Undergraduate Degree

Our innovative media information curriculum builds skills needed for success in the digital world. Within the B.A. in Media and Information you can focus on: Interactive media and games, graphics and animation, human-centered technology, policy, society and research, and video production. Our curriculum dives deep into the innovative sectors that are reshaping 21st Century media—from the internet to mobile communications and social media. The B.A. in Media and Information has three optional concentrations: Film and Media Production, Games and Interactive Media Design, and Information Management and Design for Society.

We believe in learning by doing. Our students have immediate opportunities to "make" media in our classes, student organizations, client-based projects and by working with our creative faculty. They work together in hands-on classes from the first semester freshman year, learning to collaborate, plan and pitch projects, and use the latest techniques and technology to tell stories.

Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts Degree in Media and Information

1. The University requirements for bachelor's degrees as described in the Undergraduate  Education section of this catalog; 120 credits, including general elective credits, are required for the Bachelor of Arts degree in Media and Information.

   The University’s Tier II writing requirement for the Media and Information major is met by completing one of the following courses: Media and Information 401, 411, 435B, 442, 443, 447, 450, 488, or 498. Those courses are referenced in item 3. below.

2. The  requirements of the College of Communication Arts and Sciences for the Bachelor of Arts degree.

3. The following requirements for the major (33 credits):

   a.	All of the following courses (9 credits):
   	MI	101	Understanding Media and Information						3
   	MI	201	Media and Information Technologies and Industries						3
   	MI	301	Bringing Media to Market						3
   b.	Two of the following foundation courses (6 credits):
   	CAS	110	Creative Thinking						3
   	CAS	111	Design and Layout						3
   	CAS	112	Story, Sound, and Motion						3
   	CAS	116	Media, Sketching, and Graphics						3
   	CAS	117	Games and Interactivity						3
   	MI	239	Digital Footprints: Privacy and Online Behavior						3
   c.	Five courses from the following focus areas. Three of the five courses must be from the same focus area (15 credits):
   	Film and Media Production
   	CAS	396	Integrated Media Arts Special Topics						3
   	MI	241	Filmmaking I						3
   	MI	311	Introduction to Documentary Production						3
   	MI	341	Filmmaking II						3
   	MI	342	Multi Camera Production for Television						3
   	MI	343	Audio Production						3
   	MI	344	Sound Design for Cinema, Television, and Games						3
   	MI	351	Producing for Cinema and Television						3
   	MI	440	Advanced Video Editing						3
   	MI	441	Advanced Lighting and Camera Techniques						3
   	MI	435A	Creating the Fiction Film I						3
   	Game and Interactive Media Design
   	CAS	396	Integrated Media Arts Special Topics						3
   	MI	231	Game and Interactive Media Development						3
   	MI	346	Game Design						3
   	MI	349	Web Design and Development						3
   	MI	445	Game Design and Development I						3
   	MI	449	Advanced Web Development and Database Management						3
   	MI	455	Game Design and Development II						3
   	MI	482	Building Virtual Worlds						3
   	MI	484	Building Innovative Interfaces						3
   	MI	497	Game Design Studio						3
   	Graphics and Animation
   	CAS	396	Integrated Media Arts Special Topics						3
   	MI	247	Three-Dimensional Graphics and Design						3
   	MI	337	Compositing and Special Effects						3
   	MI	347	Advanced Three-Dimensional Computer Animation						3
   	MI	377	Advanced 3D Modeling						3
   	Creating Human-Centered Technology
   	MI	220	Methods for Understanding Users						3
   	MI	250	Introduction to Applied Programming						3
   	MI	320	Reasoning with Data						3
   	MI	350	Evaluating Human-Centered Technology						3
   	MI	420	Interactive Prototyping						3
   	Media and Information Management
   	MI	360	Media and Information Management						3
   	MI	361	IT Network Management and Security						3
   	MI	452	Media Entrepreneurship and Business Strategies						3
   	MI	462	Social Media and Social Computing						3
   	MI	472	Digital Business and Commerce						3
   	Society, Policy and Research
   	MI	302	Networks, Markets, and Society						3
   	MI	305	Media and Information Policy						3
   	MI	355	Media and Information Research						3
   	MI	480	Information and Communication Technologies and Development						3
   d.	One of the following capstone courses (3 credits):
   	CAS	496	Advanced Media Project Design and Production (W)						3
   	ITM	444	Information Technology Project Management						3
   	MI	401	Topics in Media, Information, and Society (W)						3
   	MI	411	Collaborative Documentary Design and Production (W)						3
   	MI	435B	Creating the Fiction Film II (W)						3
   	MI	442	Design of Cinema and Television Projects (W)						3
   	MI	443	Audio Industry Design and Management (W)						3
   	MI	447	Three-Dimensional Graphics and Animation Portfolio (W)						3
   	MI	450	Creating Human-Centered Technology (W)						3
   	MI	488	Information and Communication Technology Development Project (W)						3
   	MI	498	Collaborative Game Design (W)						3
   e.	Media and Information (MI) Electives
   	Additional credits in department courses can be taken as electives outside the above requirements. No more than 60 credits can be taken within the college. Students are encouraged to pursue an optional transcriptable concentration or a department-affiliated minor to complement their major. Minors may be chosen from fiction filmmaking, documentary production, game design and development, information technology, or information and communication technology and development. Special topics and internships are also encouraged through enrollment in MI 491 and MI 493. Students interested in pursuing a concentration or minor should contact the Academic and Students Affairs Office in the College of Communication Arts and Sciences.
   Concentrations in Media and Information
   The department offers concentrations for students who wish to focus on a specific application area in the discipline. The concentrations are available to, but not required of, any student enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts degree program in Media and Information. Courses completed to satisfy requirement 3. above may also be used to satisfy the requirements of a concentration. The concentration will be noted on the student’s transcript.
   Film and Media Production
   To earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media and Information with a film and media production concentration, students must complete degree requirements 1., 2., and 3. above and the following:
   1.	Five of the following courses from the Film and Media Production focus area:
   	CAS	396	Integrated Media Arts Special Topics						3
   	MI	241	Filmmaking I						3
   	MI	311	Introduction to Documentary Production						3
   	MI	341	Filmmaking II						3
   	MI	342	Multi Camera Production for Television						3
   	MI	343	Audio Production						3
   	MI	344	Sound Design for Cinema, Television, and Games						3
   	MI	351	Producing for Cinema and Television						3
   	MI	440	Advanced Video Editing						3
   	MI	441	Advanced Lighting and Camera Techniques						3
   	MI	435A	Creating the Fiction Film I						3
   2.	Two courses from the Graphics and Animation, or Game and Interactive Media Design, or Media and Information Management focus areas.
   3.	One of the following capstone courses:
   	MI	411	Collaborative Documentary Design and Production (W)						3
   	MI	435B	Creating the Fiction Film II (W)						3
   	MI	442	Design of Cinema and Television Projects (W)						3
   	MI	443	Audio Industry Design and Management (W)						3
   Game and Interactive Media Design
   To earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media and Information with a game and interactive media design concentration, students must complete degree requirements 1., 2., and 3. above and the following:
   1.	Five of the following courses from the Game and Interactive Media Design focus area:
   	CAS	396	Integrated Media Arts Special Topics						3
   	MI	231	Game and Interactive Media Development						3
   	MI	346	Game Design						3
   	MI	349	Web Design and Development						3
   	MI	445	Game Design and Development I						3
   	MI	449	Advanced Web Development and Database Management						3
   	MI	455	Game Design and Development II						3
   	MI	482	Building Virtual Worlds						3
   	MI	484	Building Innovative Interfaces						3
   	MI	497	Game Design Studio						3
   2.	Two courses from the Graphics and Animation, or Film and Media Production, or Media and Information Management focus areas.
   3.	One of the following capstone courses:
   	MI	447	Three-Dimensional Graphics and Animation Portfolio (W)						3
   	MI	498	Collaborative Game Design (W)						3
   Information, Management and Design for Society
   To earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media and Information with a information, management and design for society concentration, students must complete degree requirements 1., 2., and 3. above and the following:
   1.	All of the following courses:
   	MI	220	Methods for Understanding Users						3
   	MI	302	Networks, Markets, and Society						3
   	MI	360	Media and Information Management						3
   2.	Four of the following courses from the Creating Human-Centered Technology, or Media and Information Management, or Society, Policy, and Research focus areas. Three of the four courses must come from the same focus area.
   3.	One of the following capstone courses:
   	MI	401	Topics in Media, Information, and Society (W)						3
   	MI	450	Creating Human-Centered Technology (W)						3
   	MI	488	Information and Communication Technology Development Project (W)						3