Mar 28, 2024  
2019-2020 UMaine Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2019-2020 UMaine Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

New Media


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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: Velma Figgins, Administrative Specialist, 5711 Boardman Hall, Room 348, 207-581-4358


The New Media program offers an interdisciplinary course of study at the intersections of digital technology, 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, computing, 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.

For their first year 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 user experience.

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 315 (Research Writing in the Disciplines) or 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.

Project-Based Requirements:


Students must take all of the following classes:

Category Requirements


Students must take a minimum of two courses from each of the following three categories, for a total of 18 credits:

New Media Electives


Students must take a minimum of one New Media Elective.  Electives may include any of the New Media Category 1, 2 and 3 courses not already taken or any additional NMD elective courses offered (listed below).  New Media electives may be taken prior to the senior year by planning your schedule appropriately.  New Media elective courses available might include:

Courses in Suggested Sequence for the B.A. in New Media


The following is the recommended four-year sequencing for courses for New Media majors.  Students may rearrange the ordering of courses with their advisor assuming course prerequisites are met.

First Year - First Semester


First Year - Second Semester


Second Year - First Semester


Second Year - Second Semester


  • New Media Elective Credits: 3 (Required)
  • Category 1 or 2 course
  • General Education Requirement
  • General Education Requirement
  • Minor

Three Year - First Semester


Third Year - Second Semester


Fourth Year - First Semester


Fourth Year - Second Semester


Note:


Students wishing to study abroad should schedule their away time the spring of their sophomore year or the fall of their junior year.

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