New Media

OVERVIEW OF DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

Minimum number of credits required to graduate: 120

Minimum Cumulative GPA required to graduate: 2.0

Minimum Grade requirements for courses to count toward major: New Media majors must have a “C-” or better in each required major course taken.

Other GPA requirements to graduate: A minimum accumulative GPA of 2.0 (“C”) in the major.

Required Course(s) for fulfilling Capstone Experience: NMD 498 and NMD 499

Contact Information: Director of the School of Computing and Information Science, 5711 Boardman Hall, (207) 581-2188

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The New Media program offers an interdisciplinary course of study at the intersections of computer science, art and communications and its impact on the human condition. The curriculum’s melding of critical perspective with hands-on practice enables students to become articulate and creative thinkers who are proficient with a range of technologies, able to address problems and opportunities at the horizon of human experience.

New Media courses are taught by a core faculty with expertise in art, design, computer science, engineering, cultural studies, and creative writing. The program’s position within the School of Computing and Information Science offers opportunities for collaborating with the computer science and spatial informatics programs, while cooperating professors from fine art, music, psychology, and journalism add further dimensions to the program’s offerings.

For their first two years as a New Media Major, students share a common foundation that exposes them to key themes in the history and theory of creative technologies and gives them a firm grounding in the essential tools and techniques of digital creativity, from digital design and video production to code and 3D fabrication.

Six category courses in the second and third year cultivate breadth and depth in areas of the student’s choosing. Majors choose a pair of courses from both technical and perceptual classifications (Categories 1 and 2) and then follow with two advanced courses (Category 3).

Along with a third-year course in community collaboration and development, a year-long, six­ credit senior capstone completes the BA. Here, students conceive, design, produce, and launch an advanced project that incorporates an innovative approach to such new media as experimental documentary, feature, and animated video; mobile and wearable apps; community-based storytelling; and interactive games and installations.

New Media majors are encouraged to apply new media strategies and techniques to other fields, including within their Minor. New Media students also may apply to work in the New Media and Internet Technologies Lab (commonly known as ASAP). This is a collaborative environment that designs and produces sophisticated prototypes and projects ranging from Web sites, interactive kiosks and video documentaries.

Each New Media Major is required to have a MacBook Pro or MacBook Air laptop capable of performing essential functions that are taught in core New Media courses. Purchase of additional hardware and software may be necessary depending on the student’s specialized interests. Minimum specifications for new media computers are available by writing or calling the New Media program office, 348 Boardman Hall, (207) 581-4358 or vfiggins@maine.edu.

Program Objectives

New Media graduates work in companies as diverse as Apple, the  BBC, and Wikipedia, as well as locally, and in fields as diverse as graphic design, film, journalism, education, and healthcare. The program  prepares  students  to  graduate  with  the following skills:

• Proficiency and hands-on experience in visual communication, interaction design, physical prototyping, digital storytelling, and building applications with code.
• Understanding of trends in new media and their effect on different stakeholders across society, including legal, ethical, and ecological impacts.
• Expertise necessary to found or support new media ventures that disrupt existing industries or to help existing industries weather future  disruptions.
• Extensive practice as a collaborator in both remote and in-person teams.
• Firm grasp of how computers operate, which applications and file formats are appropriate for different media, and how to manage a sophisticated year-long new media project.
• Demonstrated ability to create compelling public presentations, including a portfolio showcasing multiple genres of contemporary media, such as 2- and 3-d design, audio and video, Web and mobile app development, and digital stories and games.

New Media majors must complete a total of 48 credit hours in New Media courses. A “C-” or better is required in all courses that satisfy New Media major program requirements. ENG 317 (Business and Technical Writing) or equivalent is a required course outside the major. The requirements listed on this page are specific to this particular major. Students are also responsible for meeting any graduation requirements set out by their college. Students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) should make sure to review those requirements as stated on the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences  page of the catalog.