Interactive Multimedia

Interactive Multimedia Major

Interactive Multimedia graduates are in demand as interface and interaction designers in a wide range of non-profit and for-profit environments, including business, entertainment, games, museums, and education.

The first undergraduate program of its type in the country, the Interactive Multimedia major is focused on interactive and interface design theory and practice. Instead of the typical one-way model of authoring content for passive consumers, interactive designers build media experiences that are truly participatory. The participant is a co-author of an individualized experience. Participant-centered, responsive, engaging, dynamic, and adaptive; interactive media subverts the typical author/consumer paradigm.

The Interactive Multimedia curriculum stresses creative content development and communication through interaction, with the goal of seeking creative ways of connecting individuals to ideas and information. This multi-faceted endeavor is more
art, than science.

From Web pages and ATMs to information solutions and appliances, interactive media are a compelling means of enhancing human connection. As interfaces and interactive content proliferate and become more ubiquitous in our culture and lives, professional opportunities in the field will increase exponentially. Interactive Multimedia educates students to become leaders and innovators in a new and interactive society.

The Interactive Multimedia curriculum is interdisciplinary due to the typically mixed or ?multimedia? nature of its content. Students broaden their media literacy and skills so that they can effectively work with others in our team atmospheres, comparable to those found in professional interactive media development. Students deepen their skills in one area through the study of electives, so that they are equipped with an important specialization. Their work is showcased through the accomplished portfolios they build as they move through the curriculum. Our agenda emphasizes shared learning and shared creative development, and our capstone classes, partnered with prominent external clients, prepare students to work successfully and productively in teams on complex projects.

Course Diagrams


Requirements/4Year Plan


Current IM Majors are encouraged to use the IAM Major course substitutions with a link to http://iam.colum.edu/IAMAdmin/diagram/SP07/4year/IMtoIAM.pdf