No previous experience in computer science or digital arts is required. Our goals are to (1) teach students the principles, aesthetics and practice of digital art, modeling and animation through hands on exercises and assignments, (2) provide an understanding of technical concepts in order to allow students optimal control over the tools being used to create digital art, (3) offer an opportunity for students from different disciplines to work together, and (4) create a minor that is comprehensive and deep, through focused assignments and a demand for proficiency and high production values.

All courses in the DA minor are practical, hands-on, project-based courses. COSC 1, COSC 2, or ENGS 20 are prerequisite to the minor. For a formal description of the minor requirements, please consult the ORC.

COURSES

Core Requirements:

• Any three courses between COSC 20 and 29.

• Two courses from the list in the ORC. One can be a COSC course but one must be from outside the department—a course that compliments the skills learned in the minor.

Digital Arts Courses You Can Take:

• CS21/121 Foundations in Digital Design. Learn the principles and practice of graphic design and Photoshop. This hands-on course is a great class for anyone who wants to do a deep dive into 2D design. Topics covered include: Color theory, Layout, Fonts, Hierarchies, Alignment. Counts towards the DA Minor. No experience needed.

• CS22/122 3D Digital Modeling. Learn the principles and practice of 3D Modeling using Maya and Substance. Students build an interior environment (with textures, lighting, and rendering), an abstract using special effects and procedural methods, and a biped that they rig and animate.

• CS24 Intro to 3D Animation. We give you the models. You bring them to life. This course teaches how animation principles can be applied to 3D models. Students also learn motion capture techniques.

• CS25.01 and CS25.02 Intro to UI/UX Design. Good design focuses on users—how they feel, think, and make decisions. This course explores the principles and practice of user interface and user experience design for digital platforms. Intro to UI/UX is an experiential learning course for anyone wanting to learn how to design digital applications. The first part (CS25.01) is in the classroom. The second (CS25.02) is optional. Most students won’t take CS25.02, but it is an option for those wanting to expand their UI/UX design skills through real-world projects in the DALI Lab. Students will be Designers and will build their portfolios. Counts towards the DA and HCD minors.

• CS23.01 (formerly CS29.22) and CS63.01 (formerly CS89.22) AR/VR Design and Development. This course is for digital arts students who have completed COSC 22 and want a hands-on, projects-based course that explores the cutting edge fields of virtual and augmented reality. This course exposes students to the aesthetic, technical and societal issues surrounding the emerging frontiers of digitally mediated realities. “Augmented Reality” (AR) extends the real world by accessing and overlaying digital information upon the world as it’s being experienced. Many think this new form of media has the potential to be the dominant technology of the next digital era, eclipsing the smartphone in just a few years. The fully immersive, alternate reality of “Virtual Reality” (VR) is likely to follow it by disrupting many existing forms of entertainment, communication and in some cases even work.

  COSC 23.01/123 and COSC 63.01 have class together and work together on teams. Designers in this course create assets and design the UI/UX while developers build interactive digital tools, games, and visualizations. This course will also address the sociological implications of the technology.

• CS27/127 Projects in Digital Arts. This course pulls together topics learned in other courses. Students complete a term-long project, individually or in a team. This can include a short animation, a game, a VR/AR experience, or…..

• CS28 Advanced Projects in Digital Arts. This is an independent study course in which students take their digital arts skills to the next level.

• CS 29/129. This is a topics course. There are several versions of this course, including a Digital Fabrication Course and a Tangible User Interfaces course. Other topics in Digital Arts may be offered from time to time.
  

Two Additional Courses

The list of additional courses includes courses that teach the principles and practice of art, design, filmmaking, animation, music, games, and theater.  These courses offer students an opportunity to enhance the skills needed to create digital arts.  A full list of approved courses can be found in the ORC.  Additional courses may be approved by the Director of the Digital Arts Minor (Professor Lorie Loeb).

Learn more about Dartmouth Computer Science at cs.dartmouth.edu