Students can do two things with their degree: continue their education at a four-year college or get a job. Employment in any field is usually based on both knowledge and experience. DMD students get a lot of experience, and the better the quality of the resulting portfolio, the better the chance of winning the job.
Employers, however, assume that experience equates to length in school and time actually working in the field. Employers are essentially attempting to focus in on the best applicants, and a higher degree and more work experience doesn’t necessarily prove quality. A great resume, an engaging cover letter, and a stunning portfolio will get you in the door. The rest is up to you.
So what kinds of work can you do with your degree? The print field is broad and deep, with companies from small (such as real estate agents) to large (think: major advertising agencies) looking for talent. You may find employment at small print shops, in illustration, in design firms, and at corporate headquarters (like The Limited or Abercrombie).
Students interested in Web design may be able to start their own design firm or may gain employment at a larger company or agency. Companies don’t usually seek just Web designers, but look for the ability to write clean HTML as well as experience in a broad range of Web software, such as PHP, SQL, JavaScript, and AJAX.
Photographers will usually establish their own studios or engage in a freelance career.
Game designers should expect to put in another two years, minimum, at a four-year school’s game design program. Game designers or developers need both a deep understanding of the game design process and finely-honed skills as designer, programmer, writer, or project manager.
Employers in Licking and Knox county often call the Digital Media Design instructors, looking for interns. The kinds of jobs vary, although most are either in print or web. Sometimes both. There is no specific time when these opportunities arise, so students should be prepared as early as their fourth quarter. The more you know, the better your chances.
This, by the way, is a major reason to follow your Plan of Study. If you pass over a course because you think it isn’t important, you may miss learning a key skill that could get you an internship.
Students, of course, can go looking for their own internships, and many small businesses are more than delighted to have someone helping them out for free.
Choose a camera based on four criteria: brand, purpose, specifications, and feel.
1) Always choose a reliable camera manufacturer: Canon, Nikon, Fuji, Olympus, or Minolta are good brands. So are Leica, Minolta, and Pentax. Avoid Sony and Kodak if you can.
2) If you're shopping for a camera for serious work—school courses or professional work—then first look for manual control. You can easily tell if you will be able to control your camera by a dial, usually on the top of the camera, which has Tv and Av selections. (Tv stands for ShuTter priority, and Av stands for Aperture priority.)
3) Next select the specifications you need. We recommend the highest megapixels you can afford. Higher megapixel cameras have bigger chips, which leads to more control. Look for a lens with a good optical zoom range with a good wide-angle end - a 35mm camera equivalent of 35mm is okay, but 28mm is better. Then get the widest aperture (and the greatest aperture range) possible; try for an f2.8. (the smaller the number, the better). Lastly, make sure you have an ISO range from at least 100 to 800. If you plan on taking photographs professionally, buy a camera with interchangeable lenses, meaning a D-SLR like the Nikon D40 or the Canon Rebel XSi. If you get heavy into photography, you’ll want more lenses very soon.
4) Make sure the camera fits your hand and that all of the controls you need are where you can get to them quickly. Is the shutter release under your index finger? Can you change the f-stops or shutter speed quickly with a dial (avoid cameras with touch screen). You will live with this camera a long time. Make sure you’ll feel comfortable using it.
Lastly, buy lots of memory. The more megapixels your camera has, the bigger memory card you’ll need. A 4 MP chip is not too much and is relatively inexpensive.
Examples:
Canon Powershot A2000 IS (the IS stands for Image Stabilization: anti-shakiness) lists at $249 with 10MP, 6X optical zoom (36mm-216mm equivalent), f3.2-f5.9 aperture
Canon Powershot SD880 IS Digital Elph lists for $299 with 10MP, 4X optical zoom (28mm-112mm equivalent), f2.8-f5.8 aperture
Fuji Finepix S2000HD lists for $299 with 10MP, 15X optical zoom (27.6-414mm equivalent), f3.5-f5.4 aperture
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3 lists for $399 with 10MP, 2.5X optical zoom (24mm-60mm equivalent, a really nice wide angle), f2.0-f2.8 aperture (wow!) Leica lens.
No experience is necessary to enroll in the DMD program. You don’t even need to own a computer (but it helps). We’ll teach you everything from how to use all the digital software you’ll ever run into, design principles from basic to advanced, and even how to pitch yourself and present professionally. If you can’t draw, no problem. If you have latent talent, we’ll help you find it. On the other hand, creativity is up to you. If you’d be better off as a welder, you’ll figure it out fairly quickly.
If you are in any program except the game design option, get a Mac. Really. Get a Macintosh. If you want a laptop, get the MacBook Pro, it has a faster processor, bigger hard drives and a larger screen. If you only want a desktop for home, look at the iMacs. You won’t need much more power than the 20” version offers.
Your family and friends will tell you that the Mac is much more expensive than a similar PC. Not true. If you compare all the features a Mac has built-in and then add those features to the base Windows-machine, you’ll be pretty darn close in price. The extra $100-200 you’ll pay is for the wonderfully stable operating system and superb ease-of-use that turns any Windows computer green with envy. Those Apple (Hello, I’m a Mac) ads may be funny, but they’re right on target.
If that isn’t enough, practically every employer will require you to have expertise with the Macintosh operating system. Get a Mac. No kidding.
If you’re into game design, you’re probably into gaming and already have a PC. Most game design software is Windows-based, although some Open Source software runs on all platforms. Get the largest screen, fastest processor, most RAM, and fastest video card you can. You gamers are already geeks (and that’s a good thing), so you already know what to get.
Students can buy educational versions of digital media software at several online sites such as journeyed.com, academicsuperstores.com, and gradware.com. Prices sometimes vary across stores; one store may have a “special," saving you $10 or more.
Students should be aware of the exact version of software they need and look for offers specifically for Higher Education. For example, students at COTC can save $200 off the “educational discount” price of Adobe Creative Suite 4 Premium by selecting the new Adobe Student Editions (Higher Education Students Only*) product instead of the normal Adobe Creative Suite 4 Premium edition.
Students will also be required to present “Proof of Eligibility” which is normally a photocopy of a valid, current student ID that includes the student’s name, a date, and a photo. COTC student IDs may not have a date so, instead, the student needs to provide a photocopy of a valid photo ID and one of the following items:
- Official, current non-photo student ID with name and date
- Official, current school transcript indicating name of school and student
- Official, current school tuition bill indicating name of school and student
- Official, current report card indicating name of school and student
- Other official dated proof of enrollment
Be certain the software version is the one being used in the classroom. Sometimes these online academic stores are still selling older versions of the software which aren’t compatible with the class.
Keep your receipt and Proof of Purchase. In some cases you will need the Proof of Purchase in order to activate the software.
What jobs does the Digital Media Degree program prepare students for?
What kind of internships are available for students in the program? Where can students find them?
When buying a new camera for photography, what do you recommend and what should students look for?
Should prospective students have experience in Digital Media befre enrolling in the program?
