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The .ids major is a customizable program of study that can be personalized to your own interests. It consists of three foundation courses, any two digital “bundles” of your choice, and a practicum.
The .ids minor is a great tech-fueled addition to any specialized major program of study. It consists of three foundation courses and one “bundle” of study.
First our students take foundation classes in the “4 C’s”: Communication, Context, Culture, and Code.
Interactive Digital Communication (COMM 2555) gives you a solid foundation in creative digital production skills and creative problem solving that you’ll need for all your other .ids classes. This is where you will learn Photoshop to manipulate digital images, Dreamweaver and WordPress to master the design and coding of websites, and After Effects to get a taste of motion graphics and animation. But it’s not just a skills class - You’ll also learn about visual design, writing, and graphic design history to give you powerful visual communication strategies to amplify your ability to articulate and communicate big ideas.
Mass Communication and Society (COMM COR 1010) acknowledges that every media industry has been drastically impacted by the Internet and the digital turn. It combines discussions about the media, history and culture, and focuses on how both media industries and audiences create our shared entertainment and information culture. The core ideas of this course are that a diverse media is essential to democracy, culture is an ongoing and cyclical process, and media convergence is the future of mass communication.
Digital Culture and Communication (COMM 4544/5544) gets you to begin thinking seriously about how the Web connects us, and what kinds of digital innovations are shaping our future. You will learn about the Internet as a positive, social networked sphere with a thriving creative commons, but you will also begin to see the dark side of our hyper-connected world: a digital culture plagued with questions about copyright, government and corporate controls, and issues about privacy and unethical digital citizenship. You will also begin to consider how a life increasingly connected to digital tools is affecting our daily lives.
Interactive Digital Communication II (COMM 3159) Building on Interactive Digital Communication, this class offers students a more comprehensive understanding of web frameworks, content management systems, code (HTML, CSS, and beginning Javascript) and digital skillsets.
Please contact Lori Johnson (Communication Studies advisor, lori.johnson@uni.edu) to help you register for the IDC II class.Each IDS “bundle” is made up of five courses in eight different areas of emphasis. Each bundle is sponsored by a different UNI department. There are also global bundles offered through partner institutions.
IDS majors select any two bundles - creating their own personalized program of study. Minors select one bundle.