2018 - 2019 Student Catalog 
    
    Mar 29, 2024  
2018 - 2019 Student Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Digital Media, A.S.


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, mobile apps and 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. Digital media developers need the knowledge, skills, and creativity to produce engaging content for websites, blogs, podcasts, wikis, streaming video and audio, and gaming systems.

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: Video and Audio Production or Web Production, depending on their interests and career goals.

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.

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, After Effects, and Maya to create digital imagery, animations and interactivity. 

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 world 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

Program 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:

  • Produce and edit video and audio projects for digital distribution OR
  • Design and develop a website which includes interactive elements and applies current industry standards for coding

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. Students most often transfer into Canisius College’s Digital Media Arts program, SUNY Fredonia’s Visual Arts & New Media program, and SUNY College at Buffalo’s Media Production or Public Communication program.

Facilities

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

Software

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

Adobe Creative Suite including Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects, Premiere and Dreamweaver; Apple Final Cut Pro X, Apple iLife Suite including iMovie and GarageBand; Avid Pro Tools; Microsoft Office Suite; 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:
    DIG 100 - Media Arts Success  
      
      
      *
      ***
  3. Communications: A minimum of 6-credit hours to include:
     
    COM 109 - Visual Communication  
  4. Basic Communication–Oral:  A minimum of 3-credit hours to include:
      OR
      
  5. Health/Physical Education: A minimum of 2-credit hours.
  6. The Arts–General Education: A minimum of 3-credit hours to include:
      
  7. English and Literature: A minimum of 9-credit hours to include:
      *
      OR
    ENG 103  -  Writing for STEM  
    ___  ___    Humanities  General Education  OR Foreign Language  General Education
  8. Mathematics–General Education*: A minimum of 3-credit hours in a General Education -approved elective selected through advisement.
  9. Social Science–General Education: A minimum of 6-credit hours in a General Education  Social Science elective.
  10. General Education: A minimum of 3-credit hours selected to meet an Other World Civilization , American History  or Natural Science  General Education course.
  11. 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.
  12. Track Requirements/Electives to total 15-credit hours.
 

Web Production Track:
A minimum of 15-credit hours to include:

 
ART 128 - Digital Photography  
CIS 202  -  Mobile App Development 
CIS 218  -  JavaScript  
  

OR

Video and Audio Production Track:
A minimum of 15-credit hours to include:
ANI 202  -  Motion Graphics and Pre-Production 
ARP 101 - Introduction to Pro Tools  

 
 
 
DIG 206  -  Digital Filmmaking  

 

Typical Program


Web Production Track (Associate in Science)


First Semester–Web Production


Total Credit Hours: 16

Total Credit Hours: 16

Third Semester–Web Production


  • 3 Cr.
  • 3 Cr.
  • Mathematics-General Education (M) elective 3/4 Cr.
  • Health/Physical Education elective 1 Cr.
  • Western Civilization-General Education (WC) elective 3 Cr.
  • Speech elective 3 Cr.
Total Credit Hours: 16/17

Fourth Semester–Web Production


Total Credit Hours: 16

Video and Audio Production Track (Associate in Science)


First Semester–Video and Audio Production


Total Credit Hours: 16

Second Semester–Video and Audio Production


Total Credit Hours: 16

Third Semester–Video and Audio Production


Total Credit Hours: 16

Fourth Semester–Video and Audio Production


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

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.