Digital Arts and Culture Courses and Electives
Anthropology
Aspects of popular culture including music, information technology, tourism, and film, video, and museum-spectacles in light of anthropological theory.
Anthropological understandings of online games and virtual worlds including: conceptual foundations, current topics, methodological issues, and first-hand experience.
Art
Introduction to electronic art and imaging. Focus on historical and cultural contexts, theoretical concepts and studio skills using imaging software.
Introduction to time based technologies for artists and designers; includes audio, video, and animation techniques. Surround sound, lighting, green screen, and visual effects are examined.
Introduction to problem solving using the basics of drawing and elements & principles of design; includes composition & color theory.
Introduction to computer as design and production tool for graphic design, use software to create graphics, edit images and design complex layouts.
Lecture course focused on critical issues/theory in contemporary art and culture.
Students investigate the relationship between concept, material, process, aesthetic, and context in artmaking. Then, students are encouraged to integrate digital and traditional approaches to production.
Introduction to design for the Internet: information architecture, hypertextuality, creative and client-based sites, critical issues of Internet culture; fundamentals of markup languages, CSS, and software.
Exploration of responsive design using HTML, CSS and prototyping tools/frameworks; focus on design for usability across devices.
A concept oriented workshop in digital media.
Studio work in intaglio; drypoint engraving, etching, relief-intaglio; aquatint, experimental procedures, color printing, development of personal graphic concept.
Introduction to history and production of short-duration motion graphics (industry, Internet, titling, graphics, creative projects) using contemporary production tools (video editing, compositing, audio recording/sequencing).
Art History
History of film, television, and the Internet. Focus on economic and aesthetic features of these media and interrelationships among them. Models for critiquing each form.
The history and critical theory of new media artworks, focusing on artists who utilize interactive technologies.
Communication
Examination of the actual and potential role of technology in facilitating satisfying communication relationships.
Conceptual and analytical consideration of communication consequences and needs related to technological assimilation and designing work environments.
Critical exploration and analysis of the internet as a communication phenomenon.
Current legal and regulatory issues that involve freedom of speech.
Comparative Literature
Critical study of literary forms (e.g. romance, comedy, short story) and their connections with other arts and media, such as cinema, TV, and music.
Themes, styles, and ideology in cinematic and literary texts.
English
History of film, television, and the internet. Focus on economic and aesthetic features of these media and interrelationships among them. Models for critiquing each form.
Adaptation of writing to situations and requirements of specific professional writing genres, such as criminal justice, government, and environmental writing.
Selected works of literary science fiction by theme, type, period, or origin.
Analysis of formal, thematic, and generic components of narrative, documentary, and avant garde filmmaking.
The forms, images, and narratives particular to television.
Critical study of games, digital and otherwise; forms, conventions, and practices that inform design and reception of games; place of games in contemporary culture.
Study of stylistic, generic, historical, or theoretical issues in film studies.
Approaches to forms of literature that stress experimentation, innovation and the radical alteration of existing forms.
Capabilities and limitations of narrative film and literature, emphasizing the distinctiveness of each artistic mode.
An examination of film and/or television, with attention to the representation of class, gender, race, and nation. Subtitles vary.
Seminar in the history, theory, or practice of professional, technical, medical, or science communications.
Theories and practices of rhetoric and professional writing with attention to business, technical, and community contexts.
Theory, methods, and practice in writing clear, concise technical instructions; audience analysis, customer requirements, information architecture, training materials, web projects, and emerging technology discussion topics.
Major stages of the writing process in workplace contexts: research, analysis, project planning and management, document design, usability testing, and revision.
Development of technical communication projects for external clients, applying theories from graphic design, usability, cognitive psychology, and technical communication.
Critical study of literary works in combination with works from the other arts.
Film
Survey of independent media art production in film, video, photography and emerging media from the artist's point of view. Lectures, screenings, and workshops exploring ideas and techniques relevant to the making of personal statements.
Pre-portfolio studio in digital filmmaking and editing techniques.
Pre-portfolio studio in digital art practices.
Introduction to creative and technical processes of video making. Planning and production of topical video projects with small team of K-12 students and teacher.
Post-portfolio course introducing specialized production skills in film, video, audio or new genres.
Fine Art
An introduction to principles and applications of computer programming languages within art practice.
Film Studies
History of film, television, and the internet. Focus on economic and aesthetic features of these media and interrelationships among them. Models for critiquing each form.
Stylistic, generic, historical, or theoretical issues in film studies.
An examination of film and/or television, with attention to the representation of class, gender, race, and nation. Subtitles vary.
Geography
Geographic objects, their representation and analysis. Topics include special nature of spatial data; concepts of space, mapping, spatial relationships; and use of geographic information systems. 2 hrs lec, 2 hrs lab.
Geographic and information theoretical foundations of geographic information science (GIS). Use of macro languages in a software project to expand GIS functionality. 3 hrs lec, 2 hrs lab.
Global Studies
Globalization and information technology: history of and current trends in global transfer of technology; contemporary issues in information technology; media convergences and divisions.
Explores the impact of global communications on languages and cultures; examines implications of globalization for technologically mediated forms of communication and related social practices.
Information Studies
Introduces basic issues in information science, including the nature of information, information policy, knowledge organization, information services, and the relationships between information technologies and society.
Comprehensive overview of the current ethical issues in information and technology use.
Uses popular authoring tools to cover the basics of organizing information.
Overview of human information needs, seeking, and processing, including human factors in the design, development and evaluation of information services.
Theories, principles, and tools for planning, organizing, assessing, and evaluating information. Emphasizes the importance of user's perspective. Covers the various stages of systems analysis and outlines the appropriate methods for each stage.
This course covers the basic concepts of multimedia and their applications in information services, including image representation and processing and multimedia information delivery.
Introduction to legal environment surrounding development and use of information products and services, including intellectual property, and issues specific to internet and other digital mediums.
Advanced examination of emerging developments and research in information science & technology.
Critical examination of the role of search engines in contemporary society, including impact on information organization and retrieval, information institutions, information policy, law, and ethics.
Topical seminar, exploring the relationship between information technology (IT) culture, organizations and the organization of work, cultures, subcultures; sociology of IT work; enterprise systems; knowledge management; data mining and IT careers.
An introduction to principles of visual communications related to electronic media with emphasis on website development, electronic documents, and production and dissemination of electronic information.
Journalism, Advertising, and Media Studies
Overview of mass media from the printing press to the internet. Focus on media technologies, industries, content, and critical approaches.
How gender representations in popular media inform and construct our understandings of the world; gender in popular culture, including new media; critical analysis of representations.
Social, cultural, and historical dimensions of the Internet.
Techniques and strategies for writing that can communicate effectively with media audiences; emphasizes innovation and creativity within the constraints of good grammar and style.
Writing, storytelling, digital editing and production for journalism.
Principles of print layout and design.
The history of photography and the practice of photojournalism, including aesthetic, conceptual, and technical developments. Digital production and distribution.
Overview of new and traditional forms of non-fiction media such as documentaries, web sites, and reality television.
Central issues and concerns in the field of media studies. Cultural study of media industries and production practices. Analysis of media texts and audiences.
How to film and edit quality documentary footage fit for client use, broadcast television, or film festival entry.
Production and analysis of mass media graphics, photographs, and illustrations.
Application of general semantics and other critical thinking principles to reporting methodology and news judgment.
Professional internship in journalism, public relations, advertising, or other media.
How popular media representations of race inform understandings of past and contemporary society; race in popular culture, especially new media; critical analysis of media content and forms.
First Amendment, copyright, privacy, libel, and other legal issues in contemporary news, media, persuasive communication, and social communication.
Mass media and the production of culture; media industries, content, and audiences; focus on contemporary issues.
Theoretical frameworks for examination of media representations of health, illness, health care; impact of media consumption on health, illness; use of media in health promotion.
Music
Introduction to analog and digital electronic sound synthesis, recording and audio mixing, acoustics and electronic music history. Individual work in analog and digital music studios.
Application of digital sound media and advanced midi; computing, synthesis, synthesizers, sampling, digital recording and editing methods. Individual projects utilizing the digital music studios.
Specific topic will be announced in Schedule of Classes when offered.
Theatre
Explore computer technology technology to create, manipulate, edit and render digital audio for performance and recording. Music, sound effects, synthesis, and MIDI are focus topics.
Skill development in designing sound and using digital editing systems to create sound effects, sound-scaping and basic music composition for storytelling on the stage.