[Air-l] digital media courses

[Lamoureux, Edward]

Bradley University offers undergraduate major and minor BA/BS in Multimedia. 


-----Original Message-----
From:	Denise N. Rall [mailto:denrall at yahoo.com]
Sent:	Sat 7/31/2004 9:53 PM
To:	Association of Internet Researchers
Cc:	
Subject:	Re: [Air-l] digital media courses

Dear Lee -

I actually tried to find out the number of Internet
Studies courses in 2001. I came up with about eight
"legitimate" courses world-wide by which I mean,
courses that studied the internet rather than studied
online or taught web site production. The vast number
were located in Schools of Media, although a couple of
these programs were centered in their own Departments.
Here's a para from a paper I have submitted. Feel free
to cite as long as you reference me!

"Interdisciplinary programs included Internet Studies
& Research is fueled by the growing number of scholars
who explore the internet and its users. Besides the
explosion in journals relating to the internet, a
number of centers for Internet Studies have opened at
universities.  In 1999, the Center for Internet
Studies (CIS) opened as a clearinghouse for
internet-based research at the University of
Washington in Seattle (www.cis.washington.edu). 
Brandeis University, a liberal arts college was the
first to offer an undergraduate minor in Internet
studies.  From 1999, the program had a director, but
classes were taught by staff visiting from other
departments (www.brandeis.edu/programs/inet).  Two
more Internet Studies programs that offer minors have
appeared, at the Appalachian State University (part of
the University of Tennessee  system), and the
University of Alabama at Huntsville. The Internet
Studies Program at Appalachian State University
started in Fall 2002, and offers an undergraduate
major concentration and a minor in Internet Studies
through the Interdisciplinary Studies Department in
the College of Arts and Sciences
(www.internetstudies.appstate.edu) (Norman Clark,
pers. comm.).  At UA-Huntsville, the Internet Studies
program expanded from a ‘computer literacy’ model
adopted from a local community college. It developed
into an interdisciplinary minor across multiple fields
of study. Now it is comprised of a fusion of courses
within the fields of graphic design, communication
arts, and information technology (Mike Hubler, pers.
comm.)."

Also in 1997, Curtin University of Technology in
Perth, Western Australia started Internet Studies with
a single class (unit in Australia) called Internet
200. The program quickly moved to offer a graduate
certificate in Internet Studies. By 2001, Curtin
offered the first Internet Studies BA in the world.
Currently, it offers certificates, diplomas, and both
undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at the Master's
and PhD level (smi.curtin.edu.au/NetStudies). [Note
that graduate study in Australia and the UK is called
postgraduate study].  Internet Studies at Curtin
University was also one of the first to offer all of
their coursework online. The program is also widely
disseminated through an online learning consortium
called Open Learning Australia.  The OLA permits entry
to the BA (Internet Studies) for non-traditional
students studying completely off-campus (Matthew
Allen, pers. comm.).

>From 2000, graduate study in Internet Studies was
offered as one area of focus in the graduate programs
(MS, MA, PhD) in the Department of Rhetoric and
Technical Communication at the University of
Minnesota. Students interested in Internet Studies are
affiliated with the Internet Studies Center
(www.isc.umn.edu). Graduate students seeking full
funding apply through the normal application process;
those seeking additional funding through the Internet
Studies Center must submit research proposals. These
proposals are evaluated for their significance in
illuminating some social ramification of internet use
(Laura Gurak, pers. comm.)."

Ok, that's hardly conclusive, just what I found in
2000-2001 timeframe and it's not specifically Media
Studies. I would reckon that almost every major
university around the world would have some sort of
media studies program . . . and searching via the web
would be difficult, but interesting! 

Cheers, Denise




=====
Denise N. Rall, PhD candidate, School of Environ. Science,
Southern Cross University, Lismore NSW 2480 - Mobile 0438 233 344
Sustainable Forestry Mentoring Coordinator and Casual Academic
for Coastal Resource Management - Office phone: 6620 3789 Hours: TBA
Presenting! AoIR 5.0, Assoc. of Internet Researchers, Sussex University
http://www.scu.edu.au/schools/rsm/staff/pages/drall/index.html

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