New Media Design and Web Development (Certificate - Diploma Pathway)

This pathway is for BCIT graduates of the New Media Design and Web Development Certificate program to attain their Diploma in New Media Design and Web Development. It is comprised of 8 courses (24.0 credits), and is offered in a cohort model in two 12-week terms.

Learn to design and produce interactive, user-friendly media projects, responsive websites, integrated social media campaigns, and visually appealing stories and dynamic, rich multi-media content with the BCIT Diploma in New Media Design and Web Development. Demand for the creative and technical skills of new media professionals is increasing rapidly, as companies look for new and innovative ways to engage with clients and customers.

The Diploma in New Media Design and Web Development provides you with applied skills in the following key areas, instrumental for success in this fast-growing field:

• Web design and development
• Information architecture
• User interface design and user experience
• Graphic design and branding
• Interactive media solutions
• Web marketing and social media integration
• New media communications and storytelling

About the program

Employers value BCIT’s applied, job-ready approach to education and training. It’s the BCIT advantage that sets our graduates apart from the pack.

• Digital portfolio – present your best work to potential employers and clients
• Small class size – receive individual attention
• Hands-on, applied courses – develop and refine your creative and technical skills
• Cohort delivery – build a professional network that will last long after you graduate
• Industry instructors – benefit from real-world experience in new media

Learn more about program goals and how this program prepares you for a career in new media on the Program Details page.

Who should apply for the New Media Design and Web Development Certificate – Diploma Pathway?

This program is right for you if:

• You have successfully completed the BCIT Certificate in New Media Design and Web Development
• You are creative, inquisitive, and innovative
• You are organized and enjoy collaborating with others
• You have strong interest in new technology, media communications, and design
• You’re looking for a challenging, rewarding career

If this sounds like you, apply today on the Entrance Requirements page.

What graduates can do

New media professionals work in a broad range of positions, throughout all types of public and non-profit organizations, and private industry – from graphic design studios to advertising agencies, digital entertainment companies, and in-house marketing and communications departments. Many new media professionals work independently for clients or go on to launch their own business.

Learn more about the career opportunities awaiting you on the Graduating and Jobs page.

As a student in this program, you’ll have access to the most up-to-date, relevant instruction by working industry professionals, hands-on lab time, tutorial sessions, and field consultations. All this is designed to give you the most current, job-related skills to help you begin your career quickly.

Program goals

The BCIT New Media Design and Web Development diploma program is an intense, multi-disciplinary program. You will learn to design media projects (interface, navigation, graphics, text treatment), create visually appealing stories and dynamic, rich multi-media content, effectively integrate social media campaigns, and build user-friendly websites and mobile applications.

You will develop a digital portfolio to present your best work to potential employers and clients. Most employers and potential clients want to see examples of personal and academic work as proof of your abilities, and through this program, you will be able to display your advanced skills quickly and easily.

Upon successful completion of the courses in this pathway you will receive the Diploma in New Media Design and Web Development, and you will be able to:

Core technical

Create and manage interactive content using Adobe Creative Cloud and current new media development tools.

New media communication

• Research, write, report, document, store, and package information in a variety of formats for print and interactive media.
• Develop new media products using industry standards in graphic, web, and mobile design for specific audiences and purposes.
• Integrate principles of visual design into the creation and evaluation of one’s own work and the assessment of the work of others.
• Capture, manipulate, produce and manage photographic images using a variety of technologies, processes and devices.
• Plan and integrate digital assets using photography, video and audio.
• Create and manage storytelling for web, video, standalone media and mobile

Applied interaction design

• Integrate content strategy with information architecture (IA), and user interface design (UI) and user experience (UX).
• Plan, and design user interface (UI) prototypes for usability, accessibility and user experience (UX) inspections and testing.
• Analyze and select appropriate evaluation methods, within an iterative design process, to improve user interface designs (UI) and user experience (UX).

Applied web technology

• Develop and manage static and dynamic websites using programming standards, content management systems (CMS) and versioning control frameworks.
• Analyze and model requirements and constraints for the design of databases, stand-alone, media and mobile applications.
• Program and manipulate data through the adoption of accepted standards, mark-up languages, client-side and server-side programming.
• Plan and Implement online marketing, search engine optimization tactics and metadata for web and social media.
• Manage web, mobile and social media campaigns for small businesses.

Management

• Manage projects under waterfall and agile systems. Explain workflow of digital media production.
• Demonstrate effective leadership skills when working autonomously and in multidisciplinary teams.
• Apply life-career planning, research, and technology to identify trends and entrance employability and entrepreneurial competitiveness.
• Integrate critical thinking, ethical and legal considerations with effective business practices in dealings with clients, colleagues and suppliers.

Capstone

• Integrate academic and hands-on instruction with practical experience in an industry sector or field of interest.
• Produce a final, industry quality digital portfolio and exhibits that demonstrates creative, development, and professional skills in new media.

The diploma in New Media Design and Web Development gives you the applied skills instrumental for success in this fast-growing field, and is responsive to the needs of the global marketplace. The demand for new media professionals is growing rapidly. New media professionals work in a broad range of positions, from frontline personnel through to managers with strategic responsibility, as well as entrepreneurs. BCIT’s strong reputation and connection to industry means that many of our students are hired immediately upon graduation.

Job categories where new media skills are required include, but are not limited to:

• Web and App Designer
• Front-end Web Developer
• Interactive and Multimedia Developer
• SEO Specialist and Web Marketer
• Social Media Manager
• Interface and User Experience Designer
• Corporate Storyteller
• Interactive Marketing Specialist
• Motion Graphics Designer
• Video and Audio Editor
• New Media Project Manager
• New Media Entrepreneur

Our instructors are well-connected New Media professionals, either running their own companies or active in industry. All instructors bring current, relevant experience and first-hand knowledge to the classroom. The business and technical knowledge you gain, mixed with hands-on training in the field, prepares you with the foundation for a successful career.

Terri Carde
Assistant Instructor
604-451-7032 | Terri_Carde@bcit.ca

Edward Fajardo
Program Head, New Media Design and Web Development
604-456-8019 | Edward_Fajardo@bcit.ca

Contact a Program Advisor with the BCIT program name in the subject line if you have a question about:

• Program selection and program planning
• Applying for transfer credit and advanced placement
• Job placement and graduate outcomes
• Student life