Preparing for a Career in Digital Media

Wherever you are, digital media is playing an increasingly bigger role in the marketplace and in global culture. With outsourcing on the rise, you can work for a prestigious international company from just about anywhere.

Digital Media Workers Are In Demand

Career skills in demand include digital video, animation, audio, web design, graphic design, video and interactive multimedia, to name a few. Digital workers can find jobs in consulting, education, the arts, the media - new and traditional, marketing communications and training.

So, if digital media is a good career choice for you, where do you start? Coming to the U.S.A. to study digital media makes perfect sense. Here you can access the latest technology, learn from award-winning instructors and get hands-on experience in the industry.

Students Learn to Excel in the Classroom

At many U.S. community colleges, students can earn associate degrees and vocational certificates in television production, broadcast journalism, television scriptwriting, graphic design, 3D animation/modeling, digital music production and digital media arts.

A digital music production certificate program offers instruction in various means of computer assisted digital audio production including sequencing, digital recording, recording studio techniques, mixdown and synchronization to video. It also covers the business of music as well as technologies for web audio design.

Santa Monica College...

Santa Monica College is also known for preparing students to work in the entertainment industry. At the College’s Academy of Entertainment & Technology, students in a 3D Character Animation class work with Autodesk Maya to master the fundamentals of 3D character animation—including techniques, such as posing, timing, weight, anticipation, squash and stretch, overlapping action, and staging. The class also introduces them to the basics of performance animation.

Pierce College...

At Pierce College in Lakewood, Washington, the Digital Design Program offers concentrations in two main areas:

Traditional Graphic Design: computer and traditional illustration, digital photography and image manipulation, print-based page layout, and web design.

Dynamic Media Production: 3D modeling, 2D and 3D animation, video production, DVD authoring, and rich media authoring.

Core classes include Introduction to Graphic Design and Rich Media, Production Management, Layout Design and Publishing, Fundamentals of 3-D Modeling and Animation, Web Design and CSS, Fundamentals of Digital Photography, Fundamentals of Video Production and DVD Authoring, Fundamentals of Multimedia Authoring Systems, Integrated Digital Design. One of the core requirements is also a supervised internship with a local business and guidance in preparing a resume and job interview skills.

University of Central Florida (UCF)...

University of Central Florida (UCF), in Orlando, offers three undergraduate specializations in Digital Media: Game Design, Web design or Visual Language.

Students specializing in Game Design learn about the history, culture and design of video games. The program is structured so that students are exposed to the major areas of game design and development—art, programming and producing.

The Web Design specialization allows students to explore the fundamentals of web design with classes in media software design and internet interaction. Media business practices and information management is also covered.

The Visual Language Specialization blends art, storytelling, and technology with classes in areas of character animation and visual storytelling.

UCF also offers two master’s degree programs in digital media. Graduate students in the Master of Arts in Visual Language and Interactive Media study new media theory. A Master of Fine Arts in Visual Language and Interactive Media track is a specialized program in the conceptual, theoretical design, and technical skills which are needed for storytelling.