The rise of digital technology over the past 30 years has drastically altered how you create, share, consume, and change digital content. Today, digital media exists at the intersection of communication, design, and technology.
You can now blend traditional mass communication theories with contemporary digital media practices. But you can also span diverse digital media and communication fields, including videography to commercial advertising. Increasingly, digital media reaches across industry sectors into entertainment, e-commerce, journalism, software development, and web development.
If you work to become a digital media professional, you must learn and understand design skills and advanced technical knowledge. In addition, you must understand how to create digital media like animation, film, and websites to be better prepared for the evolving job market and the need to reach your more tech-savvy audiences across industries.
Online Digital Media Bachelor’s Degree Program Overview
Bachelor’s degree programs in digital media blend the study of graphic design and communication principles with hands-on instruction in contemporary visual media production. These programs prepare you for future work as media specialists, documentarians, news producers, digital media marketers, user experience designers, or digital illustrators.
What Is a Digital Media Communication Degree?
The digital media and communication arts major involves an increasing array of delivery systems, including video production, digital photography, graphic design, and web design.
Learn video techniques and skills in documentary and narrative video classes, video editing, lighting, and audio production. Learn by doing projects toward your digital media bachelor’s degree, studying visual theory, and engaging the community through your work.
Is a Digital Media Bachelor’s Degree Worth It?
For people with various skill sets, digital media is a broad field with many specializations. Digital media specialists specialize in a particular aspect of digital media and are usually marketing or information professionals.
A specialization is classified according to the media type and the organization’s mission. For example, you can pursue public relations, marketing, and advertising as possible areas of specialization. Or, you may decide to gravitate toward the news industry.
Benefits of Earning a Digital Media Communications Degree
A digital media communications degree is a huge achievement, but you will also gain a broad range of industry-specific and transferable skills to help your post-graduation job search. Here are the top benefits of earning a digital media bachelor’s degree.
Knowledge
Starting an entry-level job will benefit you if you have strong IT skills, including industry-standard media software and Microsoft software. Given the popularity of digital communications and technology, you should use your initiative to understand current industry-level practices.
Media literacy
If you apply for an entry-level job in the media industry, you’ll likely be expected to be familiar with the jargon. Likewise, you may need to understand digital media interfaces and jargon if you are considering a career in graphic design or digital media. Learning about media programs and gaining proficient media literacy begin by being exposed to the projects and modules of a media course.
Communication skills
Listening, recording, and expressing ideas are essential when working in a professional environment, which is why they are such a key part of your digital media bachelor’s degree. A similar approach can be applied to any industry, whether you deliver a business presentation or write an article for a publication. You should be a confident communicator if you work with clients or customers.
Teamwork skills
Teamwork is an important skill that involves the ability to communicate effectively. You will be required to participate in team discussions and projects regardless of your role. So, learning to collaborate effectively with others and productively develop your interpersonal skills is vital.
Time management skills
It may not come naturally to everyone to multi-task and prioritize work, but learning how to manage your workload is valuable. Most jobs, whether in the media industry or not, require candidates to have strong time management skills to meet deadlines and finish tasks on time. To utilize your time efficiently, you must understand how to do so.
Creative thinking
Many industries require creative thinking as an essential skill for your digital media bachelor’s degree. Many tasks require creative thinking within the media industry and elsewhere. An innovative approach to problem-solving involves considering a problem from an inventive and imaginative perspective to come up with an inventive solution.
Creative thinking produces unique solutions and dynamic results by providing a new perspective on problems. Your digital media bachelor’s degree is just a small part of working toward that creative thinking approach.
What Can You Do With a Digital Media Bachelor’s Degree?
You’ll develop skills in audio, film, video, and web skills, which will prepare you for a range of career options. You could pursue career opportunities in film, public broadcasting, radio, social media, television, theatre, and emerging media.
If you emphasize liberal arts with your studies, you may be prepared for the competitive world of digital media. Here are roles you could consider with an online digital media bachelor’s degree.
- Audio/Podcast Storyteller
- Content Curator
- Corporate Video
- Director
- Editor
- Media Promotions
- Producer
- Production Coordinator
- Screenwriter
- Videographer
Digital Media Professional Salary and Job Outlook
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), your job outlook for digital media fields will probably grow 6 percent from 2021 to 2031. According to the BLS, that increase means about 68,600 new jobs over the next ten years.
Digital marketing is just one of the most in-demand jobs you could pursue with an online digital media bachelor’s degree, according to Acadium. Of course, according to the BLS, you could tap into various job opportunities in advertising, marketing, and promotions with a median pay of $133,380 per year.
How Much Does an Online Digital Media Bachelor’s Degree Program Cost?
Undergraduates who take online courses typically pay $300 to $500 per credit. An online bachelor’s degree costs an average of $51,000. Additionally, books, supplies, and fees are included in the total cost. The good news is that you can likely lower your expenses in several ways.
Digital Media Scholarship Information
In our world of constant media communication, it’s no surprise that students are interested in studying media in higher education. Scholarships can help you finance your education while pursuing a digital media bachelor’s degree. You may need to submit references, a personal statement, and proof of financial need.
- Tools of the Trade Award Scholarship – This scholarship was established to benefit students attending college or other technical training following high school or going directly into the workforce.
- Scripps Howard Foundation Semester in Washington Program – In this program, you will spend 14 weeks working at the Scripps Howard Foundation Wire in downtown Washington, DC. News reporters, writers, photographers, and videographers cover breaking news and news features.
- F. Ward Just Scholarship Application – A scholarship application is available for the 1967 F. Ward Just Scholarship. The scholarship was established by Ward Just, former publisher of the News-Sun, to benefit graduates of Lake County, IL, high schools.
- Student Transportation Video Contest – Applicants must submit a video of no more than 2.5 minutes that examines transportation trends, impacts, or safety.
Digital Media Program Requirements
Before registering for courses that count toward your digital media degree, you must have graduated from an accredited institution in the United States. To be eligible, you must already possess a master’s degree in digital media or a related field or be pursuing a master’s degree.
Experience is a common requirement for an online digital media major in a bachelor’s degree program. In addition, digital media degree programs sometimes require proof of internships or work-training programs as a way for you to gain more experience, hone your skills, and develop on-the-job and industry knowledge. It’s all part of the valuable experience that will allow you to fulfill the required job functions daily in the classroom and your future workplace.
Common Courses in Digital Media Programs
You will gain practical experience in a bachelor’s degree program as an online digital media major. The program’s main focus will be developing and designing graphics and studying platforms for these graphics, such as virtual worlds, cinema, digital photography, and gaming consoles.
- Art Direction
- Digital Storytelling
- Fundamentals of Game Design
- Graphic Design
- Interactive Media
- Multimedia Specialist
- Video Editing
You will focus primarily on interactive media designs, technologies, and techniques in developing engaging digital media content.
How Long Does It Take to Complete an Online Digital Media Bachelor’s Degree Program?
The average time it takes for a full-time digital media major to complete your digital media bachelor’s degree is four years. Taking part-time courses means it will take longer to complete your program. The digital media bachelor’s degree can support greater flexibility.
In many online digital media programs, you can take classes at your own pace and choose from accelerated courses as you pursue your digital media bachelor’s degree. Beyond the flexibility, you’ll also achieve the cost benefits of pursuing your education in an online digital media bachelor’s degree program.