Digital Media Art, BA

The Digital Media Art Major, within the Department of Art + Art History, bridges creative practice with new and emerging technologies. Students will explore artmaking with digital tools in areas such as digital photography, experimental video, 2D and 3D animation, game development, digital fabrication, and AI. Based on a foundation of critical analysis and historical perspective, the program equips graduates with the skills necessary to pursue careers in digital artmaking, design, and content creation.

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Curriculum

Digital Media Art Requirements

The Digital Art Major, within the Department of Art + Art History, bridges creative practice with new and emerging technologies. Students will explore artmaking with digital tools in areas such as digital photography, experimental video, 2D and 3D animation, game development, digital fabrication, and AI. Based on a foundation of critical analysis and historical perspective, the program equips graduates with the skills necessary to pursue careers in digital artmaking, design, and content creation.

Learning Outcomes

Demonstrate technical proficiency and conceptual rigor in the creation of artworks using digital tools.
Apply critical thinking in the location of one’s own work within larger historical and/or artistic contexts.
Recognize key movements, artists, and ideas within contemporary art with an emphasis on digital media.
Conduct critical research of artworks using appropriate terminology as evidenced through written assignments and verbal communication.
Utilize professional practices to create a portfolio of exhibition-ready artwork.

Requirements

Digital Foundations

Take two of the following courses (must total at least 8 units)
Introduction to Studio Art (4 units)
Basic Design (4 units)
Digital Photography (4 units)
Designing for the Web (4 units)
The following courses are required for all Digital Art majors
Digital Foundations (4 units)
Art Theory (3 units)

Lower Division Elective

Take 4 units from this list
Introduction to Studio Art (4 units)
Basic Design (4 units)
Digital Photography (4 units)
Sequential Art (1 units)
Drawing: Life and Figure Drawing (1 units)
2D Animation (4 units)
Designing for the Web (4 units)
3D Digital Design and Fabrication (1 units)
Introduction to Media & Cultural Studies (4 units)
The Video Essay (1 units)
Computation and Data Science for Liberal Arts and Social Science (3 units)
Coding is Fun (3 units)
Programming I (4 units)
Creative Writing: Multi-Genre Studies (4 units)
Data Visualization and Storytelling (3 units)
Creative Practice in Literary Arts (1 units)
Media Production Tools and Techniques (3 units)
Media Ethics and Ecologies (3 units)
Multimedia Writing (3 units)

Digital Art Upper Division

Take at least 3 of the following courses
3D Animation (4 units)
Experimental Photography (4 units)
Advanced Design (4 units)
Experimental Film/Video (4 units)
Media Archaeology (4 units)
The Art of Game Design (4 units)

Upper Division Elective

Take 8 units from this list
History of Media Art (4 units)
Art Criticism, 1900-the Present (4 units)
Art Since 1930 (4 units)
Issues in American Contemporary Art (4 units)
Issues in Modern Art (4 units)
Seminar in Theory & Practice of Art (4 units)
3D Animation (4 units)
Experimental Photography (4 units)
Advanced Design (4 units)
Experimental Film/Video (4 units)
Media Archaeology (4 units)
The Art of Game Design (4 units)
Special Topics in Art (4 units)
Dramatic and Cinematic Arts Workshop (4 units)
Fiction Workshop (4 units)
Understanding Digital Culture (3 units)
Media, Technologies, & Culture (4 units)
Tech Ethics (3 units)
Film (4 units)
Film Theory (4 units)
Video Production (4 units)
Audio Production (4 units)
Fiction Filmmaking (4 units)
Politics and the Media (3 units)

Capstone Project

Digital Art majors complete a two-semester capstone sequence:
Art Capstone: Form, Meaning, & Context (1 units)
Art Capstone: Professional Practices (1 units)

All Art Courses

Art Courses

Introduction to Studio Art (4 units)
Basic Design (4 units)
Digital Photography (4 units)
Sequential Art (1 units)
Printmaking: Screenprinting (1 units)
Painting: Acrylic & Watercolor (1 units)
Drawing: Life & Figure Drawing (1 units)
Special Topics in Art Practice (1 units)
2D Animation (4 units)
Digital Foundations (4 units)
Designing for the Web (4 units)
Introduction to Printmaking (4 units)
3D Digital Design and Fabricat (1 units)
Screenprinting for the Communi (3 units)
Screenprinting for Communi EL (1 units)
3D Animation (4 units)
Advanced Painting (4 units)
Experimental Photography (4 units)
Advanced Design (4 units)
Experimental Film/Video (4 units)
Advanced Screenprinting (4 units)
Interdisciplinary Arts (4 units)
Media Archaeology (4 units)
Artist's Bookmaking (4 units)
The Art of Game Design (4 units)
Special Topics in Art (4 units)
Art Capstone:Form Meaning & C (1 units)
Art Capstone: Professional Pra (1 units)
Introduction to Curating (4 units)
Independent Study - Art Prac (1-4 units)

Learn More About Our Program

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Art on Campus

At Saint Mary’s, opportunities to engage with art abound. Visit the College Museum of Art, which features rotating exhibitions from contemporary artists alongside a comprehensive collection of work from renowned California landscape painter William Keith. Or stop by Studio 160, our springboard for the large and diverse community of young artists at Saint Mary’s. You could be next!

Museum of Art

Gallery 160