Interactive Digital Media

Major: Interactive Digital Media
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Science (BS)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Total Credit Hours: 188.0
Co-op Options: One Co-op (Four years); Three Co-ops (Five years)
Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code: 11.0801
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 15-1250

About the Major

Technology and your future career prospects are evolving at lightning speeds. Where it was once as simple as pursuing “website design” or “programming,” today’s world offers—and demands—more. To truly succeed in tech, you need creativity, versatility, and an interdisciplinary skillset. You need to be able to see through the eyes of the user and understand projects from start to finish. You need to be a unicorn.

Interactive Digital Media (IDM) helps you get there.

By combining principles from a range of disciplines, IDM gives you the tools not only to understand technology but also the human principles underpinning it. You’ll get exposure to:

• User Experience Design (UX)—Researching and advocating for the needs of people who will be using technologies, prototyping digital products, and working with agile methodologies
• User Interface and Interaction Design (UI/IXD)—Using tools like Adobe Creative Suite to create visual experiences for technology products
• Development—Programming the code (HTML/CSS, Javascript, PHP/MySQL, etc.) that makes products work in a variety of media (websites, apps, augmented and virtual reality, Internet of Things, etc.)
• Information Architecture (IA) and Content Strategy—Organizing and planning information systems for digital products 
• Project Management—Managing workflows to keep teams on track

As a freshman, you learn the basics of design. In sophomore year, you learn the coding and development skills to bring those designs to life. Your junior and senior studies are focused on electives and interdisciplinary teamwork. You’ll spend six months working full-time within a company through Drexel’s Cooperative Education program, and your capstone project will result in a full-scale, industry-level product launch. 

By the end of this program, you’ll have real-world experience, an enviable portfolio, and the highly adaptable skills to find your way in the uncertain, ever-evolving world of tech. 

 Additional Information

To find out more, visit the Westphal College’s Interactive Digital Media major webpage to see student projects and successful alumni.

Degree Requirements

Sample Plan of Study

Four year, One Co-op

Five year, Three Co-ops

Co-op/Career Opportunities

Students who study interactive digital media can move on to careers as web designers, graphic designers, digital media designers, user research and experience specialists, multimedia artists, interactive designers, web programmers, and web user interface designers.

Co-op Experiences

Some past co-op employers of Interactive Digital Media students include: 

• Brownstein Group
• Comcast
• Digitas Health
• eCity Interactive
• Electronic Ink
• Happy Cog

Visit the Drexel Steinbright Career Development Center webpage for more detailed information on co-op and post-graduate opportunities.

Facilities

Digital media program facilities include a motion capture and green screen studio, a screening room, DSLR digital still cameras, HD video cameras and lighting equipment, triple boot PowerMac stations (Mac / Windows / Unix) with dual monitors, wacom tablets, game consoles, mobile devices, and two undergraduate open labs with 24/7 access.

Additionally, the program houses the RePlay Lab in the URBN Center which is a collaborative effort between the Digital Media program and the Computer Science department (in the College of Computing & Informatics). At Drexel University, game development does not "live" in solely one department, and so mirrors the true nature of game development in commercial settings.

Interactive Digital Media Faculty

Emeritus Faculty