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In a world dominated by digital technology, anything can take place online, from promoting and selling products to reaching out to customers. Most of the online marketing and advertising efforts won’t be possible without the help of multimedia designers. Multimedia design involves the creation of content through graphic design and animations.
Multimedia designers are expected to utilize their creativity, practical skills, and technical skills to leave a significant impact on the audience. They are often knowledgeable in using different media formats to boost engagement through visual content.
Additional Resources:
- Best Grad Schools with Online Master’s in Web Design
- Best Grad Schools with Online Master’s in Graphic Design
- Best Grad Schools with Online Master’s in Creative/Design
- The Ultimate Design Career Guide: Salary and Degree Info
Quick audio summary:
Overview
Multimedia practitioners, such as multimedia artists and designers who work with web developers, are expected to possess technical knowledge of a variety of tools and techniques that utilize modern technology, including motion design, video production, 3D design and animation, and increasingly, as well as techniques that integrate virtual reality and human-computer interaction.
Multimedia artists ideally also have a grasp of psychology and human behavior, in order to best tailor their content to particular audiences for maximum effectivity. With a master’s degree in Multimedia Arts, graduates can choose to focus on research or qualify for better-paying, higher positions in the field.
Best Online Master’s Degree in Interactive Media and Multimedia Design
Harvard University Extension School
Harvard Division of Continuing Education
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Master of Liberal Arts in Extension Studies, field: Digital Media Design
- Tuition per credit: $775
- Units Required: 12 courses
- Program Length: Less than 2 years
- Financial Assistance Options:
- FAFSA
- Grants
- Scholarships
Harvard University Extension School offers an online Master of Liberal Arts in Extension Studies with a concentration in Digital Media Design. This graduate program provides a better understanding of the latest tools in the communication portfolio. This includes web design, mobile application design, web programming, game design, and digital photography.
Core Courses:
- Computation Design
- Emerging Media and Technology
- Instructional Design
- Digital Media Design
Featuring courses meant to develop your skills in designing engaging and effective digital media, this online Master of Liberal Arts – Digital Media Design program allows you to explore different aspects of creating interactive systems. You can gain a better knowledge of modern production methods and perspectives.
Before you graduate, you have the opportunity to complete an intensive capstone experience by designing a project and applying what you learned. Plus, you can earn an optional certificate in key competencies. This includes front-end development, back-end web development, learning design, and technology, or web technologies.
Point Park University
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Master of Arts in Multimedia
- Tuition per credit: $759
- Units Required: 36 credit hours
- Program Length: 18 months to 2 years
- Financial Assistance Options:
- Education Loans
- Grants
- Scholarships
Point Park University is one of the many educational institutions in the country that offers online programs. Students who want to succeed in marketing, communication, PR, and other modern fields may want to consider earning an online Master of Arts in Multimedia.
Core Courses:
- Communication, Technology, and Culture
- Multimedia Production
- Multimedia Design
- Web Publishing and Editing
- Digital Image Editing
This graduate program is designed for working professionals with its flexible course options and personalized student support. The program’s curriculum features courses that are career-ready and convenient, equipping you with the knowledge and skills needed to succeed in multimedia technology.
You are expected to learn and master essential tools like InDesign, Adobe Premier, Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, WordPress, and more.
Pace University
New York, New York
Master of Arts in Communications & Digital Media
- Tuition per credit: $1,025
- Units Required: 36 credit hours
- Program Length: 2 years or less
- Financial Assistance Options:
- Education Loans
- Scholarships
- Grants
- Veterans and Military Benefits
Pace University offers the Master of Arts in Communications and Digital Media degree program to help students gain the necessary knowledge and skills integral to the digital media field. This online master’s program focuses on both the traditional and digital forms of media and communications.
Core Courses:
- Media Innovation
- Digital Video Field Production
- Industrial Media Production
- Advanced Production
- Editing Aesthetics
- Creative Writing for Media Professionals
Since the learning format is online, you can enjoy the flexibility of pursuing two optional, in-depth concentrations. This includes Digital Filmmaking and Media Productions and Social Media and Public Relations. However, you may opt to customize your learning instead of pursuing a concentration by choosing electives that can help you meet your professional goals.
You can expect practical, relevant training and hands-on experience in creating digital media content and campaigns.
Touro University
California, Illinois, and New York
Master of Arts – Web & Multimedia Design
- Tuition per credit: $850
- Units Required: 33 credit hours
- Program Length: 2 years or less
- Financial Assistance Options:
- Grants
- Scholarships
- Veterans and Military Benefits
- Education Loans
The MA in Web and Multimedia Design offered by Touro University equips students with skills and knowledge from a user-centered design approach. You can expect to learn how to leverage research techniques and design thinking to effectively reach audiences.
Core Courses:
- Design Thinking and Methodology
- Design Principles
- Responsive Web Development for UX/UI Designers
- Interactive Design for Mobile
- Interactive Design for the Web
The courses in this program’s curriculum provide you with a smooth transition to learning digital product design for mobile and web. You can expect to gain a better understanding of interactive design apps and websites with the use of front-end scripting languages, including HTML, JavaScript, and CSS.
The program also involves developing a portfolio with the use of the latest software and industry tools. It is part of your training to learn how to use design, animation, video and audio, and prototypes in creating digital products.
Lynn University
Boca Raton, Florida
Master of Science in Communication & Media: Digital Media
- Tuition per credit: $750
- Units Required: 36 credit hours
- Program Length: Less than two years
- Financial Assistance Options:
- Federal Aid
- Education Loans
- Scholarships
- Grants
Lynn University helps students open a door to high-level media jobs by offering an online Master of Science in Communication & Media: Digital Media. This online program teaches them how to harness the power of digital photography, video production, digital storytelling, image-making, and animation.
Core Courses:
- History of Communication and Media
- Communication and Media Technologies
- Aesthetics of Digital Photography
- Topics in Digital Media
- Graphic Design Studio
- Digital Storytelling
- Animation and Motion Graphics
On top of the comprehensive courses in multimedia design that equip you with advanced digital media skills, you will also get to learn how to use the latest design software. The courses are designed to help you acquire knowledge on using video production, social media, and digital story-telling techniques to create persuasive messages targeting relevant audiences and generating results.
Students gain an edge over their competitors as this digital media program’s curriculum is combined with STEM education, perfectly aligning your learning experience with job market needs.
Full Sail University
Winter Park, Florida
Master of Fine Arts in Media Design
- Tuition Per Credit: $733
- Units Required: 58 credit hours
- Program Length: 48 weeks
- Financial Assistance Options:
- Federal Financial Aid
- Scholarships
- Loans
- Military Benefits
Full Sail University offers an online Master of Fine Arts in Media Design degree program that serves to bridge the gap between the boardroom and the design studio, with the goal of training you with the skills to create effective media.
Core Courses:
- Brand Development
- Effective Copywriting
- Design Research
- Organizational Structures
- Design Strategies and Motivation
- Design Integration
- Measuring Design Effectiveness
The 58-credit hour program’s curriculum covers theory and fundamentals that underpin effective media design as well as core skills and processes that are involved, including research, copywriting, and brand development. Students conclude the degree with a Design Document that serves as a portfolio of their learnings and output throughout their time in the program.
Full Sail’s well-rounded curriculum also covers team dynamics and aspects of human behavior, and you get crucial hands-on experience in the design production process along the way. This helps better prepare you for design careers in a variety of fields once you graduate.
Northeastern University
College of Professional Studies
Boston, Massachusetts
Master of Professional Studies in Digital Media
- Tuition Per Credit: $817
- Units Required: around 48
- Program Length: 15-24 months
- Financial Assistance Options:
- Federal Student Aid
- Scholarships
- Grants
The Northeastern University online Master of Professional Studies in Digital Media is a STEM-designated collaborative, hands-on degree program that prepares students with skills to develop, market, and manage content across various tools and platforms. The program is accessible online.
Core Courses:
- Foundations of Digital Storytelling
- Information Technology and Creative Practice
- Web Creation for Content Management Systems
- SEO Strategy and Implementation
- Human Behaviors for Interactive Systems
- Data Management and Big Data
The program is offered online, but it is available only for US-based/domestic students whose backgrounds are in visual communications, web creation, and/or programming. This degree program is also offered with a choice of three concentration areas: Digital Media Management, Interactive Design, and Social Media, which lets you focus your degree on a particular area of interest.
Northeastern encourages those from other academic backgrounds to consider instead their Master of Professional Studies in Digital Media Connect program, which is also online.
Appalachian State University
Cratis D. Williams School of Graduate Studies
Boone, North Carolina
Master of Arts in Media, Technology, and Learning Design
- Tuition Per Credit: $304 (In-State)
- Units Required: 36 credit hours
- Program Length: 2 years
- Financial Assistance Options:
- Federal Student Aid
- Scholarships
- Grants
- Military Tuition/Veterans’ Benefits
Appalachian State University offers an online Master of Arts in Media, Technology, and Learning Design, a degree that focuses on the educational landscape and on the future of learning design, providing you with a solid foundation in both learning theory and practical skills in learning technology and analytics.
Core Courses:
- Designing Digital Learning
- New Media and Emerging Literacies
- Social Media, Network Communications, and Digital Culture
- Societal & Legal Issues in Digital Learning
- Accessibility, Equity, and Inclusion in Media and Technology
- Applications of Digital Technologies
- Research Methods
The program’s curriculum offers both synchronous/live online and asynchronous coursework. On top of the blend of core courses, the program also offers a choice of 2 concentration areas: an Instructional Specialist K-12 Facilitation track, and the Online Design, Communication, and Engagement concentration area. Likewise, this degree program is also offered as part of a dual master’s degree program, together with the online Master of Library Science degree.
With this degree program, you gain the skills to bring various technologies and platforms to come up with creative ways to improve others’ learning experiences, as the world constantly explores novel ways to deliver knowledge and instruction.
Savannah College of Art & Design
School of Digital Media
Savannah, Georgia
Master of Arts in Motion Media Design
- Tuition Per Credit: $890
- Units Required: 45 credit hours
- Program Length: 2 years
- Financial Assistance Options:
- Federal Student Aid
- Scholarships
- Grants
- Federal Loans
- Private Loans
- Veterans Aid
Savannah College of Art & Design offers a Master of Arts in Motion Media Design that can be completed on-campus or online. This program incorporates core design principles and skills into a degree that focuses on the fast-growing field of motion media design, preparing you to create appealing and effective content for a wide range of clients and industries.
Core Courses:
- Contemporary Art
- Visualization and Concept Storyboarding
- Motion Media Cinematography and Editing
- Media Theory and Application
- Studio Business Practice
- Dynamic Typography
SCAD’s MA in Motion Media Design curriculum includes courses that cover the conceptualization and production stages for motion media, as well as theoretical foundations and relevant practical business skills.
As a student at SCAD, you can also add a related minor to complement the MA in Motion Design, including Technical Direction, Visual Effects, Interactive Design and Game Development, and more.
Liberty University
School of Communication and the Arts
Lynchburg, Virginia
Master of Fine Arts in Graphic Design
- Tuition Per Credit: $565
- Units Required: 60
- Program Length: 2 years
- Financial Assistance Options:
- Federal Student Aid
- Scholarships
- Grants
- Loans
- Military Benefits
- Payment Plans
Liberty University offers an online Master of Fine Arts in Graphic Design. This degree gives you a solid foundation on core graphic design skills that prepare you for a range of design-related careers across many industries. The program is 100% online, with courses offered in 8-week lengths.
Core Courses:
- Character Design
- Interactive Design
- Publication Design
- Web & New Media
- Digital Photography
- 3D Graphics
- Advanced Typography
- Vector Illustration
The program’s curriculum includes courses in designing for traditional print media and creating digital art, including typography, web design, vector illustration, and public design. The program also has courses that cover interactive design, and ones that brush up on professional practice in the industry. As an MFA degree, this program is considered a terminal degree for the field of graphic design.
Liberty University is a Christian institution, so your education is set on a foundation of Christian values, which informs and shapes your future professional practice into one of integrity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the possible career options for those who earned a graduate degree in Multimedia Design?
Graduates of an online Master’s in Web and Multimedia design have many opportunities for career growth and advancement in digital arts and media. Popular career paths for them include multimedia designers, graphic designers, web designers, and game artists, among others. Others can also venture out into journalism, video and audio production, animation, social media management, digital publishing, and so much more.
How does an online Master’s in Multimedia Design differ from a Graphic Design graduate program?
At the curriculum design level, these degree programs share many similarities, as they include similar foundational courses and draw on the same theories and principles in terms of design and communication. Despite the name, many of these programs across universities and institutes also cover roughly similar skill sets and creative production tools.
On another level, graphic design courses may also be more focused, with many programs having an emphasis on static/print-based media, and/or graphic content for the web. Graphic design also deals with crafting branding identities, which involves logo design, typography, and for products, packaging, and other marketing materials.
Multimedia Design degree programs draw on more platforms and tools by their name, including print, film, audio design, and more, and can involve a greater range of messaging intent in a wide range of industries.
