Code:            1599
Major Code:            DIGM

The Career

Digital Media has become an integral part of life in the 21st century. Companies rely on the web, social networks, e-commerce and mobile devices to grow their markets and compete on a global scale. Practitioners in this field combine creativity and technology to produce media for sales, marketing, training, education and entertainment. Websites, blogs, podcasts, wikis, video and audio streaming, gaming systems, smart phones, tablets and other portable devices–digital media developers need the knowledge, skills, and creativity to create engaging content for all of these platforms.

The NCCC Digital Media associate degree program is the first step to prepare you for a career in this exciting field. With further education, you could find employment as a web designer, project manager, interactive media developer, animator, social media manager, video producer, director and editor or digital audio specialist, to name just a few of the career options.

The NCCC Approach 

The associate in science degree program prepares students for transfer to a four-year college or university. A liberal arts-based program, the AS in Digital Media provides students with the general education they need for transfer. A core of digital media foundation courses gives students the technical skills they need to pursue a career in web production, video production and audio production. Students choose to follow one of two tracks: Web Production or Video and Audio Production, depending on their interests and career goals.

Students in the Web Production track gain practical experience in the planning, creation and managing of a website. This includes the design and layout of websites that incorporate graphic images, animation, forms and interactive multimedia components. Students learn to code websites using Hypertext Mark-up Language (HTML), Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and Javascript. They also use Photoshop, Flash, After Effects, and Maya to create digital imagery, animations and interactivity.

Students in the Video and Audio Production track learn the practical skills and creative techniques to produce video and audio content for both traditional and new media platforms including TV, radio, web streaming, audio/video podcasts and mobile devices. Students use Apple Final Cut Pro and Avid Pro Tools to create sophisticated video and audio projects. 

Admission

Students admitted in fall, spring and summer.

Program Mission Statement

The Digital Media Program strives to provide students with the skills and knowledge to be successful in an ever-changing technology-based industry by emphasizing adherence to industry standards, encouraging creativity and developing students’ capacity for life-long learning.

Program Goals and Objectives

  • To prepare students for successful transfer to four-year institutions in digital media-related fields
  • To assist students in meeting all of the SUNY General Education requirements

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the Associate in Science Degree or Certificate program in Digital Media, a graduate will be able to:

  • Identify digital media technologies and their use in the creation of digital media content
  • Demonstrate the application of design principles in the development of digital media content
  • Edit and electronically manipulate digital audio, video, and graphic images
  • Create a digital portfolio of his/her work

Depending on a student’s career track, he/she will be able to:

  • Design and develop a website which includes interactive multimedia elements using current standards for coding
    OR
  • Produce, edit and package a video project for digital distribution

Transfer Information

Students should work closely with their academic advisor to ensure a smooth transition into a related four-year degree program such as New Media, Digital Media, Multimedia or Media Arts. Dual admission agreements are in place for Canisius College’s Digital Media Arts program and SUNY Fredonia’s Visual Arts and New Media program.

Facilities

Digital Media students have access to two state-of-the-art digital media computer classrooms. In addition, students have access to a fully digital, high-definition TV studio with green screen capabilities and digital audio recording/editing and video production/editing facilities.

Software

The following software applications are used in the Digital Media program:

Adobe Creative Suite including Photoshop, Illustrator, Fireworks, Flash, and Dreamweaver; Apple Final Cut Pro X, Motion, Compressor; Apple iLife Suite including iMovie, GarageBand and iPhoto; Avid Pro Tools; Microsoft Word and PowerPoint; and a variety of Web 2.0 tools such as WordPress, Wix, Animoto, Jing, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Facebook, blogs and wikis.

Program Requirements (DIGM)


Students entering the Digital Media program must be proficient in the use of Macintosh and/or Windows computers.

Students must choose either the Web Production Track or the Video and Audio Production Track.

  1. A total of at least 64-credit hours with a minimum curriculum grade-point average of 2.0. Academic Foundations courses do not count toward the degree.
  2. Digital Media: A minimum of 11-credit hours to include:
      **
      *
      *
      *
      ***
  3. Computer/Media Technology: A minimum of 3-credit hours to include one of the following selected through advisement.
     
     
     
     
     
      
    OR
      **** 
    Plus two (2) of the following courses:
     
     
     
     
      
  4. Communications: A minimum of 6-credit hours to include:
     
      
  5. Basic Communication–Oral:  A minimum of 3-credit hours to include:
      OR
      
  6. Health/Physical Education: A minimum of 2-credit hours.
  7. The Arts–General Education: A minimum of 3-credit hours to include:
      
  8. English and Literature: A minimum of 9-credit hours to include:
      *
     
    ___  ___    Humanities  General Education  OR Foreign Language  General Education
  9. Mathematics–General Education*: A minimum of 3-credit hours in a General Education -approved elective selected through advisement.
  10. Social Science–General Education: A minimum of 6-credit hours in a General Education  Social Science elective.
  11. General Education: A minimum of 3-credit hours selected to meet an Other World Civilization , American History  or Natural Science  General Education course.
  12. Western Civilization–General Education:  A minimum of 3-credit hours in a General Education-approved elective selected through advisement.  This course should be selected to meet a Western Civilization  General Education elective.
  13. Track Requirements/Electives to total 12-credit hours.
  Web Production Track:
A minimum of 12-credit hours to include:
   
 
  *
 

OR

Video and Audio Production Track:
A minimum of 12-credit hours to include:

 
 
 
 
  

 

Typical Program


Web Production Track (Associate in Science)


Total Credit Hours: 16

Total Credit Hours: 16

Third Semester


Total Credit Hours: 16/17

Fourth Semester


  • Computer/Media Technology elective 3 Cr.
  • General Education elective in American History (AH), Natural Science (NS) or Other World (OW) 3 Cr.
  • Social Science-General Education (SS) elective 3 Cr.
  • Humanities General Education (H)  or Foreign Language (FL) elective 3 Cr.
  • 3 Cr.
  • 1 Cr.
Total Credit Hours: 16

Video and Audio Production Track (Associate in Science)


First Semester


Total Credit Hours: 16

Second Semester


Total Credit Hours: 16

Third Semester


Total Credit Hours: 16

Fourth Semester


  • 1 Cr.
  • 3 Cr.
  • Humanities-General Education (H) elective  or Foreign Language (FL) 3 Cr.
  • General Education elective in American History (AH), Natural Science (NS) or Other World (OW) 3 Cr.
  • Social Science-General Education (SS) elective 3 Cr.
  • Western Civilization–General Education (WC) elective by advisement 3 Cr.
Total Credit Hours: 16

Note:


* Dependent upon the fulfillment of the Academic Foundations requirement

** Must be taken in first semester

*** Must be taken in last semester

**** Highly Recommended for Video/Audio Production Track

Scholarship Opportunities


There are several scholarships available to NCCC students.  Scholarship deadline dates vary each semester.  For more information, please visit the scholarship webpage at www.niagaracc.suny.edu/scholarships . The NCCC Scholarship Office is located within the Financial Aid Complex, A-114 or by phone (716) 614-6205.

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