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“Technology changes so quickly that methods of reaching audiences change, too. After 10 months of learning through discussions, seminars, tutorials and my own findings, keeping up with new trends comes easily. Elon’s fast-paced environment and production mindset prepared me to move projects along efficiently and manage many things at once.” Alexandra Boardman G‘11, interactive marketing coordinator at Rex Healthcare in Raleigh, N.C.
www.elon.edu/imedia
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Your Market Value Whether you want to build on an undergraduate degree, polish your existing skills or remodel your professional expertise, the Elon Interactive Media program provides the knowledge you’ll need to meet job market demands. The curriculum begins with a broad sweep of information and then allows you to drill down into a specific area of interest. In lieu of a thesis, you’ll complete a capstone project that will round out an already impressive portfolio and set you up to climb the professional ladder. The program is structured across 10 intense months. You’ll be fully immersed in the world of interactive media as you set, work toward and achieve your goals. Enter the workforce invigorated from your studies and with the added benefit of minimal time away from the professional world. You’ll graduate as a savvy multimedia professional nimble enough to anticipate changes ahead of the crowd and lead the way as the industry evolves. Alumni are leaders and innovators in advertising, production, social media, digital strategy and content marketing research.
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A Power Program The program begins with a three-week summer Digital Media Workshop where you’ll learn to navigate the latest industry standard software and equipment. You’ll get to know your classmates and professors as you work together to acquire the technical know-how you’ll need to thrive throughout the program. Fall semester provides you with a wide swath of information so you can dig deep into your chosen area of interest in the spring. Your classes will provide a solid foundation of communication theory and strategy. Study user analysis, interactive writing and design, and how to evaluate usability tests across multiple platforms.
WWW.eLon.edU/iMedia
January is “wheels up” time at Elon. During Winter Term you’ll travel to an international site to gather content through interviews, photographs, audio and video. Trips last between seven and 10 days. Teams return to campus and, on deadline, complete their interactive projects for the public good. It’s spring already? We told you this program moves quickly. Spring semester is all about you. In the fall you took a broad look at the industry, in January you put new skills to work, and now it’s up to you to determine your specific area of interest. Pick and choose the electives you want, and turn your full focus on your capstone project and portfolio. Now, let’s delve a little deeper into the specifics.
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Global Perspective Spend January capturing interviews, photographs, audio and video for a team project you’ll produce to serve the public good. During Winter Term, students have worked in Costa Rica, Panama, Mexico, Iceland, Portugal, England and Cuba helping nonprofits build community recognition, increase volunteer efforts and boost fundraising by building content-rich websites that are used by real-world clients. Kacie Lett G’12, account manager at Response Mine Interactive in Atlanta
“In every interview I had after iMedia, the interviewer was extremely interested in my work abroad. They were interested in my ability to not only lead others and manage client relations, but how I dealt with heightened pressure in foreign environments.”
Your Winter Term work will fuse the technical expertise and big picture theories you’ve absorbed in fall semester. You’ll return to Elon with growing confidence in your abilities and energized to finish your studies. The most recent Interactive Media class deployed teams to Portugal, Cuba and two groups to Costa Rica. Students produced videos, devised social media strategies, wrote blogs, built websites and articulated clear calls to action to ensure the future success of the organizations they worked to support.
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CUBA—ORGANOPONICO VIVERO ALAMAR
This Havana-based cooperative farm is working to become a leader in sustainable agriculture. It offers a wide range of vegetables, ornamental and medicinal plants, and other food products while providing community services and training to those interested in learning about the farm’s work. PORTUGAL—SURFRIDER FOUNDATION: ERICEIRA
This nonprofit, based in Ericeira, is dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s oceans, waves and beaches for all people through conservation, activism, research and education.
COSTA RICA—TÉRRABA
The Térraba, or Teribe, are an indigenous group in the Puntarenas region of southern Costa Rica who have survived off the land for more than 500 years. The Asociación Cultural Indígena Teribe is working to rescue, strengthen and cultivate the Térraba culture, traditions and identity. COSTA RICA—CODECE
This community-based nonprofit organization is focused on saving the natural beauty and richness of the mountains of Escazú, as well as the region’s strong traditions and lively culture.
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EQUINE NONPROFIT NETWORK
This interactive website was designed for North Carolina’s nearly 100 horserelated nonprofit organizations. The goal is to facilitate communication between organizations. CAPSTONE PROJECT BY:
Kelsey sullivan G’13
CLEVELAND INDIANS INTERACTIVE HISTORY
Explore the 110-year history of the Cleveland Indians baseball team through four interactive categories. CAPSTONE PROJECT BY:
John Hartley G ’11
WWW.eLon.edU/iMedia
ELLA SVEN
This site was created and designed for Ella Sven, a clothing company and fashion line based in Detroit, Mich. It features video, seasonal collections and e-commerce. CAPSTONE PROJECT BY:
Kelsey trabue G’12
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Do It Your Way Fall semester was all about giving you a broad sweep of knowledge. Winter Term was your chance to put those new skills to use. Now, spring semester is all about you— your choices, your interest, your future. Start by customizing your elective courses. Multimedia Storytelling, Application Development and Analytics and Search Engine Optimization are popular options. Some students prefer to delve deeper into theory and strategy issues, while others choose to emphasize advanced skills development.
Before spring semester starts, you’ll work with your capstone adviser and capstone committee to develop your final project. The capstone is the program’s culminating experience and will give you not only a team project for your portfolio (your Winter Term Fly-in), but also an individual project. You’ll brainstorm, draft and polish your capstone plan with your professors and classmates. peRuse pReVIous cApstone pRoJects:
www.elon.edu/imedia/showcase
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10 Months, Major Change Get ready for 10 intense and inspiring months. The Interactive Media program is carefully designed to prepare you for professional leadership and return you to the job market as soon as possible.
WWW.eLon.edU/iMedia
Academic experiences build upon one another as you work toward your degree. The full-time program offers classes Monday through Friday during the day. Production classes have no more than 20 students. The program requires a minimum of 11 courses (36 semester hours). As you progress through the program, you’ll work closely with a career counselor who
is exclusively dedicated to communications students’ job placement. Students are encouraged to set up individual appointments to discuss professional goals and are regularly invited to local networking events and workshops. In the spring, the program hosts a Day of Professional Development. The annual
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event provides students with career advice, mock interviews, résumé and portfolio reviews. You’ll spend the day networking with representatives from national and international organizations. Consider this the kick-off to the next phase in your career.
instagram: #afterimedia
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Professional Success Think this program is just for communications majors? Or people who want to work in the communications field? Think again. Clear, concise communicators are valued across the professional spectrum. Your Interactive Media degree opens the door to employment in any number of careers. Just take a look.
WWW.eLon.edU/iMedia
AND WHAT ABOUT YOU?
Where would you like to end up? Interactive Media alumni are living out their career goals and working for companies including: NASA Tiffany & Co. The Baltimore Sun HBO Sports/CBS Sports Groupon Wake Forest University Katalyst Films Adept Marketing Carolina Biological Duke University South Carolina Aquarium Capstrat Live Nation Entertainment
Starz Pace Communications Red Ventures Centerline StarCityGames VINDICO SportsMEDIA Technology NASCAR New Media Strategies Happy Cog Free Range Studios Boston Bruins Mars, Inc.
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Meet Mike G’11 Meet emily ‘09, G’10 Meet Brad G’11
undeRGRAd MAJoR:
pRoGRAM GoALs:
FLY-In:
Communications, television production concentration (Howard University)
I worked for more than 15 years in news media, as a videographer, editor, graphic designer and online producer. I wanted to move into new media and web production, and needed a way to upgrade my skillset.
My team worked with Fundación Bendaked in Panama, a group that creates opportunities for the disabled through new investments that favor their sustainability and personal control.
Business Administration, marketing concentration (Elon University)
I wanted to work on projects specific to nonprofit organizations. My ultimate goal was to come out of this program with the qualifications to work in a nonprofit’s marketing department.
We worked in Costa Rica with Earth University, a nonprofit offering an undergraduate program in agricultural sciences.
International Politics and Italian (UNC Chapel Hill)
I entered the program ready to prioritize schoolwork above everything else. Before, I bounced around from job to job and aspiration to aspiration. I didn’t have enough experience or knowledge in the field to really achieve my goals.
My team worked with Santa Cruz Recicla, a Costa Rican organization establishing recycling facilities in five communities.
WWW.eLon.edU/iMedia
Capstone:
And Now …
An interactive short film called ‘The Prodigal.’ Users watch portions of the movie, then decide the hero’s course of action.
I live in Charlotte, N.C. and work at NASCAR Digital Media as the senior manager of design. I work with the marketing and ad sales team to develop creative assets for retail and promotional ads. I also design pages for our site and manage relationships with second party agencies.
Creating my capstone was probably one of the most difficult, but gratifying, things I’ve ever done.
I worked with the NC Zoological Society on a project called NCCAN (North Carolina Children and Nature). This program was created to re-introduce children to the outdoors.
I live in Charleston, S.C. with my husband, who is also an Interactive Media graduate. I work at Blackbaud, Inc., the leading software company specializing in nonprofit organizations. We create software for constituent and donor management.
The Tar Heel Footprint, a collection of infographics providing unbiased, un-politicized, information about urbanization and development in North Carolina since the 1940s.
I live in San Francisco and work at Free Range Studios as a project manager. I’ve been in my role for some time now and am considering other options. I know that with my Interactive Media degree, that touches on so many topics, I’ll have a solid footing wherever I end up.
Two years after graduating, I still point to my capstone as the centerpiece of my portfolio. You’ll rarely have the creative freedom and autonomy as you do while working on your capstone.
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A Powerful Alumni Network When you graduate, you’ll join a tight-knit network of Interactive Media alumni who work across the country and are ready to help you land that dream job. Alumni work in New York City, Los Angeles, Boston, Washington D.C., San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle, Denver, Charleston, Raleigh, Charlotte and beyond as web developers, digital strategists, creative designers and more. No matter what your goal might be, it’s likely an alumnus will be eager to help you bring it to fruition.
www.elon.edu/imedia
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That’s exactly what happened to Kimberly Wolfe G’11. As Kimberly neared graduation, she spoke with Dr. David Copeland, program director, about her goal to work for a fashion company. He put her in touch with Karen Hartshorn G’10, now working in web design for OSPGroup, and the two women began an email exchange that led Kimberly to an internship at the company’s New York City headquarters. The internship turned into a job and now Kimberly is living and working in the nation’s fashion capital in a field that excites and challenges her every day. “The great thing about having an alumni network is, even though Karen didn’t know me personally, she had faith in both Elon and the Interactive Media program, and knew because I had completed the program that I’d be a good candidate for open positions within her company.” Kimberly Wolfe G’11, web designer and art director at OSPGroup in New York
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—alumni who responded to a recent survey report they are satisfied with their current position.
WWW.eLon.edU/iMedia
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What’s Next? That’s an easy one. The Master of Arts in Interactive Media program enrolls 36 students each August. Applications are evaluated on a rolling basis throughout the year. Please submit all required application materials as early as possible prior to enrollment, but no later than May 1. A number of scholarships are available to qualified applicants. For a complete list of admissions requirements and financing information, visit www.elon.edu/imedia.
About Elon Elon is a selective, independent, private university renowned as a national model for engaged learning, along with excellence in the arts and sciences and professional programs. Elon’s historic campus in central North Carolina is a designated botanical garden.
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Elon University Office of Graduate Admissions 800-334-8448 ext. 3 gradadm@elon.edu www.elon.edu/imedia eyeonimedia.wordpress.com twitter.com/elonimedia facebook.com/eloninteractivemedia
The M.A. in Interactive Media program prepares students to think strategically across media platforms, plan and create interactive media content, and manage information in a digital age.