Full-Time Faculty: Barry Berlin, Chair, John S. Dahlberg, Benjamin J. Dunkle, Stanton H. Hudson, Jr., Barbara J. Irwin, Melissa B. Wanzer, Charles J. Wigley III, Thomas S. Wolfe.
Communication Studies is going digital with a new Bachelor of Science degree through this Digital Media Arts program. As new and more powerful communication technologies in the digital age transform ways in which we communicate and interact, students will have a vast array of new career options. Students can position themselves to take advantage of these new opportunities by gaining cutting-edge practical and theoretical skills to create and design content using digital tools through the digital media arts degree.
The new digital media arts degree in the Communication Studies department focuses on digital design, technical and critical approaches in a 13-course, 39-credit major. State-of-the-art facilities are featured in the Digital Media Arts’ new home in the newly renovated Lyons Hall.
Admission
Prospective Digital Media Arts majors must have a cumulative G.P.A. of at least 2.00, including a minimum grade of C in all Digital Media Arts courses taken to date. The performance of all majors is subject to review relative to their continuation in the program, using such criteria as academic record, demonstration of appropriate communication skills, co-curricular activity, interdisciplinary engagement, and community involvement. Digital Media Arts majors select an academic sequence within the major. They need at least 39 hours (or 36 hours for dual majors) but are limited to a maximum of 54 hours in Digital Media Arts.
A minimum overall average of 2.00 in all coursework is required of all Digital Media Arts majors in order to be certified for graduation.
The Digial Media Arts curriculum:
| 1. ENG 101, ENG 102, PHI 101, RST 101 |
(4 courses) |
(12) |
| 2. Area Studies courses |
(14 courses) |
(42) |
| 3. Major course requirements: |
(13 courses) |
(39) |
| DMA 201 |
Introduction to Digital Media Arts |
(3) |
| DMA 202 |
Digital Media and Culture |
(3) |
| DMA 203 |
Digital Design Concepts |
(3) |
| DMA 204 |
Digital Media Law and Ethics |
(3) |
| DMA 205 |
Digital Graphics |
(3) |
| DMA 206 |
Interactive Multimedia |
(3) |
| DMA 207 |
Digital Media Programming |
(3) |
| DMA 408 |
Capstone |
(3) |
At least one of the above courses must be
taken each semester until all are completed
with a minimum grade of C- in each. Students
receiving a grade of D or F must repeat the course.
|
(10 courses) |
|
| DMA electives |
(5 courses) |
(15) |
| 4. General electives |
(9 courses) |
(27) |
| Total |
(40 courses) |
(120) |
5. DMA major electives fall into three categories:
Design, Technical and Critical. With the guidance of their advisors, DMA majors would select 5 courses from among the following major electives to create a coherent program of study. At least 2 of the courses selected should be in design. All courses below having assigned numbers are already being taught by various departments throughout the college. Those without numbers are in development. |
Large Scale Programming |
(4) |
Design
COM 373 COM Graphics/Design
COM 381 Desktop Publishing
COM 342 Hypermedia (web-site design)
COM 394 Advanced Web Design
DMA 339 Digital Imaging
FAS 110 Two-Dimensional Foundations
FAS 111 Studio Drawing
FAS 113 Studio Design
DMA 393 Advanced Digital Design
Technical
COM 361 Intro to TV Production
DMA 387 Digital Video Production
DMA 389 Computer Animation
COM 341 Internet Production
COM 362 Digital Audio Production
DMA/FAM 310 Digital Music
CSC 111 Intro to Programming
MIS 211 Programming Concepts for
Business
MIS 467 Advanced Business
Programming
Critical
DMA 340 Writing for the Digital Media
COM 328 Scriptwriting
COM 374/FAH 374 Film History
COM 375/FAH 375 Film Classics
PHI Aesthetics
DMA 359 Criticism and Evaluation
Other
DMA 488 Digital Media Arts Internship
(optional)
Recommended Schedule:
| Fall |
|
Spring |
|
| Freshman Year |
|
|
|
| ENG 101 |
3 |
ENG 102 |
3 |
| DMA 201 |
3 |
RST 101 |
3 |
| AS |
3 |
DMA 202 |
3 |
| AS |
3 |
AS |
|
| AS |
3 |
Free elective |
3 |
| Total |
15 |
Total |
15 |
| Sophomore Year |
|
|
|
| PHI 101 |
3 |
DMA 204 |
3 |
| DMA 203 |
3 |
DMA 205 |
3 |
| AS |
3 |
AS |
3 |
| AS |
3 |
AS |
3 |
| AS |
3 |
Free elective |
3 |
| Total |
15 |
Total |
15 |
| Junior Year |
|
|
|
| DMA 206 |
3 |
DMA elective |
3 |
| DMA 207 |
3 |
DMA elective |
3 |
| DMA elective |
3 |
AS |
3 |
| AS |
3 |
AS |
3 |
| Free elective |
3 |
AS |
3 |
| Total |
15 |
Total |
15 |
| Senior Year |
|
|
|
| DMA elective |
3 |
DMA 408 capstone |
3 |
| AS |
3 |
AS |
3 |
| DMA elective |
3 |
Free elective |
3 |
| Free elective |
3 |
Free elective |
3 |
| Free elective |
3 |
Free elective |
3 |
| Total |
15 - 17 |
Total |
15 - 17 |
|
|
Total |
120 |
Facilites
The facilities at Canisius include: A large lab in the newly remodeled Lyons Hall, Room 312, offers 26 special edition iMacs. Each sports 400-megahertz processors, 13-gigabit hard drives, two firewire ports, iMovie capability for video editing, and external zip drives. Software available on each computer includes Word, Pagemaker, Illustrator, Photoshop, Pagemill, Netscape, Mulberry, iMovie, Realplayer, PowerPoint, Appleworks, Director, Flash, Fireworks, Internet Explorer.
A scanner and a laser printer flank the room. A touch-screen in an instructor’s bunker controls a VCR, DVD player, an Elmo documentation presentation system, and ports for plug-and-go setups, including laptops and laserdisc players.
A web and imaging lab, in Lyons, Room 325, provides three G-4 Macs, a Gateway and a scanner. Software includes Dreamweaver, Director, Flash, Netscape, Word, Pagemaker, Photoshop, ImageReady, Fireworks, Excel, PowerPoint, iMovie, SoundEdit.
A digital video lab, in Lyons 413, houses two Media 100s for non-linear digital video editing and a linear editing system. Six video cameras are available for student use, including digital cameras. Down the hall, in the Media Center, a new television studio and control room are featured, and an adjacent media screening room provides comfortable tiered seating and a high-resolution video and DVD projector, as well as a professional sound system.
Additional Information
Internships awarding up to 12 credits total may be earned by qualified Digital Media Arts dual majors at approved locations in Buffalo or in other cities. The internships are individually arranged, require Department approval, and are available only to juniors and seniors with a cumulative G.P.A. of at least 2.50 and a Communication average of at least 2.70. Internships are taken on a Pass/Fail basis.
Opportunity for independent study (three credits) may be available for qualified upperclass students by arrangement with the department chair and faculty supervisor.
Dual majors are available with the permission, and guidance, of both chairs.
Courses 2001 - 2003
Some Communication Studies courses count as DMA courses. Please refer to the Communication Studies section in this catalog for descriptions.
DMA 201 Intro to Digital Media 3
Introduces the fundamentals of digital systems and technologies through class lecture and hands-on approaches. Software and hardware used for web design, multimedia, digital television, video production, and satellite broadcast will be scrutinized.
DMA 202 Digital Media Culture 3
Focuses on understanding digital media and how it impacts our personal, business, cultural, institutional and international lives. Also examine the ways in which digital media transform communication and expression.
DMA 203 Digital Design Concepts 3
Introduces both the conceptual, perceptual and manual skills in traditional design, as well as hypertext. Topics include typography and visual communication, color theory, the principles of form, structure, spatial design and photomanipulation.
DMA 204 (COM 326/PSC 326) Media Law/Ethics in Cyber Age 3
Examines the traditional areas such as freedom of expression, libel, privacy and copyright, as well as the emerging impact on the Internet, the web and other cyber age developments. Ethical cases weighed against classical philosophies (e.g., Aristotle, Mill).
DMA 205 Digital Graphics 3
Examines digital graphics and how they are created and used in web designs, multimedia and desktop publishing. Software packages like Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator will be used.
DMA 206 Interactive Multimedia 3
Examines the types, processes and applications of multimedia content. Emphasis will be on the production and manipulation of video, sound and animation files to create interactive computer presentations using Macromedia Director. Prerequisite: DMA 201 or permission of instructor.
DMA 207 Digital Media Programming 3
Explores the structure of the Internet, its software, and different programming languages. Discussion will begin with TCP/IP and lead to the higher-level protocols for writing Internet applications (HTML, Java, VRML and writing CGIs). Prerequisite: DMA 201 or permission of instructor.
DMA 339 Digital Imaging 3
Art and technology of digital image creation using digital still cameras, computers and software. Topics to include photography, scanning, color correlation, compositing, transforming digital images.
Prerequisite: DMA 201 or permission of instructor.
DMA 340 Writing for the Digital Media 3
Intensive writing assignments employing message-design principles/style guidelines for writing for the web, CDs, DVDs, etc.
DMA 359 Criticism and Evaluation 3
Planning the digital project, developing goals, measuring outcomes. Selected topics in mediated-communication.
DMA 387 Digital Video Production 3
Focuses on both the technical and creative processes involved in digital video field production and post-production. Topics include scripting, lighting, camera operation, audio, non-linear editing and video streaming for the web.
Prerequisite: COM 361 or permission of instructor.
DMA 389 Computer Animation
Develop skills pertinent to 2D/3D structures in concrete and/or virtual space. Different animations are designed, rendered, and simulated using modeling and/or animation computer applications such as Flash, StudioPro, Exteme 3D, and others.
Prerequisite: DMA 201 or permission of instructor.
DMA 393 Advanced Digital Design 3
Advanced course demanding innovational, intellective, design and technical skills in multimedia and cyber-communication projects. Authoring, video and sound editing computer applications, animation, as well as cyberspace file transfer and programming are emphasized.
Prerequisite: DMA 203 or permission of instructor.
DMA 408 Capstone 3
Students will develop a portfolio helpful for an entry-level position in digital media. A professional-level project will be required of all majors to demonstrate specific strengths in visual communications, web-based research, interactive CDs, DVDs, web site design, traditional print materials, and the like.
DMA 488 Internship Seminar I 3-9
Student experientially learns digital media functions in compatibly matched professional setting, locally or out-of-town.
Prerequisite: junior or senior year. Minimum grade point average. Consult chair.
DMA 498 Internship Seminar II 3-9
Sequel to DMA 488 for students taking a second internship.
Prerequisite: junior or senior year. Minimum grade point average. Consult chair.