The New Media track is designed for students interested in the computer as a humanistic or artistic medium. Students develop both creative and critical approaches through a cross-disciplinary curriculum. Students choose from designated classes in Communication Studies, Computer Science (CS) and the School of Information and Library Science (SILS). Students are encouraged to take courses in the ISIS Program at Duke [http://www.isis.duke.edu/].

Requirements:

Department requirements remain the same, [See Section V]. There are two changes for the new track.

1. New Media students take different Media Production prerequisites. Instead of COMM 130 and 230, students take COMM 150 and CS 110. [See Section I]

2. New Media students are required to take nine credits from outside the department that would contribute to the new media track. Three of these credits are Introduction to Programming in the CS Department. The other six are selected from the list below [See Section III].

Students in the New Media track take seven courses in Communication Studies for 21 credits.  Nine credits are outside the department. These classes are listed below.

I. New Media prerequisites:

COMM 150     Introduction to New Media

COMP 110      Introduction to Programming

II. Existing production courses that qualify for New Media track:

431    Advanced Audio Production

636     Interactive Media

646     2D Animation

638     Game Design

639     3D Modeling and Animation

654     Motion Graphics, Compositing, and Special Effects

639     Physical Computing

III. Cross-disciplinary Courses:

New Media students choose two concentration courses from other departments, listed below. These courses would also qualify for Comm. Studies credit for New Media students. Other courses may be added when identified.

Computer Science:

COMP 180      Enabling Technologies

COMP 185      Serious Games

COMP 416     Introduction to WWW Programming

COMP 380      Computers & Society

COMP 590/382 Advanced Cyberculture Studies (new course)

SILS:

101      Foundations of Information Science

200      Retrieving and Analyzing Information

261      Tools for Information Literacy

572      Web Development I

318      Human-Computer Interaction

558      Storytelling

560      Programming

490     Sociology of Games (new course)

490     Games and Learning (new course)

IV. Courses at other institutions:

The classes below would be useful for the study of New Media, but are not required. Should students take one of these classes the Director of Undergraduate Studies will approve them as Communication Studies credit. Since these courses are taught at another university, faculty in Media Production will evaluate the appropriateness on an ongoing basis.

ISIS (Duke):

72        Artificial Life, Culture, and Evolution

100      Perspectives on Information Science and Information Studies

110FCS Authoring Digital Media: Theory into Practice

155S   Foundations of Interactive Game Design

165      Media Remix: Sampling Theory

170FCS Constructing Immersive Virtual Worlds

V. Departmental Requirements (from catalog):

Core Requirements

• Three courses from the following with a grade of C or better in each: COMM 120, 140, 160, or 170

• Four COMM courses in a concentration

• Three COMM electives

• A minimum of 10 COMM courses, except for those students pursuing the new media option in the Media and Technology Studies and Production concentration. (See below)

• Three COMM courses must be numbered 400 or higher.

Majors in the Department of Communication Studies must take a total of 30 credit hours in the department, including three of the four courses identified as core courses and at least three courses numbered 400 or higher. The core courses are COMM 120, 140, 160, and 170. Students must successfully complete these core requirements with a C or better in each course. The core courses also serve as prerequisites for further work within each concentration.

Additionally, each major must have a coherent program of study, defined as at least four courses in an area of study/concentration identified by the department, or at least four courses selected and justified by the student and approved by the director of undergraduate studies.

Pre-Selected Concentrations in Communication Studies

Students should select one of the following concentrations and take a minimum of four courses within that concentration. Core courses do not count as one of the four required courses within the selected concentration. Additional courses that are not listed under any concentration may be used to meet major requirements but not concentration requirements.

• Interpersonal and Organizational Communication (COMM 120 is a prerequisite for most of the interpersonal and organizational communication courses; consult course descriptions): COMM 226, 312, 411, 422, 521, 523, 524, 525, 527, 620, 624, 625, 629; COMM/MNGT 223, 325; COMM/WMST 224

• Media and Technology Studies and Production (COMM 140 is a prerequisite for most of the media courses; consult course descriptions): COMM 130, 142, 150, 230, 330, 411, 412, 431, 432, 434, 450, 451, 452, 534, 543, 544, 545, 546, 547, 548, 550, 551, 553, 635, 636, 639, 645, 650, 651, 652, 653, 654, 655, 656, 658, 659, 681, 682, 683. Please note that enrollment in advanced media and technology production classes is limited and many production classes have prerequisites.

Students wishing to pursue the new media option in the Media and Technology Studies and Production concentration should consult the department advisor. In addition to the preliminary core requirements (including COMM 140) above, students will be required to take COMM 150 and COMP 110, as well as two approved courses from the Department of Computer Science (COMP) or the School of Library and Information Sciences (INLS). The remaining three classes will be COMM classes above 400. Recommended COMM classes include 431, 451, 636, 638, 639, 646, 650, 654. Recommended cross-disciplinary classes include COMP 180, 185, 416, 380, and 382/590; and INLS 101, 200, 261, 318, 490, 558, 560, and 572.