Diploma or Degree? Choosing the Right Interactive Media School Program

interactive media school

For aspiring creative professionals, there are many paths forward to obtaining the qualifications and skills needed to succeed in the industry. Depending on your career goals, your current level of experience, and your learning style, there may be certain qualifications that are more suitable for you than others. How should you decide how to move forward?

If you want a comprehensive interactive media program that will give you the hands-on professional training you need to stand out from the crowd, there are two program options that may be especially effective for you: a three-year Bachelor of Arts (BA), or a shorter one-year Professional Intensive Diploma (PID).

Keep reading to learn more about each of these courses and how you can determine the best choice for you.

A BA Provides a Comprehensive Interactive Media Training Program

A BA program is a great option for individuals who want to start from scratch with respect to their interactive media education, and who want access to both a solid knowledge foundation and specialized skills through their course.

At Living Arts College, students pursue their BA through a fast-track program that allows them to complete their degree in three years, rather than the four-year program length common at most colleges and universities.

However, this does not mean sacrificing critical learning experiences. The interactive media courses in a BA program will train you in many areas of theory and practice, including print publishing, advertising, identity design, broadcast, and development and design for web. Altogether, a BA program puts students on track to build the skills to provide top quality interactive media services to clients.

interactive media training program
Earning your BA degree helps you develop foundational knowledge of design principles

A PID Program Helps Interactive Media Students Get Job-Ready Faster

For some, a career in interactive media and graphic design was not their first path. Many experienced professionals and artists decide later on in their careers to pursue this kind of work, often after earning a bachelor’s degree in another area. For these individuals, the prospect of completing another undergraduate degree may be less appealing, or cost them too much time away from the workforce.

interactive media courses
A PID program will help you build specialized design skills

Students in this situation may be perfectly suited for a PID program. These interactive media programs, which take about one year to complete, provide the same top quality instruction and skill building as the BA program. However, the diploma components are narrowed to focus on specialized graphic design and interactive media skills without placing as much emphasis on the foundational knowledge that students acquire during a BA degree. By taking the PID path through interactive media school, students can fine-tune their skills even faster and become job-ready sooner.

Both a BA and PID Give You the Interactive Media College Experience You Need

Both the BA and PID options offer students a quicker path to their careers than a traditional four-year degree, and both programs include intensive classroom and hands-on work that give students the opportunity to develop impressive portfolios.

With a three-year BA, students will have longer to interact and network with their classmates and instructors compared to the PID program, while those in the PID program can begin cutting their professional teeth in the workforce after just one year. Ultimately, there is no wrong choice between BA and PID programs, and students who pursue either at Living Arts College will gain the full range of benefits that America’s Creativity College has to offer.

Does your creative career need a boost?

Contact Living Arts College to learn more about the benefits of our interactive media training program.