Academics: Undergraduate

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY AND CULTURE

Patricia Freitag Ericsson, Pullman campus Coordinator
Avery 223, 335-4820, ericsson@wsu.edu

Digital technology and culture, an interdisciplinary degree program administered by the WSU Department of English, combines studies in language and culture, rhetoric, fine arts, cognition and learning, language and society, design and visual communication, and information science to prepare students for careers in a wide range of fields.

The DTC major integrates humanities, social sciences, and technology in a critical and creative framework designed to meet individual student interests as well as the needs of contemporary audiences and employers. DTC majors work with at the frontier of today’s technology, while learning the importance of technological history and preparing themselves to live in and understand a culture increasingly influenced by technology.

DTC majors are typically interested in

mixing art and technology,
understanding language and culture, and
composing persuasive oral, print, and digital communications.

Students completing the major:

Acquire a historically grounded understanding of the role of digital technology as media for cultural transmission;
Learn to develop persuasive, culturally appropriate content for digital environments;
Develop a sophisticated understanding of hypermedia and multimedia rhetorics;
Work individually and in teams to design, compose, and complete digital products;
Gain insight into how digital environments transform the exchange of ideas and how information is used;
Master the tools of electronic research and the skills of invention, analysis, synthesis, organization, and delivery.

The DTC degree addresses a growing regional and national need for graduates who understand the connections between technology and culture and have the skills needed for a wide variety of workplaces. DTC graduates can plan for jobs in web authoring, graphic design, publication, technical writing, computer systems analysis, marketing, management, and other areas. In addition, DTC graduates are well prepared for graduate school in several different fields.

Course of Study (39 credits)

The DTC program can usually be completed in the junior and senior years, in part to better accommodate transfer students and students who discover their academic direction only after a year or two of college study.

The 24 credit DTC core includes five courses that introduce multimedia rhetorics, research and information technology, the relationship between language and technology, art and technology, and digital diversity. The core also includes interdisciplinary choices in Anthropology, Computer Science, English, Fine Arts, and Sociology. DTC majors must also complete a 12 credit concentration as well as a senior internship in the major.

Additional Information:

http://www.wsu.edu/~ericsson/DTC.html
Academic Coordinator
Department of English
Avery Hall 202K
Pullman, WA 99164-5020
Phone: (509) 335-7124, 335-2581
E-mail: smithjer@wsu.edu

Major in Digital Technology & Culture

Minor in Digital Technology & Culture

Internships and Careers

Professional Writing Certificate

Living in Pullman