Degrees of Separation?
Someone recently asked me if getting a degree in this industry is helpful and if so, if she should go for Journalism or IT (which are the two degrees she noticed that most people had). My gut reaction was, “No.”
The first reason I don’t think a degree that focuses on Interactive is necessary is because the options for such a degree are quite limited: Computer Science, Human-Computer Interaction, Web Design. That about sums it up. And if, like me (and the questioner), you’re more interested in the front-end strategy, planning, messaging and project management work, those options aren’t really relevant.
I’m not against degrees in general, but I think one is better off getting a general liberal arts education (or some other degree that thrills you intellectually) and learning what they need to know about Interactive by living it, breathing it, and doing it.
Which leads me to the second reason I don’t think an Interactive-focused degree is necessary [quoted from my post on Geek Girls]:
“I believe that to truly be successful in Interactive, you have to love it. You have to live it, breathe it, consume it, and create it. You have to enjoy doing it even before you start getting paid for it and most of what makes you good at it isn’t something you can learn from a book. I don’t think that’s necessarily true for other careers. (Accounting, for example.) But, the best Interactive people I have met — even programmers in many cases — are those who are largely self-taught. The ones who stay up late at night staring into a glowing monitor just for the love of the game. Because those same people are the ones who continue to learn and stay on top of what’s new long after dust has started collecting on the frame of their diploma. And in an industry that moves as fast as this, those are the people you want working next to you.”
So, I’m curious: am I wrong? Do you, as an Interactive professional (or client), believe that a degree is necessary to succeed in this industry? And if so, a degree in what?
July 10th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
I don’t believe that a degree is essential for success in this industry if you are an active learner who has the motivation and energy to commit and follow-through. However, for those who might want to get a degree to prepare them for the industry, MCAD has a degree program that might suit someone’s needs. (Since I no longer work at MCAD, hopefully this won’t seem too self-serving.) The BS:Visualization Program at MCAD is a general liberal arts degree at an art and design school. You get both a left and right brained education in the degree and learn the management, communication, leadership, and creative skills necessary for success in this field. In fact many of their graduates have gotten jobs in interactive marketing (and are members of MIMA). You can find out more here:
http://www.mcad.edu/showPage.php?pageID=1081
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9G5DYvX5Tvs
Sorry for the advertisement. I’ll go back to lurking mode now.