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Today’s graduates will learn how to work in a digital world with Ryerson’s new master’s in digital media program (MDM).

Set to launch in fall 2013, the 12-month MDM brings together art and design, technology, business and entrepreneurship to create new products and services that can be used in any industry. Students from every program and faculty can apply, fostering an interdisciplinary approach to digital education. MDM is a project-based program that will be fully integrated in the Digital Media Zone, Ryerson’s incubator and multidisciplinary work space for young entrepreneurs.

“I think that any program that deals with digital media technology is, by its very nature, inherently innovative,” said Matthew Kyan, graduate program director for MDM. “Where the program will really stand out is in enabling the student to build a solid foundation of how to effectively marry entrepreneurial thinking with this innovation.”

MDM builds on the current digital specialization program (DSP), which introduces undergraduates to digital entrepreneurship and skills. MDM serves to give creative people the skills to create diverse employment choices and apply executive-level thinking in a digital realm.

Students need nine credits to graduate and will have to complete two project modules. Faculty from four of Ryerson’s six faculties – Communication and Design, Engineering and Architectural Science, Ted Rogers School of Management and Science – have collaborated to design a program that represents different areas of digital media such as user experience/design, technology, media arts and business/management. Each has expertise in subjects ranging from film studies and nanotechnology to privacy laws and e-commerce. Team-based collaboration, project management and hands-on development are at the core of the program.

“With its emphasis on the research in research and development, the program will not merely provide students with the opportunity to update skills and build their awareness of the design, technological and business aspects of the digital media space,” Kyan said. “It will go a step further, by challenging students to think differently about how digital media can and should be applied or leveraged to enhance existing industry processes, create new products and services, and better connect communities and individuals.”

Central to students’ post-graduate success is the relationships and partnerships they will foster in the Digital Media Zone. Mentorship, industrial connections and support are some of the vital opportunities students will gain to begin “making their mark in the modern economy.” With this, graduates will become highly qualified team leaders and managers in fields that demand diverse skills and experiences such as gaming, entertainment, health care, education, environment, business and marketing.

To find out how to apply, visit www.ryerson.ca/graduate/digitalmedia/.