Computing technology is no longer confined to PCs – numerous handheld media devices, entertainment systems and multimedia cell phones populate the marketplace today. Along those lines, technology education is no longer confined to teaching pure technical and programming skills.

Developing applications and content for this new generation of technology takes both keen technical skills and an unbridled creative mind. A new major offered this fall by DePaul University’s School of Computer Science, Telecommunications and Information Systems is designed to nurture both.

Seeking to bridge the technical and creative sides of a computer science education, the new bachelor of science degree in interactive media is aimed at helping graduates go on to successful careers as Web producers, multimedia content providers, application designers and many other new media positions.

Replacing CTI’s undergraduate program in human-computer interaction (HCI), the new degree program incorporates several of the HCI program courses. However, the program adds unique course sequences in Web design, multimedia production and interactive application implementation. Additionally, students can fulfill the elective requirements of the degree by taking courses from CTI’s broad range of creative technology programs, including digital cinema, computer game development and animation. Selected art courses from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences also can be applied to the degree’s elective component.

“Human-computer interaction has always had a focus on the end users of technology, and that will certainly continue with the new interactive media degree,” said Craig Miller, DePaul CTI associate professor and chair of the interactive media program committee. “However, this new program will connect with CTI’s digital arts programs to provide students with the diverse and well-rounded skills necessary to be successful in today’s rapidly-evolving interactive media industry.” Miller helped to establish the new program’s curriculum along with CTI associate professor Scott Roberts.

A catalog of eight initial courses for the new program will be offered in the fall. Students currently enrolled in the HCI major will have the option of either continuing with their original degree requirements or transferring their credits into the new program. For new undergraduate students, no previous technology experience or computer-related coursework is required for admission to the program.

DePaul CTI is one of the most innovative and wide-ranging information technology and digital cinema schools in the country. The undergraduate programs enroll 1,125 students and offer 14 different degrees. Approximately 2,000 students are enrolled in its 18 graduate programs. CTI also features a doctoral degree program in computer science. For more information, visit www.cti.depaul.edu.