Digital Arts and Culture, BA BA
The Digital Arts and Culture program is designed to give students a comprehensive understanding of the intersection of digital technologies, culture, and creativity. You will study and explore a variety of emerging media and systems and have exciting practical opportunities with these tools to make, analyze, and share creative works and cultural products.
Our program is student-centered, meaning that you will have the freedom to pursue your interests and tailor your coursework to meet your individual goals. Whether you want to specialize in digital storytelling, games, design, social media, or web development, our faculty, staff, and advisors will work with you to create a personalized plan of study that reflects your passion and ambition.
At the heart of the Digital Arts and Culture program is a commitment to collaboration and community-building. Throughout your academic career, you will have the chance to work with other students, faculty, and community partners on various projects to cultivate creative practices, technological skills, and a supportive network. Our program is interdisciplinary and interactive, with plenty of opportunities for hands-on learning, experimentation, and inquiry within emerging fields.
Upon completing the program, you will be well-prepared to pursue career paths within the creative industries, such as advertising, design, information technology, publishing, and entertainment, and in cultural institutions, like museums, galleries, libraries, and archives. Our graduates have gone on to work as multimedia and digital marketing specialists, editors and producers for broadcast media, graphic designers and creative directors, and more. Additionally, our program sets you up with a strong foundation for graduate programs in digital media, communication studies, rhetoric and culture, and related fields.
If you are enthusiastic about the creative potential of digital technologies and networks, and the critical ways that they shape society, the Digital Arts and Culture may be the perfect fit for you. Come join us and explore the countless possibilities of our digital futures!
Career Resources and Job Outcomes
Program Type
Major
Program Format
On Campus
Considering a Double Major?
Many students find that a double-major in DAC and another area of study makes them even more appealing to employers after graduation.
The DAC program is flexible making it relatively easy to double-major. Popular second majors for students with more technical interests include: information science and technology, data analytics, or data science.
Students more interested in graphic production lean towards art and design or JAMS with a concentration in advertising and public relations. English, communication, marketing, business, and history are also popular choices.
Listed below are the requirements for the Digital Arts and Culture major. In addition to the requirements for the major, students must also satisfy all university and college general degree requirements. Degree requirements will vary depending on when you took your first college class. We encourage you to consult your advisor regularly to ensure you stay on track towards earning your degree. You can read more about the degree requirements on the L&S Degree Requirements web pages.
Digital Arts and Culture Degree Requirements
You are strongly advised to consult both the DAC advisor and your L&S advisor to ensure you stay on track towards a degree. A total of 36 credits is required for the major, of which at least 15 upper-level L&S credits must be completed in residence at UWM. No more than 21 credits from a single curricular area may count toward the submajor. Students must earn a 2.0 GPA on all UWM credits that count toward the major. In addition, the College requires that students earn a minimum 2.0 GPA on all transfer work, counting towards the major.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Core Culture Courses | ||
| ART 118 | Digital Arts: Culture, Theory, Practice | 3 |
| JAMS/DAC 113 | Internet Culture | 3 |
| Media Systems Courses | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Entertainment Arts: Film, Television, and the Internet 1 | ||
| Introduction to Information Science and Technology | ||
| Introduction to Mass Media | ||
| Digital Composition Courses | ||
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| Creative Technologies | ||
| Moving Images and Sound in Art & Design | ||
| Introduction to Design | ||
| Technical Writing | ||
| Rhetoric, Writing, and Culture: | ||
| Web Design I | ||
| Media Writing | ||
| Publication Design | ||
| Introduction to Digital Arts | ||
| Understanding Digital Culture Courses | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Issues in Contemporary Art: | ||
| Human Communication and Technology | ||
| Media and Society: | ||
| Human Factors in Information Seeking and Use | ||
| Media Ethics | ||
| Practicing the Digital Arts Courses | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Web Design | ||
| Writing, Speaking, and Technoscience in the 21st Century | ||
| Introduction to Application Development | ||
| Nonprofit Information Technology (application required before open enrollment) | ||
| Media Graphics | ||
| Capstone Seminar | ||
| DAC 661 | Digital Engagement Seminar (only offered in Spring semesters) | 3 |
| Electives | ||
| Select at least 6 credits from the Understanding Digital Culture Expanded Electives and 3 credits from the Practicing Digital Arts Expanded Electives. The remaining 3 credits can come from either group. At least one course from each group should be numbered 300 or above. | 12 | |
| Understanding Digital Culture Expanded Electives | ||
| Games and Society | ||
| Anthropology and Popular Culture | ||
| Cultures of Online Games and Virtual Worlds | ||
| Multicultural America | ||
| Issues in Contemporary Art: | ||
| Entertainment Arts: Film, Television, and the Internet (if not selected above) | ||
| History and Theory of New Media Art | ||
| Communication in Organizations | ||
| Human Communication and Technology (if not selected above) | ||
| Intercultural Communication | ||
| Entertainment and Politics | ||
| Quantitative Research in Communication | ||
| Organizational Communication Technology | ||
| Rhetoric and the Internet | ||
| Contemporary Problems in Freedom of Speech | ||
| Contemporary Imagination in Literature and the Arts | ||
| Experiencing Literature in the 21st Century: | ||
| Literature and Film: | ||
| Independent Study | ||
| Advanced Independent Study | ||
| Science Fiction: | ||
| Introduction to Film Studies | ||
| Introduction to Television Studies | ||
| Game Culture | ||
| Topics in Film, Television and Digital Studies: | ||
| Film and Literature | ||
| Media and Society: (if not selected above) | ||
| Cinema, Television, and Genre: | ||
| Entertainment Industries: | ||
| Theories of Digital Culture: | ||
| Intermediate Topics in Film and Television Studies: | ||
| Introduction to Global Studies III: Globalization and Technology | ||
| Language, Media, and Social Practice in Global Communications | ||
| Introduction to Information Science and Technology (if not selected above) | ||
| Information Technology Ethics | ||
| Human Factors in Information Seeking and Use (if not selected above) | ||
| Introduction to Systems Analysis | ||
| Legal Aspects of Information Products and Services | ||
| Advanced Topics in Information Science & Technology: | ||
| The Search Engine Society | ||
| Information Technology and Organizations | ||
| Introduction to Mass Media (if not selected above) | ||
| Gender and the Media | ||
| Internet Culture (if not selected above) | ||
| Principles of Media Studies | ||
| News Literacy | ||
| Race and Ethnicity in the Media | ||
| History of Mass Media | ||
| Media Ethics (if not selected above) | ||
| Freedom of Expression in the Digital Age | ||
| Media Studies and Culture | ||
| Practicing the Digital Arts Expanded Electives | ||
| 2D Studio: Concept, Color and Composition | ||
| Digital Arts: Culture, Theory, Practice (if not selected above) | ||
| Creative Technologies (if not selected above) | ||
| Moving Images and Sound in Art & Design (if not selected above) | ||
| Introduction to Design (if not selected above) | ||
| Introduction to Photography | ||
| Creative Coding | ||
| Digital Painting | ||
| Creative Interfaces | ||
| 3D Environments and XR | ||
| Creative Electronics | ||
| Web Design (if not selected above) | ||
| Web Design II | ||
| Digital Media Workshop: | ||
| Topics in Web, Interaction and Screen Design: | ||
| Motion Graphics | ||
| Internship in Digital Arts and Culture, Lower Division | ||
| Internship in Digital Arts and Culture, Upper Division | ||
| Technical Writing (if not selected above) | ||
| Writing in the Professions: (if not selected above) | ||
| Rhetoric, Writing, and Culture: | ||
| Writing, Speaking, and Technoscience in the 21st Century (if not selected above) | ||
| Topics in Advanced Communications: | ||
| Rhetoric and Professional Writing | ||
| Technical Documentation | ||
| Project Management for Professional Writers | ||
| Information Design | ||
| Grant Writing | ||
| Digital Filmmaking for Non-Majors | ||
| Foundation Production: Fiction | ||
| Foundation Production: Nonfiction | ||
| Introduction to Digital Arts (if not selected above) | ||
| Film Art for Non-Majors | ||
| Experimental Documentary | ||
| Appropriated Media | ||
| Introduction to Geographic Information Science | ||
| Geographic Information Science | ||
| Web Design I (if not selected above) | ||
| Web Design II | ||
| Introduction to Application Development (if not selected above) | ||
| Data Analysis and Visualization for the Information Professional | ||
| Multimedia Web Design | ||
| Nonprofit Information Technology (if not selected above) | ||
| Electronic Publishing and Web Design | ||
| Media Writing (if not selected above) | ||
| Introduction to Advertising and Public Relations | ||
| Publication Design (if not selected above) | ||
| Photojournalism | ||
| Introduction To Video Storytelling | ||
| Audio Storytelling | ||
| Introduction to Digital Documentary | ||
| Media Graphics (if not selected above) | ||
| Introduction to Social Media and Search Engine Optimization | ||
| On-Campus Internship ( DAC placement) | ||
| Topics in Social Media: | ||
| Studio Techniques | ||
| Interactive Electronic Music | ||
| Special Studies in Music: (Interactivity and Improvisation) | ||
| Computer Modeling and Graphics for Live Performance | ||
| Sound Production and Digital Editing for Stage and Studio | ||
| Sound Design and Digital Editing | ||
| Total Credits | 36 | |
- 1
ARTHIST 111/ENGLISH 111/FILMSTD 111 can be used either to fulfill the Media Systems requirement, or as an elective, but cannot be used to satisfy both.
Advising
You are strongly advised to consult both the DAC advisor and your L&S advisor to ensure you stay on track towards a degree.
Letters & Science Advising
During your time at UWM, you may have multiple members of your success team, including advisors, peer mentors, and success coaches. Letters and Science students typically work with at least two different types of advisors as they pursue their degrees: professional College Advisors and Faculty Advisors. L&S College Advisors advise across your entire degree program while departmental Faculty Advisors focus on the major.
College Advisors are located in Holton Hall and serve as your primary advisor. They are your point person for your questions about navigating college and completing your degree. College Advisors will:
- assist you in defining your academic and life goals;
- help you create an educational plan that is consistent with those goals;
- assist you in understanding curriculum, major and degree requirements for graduation, as well as university policies and procedures;
- provide you with information about campus and community resources and refer you to those resources as appropriate; and
- monitor your progress toward graduation and completion of requirements.
Faculty Advisors mentor students in the major and assist them in maximizing their development in the program. You will begin working with a Faculty Advisor when you declare your major. Faculty Advisors are an important partner and will:
- help you understand major requirements and course offerings in the department;
- explain opportunities for internships and undergraduate research and guide you in obtaining those experiences; and
- serve as an excellent resource as you consider potential graduate programs and career paths in your field.
Students are encouraged to meet with both their College Advisor and Faculty Advisor at least once each semester. Appointments are available in-person, by phone or by video.
Currently enrolled students should use the Navigate360 website to make an appointment with your assigned advisor or call (414) 229-4654 if you do not currently have an assigned Letters & Science advisor. Prospective students who haven't enrolled in classes yet should call (414) 229-7711 or email let-sci@uwm.edu.
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