undergradly.
Major · Computer Sciences

A catchall code housing music-tech and interactive-media programs

Computer Software and Media Applications, Other (CIP 11.0899) is the catchall code universities use for specialized digital-media and software-applications programs that don’t fit a named CIP. About 937 students complete it across 63 institutions, with bachelor’s graduates earning around $65,856 in tracked five-year wages.

Schools offering
63
Annual completions
937
Typical degree level
Associate's + Bachelor's
Median earnings (5yr)
$57k

About this major

Computer Software and Media Applications, Other (CIP 11.0899) is the catchall code universities use for specialized software-and-media programs that don’t fit a named CIP sub-discipline. The CIP definition is deliberately broad: any instructional program in computer software and media applications not listed above. In practice, this code houses programs that fall outside Web Page/Digital Multimedia and Information Resources Design (11.0801), Computer Graphics (11.0803), Modeling/Virtual Environments and Simulation (11.0804), and Data Modeling/Database Administration (11.0802). The most distinctive use of the code is at Berklee College of Music, where the Electronic Production and Design and music-technology programs are software-and-applications-heavy enough to slot here rather than under a music CIP.

The major fits students drawn to the intersection of software and creative work — music production, sound design, interactive media, motion graphics, or game audio — and comfortable spending hours inside production tools (Logic Pro, Pro Tools, Ableton Live, Unity, Unreal, the Adobe creative suite, or equivalents). It rewards a portfolio-first approach: shipped projects, recordings, reels, and demonstrated technical fluency matter as much as the credential. The career ladder runs from junior or assistant roles into specialist titles (audio engineer, sound designer, motion designer, interactive-media developer) and into senior or lead positions over five to ten years.

One grounded observation about scale and concentration: 937 students complete this CIP across 63 institutions, but Berklee College of Music alone produces 365 (roughly 39% of national output). NYU (58), DePaul (50), Drexel (45), and California Institute of Arts and Technology (43) round out the top tier. Bachelor’s graduates earn $65,856 in five-year tracked wages and associate’s graduates $44,323 — a $21,000 spread reflecting both the program-reputation premium of top bachelor’s schools and the portfolio-based hiring norm in creative-tech work. Adjacent named CIPs (Web Design 11.0801, Computer Graphics 11.0803) sit far larger and offer more standardized signals to employers.

Section 3 · Careers

Where this major leads

Occupations most often associated with this major, from the federal BLS+O*NET crosswalk. Job-growth projections and median wages are national.

No federal crosswalk data available for this major yet.

Section 4 · Earnings

Earnings at a glance

Median graduate earnings from the federal College Scorecard, 5 and 10 years out.

Median 5-year earnings

$57k

Associate's vs Bachelor's — early-career earnings

Associate's

$44k

Bachelor's

$66k

Who this major is for

You may thrive here if you’re drawn to the intersection of software and creative work — music production, sound design, interactive media, or motion graphics — and willing to spend serious time inside production tools, you’re building a portfolio of shipped projects, recordings, or reels alongside your coursework, you’re investigating the named curriculum at your target school carefully (the catchall code masks programs that look very different from one campus to the next), you understand top-program reputation matters in creative-tech hiring, and you’re comfortable with the bachelor’s-degree norm reflected in the $65,856 wage premium.

Think twice if your target career is general-purpose web development or graphic design — Web Page/Digital Multimedia (CIP 11.0801, 2,356 completions) and Computer Graphics (11.0803, 1,936 completions) are larger named credentials with clearer employer recognition. Reconsider if your target school’s 11.0899 program isn’t in the strong tier (Berklee, NYU, DePaul, Drexel level) — the credential signal weakens at less-recognized institutions, especially given the field’s reliance on portfolio-driven hiring. Also pause if you can’t commit to building shipped projects outside coursework; degrees alone don’t open creative-tech doors.

Section 6 · Where to study

Top colleges for Computer Software and Media Applications, Other

Ranked by annual completions at the associate's or bachelor's level — a proxy for program scale.

College Location Assoc. Bach. Total
Berklee College of Music Boston, MA 0 365 365
New York University New York, NY 0 58 58
DePaul University Chicago, IL 0 50 50
Drexel University Philadelphia, PA 0 45 45
California Institute of Arts & Technology National City, CA 43 0 43
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA 0 40 40
Illinois State University Normal, IL 0 37 37
Bradley University Peoria, IL 0 31 31
Wellesley College Wellesley, MA 0 25 25
CUNY LaGuardia Community College Long Island City, NY 24 0 24
Section 7 · Explore sideways

Related majors to explore

Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design

2,356 completions/yr

Computer Graphics

1,936 completions/yr

Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation

717 completions/yr

Data Modeling/Warehousing and Database Administration

573 completions/yr
Section 9 · Frequently asked

Common questions

What does this catchall CIP actually cover?
The CIP definition is deliberately broad: any instructional program in computer software and media applications not listed above. In practice, this code houses programs that fall outside Web Page/Digital Multimedia and Information Resources Design (11.0801), Computer Graphics (11.0803), Modeling/Virtual Environments and Simulation (11.0804), and Data Modeling/Database Administration (11.0802). Examples include music technology and electronic production, interactive media studios, and integrated software-applications programs. Specific program content varies considerably by institution.
Why does Berklee College of Music dominate this CIP?
Berklee College of Music produces 365 graduates — roughly 39% of national completions — through its Electronic Production and Design and music-technology programs, which use the 11.0899 code rather than a music CIP because the curriculum is heavily software-and-applications driven. The remaining top tier (NYU, DePaul, Drexel, California Institute of Arts and Technology, Pittsburgh) covers interactive media, animation, and integrated digital design. The credential signal differs sharply by school — investigate the named curriculum at your target program.
What jobs do graduates land — and at what pay?
The packet doesn’t list specific BLS occupations for this CIP, common with catchall codes. Realistic destinations follow the program’s actual specialty: music producer, audio engineer, sound designer, and game-audio developer for the music-tech track; digital-media specialist, motion designer, and interactive-media developer for the interactive-media track. Bachelor’s graduates earn $65,856 in five-year tracked wages and associate’s graduates $44,323 — a $21,000 gap reflecting the bachelor’s norm in creative-tech hiring.
How does this compare to Web Design or Computer Graphics?
Web Page/Digital Multimedia and Information Resources Design (CIP 11.0801, 2,356 completions) and Computer Graphics (11.0803, 1,936 completions) are larger, more standardized named credentials with defined curricula and clearer employer recognition for web-developer and graphic-designer hiring. The 11.0899 catchall is smaller and content-variable. If your target career is web development or graphic design, the named CIP signals clearer specialty preparation; this CIP fits cross-disciplinary programs where the named codes don’t map.
Does the bachelor’s pay back versus the associate’s in this field?
The data shows a $21,000 spread ($65,856 vs $44,323), which is meaningful — but the field hires heavily on portfolio strength rather than degree level. Bachelor’s graduates from Berklee, NYU, DePaul, and Drexel benefit from program reputation and built-in industry connections. Associate’s graduates at California Institute of Arts and Technology or CUNY LaGuardia compete on demonstrated work. Either path can lead to creative-tech roles, but the credential needs to be paired with shipped projects, recordings, or reels.