Southern Arkansas University this fall has introduced a new concentration of study in the Art and Design department. A BFA in Fine Art emphasizing Interactive Media and Marketing is now available, said Dr. Helmut Langerbein, dean of the College of Liberal and Performing Arts.
The 120-hour program brings together the disciplines of art, graphic design, digital cinema and photography, and has a strong social media and marketing component, as well.
“The purpose is to equip graduates to be able to function in today’s media environment,” Langerbein said.
The new cross-disciplinary focus – which becomes a fourth Fine Art degree plan along with BFAs available in Communication Design, Game Animation and Simulation, and Studio Art – is based on current trends in the job market of communications and marketing. The skills and knowledge from these related fields will produce graduates conversant in the language and concepts of business and equipped with the skills necessary to design in a variety of platforms.
Langerbein said the marketing component will be especially helpful to those who plan to own their own business or studio, and that social media is indispensable to anyone who works in any field of communication, particularly in today’s online interactive world.
The program replaces the BFA in digital cinema, and Langerbein said student interest is strong. “We feel this will be an effective replacement for digital cinema. It makes greater use of the talents of our faculty and will reach a wider range of students.”
Langerbein said there are jobs available for graduates of this program. “We have had a lot of interest shown in the program by the business world, both locally and internationally. Companies like Bosch have expressed interest in hiring our graduates.”
