Earn an Associate Degree in Digital Media

How does animation actually work? In this online introductory animation course, you’ll learn the 12 essential principles of animation including squash and stretch, anticipation, and exaggeration. Working with a professional animator, you’ll explore how fundamental concepts in physics and motion are used to create sophisticated, convincing motion art in sequential art, video, 2D animation, and 3D animation, and more. Practical projects include stop-motion and flipbook-style animation.

Adobe Illustrator is a powerful and versatile tool for creating illustrations, logos, and graphics for print and the web. You can learn to produce detailed and scalable art in this online Illustrator course. Working with an expert instructor, you’ll build a strong foundation, exploring shape tools, drawing tools, layers, the Pen tool (a lesson unto itself) as well as transformations/distortions, type tools, and modifying paths and shapes. Hands-on illustration projects include creating a robot, a series of album covers, a marketing postcard, an advertisement vehicle wrap, and a company logo.

In this course, you’ll build a foundation in fundamental photography techniques. You will gain control over your camera’s manual settings, learning how to balance the elements in the Exposure Triangle (ISO, Shutter Speed, and Aperture/F-Stop. You will discover how to set White Balance appropriately, create depth of field, and capture motion. We will explore composition concepts to help you make your photographs more interesting and effective and equip you for the types of adjustments photographers make to adjust to different lighting conditions. To give you experience in some important genres, you will gain practical experience in shooting different kinds of portrait photographs and sports/motion photographs..

Logos are the front line—the identity of a company. They are ubiquitous, and they are vital. In this introductory online logo design course, you’ll learn how to design logos that will strengthen the visual image of your own or your client’s company. Working with a design pro, you’ll explore the development of logos through a series of case studies. Each exercise combines a written, conceptual component with hands-on projects for creating an effective logo.

To succeed in today’s digital workplace, it’s imperative to understand how computers work. In this online computer technology course, you’ll gain a foundation in modern computer systems. The course provides a foundation in the computer concepts that every working professional should know. Lectures explore the history and technical evolution of computing, with a focus on the development of hardware, software, and the Internet have developed. Course assignments challenge students to master concepts and relate their studies to relevant professional scenarios, including data representation, programming, and social issues in computing.

Can you hear Sundance calling? In this online video production course, you’ll learn the basics of planning and shooting videos. You’ll learn how to control your video camera, execute different kinds of shots, and maintain continuity in your projects. Working with an expert instructor, you’ll gain experience in shooting different kinds of videos, focusing on storytelling, production planning, and sound editing, with the ultimate goal of telling stories that move audiences. This course will empower you with the knowledge to tell compelling stories for news, corporate video, and social media.

Planning a photo shoot can be challenging as you struggle to properly prepare while keeping the artistic juices flowing. In this online photography lighting course, you’ll focus on the planning and preparation that lead to the successful execution of a photo shoot. You will develop a thorough understanding of different types of lighting, both natural and artificial, and learn how to work within varied shooting conditions. Working with a photography pro, you’ll explore ways to effectively stage and style photographs to achieve your desired effect.

Adobe After Effects is a powerful application for motion graphics and visual effects for film and video. After Effects is used for broadcast graphics, music videos, feature films, video rotoscoping, corporate presentations, and conferences. In this online After Effects course, you can study with a leading animator and learn how to use After Effects to create sophisticated motion graphics—using text and object animations, compositing videos and images, and adding audio and effects. You’ll learn how to set keyframes on a timeline and work with transform properties, motion paths, masks, effects, and more.

Every ad designer must grasp the basics of persuasive copywriting. In this online copywriting course, students will study how text and images interact in effective ad campaigns, learning how to write and edit ad copy for print and digital advertising media and turn written ideas into visual expression. Working with a professional writer and editor, you’ll hone your copywriting skills on realistic projects.

How well do you know Adobe Photoshop, the industry-standard imaging app? In this advanced online Photoshop course you’ll transcend your current skill set with vector illustration techniques, photo-realistic painting, high-impact typography, and professional editing methods that preserve the editability of your original images. Working with a Photoshop pro, you’ll build proficiency with the Pen tool, Adobe Color, Smart Objects and Filters, and more.

UX/UI is a hot field in software development and web design today. Companies need designers who can rapidly prototype the interface for an app or a website, applying principles of usability and accessibility to create intuitive, engaging user experiences. In this course, you’ll work with veteran UX/UI designer Michael Hamm to learn UX/UI from the ground up. Using your favorite prototyping tool – Sketch, Invision, Adobe XD, or Figma – you will learn how create a concept for an app, and turn your sketches into live prototypes with hotspots, transitions, and slick graphics, using the iterative development process practiced in the industry.

Today’s business clients are looking for designers who can apply their creative talents in ways that enhance strategic business goals. In this online introductory Marketing Design course, you’ll learn tried-and-true marketing concepts and explore how they affect the design process. You’ll gain a solid grasp of the marketing process, understand key terms and concepts that every marketer uses, and pick up smart questions to ask in client meetings.

The course provides essential preparation for finding employment opportunities in your creative industry. You will learn how to define a personal career path, break down the job market, and define their goals, talents, and ideal job. This course explores different ways to brand yourself as a professional creative, discussing tips for resume and portfolio preparation, self-promotion, marketing, client searches, responding to leads, interviewing, and presenting work and/or campaigns.

The Digital Media Capstone and Portfolio Review class offers an opportunity to analyze and develop your areas of creative strength and hone your creative work into a polished presentation for future clients and employers. The Digital Media Capstone Project provides you with a series of assignments focused on skill evaluation, multitasking, visual storytelling, interviewing and project pitching. Each assignment provides a context for developing a professional niche for your talents. Students participate in Portfolio Review in weeks 9-15 of the semester. This provides students the opportunity to gather and develop a portfolio of work and present it to faculty and classmates for feedback.