Undergraduate Programs

Degree Programs

Bachelor of Science in Media Arts and Science

The Media Arts and Science (MAS) program explores the theory and practice of using digital media to communicate, educate, engage, or entertain. Courses in the program are hands-on and project-based, allowing students to become fluent in the use of contemporary tools for content creation, management, deployment, and assessment. The program also fosters the skills and qualities prized by employers in the 21st century workplace – skills for communication, teamwork, and productivity.

General Requirements

A minimum of 122 credit hours is required for the MAS degree. Students may transfer no more than 60 credit hours from another institution. Students must complete the specific Course Requirements listed below.

Additionally:

  •  Students must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 (C).
  •  Any course taken to satisfy the requirements of the degree must be completed with a minimum grade of C (a grade of C- does not count).
  •  Remedial courses are not counted towards the degree.
  • A maximum of 12 credit hours may be taken using the Pass/Fail option and applied to University Electives only.
  • Once a course has been applied toward one requirement, it cannot be used to satisfy a second requirement, except where explicitly stated otherwise.  No course will be counted more than once toward graduation with the exception of special topics courses, seminars,independent study, internships, and other special courses.
  • Students must file a degree application form with the School by March 1 for December graduation and October 1 for May, June, or August graduation. Failure to file by the deadline may delay the official date of graduation.

Course Requirements

The course work required for the Bachelor of Science in Media Arts and Science consists of five parts:

1. Media Arts & Science Core Courses

2. Computing Foundations

3. Course of Study

4. General Education Requirements

5. University Electives


1. Media Arts & Science Core Courses (18 cr.)

  • NEWM N100 Foundations of New Media (3 cr.)
  • NEWM N101 Multimedia Authoring Tools (3 cr.)
  • NEWM N102 Digital Media Imagery (3 cr.)
  • NEWM N202 Digital Storytelling (3 cr.)
  • NEWM N199 Directed Study I (1 cr.)
  • NEWM N299 Directed Study II (1 cr.)
  • NEWM N399 Directed Study III (1 cr.)
  • NEWM N499 Capstone Experience (3 cr.)

2. Computing Foundations (3 cr.)

  • CSCI N301 Fundamental Computer Science Concepts (3 cr.)

3. Course of Study (57 cr.)

The student’s Course of Study must include at least 45 credit hours from NEWM courses, with at least 12 hours at the 300-level and 12 hours at the 400 level. Up to 12 hours in the Course of Study may be chosen from the list of Electives, shown here.

Electives

  • INFO Any undergraduate course
  • HER E101 Beginning Drawing I
  • HER E102 Beginning Drawing II
  • HER E103 2D Design
  • HER E109 Color and Design
  • HER E214 Visual Learning
  • JOUR J152 Sports in Society
  • JOUR J210 Visual Communication
  • JOUR J320 Creative Advertising
  • CSCI N241 Fundamentals of Web Development
  • CSCI N341 Client-Side Web Programming
  • CSCI N342 Server-Side Web Programming
  • CSCI N351 Intro to Multimedia Programming
  • CSCI N451 Web Game Development
  • CIT 21400 Introduction to Data Management
  • CIT 21500 Web Programming
  • CIT 27000 Introduction to Java
  • CIT 31200 Advanced Web Site Design
  • CIT 41200 XML-Based Web Applications

4. General Education Requirements (22 cr.) Learning Community, INFO I100 (1 cr.)

Communication Skills (9 cr.)

  • ENG W131 English Composition I (3 cr.)
  • COMM R110 Fundamentals of Speech Communication (3 cr.)

and one of the following:

  • JOUR J200 Reporting, Writing, and Editing I (3 cr.) or
  • ENG W132 English Composition II (3 cr.), or
  • TCM 220 Technical Report Writing (3 cr.)

Analytical Skills (6 cr.)

  • MATH M118 Finite Mathematics (3 cr.)
  • MATH M153 Algebra and Trigonometry I (3 cr.)
  • PHIL P162 Practical Logic (3 cr.)
  • PHIL P265 Elementary Symbolic Logic (3 cr.)
  • STAT 30100 Elementary Statistical Methods (3 cr.)
  • STAT 35000 Data Analysis (3 cr.)

Arts and Humanities (3 cr.)

  • CLAS C205 Classical Mythology (3 cr.)
  • COMM T130 Introduction to Theatre (3 cr.)
  • ENG L105 Appreciation of Literature (3 cr.)
  • FILM C292 Introduction to Film (3 cr.)
  • FOLK F101 Folklore (3 cr.)
  • HER H100 Art Appreciation (3 cr.)
  • HER H101 History of Art (3 cr.)
  • MUS M174 Music for the Listener (3 cr.)
  • PHIL P110 Introduction to Philosophy (3 cr.)
  • PHIL P120 Ethics (3 cr.)

Social Sciences and Comparative World Cultures (3 cr.)

  • AFRO A150 Afro-American Studies (3 cr.)
  • AMST A103 Topics in American Studies (3 cr.)
  • ANTH A104 Culture and Society (3 cr.)
  • COMM C180 Interpersonal Communication (3 cr.)
  • GEOG G110 Intro to Human Geography (3 cr.)
  • HIST H105 American History I (3 cr.)
  • HIST H108 Perspectives on the World to 1800 (3 cr.)
  • HIST H113 History of Western Civilization I (3 cr.)
  • HIST H217 The Nature of History (3 cr.)
  • POLS Y101 Principles of Political Science (3 cr.)
  • POLS Y217 Intro to Comparative Politics (3 cr.)
  • POLS Y213 Intro to Public Policy (3 cr.)
  • PSY B104 Psychology as a Social Science (3 cr.)
  • PSY B310 Life Span Development (3 cr.)
  • SOC R100 Sociology (3 cr.)
  • SOC R121 Social Problems (3 cr.)
  • REL R133 Introduction to Religion (3 cr.)
  • REL R173 American Religion (3 cr.)
  • REL R212 Comparative Religions (3 cr.)
  • WOST W105 Intro to Women’s Studies (3 cr.)

5. University Electives (up to 22 cr.) Courses for the remaining credits will be decided by the individual student, in consultation with an advisor, to fulfill additional career and/or personal interests.

Students may take a maximum of 4 credit hours of HPER elective physical education courses numbered Exxx.