From working side by side with acclaimed artists to countless opportunities to showcase
your talent on and off campus, Wichita State's College of Fine Arts provides an environment
where you can train like a professional—and gain the skills, connections and confidence
to launch your dream career.
Two years after the successful launch of Wichita State University’s Bachelor of Applied
Arts (BAA) in Media Arts program, the university has created the new School of Digital
Arts.
The school will be the fourth school within WSU’s College of Fine Arts and will encompass
the BAA program, which includes concentrations in animation, audio production, filmmaking,
game design and collaborative design.
The School of Digital Arts was approved today (Wednesday, Nov. 19) by the Kansas Board
of Regents. This new addition to the College of Fine Arts comes on the heels of impressive growth
within the BAA program, which is housed in the state-of-the-art Shocker Studios production
facility.
Justin Rorabaugh, director of Shocker Studios, said the initial goal when the BAA
program was developed in 2017 was to help move the College of Fine Arts firmly into
a 21st century educational model. The new program did just that, not only meeting
the growing desire among college students to major in media arts disciplines, but
exceeding all expectations.
“We anticipated a modest enrollment of around 60 to 75 students by year five,” Rorabaugh
says. “We are thrilled to be at the 2 ½ year mark with nearly five times that amount
already.”
That growth includes the opportunity for students to work on projects for real clients,
such as Spirit AeroSystems, Airbus Americas, Deloitte, Wichita Police Department and
Snoop Dogg.
“With so much success, it became imperative for us to further formalize our program
into a school within the College of Fine Arts,” Rorabaugh says.
