Advising
Whose my advisor?
All Digital Arts majors are assigned an advisor either in Computer Science or Studio Art. If you’re not sure who your advisor is check the top of your degree audit. You should hear from your advisor a few weeks before registration each semester. If registration is approaching and you have not heard your advisor, search your inbox for e-mails from him or her. If you can’t find anything, send them an e-mail. At the end of the day it is your responsibility to make sure you have your pin and can register for classes. Be proactive!
If you have general questions about the program, contact Dr. Morago (moragob at uncw . edu).
Course Sequences
As soon as you start the degree you should immediately be taking classes with ART, CSC, and MAT prefixes. First of all, it’s best that you find out as soon as possible if you like all the sides of this interdisciplinary degree. You may find you really like one aspect of the degree but are not so interested in another side. We can then talk about other degree options at UNCW (See FAQ page on Other Programs at UNCW). Secondly, this degree has long pre-requisite chains. This means that there may be two classes in a discipline that you have to complete before you can take any other classes in that discipline. Once you complete those classes, there may only be two more classes you’re eligible to take. Once you complete those more classes start to open up. In fact, because of the way the pre-requisites stack up for our CSC and ART classes, it takes a minimum of 4 semesters to complete the required course sequences for the DA major. This does not take into account that some classes are only offered certain semesters or you may only want to take so many classes in a semester. It may take longer. Check out this chart showing how our classes sequences are set-up.
Start on the required classes for the major immediately, keep taking as many core classes that you’ve completed the pre-reqs for each semester, and just fill in University Studies classes where you have room in your schedule. It is totally fine to take some of your University Studies classes your senior year. Some students find this to actually be easier because you spread out the really difficult major classes and have more time to put a lot of energy into the projects in your upper-level classes.
Our core Computer Science/programming sequence is CSC 131, CSC 231, and CSC 331. Take these classes in consecutive semesters. They build on each other. They are already very difficult classes and as soon as you take a semester off they get harder. Learning how to program is like learning a foreign language. You have to immerse yourself and just keep going. Use it or lose it!. It’s also a good idea to take CSC 370 the same semester as CSC 331 or the semester right after. CSC 370 is another programming intensive class so don’t take a break between this one and the 131/231/331 sequence.
ART 260 and ART 282 are pre-requisites for several ART and CSC classes and introduce technology and software required for the higher-level classes. ART 260 leads straight into ART 360. ART 260 or ART 282 are co-requisites for ART/CSC/FST 220. 260 should be taken the semester before or during 220 so the skills are fresh. Content from ART 260 is also used heavily in CSC 368.
ART/CSC/FST 320 builds directly on ART/CSC/FST 220 and they should also be taken in consecutive semesters.
The main message at the end of the day is to pay attention to pre-requisite sequences and take consecutive classes as closely together as possible. Do not take a year off from CSC classes or ART classes. Take a mix of topics every semester and keep moving forward on both sides of this degree.
Start on the required classes for the major immediately, keep taking as many core classes that you’ve completed the pre-reqs for each semester, and just fill in University Studies classes where you have room in your schedule. It is totally fine to take some of your University Studies classes your senior year. Some students find this to actually be easier because you spread out the really difficult major classes and have more time to put a lot of energy into the projects in your upper-level classes.
Our core Computer Science/programming sequence is CSC 131, CSC 231, and CSC 331. Take these classes in consecutive semesters. They build on each other. They are already very difficult classes and as soon as you take a semester off they get harder. Learning how to program is like learning a foreign language. You have to immerse yourself and just keep going. Use it or lose it!. It’s also a good idea to take CSC 370 the same semester as CSC 331 or the semester right after. CSC 370 is another programming intensive class so don’t take a break between this one and the 131/231/331 sequence.
ART 260 and ART 282 are pre-requisites for several ART and CSC classes and introduce technology and software required for the higher-level classes. ART 260 leads straight into ART 360. ART 260 or ART 282 are co-requisites for ART/CSC/FST 220. 260 should be taken the semester before or during 220 so the skills are fresh. Content from ART 260 is also used heavily in CSC 368.
ART/CSC/FST 320 builds directly on ART/CSC/FST 220 and they should also be taken in consecutive semesters.
The main message at the end of the day is to pay attention to pre-requisite sequences and take consecutive classes as closely together as possible. Do not take a year off from CSC classes or ART classes. Take a mix of topics every semester and keep moving forward on both sides of this degree.
Math Pre-Requisities
You need to complete or have credit for either MAT 111 College Algebra or MAT 115 Pre-calculus before you can take the first required CSC classes in the Digital Arts major. If you do not have credit for one of these classes when you start at UNCW it can take extra semesters (over 4) to complete the degree. If you are on a tight timeline you may need to take summer classes to catch-up and absolutely should take a MAT class every semester until you’ve completed all the math classes required for DA.
How can you get credit for MAT 111 or MAT 115? You may have transfer credit from another school or AP credit that counts for these classes. Your ACT or SAT scores may place you out of these classes. That information should come from the registrar when you start at UNCW. If you do not have credit from any of these avenues UNCW has a Math Placement Test. Information on what prior credit counts for MAT classes at UNCW and taking the Placement Test can be found at https://uncw.edu/math/placement.html.
If you end up placing into MAT 105 (first class in the MAT sequence), it takes a \textbf{minimum of 7 semesters} to complete the required course sequences for the DA major. UNCW offers a free ``MAT 105 Math Readiness Program'' that is a self-paced, free class that replaces MAT 105. Make a plan early on for when you should take each class in the major to graduate on time. Your advisor or the coordinator for the major can help you do this.
You need to complete or have credit for either MAT 111 College Algebra or MAT 115 Pre-calculus before you can take the first required CSC classes in the Digital Arts major. If you do not have credit for one of these classes when you start at UNCW it can take extra semesters (over 4) to complete the degree. If you are on a tight timeline you may need to take summer classes to catch-up and absolutely should take a MAT class every semester until you’ve completed all the math classes required for DA.
How can you get credit for MAT 111 or MAT 115? You may have transfer credit from another school or AP credit that counts for these classes. Your ACT or SAT scores may place you out of these classes. That information should come from the registrar when you start at UNCW. If you do not have credit from any of these avenues UNCW has a Math Placement Test. Information on what prior credit counts for MAT classes at UNCW and taking the Placement Test can be found at https://uncw.edu/math/placement.html.
If you end up placing into MAT 105 (first class in the MAT sequence), it takes a \textbf{minimum of 7 semesters} to complete the required course sequences for the DA major. UNCW offers a free ``MAT 105 Math Readiness Program'' that is a self-paced, free class that replaces MAT 105. Make a plan early on for when you should take each class in the major to graduate on time. Your advisor or the coordinator for the major can help you do this.
Co-Requisites
If a class is a co-requisite for another class, you need to take it either before or at the same time as the class that requires it. For instance, CSC 133 is a co-requisite for CSC 231. You can take CSC 133 before CSC 231 or during the same semester you take 231. You will not be able to enroll in 231 for a particular semester unless you’ve already completed 133 or added it to your schedule for that semester.
If a class is a co-requisite for another class, you need to take it either before or at the same time as the class that requires it. For instance, CSC 133 is a co-requisite for CSC 231. You can take CSC 133 before CSC 231 or during the same semester you take 231. You will not be able to enroll in 231 for a particular semester unless you’ve already completed 133 or added it to your schedule for that semester.
Cross-Listed Classes
Some of our classes are cross-listed between departments because students from different majors take the class. For instance, our Introduction to Computer Graphics class is cross-listed as ART 220, CSC 220, and FST 220. They are all the exact same class. You can enroll in any section of this class and it will check off the exact same requirement on your degree. Each section is assigned a different number of seats based on how many students from each major tend to take the class. If you try to enroll in ART 220 and all the seats are filled, check for seats in CSC 220. The same thing applies to ART/CSC/FST 320 Computer Animation.
University Studies
Information Literacy
UNCW requires that one of your Information Literacy classes be a required class for your major. There is currently an error in the course listings that should be fixed by the 2022-23 calendar year. Right now your degree audit will show this requirement but will not list any classes that fulfills ``Information Literacy In the Major''. You do not need to do anything to fix this. When students enroll in ART 496 Digital Arts Capstone we manually have your degree audit updated to have 496 count as Information Literacy.
Most Digital Arts students do not need to take any specific Information Literacy classes. UNI 101 (which most students already take) counts as Info Lit and we have ART 496 fulfill your second Info Lit requirement.
Foreign Language
UNCW's foreign language requirement varies based on if you take the same language you took in high school or not. If you take the same language you took in high school, you must complete through level 201 of that language. If you start from the very beginning of the course sequence, you have to get credit for levels 101, 102, and 201 (3 classes total). If you are very competent in the langauge, you can take a placement test to get out of some of these. You could potentially place into the 120 level (which replaces both 101 and 102) or directly into the 201 level. More information can be found https://uncw.edu/languages/fllplacementtest.html. You can only take this placement test once and have to take the class you get placed into. If you do well enough on the test to place into 201, you have to take 201 (and be adequately prepared to do so).
If you take a different language than you took in high school you only have to get through level 102. So levels 101 and 102 (2 classes total). Many students opt to go this route so they can start with the basics and only take 2 classes.
Information Literacy
UNCW requires that one of your Information Literacy classes be a required class for your major. There is currently an error in the course listings that should be fixed by the 2022-23 calendar year. Right now your degree audit will show this requirement but will not list any classes that fulfills ``Information Literacy In the Major''. You do not need to do anything to fix this. When students enroll in ART 496 Digital Arts Capstone we manually have your degree audit updated to have 496 count as Information Literacy.
Most Digital Arts students do not need to take any specific Information Literacy classes. UNI 101 (which most students already take) counts as Info Lit and we have ART 496 fulfill your second Info Lit requirement.
Foreign Language
UNCW's foreign language requirement varies based on if you take the same language you took in high school or not. If you take the same language you took in high school, you must complete through level 201 of that language. If you start from the very beginning of the course sequence, you have to get credit for levels 101, 102, and 201 (3 classes total). If you are very competent in the langauge, you can take a placement test to get out of some of these. You could potentially place into the 120 level (which replaces both 101 and 102) or directly into the 201 level. More information can be found https://uncw.edu/languages/fllplacementtest.html. You can only take this placement test once and have to take the class you get placed into. If you do well enough on the test to place into 201, you have to take 201 (and be adequately prepared to do so).
If you take a different language than you took in high school you only have to get through level 102. So levels 101 and 102 (2 classes total). Many students opt to go this route so they can start with the basics and only take 2 classes.
Digtial Arts Capstone
Digital Arts students complete a capstone project during their senior year of study in the ART 496 DIgital Arts Capstone class. Examples of past capstone projects can be viewed here. You should look at these projects early on in your degree for inspiration. You can be thinking about and working toward your capstone in the courses and semesters leading up to when you actually take ART 496. Having a goal in mind can help you decide what concentration and electives to pursue. Ideally your capstone project should help you further develop skills that align with your career goals.
Digital Arts students complete a capstone project during their senior year of study in the ART 496 DIgital Arts Capstone class. Examples of past capstone projects can be viewed here. You should look at these projects early on in your degree for inspiration. You can be thinking about and working toward your capstone in the courses and semesters leading up to when you actually take ART 496. Having a goal in mind can help you decide what concentration and electives to pursue. Ideally your capstone project should help you further develop skills that align with your career goals.
