Digital Culture (Art), BA

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The BA program in digital culture equips students with the technical skills to create computational media and the cultural skills to know when or why to apply them. Students learn to create computational media, which is computation combined with objects, sound, video, time, space, culture and bodies; breathe behavior into media, objects or systems by programming; and think critically about how computation impacts lives and how culture makes a difference in how people experience computational media, a critical skill in this dynamic age.

The program is for students wishing to specialize in visual composition aspects of new media. Students complement their knowledge of digital culture with discipline-specific courses in the School of Art focused on the historical and theoretical aspects of visual arts, foundational visual arts skills and hands-on knowledge of visual composition through digital means.

Armed with skills and sound judgment, graduates work in cultural communication, marketing, design, social media, health, education, entertainment and creative arts, and all areas in which culture is shaped by technology and computational media. All graduates know techniques to change the world and communicate using contemporary computational media, a vital power in the 21st-century. Some go on to invent fresh techniques.

Digital Culture - Art Concentration

The digital culture program with a concentration in art is for students wishing to specialize in visual composition aspects of new media. Students complement their knowledge of digital culture with discipline-specific courses in the School of Art focused on the historical and theoretical aspects of visual arts, foundational visual arts skills and hands-on knowledge of visual composition through digital means.

At A Glance

Digital Culture (Art), BA

Required Courses

A major map outlines a major's critical requirements, courses, and optimal course sequence and aids students in remaining on track to graduation.

While circumstances vary between students and their paths towards graduation (utilizing placement testing to fulfill required math or foreign language courses, fulfilling multiple General Studies requirements with one course, etc.), completing the courses listed in a major map fulfills all of the requirements for graduation.

Application requirements

All students are required to meet general university admission requirements:

Affording college

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Career outlook

Graduates of digital culture have a wide array of career opportunities in new media involving the fields of:

  • communications (CISCO, Google, Facebook)
  • computing (Apple, Microsoft)
  • gaming and entertainment (Industrial Light and Magic, Electronic Arts, Pixar)
  • media arts (engineering multimedia shows, video and sound production)

The digital culture curriculum also prepares students for roles in the development of modern media systems that address complex socio-technical problems, such as:

  • diagnostic, monitoring and assistive cyber-physical tools and systems that can be used by health care providers
  • new systems for collaborative, participatory content creation and sharing
  • social networking and reflection tools for promoting sustainability
  • systems for interactive, adaptive learning and computational assessment in educational organizations

Graduates of the digital culture program who are interested in continuing their higher education are well prepared to apply for admission to the graduate programs through the School of Arts, Media and Engineering at ASU and other top interdisciplinary new media programs in the nation.

Digital culture alumni have received job opportunities in:

  • 3D modeling and fabrication
  • audio and video
  • engineering
  • graphic design
  • illustration
  • iOS development
  • journalism
  • programming
  • software engineering
  • special effects
  • visual media

Example careers

Students who complete this degree program may be prepared for the following careers. Advanced degrees or certifications may be required for academic or clinical positions. Career examples include but are not limited to:


Career*growth*median salary
Art Directors5.4%$92,500
Broadcast Technicians-3.2%$39,060
Computer Network Support Specialists8.3%$62,340
Web Administrators9.3%$88,510
Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators6.6%$49,520
Graphic Designers4.2%$48,700
Information Technology Project Managers9.3%$88,510
Photographers-5.6%$32,490
Sound Engineering Technicians6.3%$55,810
Video Game Designers9.3%$88,510

* Data obtained from the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) under sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA).

  • Bright Outlook
  • Green Occupation