Carleton is introducing a bachelor of media production and design this fall.
While many North American schools offer media production and media design programs, Carleton’s new program is the first to combine the two.
According to Chris Waddell, the director of the new program, it is a collaboration between the School of Journalism and Communications and the School of Information Technology.
While the program will belong to the School of Journalism and Communication, it combines aspects of both schools.
The idea came about in 2016, when Carleton offered a summer media production
and design course for fourth-year students.
Now, it will a be a full four-year, 20-credit degree for students interested in storytelling and technical programming and design.
The program aims to give students useful skills for today’s digital world, according to Waddell.
To tell stories well online, people need to know how to put it together with video, audio, and other technical aspects, he said. But, the editorial aspects, and the technological aspects of digital stories have generally been done by two different people.
“Each [person] knows their own world, and neither of them knows the world of the other,” he said. “So, when you put the two of them together, they have a little trouble talking and understanding what the other is talking about.”
This program gives students an opportunity to understand both, he said.
Vicki McArthur, the first faculty member hired for the program, said she agreed that there is currently a divide between those who write and produce content, and those who develop and design the platform the stories are told on.
“I feel like we are always missing [a] sweet spot for really pushing the boundaries of the technology and capabilities,” she said. “Someone who understands both sides so fluently can really capture the essence of what’s missing and can really push the boundaries of storytelling in a digital age.”
“As a new faculty member, I get to have a lot of impact in its first two years, so I’m really excited about that,” McArthur added.
Julia Robinson, an incoming first-year media production and design student, said she believes the program is just what she’s looking for.
She said she has always been interested in programming and storytelling, and is looking to pursue a career in animation.
“Nowadays, the world is becoming more technologically advanced,” Robinson said. “So, I believe this program will actually give me the skills that I need to enter the workforce.”
She added that the co-op option between third and fourth year is one of the reasons she chose the program.
But like any new program, it may need to be adjusted, Waddell said.
“Some of the things we plan will work better than we thought, and some things we planned we may have to adjust a little bit,” he said.
Carleton’s bachelor of media production and design will accept 30 students for the 2018-19 school year.
Photo by Aaron Hemens
