Important Notice:
Digital Design and Development
Note: The September 2015 intake is now closed for new applications. Applications for direct entry and re-admission may be submitted. Applications for September 2016 will be accepted starting November 1, 2015 (or next business day).
In the Digital Design and Development diploma program at BCIT, you will build a solid foundation in designing, developing, and creating interactive, dynamic, immersive social and online applications across various digital media platforms.
Learn to work within a team to design and develop web and mobile applications, educational products, video, and audio assets for interactive media and business applications.
About the Digital Design and Development program
Two-year, full-time diploma program
Eight week practicum to learn on the job
Learn from some of the most knowledgeable and talented people in the industry
Graduate with a professional portfolio to show employers
Want more info? Check out our .
Who Should Apply for Digital Design and Development?
The Digital Design and Development diploma program is right for you if:
You have an arts background and understand movement (ie. dance, music, painting)
You have strong problem solving skills
You are able to work on tight deadlines while maintaining high quality
You are willing to practice, practice, practice!
Ready to get started with the Digital Design and Development program? Visit
What grads can do
Graduates are often able to turn the connections they make during the Digital Design and Development program into jobs.
Take a look at
to see the types of roles Digital Design and Development grads take on.
Program Entry
Application processing
Open to applications beginning November 1st (or next business day)
Entrance requirements
Applicants must meet all entrance requirements and will be accepted on a first qualified basis as long as space remains.
two years of education in English in an English-speaking country with one of the following:
English 12 (67%) or
Three credits of post-secondary English, Humanities or Social Sciences (67%) from a
Recommended for success
Proficiency using Windows and/or Mac OS, and Knowledge of basic computer concepts and logic.
Advanced Placement
You may be eligible to apply to an advanced level of the program through 1. re-admission or 2. direct entry. The following applies to all advanced placement applicants:
Complete applications:
show proof of completing all requirements (proof of registration is acceptable for advanced placement applicants) to be considered.
Competitive entry: if the number of applications exceeds available seats, BCIT will accept those deemed to have the best opportunity for success.
Acceptance based on seat availability: confirmation may not be available until approximately one week before the term begins.
Re-admission: Have you completed part of this program at BCIT and want to apply to an advanced level?
Applications are accepted throughout the year. You must submit the
[PDF] with your application.
Direct Entry: Are you new to this program but have completed an equivalent part of it at BCIT or elsewhere and want to apply to an advanced level?
You must submit the
[PDF] and proof of meeting the entrance requirements with your online application. View the
[PDF] for details about requirements, important dates, and applying.
Apply to program
The September 2015 intake is now closed for new applications. Applications for direct entry and re-admission may be submitted. Applications for September 2016 will be accepted starting November 1, 2015 (or next business day).
BCIT only accepts complete applications. In order to apply:
Include proof of meeting all
prior to submission
Convert all transcripts and supporting documents to PDF files
Have a credit card ready to pay the application fee
You can check the status of your application online at any time using the .
Scheduled intakes
September each year.
Prior Learning Assessment & Recognition (PLAR)
Students may request to have prior work experience or previously taken courses assessed for course exemption.
Contact the department for further details on
myCommunication
Within 2 business days of submitting your completed application, BCIT will send a message to your personal e-mail and your myBCIT e-mail address. All correspondence about your application will be posted to your online
account at . We'll send you an email when a new message is posted. It's important to watch for these emails, or regularly check your account online.
You can expect to receive communication concerning the status of your application within 4 weeks.
Costs & Supplies
Tuition fees
Please see the
section of the website for information on full-time tuition fees.
Financial assistance
Financial assistance may be available for this program. For more information, please contact .
Class hours
Classes may be scheduled Monday to Friday, between the hours of 8:30am and 9:30pm.
Program delivery
The majority of the courses are delivered in computer labs.
Courses may also be delivered in classrooms and online.
Program matrix
Level 1 (15 weeks)
Critical Thinking and Ethics
Media can be instantaneous, and once it&s in the digital space it&s not always easy or possible to remove it. The information shared digitally has consequences to the author and others. Critical thinking in terms of being able to predict and assess these consequences, both legally and ethically, is paramount to success in the digital sphere. This course examines the importance of setting purpose, goals, voice, ethics and protocols behind storytelling and images both on and offline. Students explore issues around codes of conduct that address copyright, creative commons licensing, digital piracy, defamation, quality of content, and speed of delivery, while still creating compelling content in an ethical manner. In addition, students will gain awareness of the importance of creating content that is culturally diverse, reflects tolerance and appeals to national and international audiences.
Business Communication 1
COMM 1100 is designed to give students basic listening, writing and speaking skills that will allow them to prepare written and oral reports for BCIT courses and to proceed to more advanced communication courses.
Introduction to Web Technologies
This course will introduce students to the many technologies that are necessary to develop and manage a website. Students will learn the end-to-end details of setting up a website, from purchasing and setting up a domain to developing and publishing their content using the latest web standards - including HTML 5, CSS 3, and the WordPress content management system. Students will design, build, and deploy their own dynamic website.
Storytelling
Students explore how to craft and compose a compelling story that captivates and wins the hearts of an audience. Mastering the art and craft of effective storytelling helps to engage the reader&s attention and persuade them to become loyal customers. It is for this reason that, increasingly, brands, artists and businesses try to identify and communicate a story. A good strong, riveting story engages, motivates and inspires an audience. The story can then become an effective business tool to communicate a message.
Design Fundamentals
This course teaches students the best practices for design fundamentals across media, producing results suitable for web, mobile applications, and other interactive environments. Students will learn how to present the client&s message or objective in a manner that resonates with the target audience and enhances overall communication, human interaction, and usability. The design fundamental course provides a solid foundation for delivering interactive and engaging content for web and mobile applications. This course also includes screen-design principles, d web and mobile pa correc web and mobile graphics, images, and interface design. Students will have hands-on practice developing a series of conceptual projects that demonstrate their work towards creating a website in collaboration with other courses in this program.
This course teaches students the purpose of the Photoshop tools. Students will work with layers, adjustment layers, channels and selections. Students will apply different tools to create selections and learn why some selection tools work more effectively than others, depending on the tonal range and composition of the image. Students will use painting tools and change brush sizes and tips along with natural media brushes. The course also discusses resolution issues, canvas sizes, masks, filters and cloning techniques.
System Administration for a Mac
This course provides an in-depth exploration of the current Mac operating system and explores the best methods for installing operating systems. The course offers a combination of lectures and hands-on case study exercises to provide students with practical real-world experience. Students will create user accounts, change passwords and privileges, create and change usernames, re-format drives, and troubleshoot common operating system problems. The course also discusses security and system integrity for Internet-accessible computers and networks.
Interface Design Usability
Good product design incorporates a number of timeless principles for human&computer interaction. This course is designed to explain how humans interact with technology interfaces. Human&computer interaction (HCI) is an interdisciplinary field concerned with people, computer technology, and the ways that these interact and influence one another. Software products and websites that are created without considering human factors are often more difficult and less efficient to use. In this course, students will study the basic elements of people-friendly interactive design. Students will develop interface designs from original concept creation through to fully functioning prototypes. Through collaboration with other courses in this program, students gain a clear understanding and practical application of the web and mobile application interface design process.
Essentials of Marketing
Designed to provide the student with an overview of the marketing concept and how it can be applied to any type of organization or service. Includes the controllable and uncontrollable elements of marketing, strategic planning, market characteristics, marketing research techniques, market segmentation, and target market selection.
Project Management for D3
This course introduces the fundamentals of Project Management. Includes the unique characteristics of projects and fundamentals of project planning using techniques such as WBS, Gantt charts, CPM, dealing with people and team issues, maintenance and control of projects using check points and milestones, communication, and common sources of difficulty in project management. This course includes the use of MS Project, in order to familiarize students with typical PM software aids.
Level 2 (20 weeks)
Introduction to Audio and Video
This course introduces basic techniques for creating/producing audio/video media for web and mobile applications. Students import, edit, and produce basic audio pieces using industry-standard audio-editing software. It will also introduce students to the cables, connections, and microphone used to record professional-quality audio. Students will learn the basic techniques of digital video production, including camera operation, framing, and composition. They will use industry standard non-linear editing software and learn multi-platform output for mobile applications. The final assignment in the course is to produce, in collaboration with another course in the program, audio and video assets for web and mobile application.
Web Programming 1
This course will introduce students to the logic and structure of programming. The students will learn core languages from the web development industry with a focus on JavaScript. The students will also gain experience using, customizing, and extending existing libraries such as jQuery to build an interactive website such as a photo gallery. Prerequisites: COMP 1170
This course focuses on content management system design and development. Students will develop either a Drupal or WordPress site that meets specific business requirements. Requirements of this project include site navigation (which must be well defined and usable), site theme (must be associated with the business needs), vertical or horizontal sidebars, and implementation of CSS style sheets. The project will focus largely on design and functionality. Students must incorporate all of their development skills to successfully complete this project.
This course covers the creative design process, including UI design principles, researching and conceptualizing an idea, resourcing materials, creating graphic user interfaces (GUI), designing for UX through prototyping and testing, presenting a design to the client, creating the technical artwork, making revisions, and outputting a final design project for a collaborative desktop, web or mobile application. The course also examines the 2D and 3D art, typography, imagery, colours, objects, and signs in UI/UX design. With consideration for diverse audiences, we will introduce students to rules and theories about user perception and its influence on user experience. Prerequisites: MDIA 1106
Dynamic Content Design
This course will help students express their creative vision as they design and create pixel-perfect interactive content with exceptional typography, flexible layouts, and smooth animation. Students will develop cross-platform web applications and content in an integrated development environment that offers intelligent coding tools based on current industry standards. Students will use standard animation and scripting web-design platform as primary tools for their interactive and dynamic projects. Students will streamline their workflow by testing, debugging, and publishing content in HTML5 and CSS3 format, compatible with multiple desktop and mobile platforms. By the end of this course, students will be able to produce visually rich interactive interface that contains expression, motion, animation, responsive assets, and interactive components.
Vector Graphics
This course teaches students how to create crisp vector graphics and text with precise shape building tools, fluid painterly brushes and advanced path controls for digital printing, web and mobile devices. Students will create vector artwork with an array of sophisticated drawing tools to create resolution independent Bezier curves. Students will create their artwork on multiple art boards and use natural brushes, layers, shapes, colors, blends, alignments and transformations to develop their artwork. This course will also teach perspective drawing using perspective grids to draw shapes and scenes in accurate one, two or three point linear perspective, creating a look of realistic depth and distance.
Visual Effects
In this course, students will take footage of virtually any size and format, photographs, and 3D renders with text, vector artwork, and music, and make it all come alive. Students will create high-impact, culturally sensitive communications by combining still imagery, graphics, and text in 2D or 3D space and animate virtually any aspect of each element. Students will also add sound for further impact. As a final project, students will work in teams to produce an audio/video piece in collaboration with another course and prepare and optimize it for their web and mobile application project. Prerequisites: MDIA 2190 and MDIA 3190
Web-Based Marketing Communication
In this course you will develop skills to analyze, implement and test new digital interactive marketing platforms and learn how to integrate them into your overall strategic marketing efforts. Among other topics, you will examine social media, online advertising, mobile marketing and digital marketing analytics. Prerequisites: MKTG 1102
Level 3 (15 weeks)
Business Communication 2
This course provides further instruction and practice in the principles taught in COMM 1100. It concentrates on more sophisticated forms of written communication: the job application package, indirect correspondence, and reports. The course might also include modules on graphics, questionnaires, telephone techniques, and organizing and running meetings. Prerequisites: COMM 1100
Web Programming 2
This advanced course builds upon previously learned skills to move beyond simple websites to data-driven web applications. The students will learn the basics of database administration and the coding required to incorporate content from their database into their webpage. The students will also learn the components of multiple content management systems, including WordPress and Drupal. Students will use these technologies to customize their own content management system. Prerequisites: COMP 2130
Accounting for the Manager
Covers the accounting function and the services it provides to the manager. Topics include how to interpret statements, reports, budgets, etc., in managerial decision-making. The Associate Certificate in Financial Planning is a Financial Planning Standards Council (FPSC&) pre-approved Core Curriculum program and meets Certified Financial Planner& (CFP) program academic requirements. For further information about earning the CFP designation, please visit www.beafinancialplanner.ca/path-to-cfp-certification.
This course is based on designing and creating a fully interactive user interface for multiplatform webpages, computer and mobile applications, or video games. The project relies on defined market and users& needs and requires efficient navigation, functionality, and user-friendly design and interaction. Key objectives of the project are presenting the initial idea, planning, resourcing, team management, and adhering to a budget. The project tasks include an initial proposal, strategy, concept, navigation workflow, prototype and final product. Students will create a user interface that includes user-friendly interaction and workflow, imagery, optimized assets, animation and/or movie content with visual effects, vector graphics, and an online aspect. This project is a collaboration between students in the programming, design, and asset integration courses of the D3 program.
This course teaches students how to create engaging page layouts for print or digital distribution with InDesign&s creative tools and how to achieve precise control over interface layout, text, and media. Students will integrate interactivity, video, and audio for playback on tablets, smartphones, and computers while taking advantage of previously gained skills by applying aesthetic design principles, imagery, and graphics into their content. InDesign topics will include accessing the new tools and workspace, Digital Publishing Suite, text threading, importing assets, proportional placement, character and object styles, and embedding audio and video files. This course also covers designing and creating interactive documents and applications by reviewing creating buttons and animation, responsive and dynamic environment, and bringing web elements into the project. At the end of the course students will be able to develop content and produce interactive folios and documents for viewing on multiple devices. Prerequisites: MDIA 1106 and MDIA 2106
Digital Asset Design &
Integration
In this advanced course students will move beyond just developing code based tools and applications. In this course students will be developing advanced tools and application that use graphic, animation and dynamic user interface. These applications usually acquire data from outside sources. Some or most of the critical content for the application will be provided by an external service. Such application could be a simple image gallery or navigation menu or a pipeline that puts a Flickr photos onto a Google map. This course looks into different third party services and a significant portion of the programming effort revolves around managing the APIs of these services. The modern developer, no matter whether they are doing their work on the client-side or server-side, needs to develop this style of development. REST, JSON, AJAX and other methods of speaking from a client or server app to a third party service. In addition students will be introduced to several techniques used in the industry for designing and creating graphic assets for this type of project. At the beginning students will be introduced to and start with client side apps in Edge Animate, Flash or plain HTML5 and single server application, then move on to more complex, multi-service mashups while going through essentials and techniques for creating optimized graphic assets for the same projects. Prerequisites: COMP 2130
Advanced Photoshop
In this advanced course students will select intricate image elements, such as hair, eliminate background colours around selection edges, and automatically vary selection edges to create perfect masks using Photoshop&s different refinement tools. Students will learn how to remove any image detail or object with a content-aware tool that fills in the space left behind while matching lighting, tone, and noise so that the image appears as if the removed content never existed. The course shows how to create photorealistic or surreal HDR images with unprecedented speed, control, and accuracy. Students will save and optimize images for different content environments. Prerequisites: MDIA 2190
Professional Sales Skills
Provides basic training for the sales aspirant or person with no formal sales training. Develop selling techniques through practical applications and role playing. Ideal for people in sales who require or desire to brush up on their sales skills. To be successful in this course, students must be able to communicate well in English.
Level 4 (20 weeks)
Law and Digital Publication
The law touches on many different aspects of journalism, not least because it provides compelling stories touching all aspects of our complex lives. The law also dictates what journalists can and cannot do in the course of reporting, and how they need to conduct their own business affairs. It guarantees freedom of expression, but it also delivers consequences when publication crosses over into defamation. It governs the economic relationships within journalism, through the law of contract and copyright. Journalists working in old media and new media cannot do their jobs well without a working knowledge of legal concepts and the courts. This course will offer a primer on various aspects of journalism and the law, the basics of defamation, the law of copyright and contract - as well touching on ethical issues that may arise within the profession.
Enterprise Web Development
This advanced course will prepare students for commercial web development project management. Students will gain experience in all aspects of enterprise web development, from requirements gathering, through development resource allocation, to implementation and testing. Students will create a website for a new business, taking into consideration search engine optimization, social media tools, cross-platform viewing, and client requests. Prerequisites: COMP 3130
Advanced Dynamic Content Design
In this advanced course, students go beyond designing and creating web and mobile interactive environment that run on a single client-side platform. This course takes students into the world of multiplatform applications that connect to an online resource to send and receive data and communicate with other applications. This course introduces students to advanced design techniques as well as incorporating scripts so that students will understand the connection between the application and online component. While students create and design most of the dynamic contents discussed in this course, they will also integrate into their design materials and services provided by other sources to increase the usability of their application. Such application could be a simple immersive and interactive image gallery that receives its library from an online source, a mobile app capable of collecting data from multiple sources, a game that stores its data locally on a server, or a social media website.
Final Project
In this course, students choose the types of project they wish to develop as part of a high-end portfolio and based on industry standards. The student portfolio may contain graphic design work, web solutions, a computer or mobile app, or immersive and interactive elements (potentially a game) accompanied with business, marketing, and project plans. Throughout this course, students also work on creating concepts for each component of their portfolio and will be developing a cost-effective marketing campaign for a small- to medium-size business, with special focus on web-marketing tactics, tracking with Google web analytics, preparing and presenting a proposal, integrating new media technologies (including social media), designing an efficient user interface, connecting the application to online source (MySQL database, PHP), and integrating dynamic content capable of communicating with a variety of server and client-side APIs, including Facebook and Google Maps.
Leadership Series
This leadership series course will feature industry presentations with guest speakers and panels by an array of industry experts from the rapidly changing landscape of transmedia and content delivery. Possible guest speakers could include leading media content developers, social media experts, critical business thinkers, web designers, sound engineers, videographers, programmers, critical thinkers and web marketers. Students will be assigned a date by the instructor to introduce their presenter. The student teams will be responsible for contacting and helping the speakers to make their presentations. Concluding the course each student will be required to write a paper on their findings of each of the presenters.
Entrepreneurship
Being an entrepreneur is about more than just starting a business or two, it is about having attitude and the drive to succeed in business. All successful entrepreneurs have a similar way of thinking and possess several key personal qualities that make them so successful in business. This course will help students instil confidence in their ideas, develop presentation skills, develop a business and marketing plan, create a pitch on the fly for a new project, explore possible funding options and demystify venture capital opportunities.
A practicum is designed to provide the student with hands-on practical experience in industry. The practicum will be an eight-week (minus one day), non-paid work experience, arranged by the program head, in conjunction with the student, while noting their particular skillset. The practicum will provide a safe environment for the BCIT student to expand their existing knowledge while gaining new skills, gain practical experience in becoming part of a team, and develop the experience and confidence necessary for today&s workplace. Ideally, the student will be able to significantly contribute to the business by applying their skills. At the completion of the practicum, on the Friday of the eighth week, students will return to BCIT to present a practicum report detailing their real-world experiences. Prerequisite: Completion of all courses in Terms 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Total Credits:
Transfer credit
Do you have credits from another BC/Yukon post-secondary school? Do you want to know if
they transfer to courses here at BCIT?
Check out BCIT's
to find out.
Program Details
Digital Media Internship
Prior to graduation, Digital Design and Development students participate in a hands-on, eight-week practicum to learn on the job and develop business connections in the digital media industry. The practicum provides a valuable career building experience and can even lead to a job offer from the sponsoring company.
Program length
2 years, Full-time (no classes June – August).
All program requirements must be completed within five years.
Students must achieve a minimum of 50% in each course in order to successfully complete the diploma.
Program location
3700 Willingdon Avenue
Burnaby, BC
Continue your education
Graduates of the diploma program may ladder into BCIT's .
Graduating & Jobs
Graduates have a variety of digital media skills that can lead them to various content design and development jobs with digital media production studios, advertising companies, design firms, and web and mobile app developers. Graduates may also have opportunities to be part of a team that creates games, digital animations, and dynamic content.
Job opportunities:
Mobile and Web Content Artist
Internet Marketing Coordinator
Digital Media Coordinator
Web and Mobile Developer
Interface Designer
Game User Interface Designer
Project Manager
Digital Media Manager
Marketing Manager
Digital Media Producer
Web Development Manager
Dynamic Media Designer
Digital Media Product Designer
Contact Us
Terri Carde
Assistant Instructor
604-451-7032 |
Ramin Shadmehr
Program Head, Digital Design and Development
604-432-8614 |
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The personal information on this form is collected under the authority of the College
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with you regarding relevant BCIT programs, courses and services. This information is only
used by authorized BCIT staff. Email communication sent to and from BCIT is routed
through the United States of America. If you have any questions about BCIT's collection
and use of this information, please contact BCIT’s manager of .
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