Courses In Digital Communications
DCOM 099.
Portfolio.
A formal collection of the student's completed work, to be presented before the DCOM faculty and students as part of the student's formal request to take DCOM 400 (Internship). The portfolio must be both in print and in an appropriate electronic form, include a resume, and contain examples of the student?s work in both their concentration and the core. Graded pass/fail. Typically taken during the fall semester of junior year. 0 credits.
DCOM 100.
Web Authoring.
This practical hands-on lab teaches how to use the authoring software Dreamweaver and HTML to create simple web pages and page layouts. Students will gain facility using web authoring software (Dreamweaver) and will be able to read and write effective, simple HTML code. It is a one day per week, one hour lab that will emphasize completing daily assignments, in class work, and quizzes. Students can, if they demonstrate adequate proficiency in the subject matter, have the course waived by the DCOM director.
DCOM 130.
Principles of Information Design.
A broad survey of the curriculum making up the Digital Communications major. This includes the authoring of content (text, visual, aural); designing presentations for that content; understanding the processes, components; and distribution of information technology; introducing the legal and ethical environments, and comprehending the integrative nature of design, business, communication, and technology in society's culture. 3 credits.
DCOM 200.
Design Authoring.
This hands-on, one credit course teaches advanced uses for vector-based graphic authoring software (Illustrator) and layout authoring software (InDesign). This course is a required class for all DCOM majors. Each class will meet once a week for one hour and require that students complete daily assignments, in class work, and quizzes. 1 credit.
DCOM 210.
Graphic Design.
An introductory studio/lecture course designed to increase visual literacy and vocabulary, develop design skills, and present the creative possibilities of the computer as an art-making and editing too. 3 credits. {Cross-listed as Digital Communications 210- DCOM 210.}
DCOM 230.
Information Law and Ethics.
This course will examine the legal and ethical issues arising from the information age. Topics such as copyright, patent, privacy, security, libel, liability, and government regulation will be explored. 3 credits.
DCOM 255.
Fundamentals of Design.
An introduction to the fundamental elements of art and design. Students work with graphic symbols, theories of visual perception, principles of composition and color interaction in a variety of studio projects. 3 credits. {Cross-listed as ART 213.}
DCOM 256.
Digital Graphic Design.
The course will focus on blending the creative and technical aspects of developing electronic images. Students will apply traditional art methods and techniques to the electronic canvas. Additionally, the course will serve to provide a historical perspective of electronic imaging and examine the limitations and possibilities of working in the electronic medium. 3 credits.
DCOM 265.
E-Commerce.
An exploration of the important technologies related to doing business on the Internet. Topics include e-commerce, advertising, customer support, and business-to-business applications. Emphasis on how businesses implement these technologies, resource requirements, cost-to-benefit analysis. 3 credits.
DCOM 285.
Writing for Digital Media.
This course will provide students with the skills, theories of design and experience to design viable digital media projects that meet specific goals and target specific audiences. Prerequisite: DCOM 210, or permission. Usually offered fall semester. Writing process. 3 credits.
DCOM 290.
Special Topics.
The primary focus of this course is a broad survey of communications-oriented digital photography. Topics would include visual communications, narrative photography, photojournalism, and promotional photography. This basic communications-oriented photography class focuses on skills useful for design, journalism, and communications related projects. Secondary topics include introductory photographic terms and skills, vantage point, proximity, composition, and exposure. Students must provide their own digital cameras capable of ?manual mode.? No prior experience is needed.
DCOM 300.
Dynamic Authoring.
This is a hands-on course that teaches students how to use Flash to create basic interactive or dynamic objects. One day per week, one hour class that will emphasize completing daily assignments, in class work, and quizzes. Corequisite: DCOM 385. 1 credit
DCOM 311.
Survey of Digital Photographic Communica.
The primary focus of this course is a broad survey of communications-oriented digital photography. Topics would include visual communications, narrative photography, photojournalism, and promotional photography. This basic communications-oriented photography class focuses on skills useful for design, jouranlism, and communications related projects. Secondary topics include introductory photographic terms and skills, vantage point, proximity, composition, exposure, and basic image enhancement and manipulation. Students must provide their own digital cameras capable of "manual mode". No prior experience is needed. 3 credits.
DCOM 316.
Journalism in the Digital Age.
This course will investigate ways that digital technology continues to transform journalistic standards, practices, and values. Participants will study and learn how to create professional blogs, use audio and video equipment, and employ varied techniques to create narratives appropriate for multimedia platforms. By the end of the semester students should have enhanced their communications skills, and heightened their awareness of social, cultural, economic, and political implications of online technologies and applications. Prerequisite: ENG 213 or DCOM 285, or by permission of instructor. 3 credits.
DCOM 330.
Usability Design and Testing.
The course emphasizes planning, conducting, and analyzing usability tests. The course will teach the basic concepts of usability research and the practice of usability testing in a lab setting. Using the principles and techniques of usability testing, students will research the effectiveness of online and print documents, and physical objects, using video and digital equipment, with emphasis on rhetorical effectiveness and usability of information design and architecture, graphics, text, design, and format. 3 credits.
DCOM 345.
Digital Video.
This course introduces students to the basic principles and practices of digital video creation and production. This course allows the student to build their digital video making skills by having them conceive, storyboard, film, edit, and author projects in DVD format. To complement their practical knowledge, the course gives the students theoretical understanding of how moving and time-based imagery function both conceptually and expressively. [Cross-listed with ART 345]. 3 credits.
DCOM 365.
Business of Information.
An exploration of the way businesses utilize technology to operate effectively. The course will focus on how businesses generate, manage, store, and distribute information that is key to performance of business objectives. Topics will include Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Supply Chain Management (SCM), e-Marketing, and Business Intelligence. Prerequisite: DCOM 265, or permission. 3 credits.
DCOM 375.
Advanced Web Site Design.
Students will learn programming and scripting for the web. This should teach the importance of clean, semantic markup coupled with advanced CSS techniques of today and tomorrow [CSS3]. Also cross browser compatibility, web accessibility, and web standards. Topics to be covered would be CSS and XHTML. Students begin by learning how web pages are structured and styled with scripting, then learn to use advanced applications to create sophisticated presentation and interactive effects, including typographical and layout control, and interactive elements. Students receive hands-on experience programming in web/multimedia projects and learn to create advanced Web sites and multimedia projects using current scripting languages and website authoring software. Prerequisite DCOM 130. 3 credits
DCOM 385.
Multimedia.
This course will reinforce and build upon the design skills, theories and experience from Writing for Digital Media I, and focus on the production and postproduction/development process. Prerequisite DCOM 285, or permission. 3 credits.
DCOM 430.
Capstone - Project Management.
Capstone I teaches the theory and application of planning projects in the field of Digital Communications. The course covers principles of project management, research, and project strategy. Additionally, topics of professionalism, client interface, modes of communication, and collaborative group theory and practice are explored. The course prepares the student for Capstone II which is the practicum course for students to produce the actual project. 3 credits.
DCOM 440.
Capstone-Research and Development.
This course is a practicum class where students work on a project for external clients. This course simulates the collaborative and interdisciplinary environment of the field of digital communications and emphasizes usability testing in the identification of a problem, in formative testing and prototyping of potential design ideas and summative testing of the final project. The course takes the integrative theory and skills from the four areas of concentration (visual, content, commercial, and technological) and builds upon the theory and application explored in the first Capstone course to develop a multi-disciplinary team of students to deliver an appropriate project. 3 credits.
DCOM 485.
Media Theory.
This course explores the influence of technology on literary (written) culture, establishing a historical perspective on the way we produce, communicate and receive cultural works and how different technologies influence the production, dissemination, and reception of cultural artifacts. Prerequisite: junior standing or permission. 3 credits.
DCOM 495.
Storytelling: Books to Video Games.
From classic novels and poetry, to popular fiction, to hypertext/media, participants will explore how the art of storytelling changes with the medium in which the story is told. This course first focuses on close reading and analysis of literature, and then explores the aesthetic and theoretical implications and opportunities of hypertext/media, which has created a rich new platform for the creation of literary and artistic works. Prerequisite: Junior standing or permission of the instructor. This course fulfills an English 390 (Literature) requirement. It also meets an L5 requirement in the General Education Program. 3 credits.