Digital Media Arts at CSUDH is a hands-on, professionally-oriented B.A. Degree program geared for students who want marketable job skills for careers in the television, motion picture, music recording, sound design, and interactive media industries. Students major in one of the three DMA degree options: 1) Audio Recording Option; 2) Music Technology Option; or 3) Television Arts Option. In this program, students: a) track, mix, and master their own original music recordings in stereo and 5.1 surround sound in our two Recording Studios that are available to students on a 24/7 basis.; b) write, produce, direct, and edit their own music video, documentary, drama, public service announcement (PSA), TV commercial, and client-based video projects in our 10,000 square-foot Television Studio and twelve editing bays that are available to students on a 24/7 basis; and c) design and author their own interactive DVD, Blu-ray, and websites in our state-of-art computer lab facilities equipped with the latest software. The mission of the Digital Media Arts Department is to: 1) provide an academic program that gives students a solid base in the theory and technology skills required for professional careers in the digital media industries; 2) provide hands-on experience in the basic software and hardware tools utilized in digital media production; 3) provide the opportunity for students to work in teams, applying their producing, directing, writing, composing, editing and engineering skills to produce a variety of professional-quality digital media products; and 4) develop interpersonal skills and professional demeanor that will enable students to work effectively and cooperatively as team players on collaborative projects in the industry. The DMA curriculum emphasizes collaborative teamwork among the students in our three program options. For example, Television Arts students will write, produce, film, and edit a TV commercial or short movie that our Audio Recording students then take over to perform the sound design elements of ADR, foley, and sound effects editing, while our Music Technology students compose, arrange, and record original music scores for the film’s soundtrack. Conversely, our Audio Recording and Music Technology students record and produce a band’s song while the Television Arts students film and edit the music video for the song and the bonus material for the interactive DVD, Blu-ray, or website such as interviews with the band and behind-the-scenes “making of” footage. The Digital Media Arts curriculum is geared for students who want to have careers working as professionals in the digital media industry. These career goals include producer, director, sound engineer, writer, composer, editor, director of photography, camera operator, audio/video post production, sound designer, disc authoring, MIDI composer/arranger, motion graphics and animation designer, webmaster, and freelance videographer. With Hollywood just 20 minutes from campus, our students have the opportunity to work for and serve internships at a variety of commercial TV stations, recording studios, motion picture studios, audio and video post production houses, and cable networks. There are also internship and employment opportunities for our students in noncommercial media venues such as educational media at schools and colleges and in-house media production at major corporations. The Certificate in Television Arts (21 units) and the Certificate in Audio Technology (24 units) are designed for students already holding a Bachelor’s Degree whose primary objective is immediate training in the field of television production or audio recording. These certificate programs allow students to concentrate exclusively on just the training in their selected field of study.

Graduates from the Digital Media Arts program will find career opportunities in a wide range of existing entertainment, informational and educational venues. The broad focus of the instruction in this program prepares students for roles as media production specialists, audio engineers and producers, interactive designers, music technologists and MIDI-assisted composers. The emerging areas of the internet will create additional demand for graduates skilled in advanced media production techniques. The Television Arts program with its hands-on training and production project experience prepares graduates for a variety of career opportunities in the television and film industry such as producer, director, writer, camera operator, video editor, lighting director, sound technician, and motion graphics designer in a variety of venues such as commercial broadcasting at TV stations, networks, studios, and production houses; noncommercial television such as in-house corporate, government, educational, and institutional communications operations; public access and local origination cable television; and of course, free-lance production services as a video consultant.