Introductory studio experience in designing for the digital arts; concepts, media and strategies for making creative digital work.

Creative problem solving; empathy, ideation, prototyping, and testing as means to innovate discovery in diverse fields.

Introduction to the fundamentals of storytelling through the use of a variety of practical digital media applications.

Introduction to programming for artists and designers through a combination of lecture and hands-on studio exercises. Students learn the basic principles of computer programming which set the foundation for future courses in game, web, and interactive media design.

Introduction to concepts, technologies and strategies for building contemporary websites.

Exploration of the creation, manipulation, and reception of digital images through project-based work using image-editing software. Through lecture, discussion, projects and critique, students will develop, refine, and evaluate digital images and understand their artistic, social, and ethical ramifications.

Theory, principles, and practices of digital screen­based visual communication. Through a multi­disciplinary perspective involving art, design, art history, and media studies, students will address how culture visualizes screen­based communication through both image and type.

Key episodes in the history of digital technology and digital media; values and norms that adhere to digital culture. CA 1. CA 3.

Core values that shape creative production. Mindset that promotes diversity, inquiry, and a human-centered approach to designing and implementing real-world technological solutions. CA 1.

Seminar focusing on a special, limited topic in the digital media space.

Introduction to concepts and strategies for creating motion designs, animations, and visual effects.

Introduction to digital editing, project management, working with sound and time-based storytelling.

Introduction to techniques of 3D motion such as modeling, lighting and texturing 3D forms; keyframes and keyframe interpolations; and motion graphics effectors and simulations.

Introduction to 3D Animation techniques including key framing, curve editing, timing, squash and stretch, walk cycles, and the 12 principles of animation.

Introduction to creating polygonal 3D models using industry standard modeling tools, focusing geometry construction based on reference images, edge flow, clean topology, and polygon density.

Introduction to dramatic lighting, 3-point lighting, shadows, materials, procedural textures, bump maps, displacement maps, ambient occlusion, ray tracing, and global illumination.

Interface design fundamentals of websites, mobile applications, and interactive media installations. Students learn aesthetically engaging and usable human-computer interfaces through hands-on course projects, critiques, and discussions.

Introduction to the principles of game design and development. History of the industry, story and game mechanics.

Fundamentals of gameplay scripting utilizing an off-the-shelf video game engine. Scripting concepts and constructs like vector math, classes, raycasting, deltaTime, and other available engine commands.

Practical investigation into the successful management of video game projects. Budgets, asset management plans, and risk evaluation of game development options. Relationship and team management, business aspects of the video game industry, and development of a video game project.

Introduction to figure and perspective drawing, character and environmental concept art, pixel art, sprite animation, vector art, game UI design, texture painting, and 2D art for 3D games.

(Also offered as ENGL 2610.) The application of digital technology and media to such subjects as art history, classics, cultural and area studies, history, languages, literature, music, and philosophy. This course will provide a broad survey of the landscape of international and interdisciplinary digital humanities through the lens of ongoing work of faculty and staff researchers at the University of Connecticut.

(Also offered as HDFS 2620.) Social, economic, and cultural influences on youths' interactions with, and use of, technology for formal and informal learning. Examples include media literacy, digital divide, technology in education, cyberbullying, and other issues that have emerged since the rise of the World Wide Web and growth of social media. CA 2. CA 4.

Introduction to digital media concepts and platforms used in companies' marketing strategies and plans.

Introduction to social media marketing and advertising, focusing on the platforms and strategies being deployed by brands.

Introduction to the fundamentals of cinematography in the digital realm, including both technical knowledge and aesthetics. Emphasis on camera angles, movements, composition, and lighting to enhance storytelling.

Critical thinking and writing about digital media objects, contexts, and "texts," and how these participate in the social construction of human identities and belonging.

The theory, principles and practices of digital screen-based visual communication. Through a multi-disciplinary perspective involving art, design, art history, and media studies, students will address how culture visualizes screen-based communication through both image and type.

An open forum where students will "workshop" their own narratives and works-in-progress, using each other as collaborators, editors, and ideators to investigate emerging forms of storytelling.

Provides a critical overview of interaction design (including usability, evaluation, and cultural aspects) and a practical program of website and computer software interface creation.

Seminar focusing in digital media. Content will vary each semester based upon instructor expertise.

Independent study in a Digital Media area of concentration.

An interdisciplinary lab that explores and deploys the principles of strategic branding and identity design across traditional and digital environments.

An intermediate to advanced exploration of motion design, animation, and visual effects.

A history of animation from the late 19th-century through contemporary and emerging digital technologies.

An exploration of non-traditional techniques and mediums for creating motion graphics and animation.

An in-depth exploration of character animation using a combination of digital and traditional techniques and principles.

A survey of broadcast design and title sequences made for film, games and television.

A survey of film and media, in particular, the close analysis of graphic storytelling techniques in television, animation, shorts, and movies.

(Also offered as ART 3235.) Exploration of techniques for the development of still and animated graphics for use in science education and scientific publications and presentations. Project-based coursework with involvement from scientific experts and close collaboration between student illustrators and animators.

A project-based exploration of animated scientific visualizations and digital artworks inspired by science.

Exploration of compositing and visual effects through production, manipulation, and combination of live action footage with 2D and 3D animated effects.

Continuation of the core animation principles to explore advanced animation techniques including character animation, deformations, and non-linear animation.

The history of computer-generated imagery (CG) from its beginnings to the present.

Instruction and guidance in the techniques and critical understanding of modeling, including texturing the model, lighting, and rendering in animation specific to a 3D environment.

Previsualization processes and techniques for time-based projects.

Offers students an intermediate understanding of the art and science of creating physical simulations, using particle systems and collision detection. Creation of complicated rendering and compositing setups that make animations both easier to render and more flexible within the bounds of any animation or VFX sequence.

(Also offered as DRAM 3420.) Provides a basic understanding of electronics, key components, function, construction, and project design for wearable electronics and interactive objects. Concepts learned will form the core for students to continue to proactively explore and experiment with wearable electronics and interactive objects beyond the classroom.

Through lecture and hands on exercises, students will be introduced to the processes, technologies, and environment of mobile applications.

Explores intermediate and advanced web design and development techniques, covering Cascading Style Sheets, XML, dynamic HTML with Javascript, common frameworks, and the principles of site management. The course will also cover more advanced design concepts in website creation, such as efficient navigation design, designing for portability and accessibility, separating content from presentation for easy site updating and maintenance, planning interactivity, and search engine optimization.

Explores intermediate programming techniques for web and interactive media projects.

A project-based exploration of the relationship of story, character, and player in games. Students will develop narrative digital projects, examine a selection of popular storytelling games, and explore ways that games have historically visualized and communicated their stories.

Investigation of different virtual environments, simulations, and serious games and examine how game engines can be used to generate a three-dimensional computer-based environment. Students will create a 3D environment based on their own imagination and research.

Students in this course learn and apply advanced game design techniques and game theory. Students focus on the concepts of balance, design, and player psychology, synthesizing these elements into cohesive and interesting gameplay.

Students create a multiplayer game experience based in a relevant game engine that adheres to or modifies the core mechanics to create a new multiplayer game experience.

(Also offered as ARTH 3570.) Investigates forms of digital and Internet art and the mostly forgotten histories of the technologies behind them. Forms and themes to be explored include games/gaming, surveillance art, cyberfeminism, data visualization, and crowdsourced art. CA 1. CA 4.

Basic introduction to all parts of the 3D asset creation pipeline for games including subdivision, surface, and spline modeling for game assets, UV unwrapping, PBR material painting, asset creation for game props, characters, and environments.

Introduction to elements of motion and detailing with an emphasis on in-engine techniques including digital sculpting and retopology, rigging and animation for games, physics simulations, particle effects, custom shader design, camera animation and post-processing effects.

(Also offered as HIST 3107.) Critique of historically themed films and video games; comparison to surviving primary documents and artifacts; assessment of historical accuracy and cultural impact.

(Also offered as HIST 3103.) Introduction to mission-driven cultural organizations and methods for meaningful, effective collaboration with them and their communities in the digital age.

(Also offered as HIST 3104.) Project-based application of digital public history tools and methods undertaken in partnership with a cultural organization. Provides immersion in issues of contemporary practice while building collaborative competency. Includes an integrated service learning component.

(Also offered as HRTS 3640.) The use of human rights archival materials in documentary storytelling. Students will learn methods and best practices of collecting and managing digital visual and audio-visual archival assets. This is the first part of a two-semester unit addressing a common theme. Part I is not a prerequisite for Part II.

(Also offered as HRTS 3641.) The use of human rights archival materials in documentary storytelling. Students will be trained in different documentary techniques and storytelling approaches working with oral history narratives and archival materials. This is the second part of a two-semester unit addressing a common theme. Part I is not a prerequisite for Part II.

Explores key concepts and methods of content marketing, including digital content planning, creation, and distribution, by integrating multiple forms of media into a content strategy to maximize the impacts.

Provides a working knowledge of the array of metrics and analytics needed to understand the digital consumer and measure the effectiveness of digital media marketing.

Explores and analyzes the changes in consumer decision-making and behavior in today's digital world.

The digital marketing landscape in sports and entertainment, including changes in the production, marketing, distribution, and consumption of sports and entertainment media properties.

Explores the intersection of ethics, technology, and humanity in order to equip students with the critical thinking skills necessary to navigate the digital landscape.

This course introduces students to camera and sound recording for small-crew documentary filmmaking. Students learn interviewing, ethics in documentary, and basic story structure. Through analysis of short and feature length documentary films, as well as hands-on directing, filming, and editing, students will learn the art and technique of documentary filmmaking.

(Also offered as HRTS 3828.) The study of the evolution of the documentary genre and its potential use as a vehicle for social discourse and change. Through sustained engagement with the documentary genre, students will gain direct experience in shooting and editing short form documentary films.

(Also offered as DRAM 3145.) Theoretical and practical work in the content and form of the fiction scenario.

Examination of each phase of the filmmaking process, from conception to marketing and distribution, through the role of a creative producer. Students develop pitching materials and entrepreneurial business plans for their original narrative, documentary or new media film projects.

A practical introduction to sound recording, editing, and mixing, designed to give students both the technical and artistic skills necessary to provide sound design for a variety of different media, including stand-alone audio, live-action film, animation, games, and more.

Special topics taken in a foreign study program (Fall, Spring, or Summer). Departmental consent required, normally before the student's departure to study abroad.

Prerequisites and recommended preparation vary.

Preparation of a project or portfolio for presentation in the Digital Media and Design Department's Degree Exhibition. May be taken in conjunction with the B.F.A. internship or senior project or B.A. senior thesis. Students taking this course will be assigned a final grade of S (satisfactory) or U (unsatisfactory).

Prepares Digital Media and Design BFA students for transition to careers through the development of a professional portfolio, resume, website, social media presence, other collateral, and associated skills, as well as BFA Degree Exhibition participation.

An immersive study of the role, structure, procedures, techniques and processes employed by a Brand Agency within the digital and social media spaces.

Develop marketing communications strategies, design, produce and distribute digital content for the Digital Media and Design Department and outside projects with corporate partners.

Development of a project in the student's area of concentration that demonstrates vigorous and consistent thematic engagement and articulates both technical and conceptual sophistication. To be taken twice in two consecutive semesters in the student's senior year. To fulfill the graduation requirement for B.F.A., students must pass with a grade of C or better.

Supervised professional experience in the student's field of study. A minimum GPA of 2.7 is required. Students taking this course will be assigned a final grade of S (satisfactory) or U (unsatisfactory).

Preparation and presentation of a thesis that demonstrates vigorous and consistent intellectual engagement and articulates technical, conceptual, and scholarly sophistication. To be taken twice in two consecutive semesters in the student's senior year.

Advanced exploration of motion media topics, including large-scale, collaborative, and interdisciplinary projects, and investigations in emerging motion media technologies.

Concepts of rigging, with emphasis on animated props and characters. Techniques for using and creating bones, constraints, skeletons, skinning and weight painting.

Takes the students further into the art of visual effects, combining computer generated animation together and with live action footage.

Explores, develops and evaluates the research and skills in 3D animation production, focusing on each student's own path of study.

Expert topics in web design and development, including intensive instruction and hands-on development with databases and server-side programming to build web applications.

Digital technology is ever-changing and so too are techniques and workflows required in the production of web and interactive media projects. Through the completion of real-world projects, this course examines emerging technologies and techniques in the world of web and interactive media design.

Advanced study and application of digital game design and development, programming, 3D game environments, game testing, human computer interaction, quality assurance, and publishing.

Exploration of emerging interactive technologies through the creation of rapid-fire prototypes utilizing experimental hardware and software. These skills enable students to develop interactive installations and unique gameplay scenarios.

Master gameplay scripting within a commercial game engine. Emphasis is on foundational knowledge required for developing artificial intelligence models, rendering, and networking for games.

(Also offered as HIST 4640.) Students work collaboratively, with instructor guidance and feedback, to design and complete a digital public history project or prototype.

A project-based study of advanced digital analytics and social media listening tools and techniques. Students will utilize social listening and media intelligence platforms to conduct market research, analyze campaigns and digital initiatives, develop marketing strategy, and execute ongoing brand listening, crisis management, competitive intelligence, content analysis and reputation management initiatives.

Advanced course focused on the technical craft and aesthetics of cinematography / videography in the digital realm. Emphasis on advanced camera techniques (angles, movements, composition and blacking) and complex lighting and shot designs to enhance storytelling. Students will be required to buy/own a DSLR or mirrorless camera, a lens, data storage tools and basic cinematographer grip kit needed for class.

Production of narrative short films, delineating the role of the director, from script breakdown through post-production, with emphasis on directing actors and other methodologies necessary to realize the dramatic possibilities of a cinematic story. Students create several shorts and analyze the works of master directors.

An advanced post-production course on the technical craft and aesthetics of color grading for digital film and video.