Digital Media Foundations, Associate Certificate, Part-time

Program Overview

The Digital Media Foundations Associate Certificate provides a comprehensive introduction to digital media, covering design principles, cross-platform design, and user interface design. Students develop practical skills in digital asset creation, optimization, and project management, preparing them for entry-level positions in digital media design, computer graphics, and user interface design. The program is ideal for those new to digital media or looking to advance their skills in the field.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

• Digital Media Foundations Associate Certificate
• Provides students with a fundamental introduction to digital media, covering the technology and key applications used in creating digital content.
• Digital media skills are increasingly valuable for businesses as they shift to reach customers online in new ways.
• Students develop knowledge and skills in cross-platform design, digital asset creation, optimization, layout, and user interface design.
They gain practical experience with design fundamentals, image composition, asset design, vector graphics, and digital project management.
• By generating user-friendly digital assets and designing web interfaces for interactive app environments, students develop essential collaborative and teamwork skills for the tech and creative industries.
• The associate certificate is ideal for those new to digital media or looking to advance in the field, enhance their design abilities, or expand knowledge and experience with cross-platform technologies and design methodologies.

Outline:

The Digital Media Foundations curriculum comprises five courses specifically tailored to digital media design:

Course 1:

• Design 1
• Teaches design best practices for media, including suitable outcomes for the web, mobile applications, and other digital platforms
• Focuses on client-focused messaging, human interaction enhancement, and usability
• Covers design fundamentals, color theory, typography, page layout for web/mobile, screen-design, image/interface design

Course 2:

• Project 1
• Emphasizes Content Management System (CMS) design and development
• Students create a functional website using Drupal/WordPress
• Explores site navigation, site theme development, and efficient implementation of CSS style sheets

Course 3:

• Interface Design Usability
• Examines human interaction principles specific to the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)
• Stresses user-oriented designs by studying the fundamental components of people-friendly interactive design
• Guides learners to develop interface designs through the entire project lifespan from inception to launch

Course 4:

• Vector Graphics
• Teaches the creation of precise and crisp vector graphics and polished, resolution-independent Bezier curves
• Explores various sophisticated drawing tools, artboards, layer utilization and manipulation, as well as advanced techniques in perspective drawing

Course 5:

• Students select one elective from either
1.) Photoshop (Photoshop) or 2.) ) Adobe Photoshop 1 and Adobe Photoshop 2

Careers:

• Graduates are well equipped for entry-level positions in digital media design, computer graphics, and user interface design.