Learn More and ApplyDigital Communication Concentration, Digital Communication and Media Arts - CDM (MA)

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Course Requirements

The Digital Communication track requires an Introductory Competency course (4 credit hours) plus 13 courses (52 credit hours): four (4) core courses and nine (9) elective courses and a degree completion option.

Introductory Competency Course1

Course Title Quarter Hours
DMA 402INTRO TO VISUAL COMMUNICATIONS PRINCIPLES4
or DMA 405 INTRO TO VISUAL COMMUNICATION TOOLS
1

Evaluation of the Introductory Competency course will follow standard CDM practice. All or part of the Introductory Competency course may be waived if a student has the equivalent academic background, or can demonstrate core technology competency.

Students may take an additional competency course as a Media Arts elective. 

Core Courses

Students are required to take all of the following:

Course Title Quarter Hours
CMNS 570INTRODUCTION TO DIGITAL CMN4
DMA 525FOUNDATION OF DIGITAL MEDIA4
DMA 527CREATIVE PROCESS AND STRATEGY4
MPOP 575DIGITAL MEDIA ETHICS4

Digital Elective Courses

Students are required to take at least one (1) elective course that focuses on digital technology from each area: MPOP, JOUR, and PRAD. Students must take two (2) media arts electives (from the College of Computing and Digital Media). Students must also take four (4) additional courses (two (2) if student chooses the Master’s Project degree completion option, taking DMA 695 and CMNS 595), either from another College of Communication graduate program, the College of Computing and Digital Media, pre-approved outside electives, or in another department/college at DePaul. Outside electives must be approved by graduate advisor or program director.

Example Communication Electives (with Digital Technology Focus)

Course Title Quarter Hours
REPORTING FOR CONVERGED NEWSROOMS
MULTIMEDIA NEWS PRODUCTION
NEWSCAST PRODUCING
VISUAL COMMUNICATION
JOURNALISM LAW AND ETHICS
SPECIAL TOPICS IN JOURNALISM 1
DATA JOURNALISM
SPORTS PRODUCING
ONLINE SPORTS REPORTING
ONLINE NEWS BUREAU
JOURNALISM BY NUMBERS
SPORTS BLOGGING
FROM FRANKLIN TO THE INTERNET: A HISTORY OF AMERICAN JOURNALISM
MASS COMMUNICATION IN THE DIGITAL AGE
THE INTERNET, TECHNOLOGY, AND POLITICS
SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE NEWS
ENTREPRENEURIAL JOURNALISM
NEWS DOCUMENTARY
REPORTING FOR 14 EAST MAGAZINE
TOPICS IN MEDIA STUDIES
NEW MEDIA AND CULTURE
AUDIO DOCUMENTARY
FANDOM AND ACTIVE AUDIENCES
PUBLIC RELATIONS MEASUREMENT AND DATA ANALYTICS
MEDIA RELATIONS
SPECIAL TOPICS IN PUBLIC RELATIONS & ADVERTISING 3
 
 
1

Topics must be approved by graduate program director. Some examples of topics include: Sports Content Creation, Media Management, True Crime and Murder Mystery Radio, Podcasting, Multimedia Magazines

2

Topics must be approved by graduate program director. Some examples of topics include: Alternate Reality Gaming, Communication and Technology, Complex Narratives, Creativity in Practice, Digital Media Campaigns, Mass Communication in the Digital Age, Race, Class, & Gender In the Digital Age, Teaching Media Literacy.

3

Topics must be approved by graduate program director. Some examples of topics include: Brand and Business Impact of Digital Media, Content Strategy for PR and Advertising, Creating Effective Social Media, Creative and Critical Thinking, Data Driven Marketing (Big Data), Digital Media Campaigns, Digital and Social Media for PR, Social Media and Culture

Example Media Arts Electives

Course Title Quarter Hours
DESIGN WORKSHOP
AUDIO WORKSHOP
STILL IMAGE WORKSHOP
MOVING IMAGE WORKSHOP
WEB/MEDIA DELIVERY WORKSHOP
PORTFOLIO

Pre-Approved Outside Electives

Students will have the option to take​ pre-approved elective courses in either Writing, Rhetoric and Discourse (WRD) or Art, Media, and Design (AMD) as part of their additional electives, allowing students to develop an enriched focus.​

Writing, Rhetoric and Discourse

Course Title Quarter Hours
DOCUMENT DESIGN
WRITING FOR THE WEB
TOPICS IN PROFESSIONAL AND DIGITAL WRITING
DIGITAL STORYTELLING
CONTENT STRATEGY
WRITING ACROSS MEDIA
MARKUP AND TEXT ENCODING IN THE HUMANITIES

Art, Media, and Design

Course Title Quarter Hours
ADVANCED ART STUDIO
DIGITAL ART
WEB ART AND DESIGN
PHOTOGRAPHY AND MEDIA ART
VIDEO ART
ADVANCED TOPICS IN ART, MEDIA AND DESIGN

Students who want to switch between DCMA tracks should be aware that some completed courses in one track may not count towards the requirements of the other. If a student is considering switching tracks, they should consult their advisor and graduate director for assistance.

Completion Options

Comprehensive Exam​

Students complete a three-part comprehensive exam based on questions derived from a minimum of one College of Communication core course (CMNS 570 or MPOP 575 ) and two additional courses pulled from either the other core course and/or from the College of Communication elective courses.

Graduate Scholarly Paper/Project

In consultation with a  faculty member in the College of Communication (a professor with whom the student has had a class), the student should choose a paper or project they did for that professor’s course. This paper/project should be something to which the student wishes to expand upon or devote more time. This option is available to students holding a 3.5 GPA or higher and who have completed at least 10 courses (40 credit hours) in their program.

Master's Project

Two project courses ( DMA 695 and CMNS 595) replace two additional elective classes. Students will enroll in CMNS 595 in the quarter they defend their project. The student will create an original project (i.e., web- or film-based projects, or projects related to professional or educational organizations) and a 30- to 40-page accompanying written report/analysis. This option is available to students holding a 3.7 GPA or higher and who have completed at least 6 courses (24 credit hours) in their program.​Grade Requirements All students are required to maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.000 in their course work. 

Grade Requirements

All students are required to maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.000 in their coursework. If a student's cumulative GPA falls below 3.000, the student will be allowed to complete an additional 16 credits or 3 quarters (whichever comes first) to attain the 3.000 minimum GPA. If the cumulative GPA remains below a 3.000 at the conclusion of this time period, the student may be dismissed from the program. The student's cumulative and term GPAs along with overall academic performance will be factored into the dismissal decision. ​