Do you absolutely love working with computers? Are you creative and a strong communicator? If you answered yes to all of these questions, studies in digital media communications may be a right fit for you.
Digital media communications is a popular field of study for aspiring media professionals with a deep interest for the growing world of technology. You can tailor your studies to lead to an array of careers across many fields, including advertising, art, computer information science and illustration.
As a graphic designer, you may spend your days designing and planning layouts for magazines, newspapers or websites, choosing the arrangement of everything from the size and style of font to the colors of the artwork used. As an animator, on the other hand, you may be responsible for creating animations or cartoons for anything from a big feature film to a small animation on a website.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment for the motion picture and video industries is projected to grow by 14% between 2008 and 2018 (www.bls.gov). While keen competition is expected across these fields, those with experience in computer-generated imaging, as well as animators and multimedia artists should see the best opportunities. The BLS also reported the mean annual salary for multimedia artists and animators was $63,440 in May 2010. The average annual salary for graphic designers was $48,140 during the same period.
It can take you anywhere from two years to completing an associate's degree in digital media communications to over six years to earning your master's degree in the field. As a digital media communication student, you will likely take courses in subjects like video production, computer animation, media production, graphic design, mass communication, visual communication and computer imaging. Some programs may also include coursework on different styles of writing, including technical writing, news and feature writing, and writing for the media.
If you choose to go on to graduate school, there are a number of programs in digital media that allow students to choose a specialization such as 3-D animation, digital media management, game design or digital video. Complete degree programs in these areas of study, as well as other related fields such as digital photography and visual communications, are also available at the master's degree level.