CDIA at Boston University

Certificate Degree Programs

• 3D Animation

  3D ANIMATION
  When you study 3D Animation at CDIA, you’ll be preparing yourself for a career in animation, video game development, or visual effects. Our curriculum combines traditional skills like storytelling and character development with the leading software used today by filmmakers, animators, and game designers.
  At CDIA, you’ll be taught by working professionals, who bring their real-world experience to the classroom, creating a bridge between the craft of animation and visual effects and the industry. You’ll learn about the practical realities of building and sustaining a career, and you’ll make valuable contacts, while you build your demo reel.
  Many of the classes at CDIA are project-based, giving you a chance to try out your new skills and gain a realistic perspective on how animation and visual effects are integrated into media like film and video games. And at CDIA, learning doesn’t stop at the classroom door. 3D Animation students may take part in a Production Practicum, creating a project for a real-world client under the direction of a professional. You’ll gain confidence, refine your skills, and get a better understanding of the career you’re training for.

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• Audio Production

  Become an Expert in Cutting-Edge Audio
  If music is your life or creating sound is your dream, then check out our Audio Production Certificate Program to learn the art of music recording and sound design. You’ll study how music and sound are used in albums, film, television, games and new media, and then have the opportunity to work with experienced musicians and run real recording sessions. Learn Foley and ADR, design sound for animation and games, and more. By working with students in other CDIA programs, you’ll learn how recording engineers, music producers, sound designers and studio managers collaborate in the real world.

  *Offered only at the Waltham campus

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• Digital Filmmaking

  DIGITAL FILMMAKING
  The Professional Certificate Program in Digital Filmmaking is an intensive program of hands-on study that trains you to become a filmmaker skilled in shooting and editing both documentary and narrative films using contemporary tools and professional techniques. You’ll gain practical skills you can apply to your own projects or use to launch a career in production or postproduction. And you’ll put it all into practice with your final project, as you use real-world production formats to produce screening-ready digital films.
  Through a combination of hands-on exercises, lectures and team projects, you’ll master essential digital filmmaking fundamentals, including hands-on training in camera operation, lighting, sound recording, editing and interview techniques. Advanced filmmaking studies will prepare you for your final project. Topics include cinematic storytelling, directing, cinematography, advanced editing, postproduction sound, titles, compositing, effects and DVD authoring. Working in small crews with digital cameras, you’ll complete projects that will refine your new digital filmmaking skills. Upon completion of the Professional Digital Filmmaking Certificate, you will have the knowledge and hands-on experience you need to enter the workforce with confidence, a substantial resume and demo reel.

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• Graphic and Web Design

  GRAPHIC & WEB DESIGN
  Prepare for a career in graphic and web design at CDIA with the Graphic and Web Design Certificate. You’ll learn to design for print and the Web with hands-on coursework that uses the same design software tools being used by today’s professionals. With the practical training you’ll receive at CDIA in publication design, color management, multimedia, interactivity and more, you’ll develop the skills you need to create collateral, websites, and digital video and audio. Special presentations will introduce you to the real-world business challenges faced by graphic and web designers, from portfolio development to running your own business, ensuring you’ll be ready for your new career.
  At CDIA, you’ll learn how to work as part of a design team, presenting your work and yourself, collaborating with fellow designers and learning how to work with clients. The digital revolutions of desktop publishing and the Internet have made the tools of graphic and web design easier to access and use. The Graphic and Web Design Certificate will teach you how to combine these tools with established design principles to create powerful, persuasive images.

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• Photography

  PHOTOGRAPHY
  Prepare for your future as a professional photographer with the Professional Photography Certificate. This intensive program provides comprehensive instruction in digital camera, composition, workflow, post-production, color management, studio and location lighting, printing, and web. Learning from world-class photographers and digital technicians, you’ll gain both an invaluable network and unique insight into the field, and will be immersed in commercial, advertising, portrait, event, and wedding photography.
  Cutting-edge digital darkroom training teaches you the skills necessary to efficiently create, color correct, manage, and print your photographs at the highest professional level. Special training in web design, database management, business practices, and creative process workshops will round out your education. These provide you with the tools necessary to develop a professional portfolio and tackle everyday aspects of running a professional photography business.
  To make your learning environment as real-world and professional as possible, you’ll use the equipment the professionals use, including leading-edge Canon and Nikon digital cameras, lenses; film scanners; extensive grip and studio-support accessories; and the latest in studio and location lighting.

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• Web Development

  WEB DEVELOPMENT
  Get ready for your future in building next-generation rich media with the Web Development Certificate. Learn how to create dynamic, data-driven websites and Internet applications today’s users and companies are demanding. Working with the same tools the professionals use, you’ll develop content-rich websites that use databases and programming languages to display context-sensitive web content. This intensive program focuses on client side programming with HTML, Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), and server side programming using PHP scripting and Structured Query Language (SQL) databases in deploying rich media sites using various Flash and open source content management toolsets.
  Through a combination of hands-on exercises, lectures and projects, you’ll be introduced to real-world applications with emphasis on JavaScript, MySQL, XML, AJAX and object-oriented programming techniques on projects of increasing complexity. You’ll learn how to build rich Internet applications, manage social content for the Web and generate a portfolio demonstrating your new skills in web platform development, integration and deployment. Upon completion—and with a substantial résumé and the latest web development programming skills— you will have the knowledge and experience to enter the workforce with confidence.

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