Virtual Reality immersive experience seminar.

: Virtual Reality immersive experience seminar.

Digital Arts and Media Design, B.Des.

Bachelor of Design in Digital Arts and Media Design

Design. Develop. Discover. Create on the edge of technology!

Become a creative problem-solver and learn to think critically in a collaborative environment. Develop your skills in the most up-to-date technologies but will also prepare you for the future of your field.

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Earn a Bachelor of Design in Digital Arts and Media Design in Art at Penn State

Are you ready to go digital with your creativity? Join us in the studio!

Digital Arts and Media Design uses digital arts technologies in studio settings to challenge artists and expand ideas.

Digital artists manipulate computer software through coding to expand the potential for creating new forms of artmaking, including interactive games, simulations, or as immersive environments that require active participation by a viewer.

This degree represents an interdisciplinary approach to emerging technologies and the arts and design disciplines and prepares you for a growing and rapidly changing field of study.

Concentrations

Students may choose from one of three primary tracks in the program:

: Digital Art and Digital Design Emphasis: In this track students create individualized 2d-3d digital arts and design learning paths that may include UX/UI design (user experience/user interface), visual concept art and design, 3d modeling and digital fabrication, 2d-3d digital imaging and computer graphics, as well as the most recent emerging forms of digital art and design.
: Interactive and Immersive Media Emphasis: In this track students create individualized learning paths for interactive media design. Students learn computational skills as visual thinkers, designing increasingly complex interactive experiences individually and in teams. Students take courses in game art, game design, physical computing, mobile and web design, virtual worlds, interactive media design, data visualization and cultural analytics.
: Animation and Time Based Media Emphasis: In this track students create individualized learning paths for 2d and 3d time based digital arts and media design including motion graphics, animation, computer graphics and pre-visualization as well as video compositing.

Next Steps

Admission Requirements Degree Requirements Suggested Academic Plan Applying Questions? Contact Advising

Is the B. Des. in Digital Arts and Media Design right for you?

You are inspired to think in computer languages and graphic communication. You consider digital devices flexible and adaptive studio spaces where you come up with your best ideas. With this degree, you will be equipped to engage with the ever-changing face of digital media and the open-ended nature of digital design. Students who earn this degree design video games, build virtual environments, and enjoy careers in digital art, web-based design, 3-D modeling, animation, game development, video and motion graphics, and interactive media.

If your curiosity and creativity are stimulated by thinking visually in computer languages and digital communication, take your passion to the next level. Meet your technical, creative, and intellectual needs of visual thinking, computer programming, and graphic communication.

SoVA student creating a digital model for class.

A day in the digital life...

From seminars to hack-a-thons and coding sessions to fabrication workshops, you will immerse in daily creative activities.

SoVA Student immersed in a video game on their phone.

Close up of 3d printing during the SCDC Flash Symposium.

Student inspecting a 3d model in Making for the Masses course in ADRI.

Faceted illustration of woman and flowers by Brian Kappel.

Man looking at futuristic robotic insect. Work by Brian Kappel.

alumni spotlight

Brian Kappel

Art, B.A. 1998

Brian is a Portland, Oregon-based artist, graphic designer and a self-described “tinkerer.” After a more than 15-year career with Nike, he founded Space Monkey Designs, a firm that is responsible for numerous high-profile designs including VIP event space for ESPN, set design for the Dew Tour and the College Football Playoff suites.