Bachelor of Arts Digital Entertainment and Interactive Arts

Lead Faculty: Mr. John Banks

The Bachelor of Arts in Digital Entertainment and Interactive Arts degree consists of courses that prepare the student for a broad range of positions requiring a background in digital entertainment and interactive design theory, multimedia production, and project management. Students learn and apply development theory and practice for creating digital media and choose concentrations that allow for focused studies in the areas of Digital Design and Web Development, Video Game Art and Animation, Video Game Design and Production, and Cinematic Arts. Successful completion of the program will enable graduates to compete for employment because they possess a combination of skills and knowledge vital to today's workplace. Positions in video and multimedia production, business, publishing, government, education and training include Web Designer/Developer, Game Designer, Animator, Project Manager, and Multimedia Specialist.

Upon successful completion of the program students should be able to:

• Communicate effectively with clients, project managers, and media production team members in various electronic formats using oral, visual, and written methods.
• Identify the features of distribution media such as the Internet and other network systems and their application in digital media projects.
• Describe the phases of production cycles, from the initial planning stages to the final delivery of a professional product.
• Describe the appropriate technological choices associated with the software and hardware used in a broad range of digital media projects.
• Analyze digital media production software features in selecting the appropriate products to accomplish a specified project goal.
• Explain such legal issues as copyright and the process of obtaining the use of original and licensed material in media project.
• Explain ethic issues including contemporary issues of developing of digital media and video game projects.
• Apply the principles of graphic design, information design and usability design in the generation of digital media projects.
• Prepare active and interactive content with graphics, animation, sound and digital video using contemporary digital media authoring software.
• Design interactive media using authoring software and scripting language controls such as HTML, Action Script and Lingo.
• Design a professional electronic portfolio that demonstrates writing and design competency in a variety of media, including digital design, web, digital video, 2D and 3D graphics and animation.

Program Learning Outcomes

Requirements

To receive a Bachelor of Arts degree with a Major in Digital Entertainment and Interactive Arts, students must complete at least 180 quarter units as articulated below, 45 of which must be completed in residence at National University, and 76.5 of which must be completed at the upper-division level. The following courses are specific degree requirements. In the absence of transfer credit, students may need to take additional general electives to satisfy the total units for the degree.

Students are expected to possess or have access to a computer outside of National University so that they can work on projects both on and off campus. Given the nature of digital media technology, this computer should be a 2.8 GHz processor with 512 Megabytes of RAM or better. Software for the Multimedia program is provided for onsite computer labs only. Students are responsible for software expenses associated with online and outside activities.

Preparation for the Major (8 courses, 36 quarter units):
COM 100        Introduction to Communications*
or
COM 103        Oral Communication*
COM 220        Media Literacy*
MUL 200         Communication Tools
                      (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101 and COM 100/COM 103)
MUL 205         Principles of Graphic Design
                      (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101 and COM 100/COM 103)
MUL 245         Principles of Web Design
                      (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101 and COM 100/COM 103)
MUL 255         Interactive Design
                      (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101 and COM 100/COM 103)
MUL 265         Digital Audio and Video
                      (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101 and COM 100/COM 103)
MUL 275         3-D Modeling and Rendering
                      (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101 and COM 100/COM 103)

*may be used to satisfy general education requirements

Requirements for the Major: General Core Courses
(11 courses, 49.5 quarter units):
MUL 300       Convergence Media
                    (Prerequisites: MUL 200 level requirements or equivalents)
MUL 305       Applied Graphic Design
                    (Prerequisites: MUL 200 level requirements or equivalents)
MUL 365       Applied Digital Audio and Video
                    (Prerequisite: MUL 265 or equivalent)
MUL 335       Digital Design for Print
                    (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101 and COM 100/103)
MUL 345       Applied Web Design
                    (Prerequisites: MUL 200 level requirements or equivalents)
MUL 355       Game Scripting
                    (Prerequisites: MUL 200 level requirements or equivalents)
MUL 332       Electronic Design and Layout
                    (Prerequisites: ENG 100/101 and COM 100)
MUL 315       Video Game Design
                   (Prerequisites: MUL 200 level requirements or equivalents)
MUL 375       Applied 3-D Modeling and Rendering
                    (Prerequisites: MUL 200 level requirements or equivalents)
MUL 445       Management of Web Projects
                    (Prerequisites: MUL 200 level requirements or equivalents)
or
MUL 495       Practicum in Multimedia Arts (Internship)
                    (Prerequisites: 9 upper-division quarter units in a media
                     concentration or approval by intern coordinator and Lead Faculty)

Capstone Core Course
MUL 420 Portfolio Project (Prerequisites: All general core courses)

Note: this is a two-month long class occurring after concentration courses

Digital Entertainment and Interactive Arts Concentrations:
Concentrations allow students to select a specific area of study to match their personal interests and fulfill demand for specialization in the marketplace. Upon entering the concentration, the student will begin learning the specialized skills through threaded projects spanning the whole of the concentration. Each course will build upon the prior course, culminating in a final advanced project presentation. In order to fulfill concentration requirements, students take the four designated courses in the concentration and choose two upper-division courses from MUL, COM, or CSC courses.

Concentration in Video Game Art and Animation (6 courses, 27 quarter units):
MUL 381       Video Game Art
                    (Prerequisites: All general core courses)
MUL 385       Video Game Animation
                    (Prerequisites: All general core courses; MUL 381)
MUL 480       Character Animation
                    (Prerequisites: All general core courses; MUL 381; MUL 385)
MUL 481       Advanced Animation Project
                    (Prerequisites: All general core courses; MUL 381; MUL 385;
                    MUL 481)

Plus two Upper-Division Electives from MUL, COM, or CSC courses

Concentration in Cinematic Arts (6 courses, 27 quarter units):
MUL 460       Advanced Digital Audio and Video
                    (Prerequisites: All general core courses)
MUL 461       Motion Graphics
                    (Prerequisites: All general core courses; MUL 460)
MUL 462       Digital Audio Creation
                    (Prerequisites: All general core courses; MUL 460; MUL 461)
MUL 463       Digital Video Production Project
                    (Prerequisites: All general core courses; MUL 460; MUL 461;
                    MUL 462)

Plus two Upper-Division Electives from MUL, COM, or CSC courses

Concentration in Video Game Production and Design
(6 courses, 27 quarter units):
MUL 325       Psychology of Video Gaming
                    (Prerequisites: All general core courses and PSY 100)
MUL 318       Video Game Production
                    (Prerequisites: All general core courses)
MUL 401       Advanced Video Game Design
                    (Prerequisites: All general core courses)
MUL 411       Video Game Production Project
                    (Prerequisites: All general core courses; MUL 325; MUL 318;
                    MUL 401)

Plus two Upper-Division Electives from MUL, COM, or CSC courses.

Concentration in Digital Design and Web Development
(6 courses, 27 quarter units):
MUL 440       Multimedia Design for the Web
                    (Prerequisites: All general core courses)
MUL 430       Advanced 2-D Graphic Imaging
                    (Prerequisites: All general core courses)
MUL 470       Advanced Digital Interactivity
                    (Prerequisites: All general core courses)
MUL 471       Advanced Digital Interactivity Project
                    (Prerequisites: All general core courses)

Plus two Upper-Division Electives from MUL, COM, or CSC courses

Program Information

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Program Locations

• Costa Mesa Campus
• La Mesa Campus
• Los Angeles Campus
• South Bay Campus
• Spectrum Business Park Campus
• Technology and Health Sciences Center