Digital Multimedia Design, B.Des.

Program Description

The Bachelor of Design (B.Des.) in Digital Multimedia Design (DMD) is an online undergraduate degree delivered in collaboration with the Colleges of Arts & Architecture, Communications, Information Sciences and Technology, and World Campus (WD). The major helps prepare individuals to be leaders in digital media technologies and multimedia industries. This interdisciplinary degree develops students' design thinking through courses in art and design, critical thinking through courses that promote active, critical and ethical use of communications media and technologies, and systems thinking through courses in information technology and human interaction.

The DMD will help individuals build capacities to be creative leaders and change agents who engage with critical issues through interconnected projects in design, technology, and communications across a wide spectrum of industries. This discipline integration creates the conditions for working in the collaborative, adaptive environments that characterize the digital media professions. Combining methods, tools, and approaches from each discipline provides the basis for developing design literacy, visual literacy and digital literacy when responding to problems and issues of local and global importance.

What is Digital Multimedia Design?

Digital Multimedia Design involves learning to design, use, and apply digital platforms, formats, and devices in a range of online interdisciplinary settings. You will develop your digital literacy by coding and creating multiple digital forms using a variety of computer languages; expand your visual literacy in developing multimedia narratives; and enhance your design literacy in exploring ideas in creative problem-solving situations. Digital media generally refers to the storage and transmission of information in increasingly varied multimedia digital formats and devices, and within changing modes of communication. Design is a means by which we respond to change in a purposeful way by focusing on issues, problems, and opportunities and developing plans for taking innovative and tactical actions. Our goal is to prepare you to be a new generation 21st-century learner, and the curriculum embodies its purpose because the entire degree is delivered online through Penn State’s World Campus.

You Might Like This Program If...

You are inspired by learning processes that challenge you to explore knowledge beyond given boundaries, build alternative options for bringing different media together, or collaborate with others to find new ways of communicating ideas. When the changing face of digital media and the open-ended nature of digital design are brought together in settings involving information science and technology, communications, and visual arts, the outcome is beyond our imagination.

Entrance to Major

For specific information on entrance procedures, please visit the website for the College of Arts and Architecture.

Direct Admission to the Major

Incoming first-year students who meet the program admission requirements are admitted directly into the major. Admission restrictions may apply for change-of-major and/or change-of-campus students.

For more information about the admission process for this major, please send a request to the college, campus, or program contact (listed in the Contact tab).

Degree Requirements

For the Bachelor of Design in Digital Multimedia Design, a minimum of 120 credits are required:

Requirements for the Major

To graduate, a student enrolled in the major must earn a grade of C or better in each course designated by the major as a C-required course, as specified by Senate Policy 82-44.

Course List

Code	Title	Credits
Prescribed Courses
Prescribed Courses: Require a grade of C or better
ART 211Y	Introduction to Digital Art and Design Criticism	3
COMM 215	Basic Photography for Communications	3
COMM 230W	Writing for Media	3
DART 202	2D Digital Art & Computer Graphics	3
DMD 100	Digital Multimedia Design Foundations	3
DMD 300	Digital Multimedia Design Studio	3
DMD 400	Digital Multimedia Design Capstone	3
HCDD 113	Foundations of Human-Centered Design and Development	3
IST 250	Introduction to Web Design and Development	3
Additional Courses
Select 30 credits from the following:		30
AA 121	Design Thinking and Creativity
ART 1	Introduction to the Visual Arts
ART 10	Introduction to Visual Studies
ART 20	Introduction to Drawing
ART 30	Introduction to Sculpture
ART 122Y	Commentary on Art
COMM 118	Introduction to Media Effects
COMM 180	Survey of Electronic Media and Telecommunications
COMM 280	Introduction to Telecommunications Technologies
COMM 282	Television Field Production
COMM 296	Independent Studies
COMM/IST 310	Digital Media Metrics
COMM 342W	Idea Development and Media Writing
COMM 346	Writing for the Screen I
COMM 428A	Principles of Strategic Communications
COMM 492	Internet Law and Policy
COMM 493	Entrepreneurship in the Information Age
COMM 495	Internship
COMM 496	Independent Studies
DART 100	Introduction to Digital Art & Media Design
DART 203	3D Digital Art & Design Fundamentals
DART 204	Animation Fundamentals
DART 205	Creative Coding: Scripting for Art and Design
DART 206	Web Design and Visual Web Development
DART 296	Independent Studies
DART 297	Special Topics
DART 300	Digital Portfolio Elements
DART 303	3D Studio
DART 412	Portfolio Design and Professional Practices
DART 495	Internship
DART 496	Independent Studies
DART 497	Special Topics
GD 110	User Experience Design: Concepts and Principles
GD 210	User Interface Design and Prototyping
HCDD 264	Design Practice in Human-Centered Design and Development
IST 140	Introduction to Application Development
IST 240	Introduction to Computer Languages
IST 256	Programming for the Web
IST 261	Application Development Design Studio I
IST 311	Object-Oriented Design and Software Applications
IST 361	Application Development Design Studio II
IST 402	Emerging Issues and Technologies
Supporting Courses
Select 6 credits of "history of art, design, technology and communications" in online coursework from World Campus offerings in consultation with an adviser		6
Select 12 credits of related online coursework from World Campus in consultation with an adviser		12

General Education

Connecting career and curiosity, the General Education curriculum provides the opportunity for students to acquire transferable skills necessary to be successful in the future and to thrive while living in interconnected contexts. General Education aids students in developing intellectual curiosity, a strengthened ability to think, and a deeper sense of aesthetic appreciation. These are requirements for all baccalaureate students and are often partially incorporated into the requirements of a program. For additional information, see the General Education Requirements section of the Bulletin and consult your academic adviser.

The keystone symbol appears next to the title of any course that is designated as a General Education course. Program requirements may also satisfy General Education requirements and vary for each program.

Foundations (grade of C or better is required and Inter-Domain courses do not meet this requirement.)

• Quantification (GQ): 6 credits
• Writing and Speaking (GWS): 9 credits

Breadth in the Knowledge Domains (Inter-Domain courses do not meet this requirement.)

• Arts (GA): 3 credits
• Health and Wellness (GHW): 3 credits
• Humanities (GH): 3 credits
• Social and Behavioral Sciences (GS): 3 credits
• Natural Sciences (GN): 3 credits

Integrative Studies

• Inter-Domain Courses (Inter-Domain): 6 credits

Exploration

• GN, may be completed with Inter-Domain courses: 3 credits
• GA, GH, GN, GS, Inter-Domain courses. This may include 3 credits of World Language course work beyond the 12th credit level or the requirements for the student’s degree program, whichever is higher: 6 credits

University Degree Requirements

First Year Engagement

All students enrolled in a college or the Division of Undergraduate Studies at University Park, and the World Campus are required to take 1 to 3 credits of the First-Year Seminar, as specified by their college First-Year Engagement Plan.

Other Penn State colleges and campuses may require the First-Year Seminar; colleges and campuses that do not require a First-Year Seminar provide students with a first-year engagement experience.

First-year baccalaureate students entering Penn State should consult their academic adviser for these requirements.

Cultures Requirement

6 credits are required and may satisfy other requirements

• United States Cultures: 3 credits
• International Cultures: 3 credits

Writing Across the Curriculum

3 credits required from the college of graduation and likely prescribed as part of major requirements.

Total Minimum Credits

A minimum of 120 degree credits must be earned for a baccalaureate degree. The requirements for some programs may exceed 120 credits. Students should consult with their college or department adviser for information on specific credit requirements.

Quality of Work

Candidates must complete the degree requirements for their major and earn at least a 2.00 grade-point average for all courses completed within their degree program.

Limitations on Source and Time for Credit Acquisition

The college dean or campus chancellor and program faculty may require up to 24 credits of course work in the major to be taken at the location or in the college or program where the degree is earned. Credit used toward degree programs may need to be earned from a particular source or within time constraints (see Senate Policy 83-80). For more information, check the Suggested Academic Plan for your intended program.

Learning Outcomes

• Apply practical and technological competencies by integrating skills in design thinking, systems thinking, and critical thinking to address problems, implement ideas, produce work, and assess outcomes;
• Develop the capabilities necessary to use digital technologies in multimedia projects through exploration, expression, and communication that engage a multiplicity of ideas, forms, actions, and settings;
• Demonstrate communication skills by creating and presenting ideas, concepts and designs in written, verbal and visual forms;
• Acquire career oriented knowledge and strategic thinking skills that can be applied through project organization and management in a variety of social contexts and professional settings;
• Embody cultural diversity and ethical awareness through experiences that engage and encompass a multiplicity of social situations and complex communities;
• Demonstrate competencies and capabilities to enable the use of skills to create, execute, and evaluate communication strategies in multimedia contexts making them a valuable asset for businesses, corporations, government, and nonprofit organizations.

Academic Advising

The objectives of the university's academic advising program are to help advisees identify and achieve their academic goals, to promote their intellectual discovery, and to encourage students to take advantage of both in-and out-of class educational opportunities in order that they become self-directed learners and decision makers.

Both advisers and advisees share responsibility for making the advising relationship succeed. By encouraging their advisees to become engaged in their education, to meet their educational goals, and to develop the habit of learning, advisers assume a significant educational role. The advisee's unit of enrollment will provide each advisee with a primary academic adviser, the information needed to plan the chosen program of study, and referrals to other specialized resources.

READ SENATE POLICY 32-00: ADVISING POLICY

University Park

Anna Divinsky
School of Visual Arts Advising Coordinator
12 Borland Building
University Park, PA 16802
814-867-0450
axd289@psu.edu

World Campus

Undergraduate Academic Advising
100 Innovation Blvd
Suite 225
University Park, PA 16803
814-863-3283
advising@worldcampus.psu.edu

Suggested Academic Plan

The suggested academic plan(s) listed on this page are the plan(s) that are in effect during the 2024-25 academic year. To access previous years' suggested academic plans, please visit the archive to view the appropriate Undergraduate Bulletin edition.

Digital Multimedia Design, B.Des. at World Campus

The course series listed below provides only one of the many possible ways to move through this curriculum. The University may make changes in policies, procedures, educational offerings, and requirements at any time. This plan should be used in conjunction with your degree audit (accessible in LionPATH as either an Academic Requirements or What If report). Please consult with a Penn State academic adviser on a regular basis to develop and refine an academic plan that is appropriate for you.

*

Course requires a grade of C or better for the major

‡

Course requires a grade of C or better for General Education

#

Course is an Entrance to Major requirement

†

Course satisfies General Education and degree requirement

¹

ADDITIONAL COURSES (30 credits)
ART 010 GA(3); ART 020 GA(3); ART 122 US(3); ART 203(3); ART 204(3); ART 302(3); COMM 118 GS(3); COMM 180 GS(3); COMM 280(3); COMM 342(3); COMM 428A(3); COMM 428E(3); COMM 469(3); COMM 481(3); COMM 492(3); COMM 493(3); DART 203(3); DART 412(3); IST 242(3); IST 261(3); IST 311(3); IST 361(3); IST 413(3)

²

SUPPORTING COURSES (18 credits)
-Select 6 credits of "history of art, design, technology and communications" in online coursework from World Campus offerings in consultation with an adviser.
-Select 12 credits of related online coursework from World Campus in consultation with an adviser.

University Requirements and General Education Notes:

US and IL are abbreviations used to designate courses that satisfy Cultural Diversity Requirements (United States and International Cultures).

W, M, X, and Y are the suffixes at the end of a course number used to designate courses that satisfy University Writing Across the Curriculum requirement.

General Education includes Foundations (GWS and GQ), Knowledge Domains (GHW, GN, GA, GH, GS) and Integrative Studies (Inter-domain) requirements. N or Q (Honors) is the suffix at the end of a course number used to help identify an Inter-domain course, but the inter-domain attribute is used to fill audit requirements. Foundations courses (GWS and GQ) require a grade of 'C' or better.

Career Paths

The Digital Multimedia Design degree expands your access to a range of learning communities – those typically out of reach for students enrolled in one program within one discipline. Your take courses across three colleges–Arts and Architecture, Communications, Information Sciences and Technology – and it happens entirely online. We are preparing a new generation of 21st-century learners and leaders in art and design media, visual communication, and digital literacy. You are introduced to different domains of knowledge from across disciplines and you integrate these ways of knowing into a personal portfolio of multimedia projects that demonstrate your creative capabilities in multiple digital forms and contexts.

Careers

The fully integrated scope of this program will equip you with skills considered central to many 21st-century jobs, such as creative problem-solving capabilities, capacity to exercise leadership in team building around collaborative projects because of your fluency in digital languages, visual communication, and design proficiency. You will learn to apply contemporary design methods to engage real-world issues in conceptually robust, technically varied, and expressively rich projects. These problem-based and project management skills are invaluable for many new career paths emerging within the creative industries and the creative economy.

Opportunities for Graduate Studies

Due to the multidisciplinary scale of this program, the range of digital visual communication forms, art and design practices, and creative computer applications in media and communications, filmmaking, gaming, and animation that you encounter is extensive. You will have opportunities to pursue broad-based experiences, and to follow specialized pathways of interest. You design your own program pathways around a cluster of digital courses as your skill levels grow and your professional aspirations emerge. The pathways are meant as a starting point for your academic career and will help guide a conversation with a DIGMD program adviser.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES FOR GRADUATE STUDIES

Professional Resources

• College Art Association
• National Art Education Association
• National Council of Art Administrators
• Pennsylvania Art Education Association

Accreditation

• National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)
• National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)
• Middle States Association (MSCHE)

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL OF VISUAL ARTS ACCREDITATIONS

Contact

University Park

SCHOOL OF VISUAL ARTS
12 Borland Building
814-867-0450
axd289@psu.edu

https://arts.psu.edu/academics/school-of-visual-arts/

World Campus

SCHOOL OF VISUAL ARTS
12 Borland Building
814-867-0450
axd289@psu.edu

https://www.worldcampus.psu.edu/degrees-and-certificates/penn-state-online-digital-multimedia-design-bachelor-of-design-degree