Emerging Media and Technology - B.S.

Technology touches every facet of society; in the Emerging Media and Technology major, you’ll explore technology at the intersection of design, education, communication, project management, computer information systems, data and more. Students learn technical applications and skills in problem solving, design, user experience, creative applications and programming and gain experience working in interdisciplinary teams to solve tech-focused problems.

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Program Information for Emerging Media and Technology - B.S.

Program Description

Full Description

The Bachelor of Science degree in Emerging Media and Technology teaches technical applications and skills in problem solving, design, user experience, creative applications and programming. Students synthesize technical and organizational skills in a series of experiential, hands-on and project-based courses in which they work collaboratively in interdisciplinary teams. The degree program offers students the space to play, imagine and solve problems. Students also learn to recognize the rapidly changing nature of emerging media and technology and learn the skills needed to adapt.

The Emerging Media and Technology major is interdisciplinary, drawing from a number of disciplines, including emerging media, design, information sciences, human-computer interaction and communication. The technology curriculum is grounded in social science and the humanities, introducing students to theories of how technology shapes and changes people and societies.

Students may apply early to the following master's degree programs and double count 9 credit hours of graduate courses toward both degree programs. See the Combined Bachelor's/Master's Degree Program Policy in the University Catalog for more information.

Examples of Possible Jobs and Salaries*

Computer and information systems managers

  • 15.2% much faster than the average
  • 667,100 number of jobs
  • $171,200 potential earnings

Computer occupations, all other

  • 8.2% much faster than the average
  • 472,000 number of jobs
  • $108,970 potential earnings

Computer systems analysts

  • 8.7% much faster than the average
  • 521,100 number of jobs
  • $103,790 potential earnings

Market research analysts and marketing specialists

  • 6.7% faster than the average
  • 941,700 number of jobs
  • $76,950 potential earnings

Project management specialists

  • 5.6% faster than the average
  • 1,046,300 number of jobs
  • $100,750 potential earnings

Software developers

  • 15.8% much faster than the average
  • 1,693,800 number of jobs
  • $133,080 potential earnings

Web developers

  • 7.5% faster than the average
  • 86,000 number of jobs
  • $90,930 potential earnings

Admissions for Emerging Media and Technology - B.S.

Admission Requirements

The university affirmatively strives to provide educational opportunities and access to students with varied backgrounds, those with special talents and adult students.

First-Year Students on the Kent Campus: First-year admission policy on the Kent Campus is selective. Admission decisions are based upon cumulative grade point average, strength of high school college preparatory curriculum and grade trends. Students not admissible to the Kent Campus may be administratively referred to one of the seven regional campuses to begin their college coursework. For more information, visit the admissions website for first-year students.

First-Year Students on the Regional Campuses: First-year admission to Kent State’s campuses at Ashtabula, East Liverpool, Geauga, Salem, Stark, Trumbull and Tuscarawas, as well as the Twinsburg Academic Center, is open to anyone with a high school diploma or its equivalent. For more information on admissions, contact the Regional Campuses admissions offices.

International Students: All international students must provide proof of proficiency of the English language (unless they meet specific exceptions) through the submission of an English language proficiency test score or by completing English language classes at Kent State’s English as a Second Language Center before entering their program. For more information, visit the admissions website for international students.

Former Students: Former Kent State students who have not attended another institution since Kent State and were not academically dismissed will complete the re-enrollment process through the Financial, Billing and Enrollment Center. Former students who attended another college or university since leaving Kent State must apply for admissions as a transfer or post-undergraduate student.

Transfer Students: Students who attended an educational institution after graduating from high school or earning their GED must apply as transfer students. For more information, visit the admissions website for transfer students.

Admission policies for undergraduate students may be found in the University Catalog's Academic Policies.

Students may be required to meet certain criteria to progress in their program. Any progression requirements will be listed on the program's Coursework tab

Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate competency in the technical skills needed to pursue jobs in emerging media and technology, which includes web development, coding, data, human-computer interaction, creative applications, programming and problem-solving.
  2. Utilize emerging media technologies to design better experiences, improve existing systems and analyze digital social structures.
  3. Recognize the rapidly changing nature of emerging media and technology and learn the skills needed to adapt.
  4. Apply interdisciplinary solutions to solving technical, social and human problems related to emerging media and technology.
  5. Employ teamwork and project management as a problem solving technique.
  6. Critically analyze the effectiveness of their own work and the work of others.

Coursework

On This Page

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

Major Requirements (courses count in major GPA)
DI 20100INTRODUCTION TO DESIGN INNOVATION 3
or VCD 13000 VISUAL DESIGN THINKING
EMAT 10010TECHNOLOGY, EXPERIENCE DESIGN AND SOCIETY 3
EMAT 10310MY STORY ON THE WEB 3
EMAT 21000INTRODUCTION TO WEB DESIGN 13
EMAT 25310CREATIVE CODING 3
EMAT 32210DATA IN EMERGING MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY 3
EMAT 33310HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION 3
EMAT 40999INTERDISCIPLINARY PROJECTS (ELR) 3
EMAT 41510PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND TEAM DYNAMICS (WIC) 23
EMAT 49992INTERNSHIP IN EMERGING MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY (ELR) 1-6
Emerging Media and Technology (EMAT) Upper-Division Elective (30000 or 40000 level)3
Additional Requirements (courses do not count in major GPA)
UC 10001FLASHES 101 1
College of Communication and Information Core Electives, choose from the following:9
CCI 10095
SPECIAL TOPICS IN COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION
CCI 12001
PHOTOGRAPHY
CCI 40089
BRANDING AND SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIES FOR ITALIAN LIFESTYLE (ELR)
CCI 40095
SPECIAL TOPICS IN COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION
CCI 40189
ITALIAN POP CULTURE (ELR)
CCI 40289
ITALIAN CINEMA (ELR)
CCI 40389
DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING (ELR)
CCI 40489
MULTIMEDIA EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING (ELR)
CCI 45089
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE IN THE COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION (ELR)
CCI 46089
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE IN THE COLLEGE OF COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION (ELR)
COMM 15000
INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN COMMUNICATION (KADL)
COMM 35852
INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION
LIS 30010
INFORMATION FLUENCY IN THE WORKPLACE AND BEYOND
MDJ 20001
MEDIA, POWER AND CULTURE (KSS)
MDJ 21008
SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIES
UXD 20001
INTRODUCTION TO USER EXPERIENCE DESIGN
American Civic Literacy Requirement 33
Kent Core Composition6
Kent Core Mathematics and Critical Reasoning3
Kent Core Humanities and Fine Arts (minimum one course from each) 36-9
Kent Core Social Sciences (must be from two disciplines) 33-6
Kent Core Basic Sciences (must include one laboratory)6-7
Kent Core Additional6
Minor or Certificate Requirements and General Electives (total credit hours depends on earning 120 credit hours, including 39 upper-division credit hours) 443
Minimum Total Credit Hours:120
1

Students who have taken IT 11006 or IT 21011 for another program may use it as a substitute for EMAT 21000.

2

Minimum C grade is required to fulfill the writing-intensive requirement.

3

If students complete the American Civic Literacy requirement by taking HIST 12061, the course will apply to the Kent Core Humanities category. If they complete it with POL 10101, the course will apply to the Kent Core Social Sciences category.

4

A maximum of 4 credit hours of Physical Activity, Wellness and Sport (PWS) courses may be applied toward the degree program. Students are required to declare and complete a minor or a certificate as part of the Emerging Media and Technology program, either from the following list or another relevant minor or certificate with approval by the school director. A minimum of 6 credit hours in the minor must be outside of the course requirements for any major or other minor the student is pursuing. With approval by the school director, students may use a block of courses to fulfill this requirement.

Graduation Requirements
Minimum Major GPA Minimum Overall GPA
2.000 2.000
Roadmap

Roadmap

This roadmap is a recommended semester-by-semester plan of study for this program. Students will work with their advisor to develop a sequence based on their academic goals and history. Courses designated as critical (!) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation.

Plan of Study Grid
Semester OneCredits
EMAT 10010 TECHNOLOGY, EXPERIENCE DESIGN AND SOCIETY 3
EMAT 21000 INTRODUCTION TO WEB DESIGN 3
UC 10001 FLASHES 101 1
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours16
Semester Two
EMAT 25310 CREATIVE CODING 3
VCD 13000
or DI 20100
 VISUAL DESIGN THINKING
or INTRODUCTION TO DESIGN INNOVATION
3
College of Communication and Information Core Elective 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Three
EMAT 10310 MY STORY ON THE WEB 3
EMAT 32210 DATA IN EMERGING MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Minor or Certificate Requirement or General Elective 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Four
College of Communication and Information Core Elective 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Minor or Certificate Requirement or General Elective 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester Five
EMAT 33310 HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION 3
American Civic Literacy Requirement 3
Kent Core Requirement 3
Minor or Certificate Requirements and/or General Electives 6
 Credit Hours15
Semester Six
EMAT 41510 PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND TEAM DYNAMICS (WIC) 3
College of Communication and Information Core Requirement 3
Minor or Certificate Requirements and/or General Electives 9
 Credit Hours15
Semester Seven
EMAT 49992 INTERNSHIP IN EMERGING MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY (ELR) 1
Emerging Media and Technology (EMAT) Upper-Division Elective (30000 or 40000 level) 3
Minor or Certificate Requirements and/or General Electives 11
 Credit Hours15
Semester Eight
EMAT 40999 INTERDISCIPLINARY PROJECTS (ELR) 3
Minor or Certificate Requirements and/or General Electives 11
 Credit Hours14
 Minimum Total Credit Hours:120

Program Delivery

  • Delivery:
    • In person
  • Location:
    • Kent Campus

What does delivery mean?

Examples of Possible Jobs and Salaries for Emerging Media and Technology - B.S.

Notice: Career Information Source
* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.

Emerging Media and Technology (EMAT) Graduate Program

Emerging Media and Technology (M.S.)

The Bachelor of Science degree in Emerging Media and Technology teaches technical applications and skills in problem solving, design, user experience, creative applications and programming. Students synthesize technical and organizational skills in a series of experiential, hands-on and project-based courses in which they work collaboratively in interdisciplinary teams.

Emerging Media and Technology (M.S.) Requirements & Courses 

STEM Status

The Emerging Media & Technology Master of Science degree is considered a STEM degree, and therefore does qualify for the 24-month STEM extension on Optional Practical Training (OPT).

More specifically, the EMAT MS degree falls under the broad United States government category of "Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies," and is assigned Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code 303101 Human Computer Interaction.

Emerging Media and Technology - M.S.

Tech up your skills, unleash your creativity, and shape the future of digital media with the M.S. in Emerging Media and Technology. With a curriculum that combines theory and practice, our program prepares graduates for careers in cutting-edge fields such as virtual and augmented reality, web design & development, computational social science, training technology, technical project management and data visualization. Join a dynamic community of innovators and apply today.

Contact Us

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Find All Majors

Program Information for Emerging Media and Technology - M.S.

Program Description

Full Description

The Master of Science degree in Emerging Media and Technology is designed to augment a student's skill set, affording new career opportunities for students from diverse undergraduate and professional backgrounds. Due to the program's STEM foundation and interdisciplinary nature, students learn quantitative and coding skills for emerging media platforms, including interactive websites and apps; data-based analysis, communication and visualization; theoretical understanding of the relationship between the technology industry and society; and the tools for working in and managing interdisciplinary teams on interactive technology projects.

Students in this program develop individual plans of study and engage in experiential learning through interdisciplinary elective graduate coursework in one of the following specialization areas: data analytics and coding; social scientific research; applied communication, information and strategy; applied creative technology; or training and development technology.

Examples of Possible Jobs and Salaries*

Computer and information systems managers

  • 15.2% much faster than the average
  • 667,100 number of jobs
  • $171,200 potential earnings

Computer and information research scientists

  • 19.7% much faster than the average
  • 40,300 number of jobs
  • $140,910 potential earnings

Computer systems analysts

  • 8.7% much faster than the average
  • 521,100 number of jobs
  • $103,790 potential earnings

Computer programmers

  • -6.0% decline
  • 121,200 number of jobs
  • $98,670 potential earnings

Sociologists

  • 3.6% about as fast as the average
  • 3,400 number of jobs
  • $101,690 potential earnings

Software developers

  • 15.8% much faster than the average
  • 1,693,800 number of jobs
  • $133,080 potential earnings

Software quality assurance analysts and testers

  • 10.0% much faster than the average
  • 201,700 number of jobs
  • $102,610 potential earnings

Special effects artists and animators

  • 1.6% slower than the average
  • 57,100 number of jobs
  • $99,800 potential earnings

Web and digital interface designers

  • 7.0% faster than the average
  • 128,900 number of jobs
  • $98,090 potential earnings

Web developers

  • 7.5% faster than the average
  • 86,000 number of jobs
  • $90,930 potential earnings

Admissions for Emerging Media and Technology - M.S.

For more information about graduate admissions, visit the graduate admission website. For more information on international admissions, visit the international admission website.

Admission Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
  • Minimum 2.750 undergraduate GPA on a 4.000-point scale
  • Official transcript(s)
  • Goal statement
  • Two letters of recommendation from professional or academic evaluators
  • English language proficiency - all international students must provide proof of English language proficiency (unless they meet specific exceptions to waive) by earning one of the following:1
    • Minimum 79 TOEFL iBT score
    • Minimum 6.5 IELTS score
    • Minimum 58 PTE score
    • Minimum 110 DET score

Admission decisions will be made by the graduate program coordinator with consultation from the members of the graduate faculty.

1

International applicants who do not meet the above test scores will not be considered for admission.

Application Deadlines

  • Fall Semester
    • Application deadline: April 15 (international student) and July 1 (domestic student)
  • Spring Semester
    • Application deadline: October 1 (international student) and December 1 (domestic student)
  • Summer Term
    • Application deadline: April 1

Applications submitted after these deadlines will be considered on a space-available basis.

Learning Outcomes

Program Learning Outcomes

Graduates of this program will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate competency in skills related to emerging media and technology, including technical problem-solving through
    1. coding;
    2. data-based analytics, communication and visualization; and
    3. interdisciplinary teamwork and project management.
  2. Apply interdisciplinary solutions to solving technical, social and human problems related to emerging media and technology.
  3. Demonstrate increased depth and breadth in applying emerging media and technology solutions in one of the areas of
    1. data analytics/coding;
    2. social scientific research;
    3. applied communication, information and strategy;
    4. applied creative technology; and
    5. training and development technology.

Coursework

On This Page

Program Requirements

Major Requirements

Major Requirements
EMAT 51510PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND TEAM DYNAMICS 3
EMAT 60010FOUNDATIONS OF EMERGING MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY 3
EMAT 60310CREATIVE CODING FUNDAMENTALS 3
or EMAT 52210 WEB APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT
EMAT 62110INTERACTIVE DATA 3
Interdisciplinary Specialization, chose from the following: 112
Applied Communication, Information and Strategy
Applied Creative Technology
Data Analytics/Coding
Social Scientific Research
Training and Development Technology
Culminating Requirement
Choose from the following:6
EMAT 60999
PROJECTS IN EMERGING MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY
& Interdisciplinary Specialization Course
EMAT 60999
& EMAT 69992
PROJECTS IN EMERGING MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY
and INTERNSHIP IN EMERGING MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY
EMAT 69199
THESIS I
Minimum Total Credit Hours:30
1

For the interdisciplinary specialization, students develop a course plan with approval of their faculty advisor by the end of their first semester in the program. The makeup of this coursework is flexible, but each course should be designated under one of the five areas.

Graduation Requirements
Minimum Major GPA Minimum Overall GPA
- 3.000
  • No more than one-half of a graduate student’s coursework may be taken in 50000-level courses.
  • Grades below C are not counted toward completion of requirements for the degree.
Program Delivery

  • Delivery
    • In Person
  • Location
    • Kent Campus

What does delivery mean?

Examples of Possible Jobs and Salaries for Emerging Media and Technology - M.S.

Notice: Career Information Source
* Source of occupation titles and labor data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Outlook Handbook. Data comprises projected percent change in employment over the next 10 years; nation-wide employment numbers; and the yearly median wage at which half of the workers in the occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less.
Graduate Students Use 3 Minutes and a Slide to Showcase Their Research

Winners of the Three Minute Thesis competition were chosen by a panel of judges.

“Getting the ‘NAC’ of Being Drug Free” was chosen as the No. 1 Three Minute Thesis presentation at the finals for Kent State University’s ninth annual competition, held on Tuesday, Oct. 3.   The top 10 presenters who had advanced from two previous preliminary rounds made their presentations in the Kiva. Students were given three minutes and one PowerPoint slide to make a concise and engaging presentation.  After Friday’s Three Minute Thesis presentations, a panel of judges chose the top three winners. The audience selected the People’s Choice awardee by usin...

Canvas Admins From Across Ohio Meet at Kent State

First Ohio Canvas Users Group Conference - large group of people in Governance Chambers listening to the keynote address

The Division of Information Technology and Instructure, the parent company of the Canvas Learning Management System, hosted the first Ohio Canvas Users Group (OCUG) Conference in the Student Center on Friday, September 29. 93 Canvas administrators and instructors from across Ohio’s higher education landscape came together for a full day of learning. Attendees from thirty-two public and private universities joined representatives from Kent State’s Lifelong Learning, Educational & Faculty Technology Management, Kent State Online and the Center for Teaching & Learning. Jona Burton, ...

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