BA Creative Media

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of Hawaii Manoa

Program Overview

The BA in Creative Media at the University of Hawaiʻi–West Oʻahu is designed for students who want to combine creativity, technology, storytelling, design, and emerging media to prepare for a rapidly changing digital industry. Students can develop skills across areas such as interactive design, motion graphics, video games, transmedia, web and app development, social media, animation, and digital storytelling.

Curriculum Structure:

Year 1: Students build their academic and creative foundation through general education and introductory Creative Media study, developing digital literacy, creative thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills. The program is designed to connect art and design, narrative, information science, and technology from the beginning of the degree.

Year 2: Students begin developing more focused technical abilities through subjects such as CM 315 – Interactive Applications, CM 316 – User Experience, and CM 317 – Motion Graphics. These courses allow students to explore interactive experiences, user-centered design, animation and visual communication while building a stronger creative portfolio.

Year 3: Students can move into advanced creative-media areas such as CM 350 – Creative Strategy, CM 352 – Transmedia and Emerging Media, CM 358 – Web Series Production, and CM 391 – Game Design Project. The curriculum increasingly emphasizes multidisciplinary teamwork, realistic creative problems, emerging platforms, and the development of professional-quality media work.

Year 4: Students can complete advanced concentration work through options such as CM 390 – Creative Media Internship, CM 403 – Special Projects, CM 405 – Documentary Arts, CM 406 – Advanced Screenwriting, CM 407 – Stop-Motion Animation, or CM 415 – Visual Design for Mobile Apps. This stage allows students to consolidate their technical abilities into a professional portfolio and prepare for employment or further study.

Focus Areas:

Digital media, interactive design, motion graphics, transmedia and emerging media, video game design and development, web and app development, animation, storytelling, social media, advertising, documentary arts, screenwriting, user experience, visual design.

Learning Outcomes:

Produce and distribute content across major media platforms, create video and audio content, conduct research and interviews, analyze media trends, communicate creative ideas using industry terminology, apply design principles, collaborate on creative projects, develop professional portfolios, meet professional deadlines and standards.

Professional Alignment (Accreditation):

The curriculum is closely aligned with emerging creative-media industries through technical production, multidisciplinary collaboration, professional portfolio development, internships, and realistic project work. The official university information does not identify a separate program-specific professional accreditation for the BA Creative Media.

Reputation:

UH West Oʻahu reported 60 Creative Media degrees awarded in 2024–25, with 75% of Creative Media graduates working in Hawaiʻi one year after graduation. The university specifically identifies career pathways including UX Designer, AR/VR Developer, and Video Editor, with graduates hired by local media organizations such as KITV and ʻŌlelo Community Media.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Creative Media students gain practical experience by working across digital storytelling, design, video, audio, interactive applications, animation, games, and emerging technologies. The Academy for Creative Media emphasizes extended field practice, multidisciplinary teamwork, realistic problems, and professional production, while the program's learning outcomes specifically require students to create media work, collaborate, critique projects, and produce a professional portfolio.

Students can put those skills into practice through:

• Creative Media Internship (CM 390): Students can earn academic credit through an internship connected to their Creative Media studies and career goals.

• Interactive Applications (CM 315): Develop practical skills for creating interactive digital experiences.

• User Experience (CM 316): Explore user-centered design and how audiences interact with digital products.

• Motion Graphics (CM 317): Build visual communication and motion-design skills for digital media.

• Web Series Production (CM 358): Develop production and storytelling skills for episodic digital content.

• Game Design Project (CM 391): Apply creative and technical skills through a dedicated game-development project.

• Making a Short Film (CM 353): Create film-based work while developing visual storytelling and production skills.

• Documentary Arts (CM 405): Explore documentary production and creative nonfiction media practices.

• Stop-Motion Animation (CM 407): Gain hands-on experience with animation techniques and visual storytelling.

• Visual Design for Mobile Apps (CM 415): Apply design principles to mobile-app environments and digital interfaces.

• Academy for Creative Media Facility: The university describes the ACM facility as a hub for Creative Media education with industry-standard production capabilities, supporting video, animation, games, design, social media, web/app development, VR and AR.

• Multidisciplinary Projects: The program explicitly provides experience working in multidisciplinary teams on realistic problems, giving students practice collaborating across creative and technical areas.

• Student Media Board: Creative Media students can participate in student publications through opportunities to write, edit, design, create art, manage and sell advertising.

• Career & Internship Fair: UH West Oʻahu holds career and internship fairs where more than 50 businesses and organizations participate to recruit students for internships, practicums, full-time and other positions.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The BA Creative Media prepares graduates for emerging roles across interactive design, digital content, video, gaming, animation, visual communication, advertising, and new media. The university reports that 75% of Creative Media graduates were working in Hawaiʻi one year after graduation, while highlighting careers such as UX Designer, AR/VR Developer, and Video Editor.

Typical career options: UX Designer, Video Editor, Digital Media Specialist, AR/VR Developer

Students can strengthen their transition into employment through:

• UH West Oʻahu Career Services: Students receive individual support with career planning, internships, graduate-school decisions, resumes, interviews and full-time job searches.

• Handshake: Students can search for off-campus employment and internships through Handshake and other university-supported employment resources.

• Career & Internship Fairs: More than 50 businesses and organizations participate in university career and internship fairs, creating opportunities to meet potential employers and internship providers.

• Creative Media Industry Alignment: The university identifies career pathways in UX design, AR/VR development and video editing, with graduates working for local media organizations including KITV and ʻŌlelo Community Media.

• Professional Portfolio: Students are expected to produce a professional portfolio suitable for seeking employment in the media industry or corporate environment, giving graduates tangible evidence of their creative and technical abilities.

• Graduation Outcomes: UH West Oʻahu reported 60 Creative Media degrees awarded in 2024–25 and 75% of Creative Media graduates working in Hawaiʻi one year after graduation.

• Industry-Relevant Experience: The program's mission emphasizes hands-on collaboration, experiential learning, real-world projects, internships, mentoring and career opportunities for creative professionals.

Further Academic Progression: Graduates can continue into advanced study in Creative Media, digital media, interaction design, animation, game development, communication, film, media studies, design, or related fields. The university specifically identifies the BA as providing a foundation for advanced education in Creative Media.