The Bachelor of Science in Computational Media is a collaborative effort by the College of Computing and the School of Literature, Media, and Communication (LMC). The program offers a thorough education in all aspects of the computer as a medium: the technical, the historical-critical, and the applied. Program graduates will have both significant hands-on and theoretical knowledge of computing and an understanding of visual design and the history of media. Graduates will be uniquely positioned to plan, create, and critique new digital media forms for entertainment, education, and business communication. The program requires 36 semester hours of courses in computer science and 30 hours of courses in LCC (in addition to the humanities requirement). A substantial number of required courses in each unit ensures that every student has basic competence in: 1. computational principles; 2. the representation and manipulation of digital media, including graphics and sound; 3. software design; 4. visual and interactive design; 5. digital arts; and 6. media theory and history. After completing required courses, students specialize in a specific area of media computing. Typical specialty areas include: 1. Interactive games design: This is one of the fastest growing areas of digital media production and is already a $7 billion industry. 2. Special effects: As special effects become more complex and focused on computer-generated imagery, employment in this area will increasingly require expertise in both media and computer science. 3. Culturally informed program design: As programming work is increasingly outsourced to nations offering lower labor costs, programming that adds value through a sophisticated response to the needs of specific corporate and group cultures will offer job security to American programmers. Depending on their coursework within the BS program, students will also be qualified to enter graduate studies in computer science, digital arts, digital media studies, and human-computer interface.

The Computational Media (CM) International Plan follows the Institute model to develop a global competence within the student's major program of study. It thus integrates international studies and experiences with work in all aspects of the computer as a medium, preparing graduates to plan, create, and critique new digital media forms within an international professional environment. As in the basic CM program, students following the International Plan will take 36 hours of courses in CS and 30 hours of courses in LCC (in addition to the basic humanities requirement). Students will also: 1. take three international courses, including one from each of the following categories: International Relations, Global Economics, and a course on a specific country or region; 2. spend two terms abroad engaged in any combination of study abroad, research, or internship; 3. demonstrate language proficiency equivalent to two years of college-level language study (to be determined by testing); and 4. complete a CM capstone course that links international studies with the major.