Associate of Arts in Digital Design and Art

Associate of Arts in Digital Design and Art (AADDA) is a unique program only to the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU). This is the only program offered to learners who desire to obtain an outstanding career within the creative economy.

When people speak of the creative economy – it is the combination of art, design, and innovative industries (not limited to technology) that contribute its financial, intellectual, and creative assets in a given country and region. This economy is so dynamic that whether a person participates through employment, entrepreneurship, or craftsperson – there is always a special place to make use of the talent to enable the learners to thrive and participate successfully in various industries.

Here at UPOU, the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies (FICS) launched the AADDA program to further enhance myriad creative talents. FICS presented different courses in AADDA that aim to cultivate both the artistic and the entrepreneurial side of learners to make sure that those talents can be successful and weather any economic storm. We have the academic team to do portfolio reviews, mentorship, and assist in internship opportunities. We help our learners enhance their creative capabilities, develop the skills to flourish in a professional setting, and integrate an entrepreneur mindset to lead inclusively and contribute to community development.

Think like an artist, be agile like a designer, and feel confident like an entrepreneur.

The program aims to produce graduates who are:

Ethically responsible and inclusive citizens
Effective communicators
Able to integrate different knowledge domains
Able to evaluate information in the context of digital or networked problem domains.
Able to collaborate with diverse groups.
Able to determine the most appropriate digital creative skills and competencies required to meet requirements.
Able to plan for continuous improvement
Able to employ critical, independent judgment in content design and production.
Able to be responsible, ethical use of ways of digital authoring technologies.
Able to create creative and novel solutions to design challenges.

Admission

The following can apply for admission to AADDA:

High School or Sr. High School graduates who have never enrolled in college; admission is through Undergraduate Admission Test (UgAT);
Passers of the DepEd’s Alternative Learning System Accreditation and
Equivalency (ALS A&E) Test for secondary level; admission is through UgAT;
Passers of UP College Admission Test (UPCAT) with a minimum score of 2.80;
Transferees (with college units); and
Graduates of other undergraduate degrees.

To be admitted to the program through UgAT, the applicant must:

Have submitted the complete documentary requirements for admission before the application deadline.
Have taken and passed the Undergraduate Admission Test (UgAT). Details about the exam will be emailed by admissions;
Have completed the UPOU Distance Education Readiness Module (DERM). Link to the DERM will be emailed by admissions; and
Have submitted an admission essay (500-word essay indicating your purpose for applying to the distance education programs and your plans after completion of the associate program at the UP Open University)

If you are interested in the program, browse through the admission requirements at the registrar’s website.

Enrollment Procedures

Online Registration is done through the Student Portal. Follow these instructions on how to register online. If you have further questions, take a look at the Enrollment FAQs.

Curriculum

The AADDA degree requires the successful completion of 30 units of GE courses; government-mandated courses, consisting of the 3-unit PI 100 course, along with PE and NSTP; 12 units of courses common across and specific to undergraduate programs at UPOU (Common courses); 27 units of concentration courses, which are divided into required (18 units) and elective (9 units) concentration courses.

Students can take specific elective concentration courses based on their interest. For instance, if they wish to specialize in video production, they can enroll in MMS 173, MMS 175, and MMS 181. For deepening their expertise in web-related work, students can enroll in MMS 101, MMS 150, and MMS 151; OR MMS 151, with MMS 175 and MMS 176. For creative and artistic production, HUM 40 and any two of MMS 173, MMS 175, or MMS 176 might be relevant.

GE Courses (Required)

KAS 1: Kasaysayan ng Pilipinas
WIKA 1: Wika, Kultura, at Lipunan
ETHICS 1: Ethics and Moral Reasoning in Everyday Life
ARTS 1: Critical Perspectives in the Arts
STS 1: Science, Technology and Society
MATH 10: Mathematics, Culture and Society
SCIENCE 11: Living Systems: Concepts and Dynamics

GE Courses (Elective)

Choose any three (3) courses:

SAS 1: Self and Society

PHILARTS 1: Philippine Arts and Culture

SOC SCI 2: Social, Political, and Economic Thoughts

COMM 10: Critical Perspectives in Communication

ENG 11: Literature and Society

Mandated Courses

PI 100: Life and Works of Jose Rizal

PE: Physical Education

NSTP/CWTS: National Service Training Program/Civic Welfare and Training Service

UPOU Common Courses

COMM 2: Communication Skills

ENT 103: Creativity, Innovation and Strategic Thinking

COMP ED 10: Critical Digital Literacies

COMP ED 20: Introduction to Analytics

Concentration Courses (Required)

MMS 100: Introduction to Multimedia Studies

MMS 170: Aesthetics in Multimedia

MMS 171 : Text in Multimedia
MMS 172: Audio in Multimedia

MMS 174: Graphics in Multimedia

MMS 194: New Media Art

Concentration Courses (Elective)

Choose any three (3) courses:

MMS 101: Introduction to Information Technology

MMS 102: Theories in Multimedia

MMS 150: User Interface and User Experience Design

MMS 151: Introduction to Web Accessibility

MMS 173: Photography in Multimedia

MMS 175: Videography in Multimedia

MMS 176: Animation in Multimedia

MMS 181: Scriptwriting for Effective Instructional Video

HUM 40: Tools and Methods in Digital Humanities

Plan of Study

A Pro-forma Study Plan Prepared for Learners who are Interested to Lead Corporations/NonProfit Organizations in the Art and Design Industries

Total: 72 Units

FIRST YEAR

FIRST TRIMESTER	SECOND TRIMESTER	THIRD TRIMESTER
REQUIRE CONCENTRATION Courses
MMS 100 -Introduction to Multimedia (3 units)		MMS 170 -Aesthetics in Multimedia (3 units)
ELECTIVE CONCENTRATION Courses
MMS 101 -Introduction to Information Technology (3 units)		MMS 150 -User Interface and User Experience Design (3 units)
MMS 102 -Theories in Multimedia (3 units)
REQUIRED GE Courses
ETHICS 1 -Ethics and Moral Reasoning in Everyday Liife (3 units)	MATH 10 -Mathematics, Culture and Society (3 units)	KAS 1 -Kasaysayan ng Pilipinas (3 units)
	SCIENCE 11 -Living Systems: Concepts and Dynamics (3 units)	STS 1 -Science, Technology and Society (3 units)
ELECTIVE GE Courses
	COMM 10 -Critical Perspectives in Communication (3 units)
MANDATED Courses
NSTP 1	PI 100 -Philippine Institutions 100 (3 units)	PE 2 HY
PE 1	NSTP 2
	PE 2 CH

SECOND YEAR

FIRST TRIMESTER	SECOND TRIMESTER	THIRD TRIMESTER
REQUIRED CONCENTRATION Courses
MMS 171 -Text in Multimedia (3 units)	MMS 174 -Graphics in Multimedia (3 units)	MMS 172 -Audio in Multimedia (3 units)
	MMS 194 -New Media Art (3 units)
REQUIRED GE Courses
ARTS 1 -Critical Perspectives in the Arts (3 units)
WIKA 1 -Wika, Kultura at Lipunan (3 units)
ELECTIVE GE Courses
		SAS 1 -Self and Society (3 units)
		PHILARTS 1 -Philippine Arts and Culture (3 units)
COMMON GE Courses
COMP ED 20 -Introduction to Analytics (3 units)	COMM 2 -Communication Skills 2 (3 units)	ENT 103 -Creativity, Innovation and Strategic Thinking (3 units)
	COMP ED 10 -Critical Digital Literacies (3 units)
MANDATED COURSES
PE 2 WF

For further inquiries refer to this link.

Faculty

Program Chair

Dr. Ruth Rodriguez, FRSA

Full-time Faculty (For confirmation)

Affiliate Faculty (For confirmation)

Atty. Emerson Bañez
Asst. Prof. Edmund G. Centeno
Dr. Benjamina Paula G. Flor

Lecturers (For confirmation)

Tutors (For confirmation)

Jebel Musa
Ann Kristine Medina
Kristine Rose B. Moldez
Alyza Regine Medina

Tips

All Students

We highly encourage all students to follow the recommended study plan to make sure that there will be a smooth transition from academic to corporate/professional life.
Have a goal in mind. That will serve as your NORTH STAR. Without it, all minor obstacles would be impossible to overcome.
Do not be afraid to ask.
On the other hand, before you ask or seek for help – please read the course guide, the student handbook, and/or instructional guides. It pays to read first – it will greatly save your time and divert your energy to more productive tasks.
Most importantly, enjoy your time with your peers at the University.

The Faculty of Information & Communication Studies (FICS) is committed to advancing scholarship in information and communication studies in Southeast Asia by spearheading the evolution of an integrated information and communication science; developing innovative information and communication programs; trail blazing in research exploring the social impact of information and communication technology; piloting innovative applications of information and communication technologies through a proactive extension program that would cater to the needs of the development assistance sector. The FICS was organized in 2004 as one of the degree granting units of the UP open University. It evolved from the combined Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (FSSH) and Faculty of Science and Technology (FST). Its core functions are instruction, research and development; and extension/community service.

Currently, the FICS has associate (Associate in Digital Design and Art, Associate of Science in Information Technology), undergraduate (BA in Multimedia Studies) and graduate (Diploma in Computer Science, Master of Information Systems, Master of Development Communication, Doctor of Communication) programs with about 1,100 students and 11 full-time and 21 affiliate and adjunct faculty members. All programs are taught entirely online or in a hybrid format.