Media Arts: Telling Stories that Change the World
How can I incorporate my media arts degree into a tech career?
Are you a creative visionary who loves to share new ideas?
Do you have a keen eye for detail?
Do you enjoy using design applications like Adobe’s Creative Suite to bring your ideas to life?
If so, a career in the media arts may be right for you. The media arts encompass all art that is created using new media and technology. Specialties include web design, game design, graphic design, multimedia production, and film.
Your Pathway to Success
Read on for our comprehensive guide to Media Arts education and training opportunities in Montana. Whether you're seeking rapid training programs, certificates, or advanced degrees, you'll find diverse educational pathways to help you align your studies with your career goals.
Check out our Media Arts and Communications Career Pathways page to explore in-demand media arts jobs in Montana and take the first step toward a successful career in the Media Arts.
Rapid Training, Certificates, and One- and Two-Year Programs
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Ramp Up: Media & Entertainment Training Courses (ONLINE)
Program Length: Self-paced courses that participants have 90 days to complete
Description: The Adult Education Program at Flathead Valley Community College is offering a series of courses for students to gain career specific skills and knowledge prior to entering employment or education in their chosen field. The RampUp Program provides the learner with access to four online courses: Principles of Arts, Audio/Video Technology & Communications, Advertising & Sales Promotion and Digital Media as well as Employability Skills. Through this program learners will gain an understanding of the opportunities in the career field as well as education and/or training prior to committing to their career. Courses are online and self-paced but must be completed within 90 days. Each week there will be a virtual check-in with the course facilitator to answer questions and discuss progress. Upon the successful completion of each course the student will earn a microcredential in the form of a digital badge that can be shared via email signatures, social media platforms and resumes.
Program Length: 1 year
Description: Specific skills learned in FVCC’s Graphic Design Certificate program include graphic design methodologies, such as the design process, output production, and presentation. The certificate prepares students to gain competence with the industry standards for graphic design. Students will learn the Adobe software: Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. Color, resolution, input and output, production process, photography, and drawing are core competencies.
Graphic Design Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.)
Program Length: 2 years
Description: Specific skills learned FVCC’s Graphic Design A.A.S. program include graphic design methodologies, such as the design process, output production, and presentation. Photography, design, drawing, and video editing are core competencies. The students will learn Adobe software: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and Premiere. In addition, students will spend the second-year learning web design and development. Students will also have a solid foundation in creating marketing plans and writing contracts.
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Graphic/Web Design Certificate of Applied Science (CAS)
Program Length: 1 year
Description: Fort Peck Community College’s Graphic/Web Design Certificate of Applied Science (CAS) program provides learners with hands-on lessons and exercises to acquire the abilities to utilize digital media to plan, design, build and maintain effective visual communication through graphics, video and web design. Students obtain the skills necessary to prepare for the Adobe Certified Associate (ACA) certification and/or pursue employment in the graphic and web design fields.
Communication Technology Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.)
Program Length: 2 years
Description: Fort Peck Community College’s Communication Technology AAS degree program provides learners with hands-on lessons and exercises to acquire the competences to utilize digital media to plan, design, build, and maintain effective communication through technology. Students obtain the skills necessary to prepare for the IC3 Certification and Adobe Certified Associate (ACA) certification.
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Business Media Design Certificate
Program Length: 1 year
Description: Develop your skills to create engaging and relevant content with strong visual design through the Business Media Design program at Missoula College. Students complete digital media projects that grow their talents in storytelling and content organization, strong visual composition and typography, relevant and attractive imagery, web assets and file management, and technical skill using Adobe Creative Cloud. Graduates are well-prepared for careers in graphic and media design for businesses, educational institutions, or nonprofit organizations.
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Graphic Design Assistant Certificate
Program Length: 1 year
Description: Miles Community College’s one-year Graphic Design Assistant Certificate is designed to provide students with skills for entry-level employment in design services such as publishing, print layouts and web media. Upon completion of this program, students will be able to demonstrate basic understanding of graphic editing software and graphic file formats, create simple and complex publications, apply basic design principles to publications, recognize and edit HTML code, publish and maintain a website, and understand ethical responsibilities linked to graphic and web design.
Graphic and Web Design Associates of Applied Science (A.A.S.)
Program Length: 2 year
Description: Miles Community College’s two-year Graphic and Web Design A.A.S. prepares students for a career in computer graphics and/or web design. Students learn techniques to build a web site using proper design principles and to create and edit graphics using both film and digital formats. Upon completion of this program, students will be able to demonstrate basic understanding of graphic editing software and graphic file formats, create simple and complex publications, demonstrate basic use of typography, apply basic design principles to publications, recognize and edit HTML code, design a web site using a HTML editor, implement web animation and motion graphics, publish and maintain a website, and understand ethical responsibilities linked to graphic and web design.
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Digital Design Technology Associate of Arts (A.A.)
Program Length: 2 years
Description: Upon completion of SKC’s Associate of Arts degree in Digital Design Technology, students will have knowledge and technical skills in graphic design, web design, and multimedia fields. The Digital Design Technology degree at SKC is considered a “hybrid” program - that is, while each course has set times on the schedule each term for students to meet as a class with their instructors, any and potentially all courses may additionally require online participation for some part of the schedule.
Minors and Four-Year Programs
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Graphic Design Minor or Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
Program Length: Minor = 3 years; B.A. = 4 years
Description: Learn to design and advertise for print and digital media formats using a marketing-centered approach. The Graphic Design Program at MSU-Northern will equip you with the skills, techniques and methodologies used by designers in the field today. Our program is a marriage of traditional media and digital technologies that provides students with strong foundational design knowledge and flexibility in current job markets.
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Bachelors in Fine Arts (B.F.A.) - Graphic Design Emphasis
Program Length: 4 years
Description: Students in the Graphic Design program at Montana State launch their studies with a series of core and foundation courses before passing a sophomore portfolio review to gain admittance as a full Graphic Design student in their junior and senior years. Graphic Design students develop a variety of professional and design skills that later translate into opportunities in advertising, publishing, marketing, public relations, user interaction and other creative-based industries.
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Media Arts Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) (ONLINE Option)
Program Length: 4 years
Description: Prepare for a creative career in digital media with a bachelor’s degree in media arts from the University of Montana. As a media arts major, you’ll learn to maximize your creative potential through the study and artistic application of emerging digital technologies — learning from experts in gaming, internet technology, graphic arts, experience design, sound design, virtual and augmented realities, and other forms of interactive media. Recent graduates of our media arts program are working as film producers and editors, creative directors, animators, graphic designers, video game developers, and more. In addition to being offered on UM’s main campus in Missoula, Montana, UM’s bachelor’s degree in media arts is also available fully online.
Media Arts: Game Design and Interactive Media (B.A.)
Program Length: 4 years
Description: Is it your dream to be a video game designer? Earn your bachelor’s degree in media arts with a concentration in game design and interactive media at UM and prepare for challenging, creative jobs in this fast-growing industry. In the game design concentration of the media arts degree at UM, you’ll learn to conceptualize and develop games that fit your artistic vision and career goals — through a curriculum that explores video game design, illustration, and 3D animation, storytelling, and more. Our faculty includes award-winning media arts professionals who are also dedicated teachers and mentors. Graduates of the game design major will have the skills and hands-on training to excel in mobile app design, game development, and other interactive media jobs.
Post-Graduate Programs
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Media Arts Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.)
Program Length: 3 years
Description: The University of Montana’s Master of Fine Arts in Media Arts is a three-year program committed to the growth of storytellers, artists and designers who are working in one or more areas of the digital media arts. These include documentary and fiction filmmaking, game construction, digital design, sonic art, animation, interactivity and installation work. Students expand on skill sets they already have while adding new ones. They work on individual projects and collaborate with others. They work to bring a deep foundation of research to their practices as they develop their unique point-of-view and creative voice. The entire program requires the building of a portfolio that includes artistic and academic work assuring that each student is prepared to leave school and enter the professional world of media in the 21st century.
Skill Development and Certifications
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The Media Training Center provides rapid training courses that get you film set ready. No prior experience in film is required and scholarships are available. You can find various in-person training opportunities through the Media Training Center in Belgrade, Butte, Kalispell, and Hamilton.
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The Missoula Lifelong Learning Center offers a variety of in-person and online classes, certificates, and career training opportunities. The Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) course will allow you to design, style and format websites exactly how you want. Proficiency in CSS will make you a confident and desirable web developer, and this course will get your started with a foundational understanding of CSS and web design. A pre-requisite of HTML is required.
The Hyper-Text Markup Language (HTML) course is the scaffolding of all websites. With basic HTML knowledge, you can create websites from scratch, edit or fix existing websites, and open the door to learning web development frameworks that build on and extend the HTML you’ve written.
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The Montana Code School is a program of the University of Montana & Missoula College offered in collaboration with Promineo Tech. The 18-week coding bootcamps prepare participants for high-growth careers in software development and are designed to be accessible, flexible, and allow working professionals who are actively seeking a career change to do so. Students choose from one of two tracks - Back End Software Developer or Front End Software Developer.
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Have you ever wanted to work on a movie set but weren’t sure how to get started?
Join award-winning filmmaker, producer, and educator, Lynn-Wood Fields, for a self-paced rapid training Production Assistant (PA) course. This exciting new PA course will enable you to quickly gain the introductory skills needed to join Montana's fast-growing film and media industry: such as learning more about film lingo, equipment names, paperwork, and walkie-talkie protocol. Upon class completion, you'll receive a Course Completion Certificate and have the opportunity to be listed in the Media Training Center database, which will help you stand out at the top of the vetted list productions use to hire for their projects.
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Through Adobe’s free Creative Cloud tutorials users can learn the basics of Adobe’s creative suite of applications or refine their skills with tutorials designed to inspire. Adobe’s Creative Cloud tutorials offer something for all-skill levels as users can sort the tutorials by beginner or experienced.
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The Adobe Qualified AEM Sites Content Author designation is a credential that validates an individual’s competency, expertise, and operational knowledge as a Content Author of AEM Sites. This designation clearly demonstrates that a qualified candidate possesses conceptual knowledge of building web pages within AEM sites, creating personalized experiences, and managing global webpages including translations. Exams are administered by Adobe’s partner Webassessor and are available worldwide.
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Java is the most popular programming language according to the TIOBE Index. Learn how to program in Java in this full course from Tim Ruscica for freeCodeCamp. This is a complete Java course meant for absolute beginners. No prior programming experience is required.
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Explore a detailed JavaScript developer roadmap, covering everything from basic syntax to advanced topics.
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Real Python offers comprehensive learning paths for beginners to advanced users, covering Python programming fundamentals, web development, data science, and more.
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The University of Providence’s Argo Connect and dual credit programs are crucial in helping to increase the educational options and opportunities for currently enrolled high school juniors and seniors. Not only do these programs provide students with a unique opportunity to earn credit at the secondary and postsecondary levels simultaneously – they provide students with an early glimpse of college life; including course load, deadlines, structure, and more. Students in Dual Enrollment can take up to three 3-credit courses at no cost.
Additional Career Resources
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Check out our media arts career pathways page to explore in-demand media arts jobs in Montana.
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To identify in-demand roles in Montana, our team at the Montana High Tech Business Alliance pored over workforce data from the U.S. Department of Labor, research studies, and online job listings to create a list of tech jobs projected to grow fast in the next few years. See our list of 31 hot Montana jobs projected for 2023.
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To help Montanans learn how they can participate in the state’s burgeoning media and film industry, the Montana High Tech Business Alliance co-hosted the webinar “Montana Opportunities in Film” with the Media Training Center. Read our Q&A article recap “Montana Opportunities in Film - How to Start a Film Career and Capitalize on Local Productions” to learn more.
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Watch our Montana Opportunities in Film webinar to learn how to get started in Montana’s film industry, discover how Montana businesses can capitalize on local productions, and meet a diverse group of Montanans who have built successful careers and businesses working in media and film. Co-hosted by the Media Training Center.
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We invite you to take advantage of Microsoft's Skills for Jobs initiative, which offers free access to LinkedIn Learning courses covering a wide range of topics, including AI and soft skills. Enhance your digital skills and empower your team and community with valuable knowledge that aligns with the evolving needs of today's economy.
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Discover summer internships and local mentorship opportunities in Billings through the Campus Billings program hosted by Big Sky Economic Development.
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CompTIA’s Career Explorer is a comprehensive resource designed to inform, inspire, and guide individuals toward their next career step in the tech industry and beyond. Explore the entire portfolio of Career Explorer resources at no cost, watch video profiles featuring diverse professionals sharing their non-traditional paths into tech careers, and gain insights into earnings potential, job outlook, employer hiring trends, remote work opportunities, and much more across the U.S. and 250 metro areas.
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Read “5 Tips to Set Yourself Up for Success in a Tech Career” to learn tips for launching a career in tech from hiring managers at Blackfoot Communications, Submittable, GL Solutions, onX, Skyfish, Cognizant, NorthWestern Energy, Pathlabs, Snapchat, and Instacart.
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In “5 Tips from Hiring Managers - How to Land a Montana Tech Job or Internship” local hiring managers from Boeing Helena, Hyundai Motor Group, and Zoot Enterprises share advice to help students stand out when applying for a Montana tech job or internship.
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Read “From College to Career - 5 Tips from Humanities & Sciences Graduates on Applying for High Tech Jobs and Internships” to discover helpful job and internship tips from four humanities and sciences graduates from Inimmune Corporation, onX, Cognizant, and Pathlabs.
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Learn how you can utilize your degree in the humanities & sciences to launch a fruitful career in Montana’s tech industry in “How to Get a High-paying Job with Your Humanities & Sciences Degree.”
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See what tips you can use to give you an advantage in pursuing Tech Jobs or Internships in Montana.
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Reach Higher Montana’s Work-Based Learning Collaborative website features resources for employers to grow their talent pipeline through work-based learning, materials to help educators connect their classroom learning to careers, and links to resources that will help Montana students explore their career interests through on-the-job training.
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The WBLC Data Dashboard aims to make data on work-based learning in Montana accessible to help improve workforce support, work-based learning, and educational opportunities so that young people are better prepared for employment success and employers gain skilled workers. Updates are made annually.
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Produced by the Montana Work-Based Learning Collaborative, the Work-Based Learning Toolkit for Employers provides employers with resources, tools, and guidance to successfully develop high-quality work-based learning experiences for student workers.
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Check out MHTBA’s Great Places for Tech article series to learn more about high-tech opportunities in Montana.
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Take a look at our Jobs board that we use to post many tech jobs that are in Montana from entry level to Senior level positions.
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If you can’t find what you’re looking for on our Jobs Board, see this O*NET Career Database for additional information.
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Interested in more careers outside of Montana or outside the High-Tech Industry? Find additional occupational information with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Do you have a helpful resource you’d like to suggest we add to this guide? Do you have information you are searching for, or other feedback? The Montana High Tech Business Alliance would love to hear from you. Please reach out to us at communications[at]mthightech.org.