Information on Master’s Degree Programs in Interactive Media
Majors Overview June 17, 2015This article talks about master’s degree programs in interactive media and their educational requirements, coursework, career choices, and job and wage outlook.
Master’s Programs in Interactive Media
Users of interactive media engage in interaction with data, such as animations, images, audio, videos, and text, on the Internet, among other digital settings. Students enrolled in master’s degree programs in interactive media learn the methodologies and theoretical frameworks related to creating interactive designs and art. Students gain an in-depth grasp of how to create various interactive media including interactive television, web sites, gaming systems, blogs, interactive advertising, and animation.
The creative potential of scripting interactivity is available to students who gain advanced training in editing and authoring tools. They become adept at investigating, designing and developing interactive media projects through the use of experimentation and traditional media techniques. Graduates gain a deep grasp of the correlation between user experience and interactivity effects.
An internship and capstone media projects are typically in interactive media master’s degree programs. A master thesis project may be included in some programs, taking up the two final semesters of the program. Students typically present thesis projects to an academic board or to faculty. Students often create them on the basis of their professional areas of interest.
Educational Requirements
Admission criteria typically require incoming students to hold a bachelor’s degree in interactive media or a related major. Incoming students must submit three letters of recommendation, and writing samples, in addition to creative examples or a media portfolio.
Coursework
Coursework is devised to train enrollees in the theories, software and techniques employed in interactive media. The business aspect of interactive media is also available to students, including cost analysis, meeting deadlines, and customer satisfaction. Core coursework may cover topic areas such as:
•Media issues
•Interactive media business
•Interactive production
•Experimenting with interactivity
•Interactive writing and design
•Digital media
•Animation
•Visual environments
•Media strategies
Career Choices
Program graduates can seek advanced-level positions in television, Internet, and related media fields. They can choose from possible job options such as:
•Web developer
•Interactive media specialist
•Web designer
•Project manager
•Multimedia designer
Job and Wage Outlook
Over the 2012 – 2022 decade, a slower-than-average job growth rate of six percent has been predicted for multimedia artists and animators (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). In 2012, these professionals brought in an average annual wage of $61,370 (BLS).
