Digital Media (BA)

This truly interdisciplinary cross-Faculty program combines a unique and rich blend of technology, media and communication, drawing on the strengths of the Computer Science, Fine Arts and Social Sciences programs.

Today's quickly changing world is driven by adopting and adapting to new technology and new forms of communication. To succeed, global citizens need to continuously expand their networks and interactivity, maximizing new digital communications tools with real-time audio and sound manipulation. Digital Media embraces the digital future, dancing on the edge of “techno-tainment” with an eye and ear to cultural origins and future implications.

Neither heavily technical- and engineering-oriented nor focused on humanities and cultural studies, York's program lies centre of the spectrum, providing a foundation in:

• The computational basis for the creation of digital media imagery and sound, including animation and the simulation of 3D environments;
• The theoretical, artistic and experiential ideas that lie behind an informed understanding of the aesthetic aspects of digital media;
• The practice of creating digital media works that explore the ways in which culture is produced and can be produced through technology; and
• The broader socio-cultural effects and the theory and research concerning responses to and use of digital media.

To have a comprehensive understanding of a project you must be able to understand the big picture. Students have technical and computational analytic skills from Computer Science, technical and critical analysis skills honed from the studio courses offered by the Faculty of Fine Arts. Socio-cultural issues in digital media are examined and analyzed in all courses, and especially in the Communication Studies and Social Sciences courses.

Digital Media students have the choice of being a student in either the Faculty of Fine Arts or the Faculty of Science & Engineering. While the courses required by all Digital Media students are the same, students in the Faculty of Fine Arts will likely choose their electives from Fine Arts courses. Mix programming interactive technologies with your artistic passions and take courses such as Foundations of Digital Media and Designing Interactive Objects.

Students in the Faculty of Science & Engineering will likely choose their electives from Computer Science or other areas of sciences to dig into robotics, virtual reality, graphics and visualization, user interfaces, data mining and artificial intelligence. Courses include Programming for Digital Media, Building Interactive Systems and Game Engine Development.

Graduates from the Digital Media program find exciting careers in computer game development, installation art, application development, film effects and animation.