Degree Overview: Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Degree in Media Arts
Majors Overview April 12, 2015Get information about Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree programs in Media Arts and their coursework, career choices, job and wage outlook, and continuing education choices.
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Degree Programs in Media Arts
The artistic abilities and interests of students enrolled in B.A. in Media Arts programs are commonly enhanced while they are introduced to the professional and business aspects of the field. In the majority of programs, students are offered education in approaches, practices, and theories, and in many programs, they can avail opportunities to interpret and critique art in various forms.
Students may opt for specializations in a focus area related to media arts, such as video production or advertising, with hands-on experience gained simultaneously in creativity and technical applications. Accordingly, students will develop skills in graphics and computer animation. Digital portfolios will also be produced by many students to demonstrate their technical and practical abilities in media arts.
Coursework
Students in a media arts program may learn about creating and designing commercials or films, web pages, advertisements, video games, and logos through the use of current technologies. Program coursework focuses around ethics, theories, communication methods and tools, social issues in media, and design techniques and processes. Core coursework may include topic areas such as:
•Aesthetics
•Drawing
•Digital imaging
•3-D media
•Graphic design
•Video games
•Web design
Career Choices
Those who successfully graduate from B.A. in Media Arts programs may seek entry-level careers in filmmaking or television or in new media, such as video games, multimedia, and web-related professions. They may opt for popular positions such as:
•Interactive designer
•Graphic designer
•Media production specialist
Job and Wage Outlook
Over the 2012 – 2022 decade, job growth rate of 7% have been predicted for graphic designers. Multimedia artists and animators are expected to see a 6% increase over the same period (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). In 2012, graphic designers brought in an annual average wage of $44,150, while multimedia artists banked $61,370 on average per annum.
Continuing Education Choices
Graduates of the bachelor’s degree program may opt for continuing education to enhance their knowledge of the field and advance their career prospects by earning a master’s degree or a doctorate in media art. Those pursuing graduate degrees may be allowed to concentrate on narrower segments of the field, such as research, media forms, technologies, design, software, engineering, or production.