Saint Rose Offers New Design Media Arts Bachelor’s Degree Program

Communicating their messages and brand through digital content is a top objective for most public, private, and nonprofit organizations. The new design media arts degree at The College of Saint Rose will prepare students for this growing interdisciplinary field by combining art, communications, and graphic and digital design. Saint Rose will enroll its first design media arts students in Fall 2019.

The new Bachelor of Science in Design Media Arts joins the expertise of the Center for Art & Design and the Department of Communications at Saint Rose. Students will have access to faculty’s industry knowledge and the College’s state-of-the-art studios and galleries. In addition to first-year students, the degree program is also ideal for transfer students who studied digital media, media arts, graphic communication, or related programs at their previous institutions.

Students will grow artistically through coursework in composition, design, and typography; gain design expertise with courses in digital graphics, user experience design, and photography; and elevate their communication skills with courses in writing, advertising, public relations, business, and video production.

“Our professors in art and design and communications have always prepared students to be bold, creative, and insightful thinkers,” said Saint Rose President Carolyn J. Stefanco. “This new degree provides students with a well-rounded educational experience and the skills we know are sought after by a wide variety of employers.”

According to the Content Marketing Institute, the leading global content marketing education and training organization, business-to-consumer content creation spending increased 56 percent in 2018. From the private sector to nonprofit institutions, design media arts graduates will thrive in organizations that are committed to creating authentic and engaging content and are looking for talented employees to lead the charge.

The collaborative degree initiative is a model of interdisciplinary and innovative thinking and reflects the industry demand for versatile artists and communicators, who are ready for the needs of the 21st century digital world, said Cailin Brown, associate professor and chair of the department of communications, and Kris Tolmie, associate professor and chair of the Center for Art & Design.

The Center for Art & Design is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design and was named a “Top US Graphic Design School” by Graphic Design USA in 2015.

In their final year in the design media arts program, students will work collaboratively with clients in local and regional businesses to problem solve and produce creative, intelligent, and dynamic content for those clients. The students will graduate with a portfolio that demonstrates their talents and positions them for entry into an innovative career.

The College of Saint Rose is a private, independent, coeducational institution of higher education in Albany, New York, offering more than 100 bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and certificate programs. Through a strong liberal arts education curriculum and professional academic programs, the College serves undergraduate and graduate students, working professionals, international students, and more.