The Minor Digital Media / Information Technology & Culture
Computers are more than tools: The technical possibilities that computers bring have an impact on culture—for example on aesthetics, on perception and on the social dynamic. Computers likewise have an effect on what they produce; they form styles and influence a multitude of cultural phenomena.
The minor in Digital Media / Information Technology & Culture is concerned with the connection between theory and praxis of computers as a digital medium. Economic success and cultural acceptance, meaning and sustainability are closely connected when it comes to the conception of media configurations, interfaces, software models and the development of applications. The minor seeks to develop and convey a basic technical and cultural understanding of transformations created by information technology.
The practical portion of the minor is comprised of a module for advanced procedures in digital media production and a module in design and aesthetic strategies. A parallel theory sequence will discuss advanced topics such as media and cultural science discourses as well as theories of information technology. An optional module that pursues individual projects will complement the course offerings in the final semester.
Profile
The minor in Digital Media / Information Technology & Culture covers, on the one hand, the application of hard and software in digital media production. The emphasis of this practical portion is on learning to use application programs, as well as developing efficient optimization strategies when operating digital media. This includes for example knowledge of production and web-based distribution of digital media as well as the preparation of advanced, self-critical strategies of media design and the development of applications in the fields of audio, visual design, video, interactive media and data banks. The theory portion concerns to understand the cultural consequences of using digital media.
You will learn the scientific commentary on production and product strategies in the manufacturing of electronic communication, the analysis of new procedures of aesthetic design associated with them, as well as the research into the cultural changes that arise from using digital media. Starting with these concentrations the minor will prepare you for professional field in which digital information and media technology plays an essential role. Because of its integrated theory portion and its interdisciplinary customization, the minor is an appropriate foundation for further study in an advanced Master's degree.