Benefits of a Master of Arts Communication & Digital Media Design Degree
The Master of Arts in Communication and Digital Media Design teaches students innovative ways to enhance communication through media and creative expression. Graduates of this program are prepared for careers in such diverse fields of communication as:
- advertising
- public relations
- multi-media production
- graphic design
- commercial arts
- desktop publishing
- journalism
- corporate communication
- marketing
- sales
- consulting
- media and film production
- editing and writing
- speech writing
Students in the Communication & Digital Media Design program have completed capstone projects which demonstrate significant elements of research and the creative application of acquired knowledge and skills. Each capstone is presented before a faculty panel. Usually these projects take the form of cd-roms or websites.
The following links allow you to sample work completed by students and graduates of the program.
- SVSU Virtual Tour
Dan Tyger, a graduate student in the program, along with the members of Web Services, designed the virtual tour as part of his role as SVSU Web Services Coordinator. - SVSU History Website
As part of a course assignment, a team of 5 students (Annie Wright, Sue Rehmus, Amy O'Neill, Dan Tyger and Arthur Wang) designed this section of the SVSU website.
Employment Outlook
Advertising, Marketing, Promotions, Public Relations, and Sales Managers
Advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales manager jobs are highly coveted and will be sought by other managers or highly experienced professionals, resulting in keen competition. College graduates with related experience, a high level of creativity, and strong communication skills should have the best job opportunities. In particular, employers will seek those who have the computer skills to conduct advertising, marketing, promotions, public relations, and sales activities on the Internet. Employment in these careers is expected to increase faster than the average for all occupations through 2014, spurred by intense domestic and global competition in products and services offered to consumers.
Median annual earnings in May 2004 were:
| advertising and promotions managers | $ 63,610 |
| marketing managers | $ 87,640 |
| sales managers | $ 84,220 |
| public relations managers | $ 70,000 |
| computer systems design and related services | $107,030 |
Graphic Designers
Employment of graphic designers is expected to grow about as fast as average for all occupations through the year 2014, as demand for graphic design continues to increase from advertisers, publishers, and computer design firms. Demand for graphic designers should increase because of the rapidly expanding market for web-based information and expansion of the video entertainment market, including television, movies, video, and made-for-Internet outlets. Graphic designers with Web site design and animation experience will especially be needed as demand for design projects increase for interactive media—Web sites, video games, cellular telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and other technology. Demand for graphic designers also will increase as advertising firms create print and Web marketing and promotional materials for a growing number of products and services.
Median annual earnings in May 2004 were:
| graphic designers | $38,030 |
| architectural, engineering, and related services design | $42,740 |
| specialized design services | $41,620 |
| advertising and related design services | $40,010 |
| printing and related support design activities | $32,830 |
| newspaper, periodical, book, and directory publishing design | $32,390 |
Motion Picture and Video Industries
Wage and salary employment in the motion picture and video industries was projected to grow 17 percent between 2004 and 2014, which is faster than the 14 percent growth projected for wage and salary employment in all industries combined. Opportunities will be better in some occupations than in others. Computer specialists, multimedia artists and animators, film and video editors, and others skilled in digital filming, editing, and computer generated imaging should have the best job prospects.
Earnings of workers in the motion picture and video industries vary, depending on education and experience, type of work, union affiliation, and duration of employment. In 2004, median annual earnings of wage and salary workers in the motion picture and video industries were $30,784, compared with $27,508 for wage and salary workers in all industries combined.
Writers and Editors
Employment of writers and editors is expected to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations through the year 2014. Opportunities should be best for technical writers and those with training in a specialized field.
Median annual earnings in May 2004 were:
| salaried writers and authors | $44,350 |
| advertising and related services | $54,410 |
| newspaper, periodical, book, and directory publishers | $43,620 |
| salaried editors | $43,890 |
| technical writers | $53,490 |
| computer systems design and related services | $54,710 |
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Office of Occupational Statistics and Employment Projects, http://www.bls.gov/OCO visited April 2, 2007.