Digital Media University of Central Florida

Overview

Through rigorous creative and research projects, the Digital Media program of University of Central Florida prepares students for continued study in a PhD program or employment within the industry. Working closely with an innovative faculty and technology partnerships in downtown Orlando, students will employ emerging technologies to communicate interactive narratives and experiences, while also producing cutting-edge research in interactive media. 

Beginning fall 2019, the Nicholson School of Communication and Media’s communication, digital media, and Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy (FIEA) programs will all be located at UCF Downtown, a 21st-century campus with access to arts, culture, nightlife and business.

Curriculum

The Digital Media MA combines theory and practice to train the next generation of interactive media scholars and practitioners. Part of the first wave of UCF’s state-of-the-art downtown campus, students in this program have unique opportunities to participate in socially impactful research and artistic production. In the first year, students gain an introduction to aesthetic, theoretical, programming, and design approaches to interactive media, while gaining valuable foundations in research and storytelling. In the second year, students either pursue a thesis or creative studio production path, while learning about contemporary topics and emerging Artificial Intelligence (AI) research and design. Throughout the program, students are encouraged to create portfolio-ready pieces and/or present their work at conferences, thus preparing them for future professional, artistic, and scholarly success at the forefront of interactive media.

The program focuses on the following areas:

Theory and Practice: The program trains students to pair theory and practice, regardless of the path they choose through the program. Students will learn to develop theoretically sophisticated creative works and to pair creativity with research. This is accomplished by providing students with a solid foundation in aesthetic, design, programming, and theoretical approaches.

Narrative and Experience Design: The program also emphasizes interactive storytelling and an understanding of how to design compelling experiences specifically for interactive media.  This is accomplished through coursework on these subjects, and the time allotted in the program’s plan of study for students to develop in-depth creative and research projects that put the concepts learned in coursework into play.

Social Impact: The MA in Digital Media also takes advantage of the creative, research, and business opportunities available through the program’s downtown Orlando location to provide students with a range of real-world, socially impactful research and creative experiences. Course projects and students’ own creative and research work benefit from the social, cultural, and economic context of a thriving downtown sector.

Professional and Scholarly Outcomes: The MA program offers two equally in-depth and rigorous tracks—the Thesis or Creative Studio Production paths. The required coursework provides the foundational skills and knowledge needed for students to create an exhibition or publication-ready projects.