Media Design – (M.A.)

The course content and philosophy focus firmly on providing students of media design with the opportunity to further hone and develop their digital media research and design skills in a challenging yet supportive environment that emphasises creativity, innovation, and industry relevance.

Who Should Apply?

The Master of Arts in Media Design is tuned to the needs of the media design industry and was developed to support graduates of creative practice in the area of art & design, digital media production, physical computing, and interaction design. In practice it has also attracted graduates from the field of computing with an interest in innovative web development , user experience, or human computer interaction (HCI).

The Department welcomes applications from honours degree graduates who have a professional interest in one or more of the above areas. Some applicants may, in special circumstances, be accepted for enrolment on the basis of a combination of certified and work-based learning.

What is a MA in Media Design?

The Master of Arts in Media Design programme runs over a nine month period, divided into two equal semesters. Each student is encouraged to develop a project over the two semesters within the area of media design they wish to specialise. This project is supported by modules that help the student place their professional practice within a cultural or industry context while applying appropriate methodologies and technologies in the development of their work. As such the course prepares the student well for a career in industry but also opens pathways to doctoral research programmes in the field.

Why study a MA in Media Design?

The media design industry is rapidly changing and the demand for graduates with an ability to communicate creatively across a range of disciplines while specialising in a specific domain is increasingly a factor for gaining access to jobs in the industry. Multimedia and Media Design students have consistently been recognised for their ability to negotiate ideas across a range of disciplines and enjoy a high rate of employment even in the current economic climate. Students are provided with top of the range facilities in dedicated labs and the staff assigned to support students at this level are active in research and development at a doctoral level. In addition to this the flexibility offered by the course structure offers students the edge on developing a successful start to a career in the field media design.

Aims

The overall aim of this programme is to produce graduates who will be able to display creative, conceptual and strategic competencies and abilities in experimental and innovative projects, which are oriented on future scenarios within the broad sector of Digital Media. The study of cultural contexts and histories, theoretical frameworks and methods of research, will provide the student with the intellectual tools with which to engage in a wide-ranging analysis of the roles that Digital Media technologies and their practices play in the culture of everyday life. The programme aims not simply to integrate theory and practice, but to develop a practice of designing concepts, which will be set in transformation through certain Digital Media platforms, and through the methodological and practical experimentation of Digital Media apt to engage with conversions in perceptive, mental, affective and socio-cultural experiences.