Higher Colleges

COMA 202 – Drawing II

This course explores advanced drawing skills and develops visual awareness to facilitate mature expression in a range of 2D & 3D media. Students use a variety of materials, media and equipment to produce drawings that demonstrate refined techniques depicting formal elements such as line and contour, texture, two dimensional and three dimensional space, unity, dynamics, composition, proportion and rhythm. The versatility to convey meaning, genre and design modes through drawing is the emphasis in this course, with expectations of high levels of personal style and individual interpretation evident in the students’ work.

COMA 171 – Visual Communication II

The second semester of Visual Communication focuses on creating and experimenting with visuals. Students continue to hone their digital imaging techniques and increase their photographic skills with the introduction to artificial lighting options. They become more knowledgeable about photography equipment, digital formats, filters and manipulation techniques. They learn the basics of image improvement processes that are directly related to film photography. They use image creation to experiment with process and medium and are made more aware of composition and color theory, by creating images for a variety of end products.

COMA 125 – Graphic Design I

This course provides an introduction to the fundamental principles of design, typography, color, composition, rendering and production techniques. This course will also provide an introduction to the history of art/design. Through project based assignments that promote creative thinking, students will develop an understanding of the design process including, problem solving, target audience and the development of concepts and visuals for effective communication.

COMA 121 – Visual Communication I

This course is designed to introduce students to the fundamental concepts of visual communication. Through production and discussion, students will learn creative and practical techniques to create visuals, which can be used in a variety of media formats and genres. Visual literacy, color theory, lighting and photography are all used to achieve course goals. By the end of the course, students will be proficient in creating and organizing ideas and visuals to present information in an appealing and effective way.

COMA 172 – Multimedia

This is an introductory course in which the use of multimedia as a communication, entertainment and informational tool is analyzed and deconstructed. Students learn about file formats for graphics, video and sound and how and when to utilize each of them for optimum results. The students demonstrate an understanding of the multimedia development process by producing ideas, storyboards and scripts for media content for a project of either web-based content or a multimedia product as they relate to audience needs.

COMA 266 – Media Studio II

In this course the students apply creative/ problem-solving techniques and group/team principles to media production projects. The assignments provide the opportunity for students to apply knowledge and skills related to Narrative/Genre/Style, Project Management, and Advertising/Promotion/Public Relations. Students identify production opportunities, take technical and conceptual workshops, research and plan projects using tangible criteria, prepare oral (pitch) and written proposals and seek approval to proceed with production. Students participate in the production of group and individual evaluations of the production process using personal and professional perspectives.

COMA 209 – Portfolio Development I

This course instructs students in the preparation and presentation of a personal professional portfolio. Presentation techniques and continued portfolio review are emphasized in the course, and it also provides a forum for critiquing Web site projects. Students are introduced to interactive electronic portfolios and their characteristics, and utilize their technical skills in the preparation of a digital multimedia portfolio. This course also introduces the basic skills in assembling a portfolio, which will be refined in subsequent portfolio courses.