What is DAC?

The Digital Arts Center ( DAC ) is a branch of the University of California, San Diego, Extension. DAC offers professional training in various digital media art fields such as game design, graphic design, mobile apps development, video production and web design.

The approach that the Digital Arts Center takes is to instruct with a practical, real world approach. Your instructors are also your mentors; they are experts in their fields. They put theory into practice so your learning outcomes can be applied to and meet today's industry standards.

The mission of our game design program, graphic design program, mobile application development program and video production program is to provide a well-balanced, high-quality education. We combine applied arts technology and techniques, related business practices and portfolio creation, in order to prepare students for entry-level employment and for professional advancement within their chosen fields.

Graphic Design
The digital graphic design program takes a professional, practical approach in teaching the principles of graphic design. Students in the digital graphic design program learn how to combine design theory with the latest design technology in order to create effective graphic designs for print and web.
Mobile Applications Development
The mobile applications program is an advanced training program for smartphone application enthusiasts and industry professionals seeking opportunities to expand their design, programming and software development skills into the world of mobile application development. Students produce a complete mobile application for iOS devices including iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad and Android based smartphones.
Mobile Game Development
Receive comprehensive professional training in the game design program for mobile games: from game user interface design and mobile game product management to Flash and Java game programming - all in a creative studio environment. In the game design program learn how to produce a video game prototype or a complete mobile game for Windows, Mac, Web, and/or Mobile platforms (including iPhone -smartphones).
Video & Editing
Gain the skills to work in today's new media environment. In the video production program, students learn about storytelling, storyboarding, pre-visualization, lighting, sound and shooting, as well as editing with Final Cut Pro, sound engineering, motion graphics and video formatting to enable output to DVD, web, mobile devices and/or broadcast mediums.

Benefits

  • Convenient pre-set class schedule with 12-month evening programs
  • Career focused education in San Diego
  • Small class sizes for more individualized instruction from experienced industry professionals
  • Tuition locked in for one year
  • UC San Diego Extension professional graphic design, mobile game development, video & editing, or mobile applications development certificate awarded upon successful completion
  • Internships / Externships for those who qualify
  • Study digital media education with motivated students who share your interests
  • Own and be trained on all of your own industry preferred hardware & software
  • Create your own interactive portfolio and marketing materials to show potential employers/clients

How can I learn more about the programs?

Join us for an information session that will give you an opportunity to:

  • How can I learn more about the programs?
  • Attend a information session that will give you an opportunity to:
  • Find out what the programs can do for you
  • Discover how to become marketable and hirable in a creative field
  • Get answers to your questions
  • Meet faculty and staff
  • Tour the facilities

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