New Media Interactive Development Bachelor of Science Degree

New media is an ever-changing form of digital communication that engages, immerses, and often entertains users. The term new media was first coined in the mid-80s to refer to the impact computing was beginning to have on traditional forms of media, like newspapers, radio, and television. But as digital platforms began to evolve beyond the internet, new media came to encompass all types of information and entertainment accessed by computers, phones, and tablets. New media now encompasses anything that integrates communication, computing, and technology – from social media networks (Facebook, Instagram) and music and television streaming services (Spotify, Hulu, Amazon Prime), to highly interactive digital technologies like wearables (Apple Watch, FitBit), virtual reality, augmented reality, and gaming.

A Dynamic Degree for New Media Interactive Development

In the degree in interactive media, your course work is concentrated on programming and interactive development with in-depth classes on topics such as:

• Mobile development and alternative interfaces
• Website design and implementation
• Physical/wearable computing
• Game design
• Game development, design and media production
• Interactive audio

You’ll build professional-quality websites, apps for mobile devices and tablets, and create social networking applications that connect people with technology and each other. In a digital environment, you’ll learn to program using current and emerging technologies for interactive web design, touchscreens, wearables, and interactive objects. In addition, coursework in design principles will make the interactive experiences you build look polished and captivating. Two blocks of cooperative education experience give you full-time, paid experience working in industry to help lead you to a career in interactive media.

New Media Courses

Compelling interactive design requires collaboration with designers. As a new media interactive development student, you’ll benefit from a close partnership with students in RIT’s new media design major. New media courses address interactive media design and emphasize visual communication, 2D and 4D design, animation, and design strategy. Both programs share core courses in programming and design, enabling students in both majors to develop the complementary skill sets needed for success in the industry.

Your fourth year concludes with a new media interactive development Capstone I and II, a two-course, two-semester experience in which you’ll work on a project for a corporate client who is seeking to identify and implement a digital solution to a challenge. You’ll gain the teamwork experience needed as you learn to develop, navigate, and leverage the designer-programmer-client relationship. With many courses, both project- and team-based, you’ll build a robust portfolio of interactive projects, positioning you to showcase your skills, capabilities, and knowledge to prospective employers upon graduation. View samples of new media team projects to see what our teams have created.

Interested in seeing what students can do in interaction design? View a collection of student work in the IGM Gallery.

Furthering Your Career in Interactive Media

Today’s careers require advanced degrees grounded in real-world experience. RIT’s Combined Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s Degrees enable you to earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in as little as five years of study, all while gaining the valuable hands-on experience that comes from co-ops, internships, research, study abroad, and more. 

• +1 MBA: Students who enroll in a qualifying undergraduate degree have the opportunity to add an MBA to their bachelor’s degree after their first year of study, depending on their program. Learn how the +1 MBA can accelerate your learning and position you for success.