Overview
Jeremy Sarachan (Media and Communication), Program Director
Wendi Sierra, Interim Program Director, Fall 2018
Interactive media combines media and communication, English, and coding to create a multidisciplinary course of study in which students critically analyze the effects of emerging media and computing on society. Students also develop a practice of production and innovation through the creation of web and mobile experiences, video games, multimedia narratives, and computational objects.
Overall, the interactive media program offers small classes and a creative and collaborative community. The College's proximity to downtown Rochester allows student participation in internships, service-learning initiatives, and networking opportunities.
While there are no formal concentrations, students may choose to focus in one of the following areas:
- Interactive Media: Students create responsive websites to prepare for careers as interactive media designers and programmers for a variety of corporate and media-related companies.
- Games: Students study game production to prepare for positions as game designers, programmers, and scriptwriters; to create indie games; to prepare for careers in interactive advertising; and to apply for graduate school in game design.
- New Media Art and Physical Computing: Students develop their skills and aesthetic judgment as new media artists with the opportunity to experiment with computer graphics programming, web technologies, and physical computing (e.g., sensor-embedded installations, wearable computing). After graduation, a student may pursue a master of fine arts degree, or a career as an exhibit designer or an entrepreneur.
- Digital Cultural Studies: Students focus on issues related to privacy and community; identity, class, and gender; media industries; and visual rhetoric and communication.
In addition to the career paths described above, students also prepare to enter a variety of graduate programs, including communication, media study, art and technology, rhetoric, information science, visual or game design, law, and business.
Students have 24-hour access to the Gladys Brooks Media Arts Lab with Adobe Creative Suite (After Effects, Photoshop, Premier Pro). They also use professional video and sound equipment, and a state-of-the-art high definition television studio.
The major in interactive media leads to a bachelor of arts degree.