The Master of Arts in Interactive Media Program
Today’s media are rapidly converging and melding into forms that combine the traditional elements of print and broadcast that are then presented in digital format. In the 21st century, however, it will not be enough to know this. Communications professionals must understand how interactive media are created and managed, how these new forms of presentation are managed, and how their content and applications meet the purpose of the organization creating it and the needs of the audience that is being targeted.
Elon’s School of Communications is uniquely positioned to offer a graduate degree in interactive media. The school has a faculty of more than 40 members who have extensive professional experience and cutting-edge facilities to guide graduate students in the Master of Arts in Interactive Media (iMedia) program to create innovative and exciting projects that are rapidly becoming the principal components of media in the 21st century. The Master of Arts in Interactive Media prepares students to think strategically across media platforms, plan and create interactive media content and manage information in a digital age.
The Elon iMedia program is designed to immerse students in the world of media interactivity. From the summer digital media workshop through the spring semester capstone project, students create a series of interactive projects. They also learn how to manage and direct interactive tasks.
Working closely with faculty in classes that provide a scaffolding approach to building interactive projects, the iMedia program combines a critical understanding of the purpose of interactivity with the skills required to construct complex interactive products. It includes real-world application of interactive media, as students work in teams during Elon’s winter term interactive project for the public good. Because the iMedia program integrates application with media theory and management, students are prepared to be managers, producers and creators of interactive media when they complete their course of study.
In the summer of 2017, Elon renovated the first floor of Long Building to become the home of the Master of Arts in Interactive Media program. The Long Interactive Media Suite houses a state-of-the-art computer laboratory/production facility, classroom and new iMedia Innovation Lab for user experience testing and exploration. It includes six editing suites, graduate study space and a Student Commons. Furthermore, Long houses an array of digital media equipment such as drones, virtual reality hardware, 360-degree cameras and more to aid students in the development of interactive projects. Additionally, high-definition cameras, audio recorders, lighting kits, booms and other equipment to produce interactive media are available for checkout from the School of Communications. Offices for interactive media faculty and staff also are located in the Long Interactive Media Suite.