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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, 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 the dynamic 21st century.
Armed with skills and 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 students gain 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 - Arts and Design Studies Concentration
The digital culture program with a concentration in arts and design studies is for students wishing to integrate transdisciplinary studies in design and the arts into new media applications.
Students complement their knowledge of new media with broad-based transdisciplinary studies in design and the arts.
Degree Offered
Digital Culture (Arts and Design Studies) (BA)
Design & the Arts, Herberger Institute for
Location
Tempe
Major Map
A major map outlines the degree’s requirements for graduation.
Application Requirements
All students are required to meet general university admission requirements.Freshman
Transfer
International
Readmission
Affording College
Scholarships
Find and apply for relevant scholarships.
Financial Aid
ASU has many financial aid options. Almost everyone, regardless
of income, can qualify for some form of financial aid. In fact,
more than 70 percent of all ASU students receive some form of
financial assistance every year.
Information about this program
Visit the School of Arts, Media and Engineering website for full details.
Career Outlook
Upon graduation, digital culture students 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 sociotechnical 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 will be well prepared to apply for admission to the top interdisciplinary new media programs in the nation, including the graduate programs through the School of Arts, Media and Engineering at ASU.
Digital culture alumni have received job opportunities in:
- audio and video
- engineering
- graphic design
- illustration
- iOS development
- journalism
- programming
- software engineering
- special effects
- 3D modeling and fabrication
- 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Multimedia Artists and Animators | 8.4% | $70,530 |
| Art Directors | 5.4% | $92,500 |
| Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary | 12% | $66,930 |
| Broadcast Technicians | -3.2% | $39,060 |
| Computer Network Architects | 6.5% | $104,650 |
| Computer Network Support Specialists | 8.3% | $62,340 |
| Computer and Information Research Scientists | 19.2% | $114,520 |
| Computer Systems Analysts | 9.1% | $88,270 |
| Web Administrators | 9.3% | $88,510 |
| Craft Artists | 4.3% | $34,940 |
| Designers, All Other | 5.8% | $55,930 |
| Architectural and Engineering Managers | 5.5% | $137,720 |
| Film and Video Editors | 17% | $61,180 |
| Fine Artists, Including Painters, Sculptors, and Illustrators | 6.6% | $49,520 |
| Graphic Designers | 4.2% | $48,700 |
| Information Technology Project Managers | 9.3% | $88,510 |
| Commercial and Industrial Designers | 4.4% | $65,970 |
| Music Composers and Arrangers | 5.7% | $50,590 |
| Music Directors | 5.7% | $50,590 |
| Artists and Related Workers, All Other | 5.5% | $63,540 |
| Photographers | -5.6% | $32,490 |
| Media and Communication Workers, All Other | 9.9% | $47,900 |
| Sound Engineering Technicians | 6.3% | $55,810 |
| Set and Exhibit Designers | 10.3% | $53,090 |
| Video Game Designers | 9.3% | $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