Have you ever wanted to become a storyteller in the digital realm? Are you passionate about digital content creation, design, social media, graphics or marketing? Do you wish to turn these into a thriving career?
If so, then the creative digital media program may be perfect for you. Here is all you need to know about creative digital media, its career opportunities and the impact you can have as a storyteller in this field.
What is digital media?
Take a second to think about your life online. On any given day as you scroll through social media or browse the internet, you’ll most likely see companies, organizations, or creators make use of graphics, photography, audio, and other technology to convey a message or sell a product.
Those entities are using digital media to communicate with their target audience.
Digital Media’s central component is “the creation of audio, video, websites, social media and applications using technology such as internet and electronics.”
Professionals use digital media to communicate to the public in online forms such as:
- Websites
- Mobile applications
- Video animation
- Social media
Digital media is prevalent everywhere today and is one of the main ways through which most businesses, companies and organizations communicate with their audiences.
Many companies now rely exclusively on digital media to advertise or market their business, making it a booming field with a promising future for those wanting to build a digital media career.
Do I need a degree to work in digital media?
If you are someone with a background in digital skills like coding, multimedia design, programming, photography, or video, employers may overlook a lack of a degree when it comes to hiring, especially if your portfolio is of exceptional quality.
However, unless you have significant industry experience, it can be difficult to get your foot in the door. Many job search experts agree that a bachelor’s degree is a general requirement for most creative or media-based positions. Obtaining a bachelor of arts in creative digital media provides education around valuable, in-demand media creation skills and could help widen the path toward the job of your dreams.
What is a creative digital media degree?
When thinking about digital media creation and the degrees associated with it, what may first come to mind is graphic design. That makes sense since graphic designers specialize in creating visual materials to communicate ideas or a message.
You may ask yourself, why major in creative digital media when you could major in graphic design? Won’t it amount to the same career results? Although there are many similarities between the two fields, there are also key differences in the work they produce.
According to PLNU Creative Digital Media (CDM) program director David Carlson, the difference between a CDM degree and a graphic design degree is the “end product.” Graphic design involves the creation of digital visual materials that are intended to be applied to physical forms, or sometimes hand-made design work. The application of the digital content is often intended to be printed on forms like posters, pamphlets, books, advertisements, billboards, or merchandise. Sometimes, graphic designers create a single design that can be used in several physical formats.
Creative digital media, however, involves content that will live exclusively online or in the digital realm.
When it comes to the focus of each degree, Carlson states that creative digital media focuses on the “content that’s being designed” and deals with image, video, sound, photography, and other outlets for storytelling.
According to Carlson, creative digital media has a strong storytelling component. “Storytelling becomes the vehicle that these tools are being used to share with,” he said.
Carlson continues that creative digital media is a “generalist program that plays into some of these technologies and skills and then applies that to the end product, which is digitized.”
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Who are you called to be?
Pursue your purpose at PLNU.
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Creative digital media at PLNU
Carlson helped launch PLNU’s brand new Creative Digital Media, B.A. program, which serves working professionals wishing to earn a bachelor’s degree. Whether you have experience in the creative field or you’re just getting started, this program is designed to prepare you to be an innovative creator in a variety of in-demand industries.
PLNU’s creative digital media degree, one of the only ones in the country, teaches its students to use various digital mediums in the service of storytelling.
These mediums include:
- Images
- Motion graphics
- Typography
- Audio
- Projection mapping
- Web
- Social Media
Due to its parallels with marketing and communication, the creative digital media degree also offers courses in those fields to complement the design component. These added courses will help students learn how best to communicate with an audience, including various ways of effectively storytelling.
In addition to learning the skills you need to succeed, you’ll also engage in topics about ethical and social implications of social media, the part you will play in interactive web design and also how to attract audiences with additional courses in public relations and communication.
As part of the curriculum, students will be able to complete a capstone course that will be a great addition to the invaluable portfolio you will need for a career search. You’ll also receive career guidance and mentorship from advisors throughout your time in the program to ensure that you’re ready to provide creative solutions in a variety of contexts.
PLNU’s CDM degree is completely online, allowing you to progress at your own pace. The program allows you to adapt its schedule to your own, giving you flexibility.
Students who graduate from the CDM program have a variety of career options to choose from, particularly as a digital marketing specialist, a social media manager or an advertising manager, among many others.
Start creating today
CDM is a great way for you to make an impact in the world through digital storytelling. Whether you end up working for a business, a non-profit organization, or as a content creator, this degree will give you the expert tools you need to shape how stories are told in the digital space and to play a role in helping local businesses and other entities convey their message to a wider audience.
You can find out more about PLNU's Creative Digital Media program here.
