Masters Degrees in Interactive & Electronic Design, United Kingdom

Imaginative, original and full of exciting ideas - if this sounds like you, then our MSc in Creative Technology could be your perfect course. It's open to students from any background who are interested in combining technical and creative skills to create the technologies and experiences of the future. We'll give you the opportunity to learn about and experiment with different types of technology and use them to design and develop your own inventions.


Why study MA/MSc Creative Technology at Middlesex?

Technology is becoming increasingly important to art, design and culture and the skills associated with the once-separate creative and technical worlds overlap more and more. We welcome students from any background onto this course– it's an unusual opportunity for students with diverse skills to work together, and it's this variety that gives it so much character.

This is a highly practical course, assessed entirely through project work, with an emphasis on collaboration and experimentation. We want you to benefit from our creative, academic and technical expertise, and we like nothing more than to see you step out of your comfort zone and tackle something new. You'll work with your peers on group projects – recent students have made an interactive cushion, explored Kinect hacking, created apps and designed an interactive breakfast table that showed the news.

Never mind thinking outside the box – you'll be inventing 1,001 new things to do with it.

Course highlights

- All our staff are active in research, industry or both and are passionate about new technology and new ways to use it. Particular areas of expertise include music and sound technology, social media, interactive and haptic technology, visual and digital imagery and gaming.
- Our tutors, who come from both the School of Media and Performing Arts and the School of Science and Technology, include haptic technology specialist Dr Rui Loureiro, who has pioneered work in robot-aided stroke rehabilitation; Debbie Jedwab, a former set designer for the BBC; composer and sound artist Nye Parry, who has worked with the British Museum and the Science Museum; and multimedia artist Nic Sandiland, whose work has been shown worldwide.
- You'll also benefit from the cutting-edge facilities and equipment in our £80 million Art, Design and Media building, the equal of which is rarely seen in other UK universities. They include fully-equipped TV, radio and sound studios, workshops for digital image processing and a comprehensive digital publishing suite.
- You'll learn computer programming as part of the course, and will have access to cutting edge haptic technology and a graphics and games programming laboratory. The university is home to the Human Interactive Systems Laboratory, a centre of research into haptic technology, and the Lansdown Centre for Electronic Arts.
- As well as attending masterclasses and guest lectures by industry professionals, students often work on real industry briefs – they've recently worked with Sony and designer and engineer Moritz Waldemeyer. We've developed the course in consultation with advisors from the creative industries to ensure it's relevant and current.

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• Access to world-class collections and archives
• Learn to apply a user-centred approach to support design decisions and generate new design opportunities
• Practice within a research-intensive environment, where equal emphasis is placed on design theory and practice
• Develop effective communication and visual systems
• Produce functional, aesthetic and highly crafted complex documents, interfaces and interaction environments

What will you study?

Sample modules:

• Information design: practice (design projects)
• Information design: core (seminars and essays)
• Dissertation

Please note that all modules are subject to change. Please see our modules disclaimer for more information.

What career can you have?

Our graduates have an excellent employment record. Many take up positions in type design studios, with publishers and general design studios, and wayfinding and information design studios. Others develop their own businesses, or take up managerial roles in creative firms. Employers include Apple, Monotype, Microsoft Typography, Victoria & Albert Museum, Oxford University Press, Financial Times and Nokia.

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Introduction

MA Interaction Design Communication is a practice-led design course that prepares students to design for an increasingly technologically informed and interdisciplinary design world with skills in the following areas: interaction design, design prototyping, physical computing, user centered design, open source digital platforms, design research, foresight and insight, experience design, communication design, speculative and critical design, interactive design and digital arts.

Content

MA Interaction Design Communication provides an opportunity for experimental practice in an area of design that increasingly explores the intersection of the physical and digital domains. With a focus on synthesising thought through rigorous design prototyping (making), digital processes and user perspectives, the course is highly reflective of interdisciplinary practice within the contemporary design, media and communications industries.

The integrated approach of the course to critical thinking provides you with the opportunity to work with critical ideas in an applied design context – for example psycho-geographic practice as empirical research or engaging with other critical theories of space to generate user perspectives. This ensures that ideation processes take on both the macro as well as micro opportunities for innovation and speculation crucial to building a portfolio of highly engaged work.

As well as placing you in a position to work across the board spectrum of interaction, design and communication the course is just as interested in design questions as design answers. This means that the course also prepares you for progression to further design research at MPhil/PhD level as well as to advanced self-directed experimental practice.

LCC has an outstanding team of practitioners and published researchers and enjoys a powerful programme of visiting speakers. The course also benefits from a cross-European collaboration with design industry professionals and higher education institutions and there is an opportunity to visit at least one other centre in Europe during the course.

Structure

Phase 1

1.1 Theories and Technologies of Interaction Design (40 credits)
1.2 Research Practice and Human Centered Design (20 credits)

Phase 2

2.1 Interaction Futures and Speculative Design (40 credits)
2.2 Physical Computing and Design Prototyping (20 credits)

Phase 3

Unit 3.1 Final Major Research Project

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The course has been developed in collaboration with employers to address the demand from government and industry for modern business leaders able to exploit creativity in business. The course develops creative design literate engineers, scientists and management postgraduates. It is suitable for graduates from a variety of disciplines who recognise the importance of how creative practice and process can improve product and service development. The aim of this Master of Design (MDes) programme in Innovation and Creativity in Industry is to equip candidates with skills and capabilities in, and knowledge of, fact-based creative design approaches to improve organisation effectiveness. The programme has been developed in conjunction with the University of Arts London (UAL) through the Centre for Competitive Creative Design.

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About the course

This course provides a unique mix of multimedia and interaction design processes, design of 3D virtual reality and animation media, AV media and effects, and 3D media combined with real and virtual studio and on-location multimedia creation.

It not only focuses on the creative art and design aspects of digital media, but also on the theory and practice of the technical tools and techniques required for creating 3D, interactive real and virtual reality media through the development of design and technology knowledge, understanding and skills.

Aims

The MSc programme in Advanced Multimedia Design and 3D Technologies aims to develop a thorough knowledge of the design principles and techniques required for the design of combined real and virtual interactive and 3D multimedia, and an appreciation of the current research directions and opportunities that are available in this field of research.

On this course you will:

Develop advanced knowledge and skills relevant to the design and creation of combined real, virtual interactive and 3D multimedia and tools, to assist in the creation of combined real and virtual interactive and 3D multimedia.
Develop the ability to design complex combined real and virtual interactive and 3D multimedia creations, and the versatility to apply a variety of different design tools and technologies across a range of different media areas to realise the creation.
Develop creativity and independent learning ability required for continuing professional development, further research, and for acquiring new skills at a high level.
Gain an appreciation of the current research directions and opportunities that are available in this field of research.

Course Content

The course is delivered through a mix of lectures, workshops, self-study and individual and group project work. In lectures, key concepts and ideas are introduced, definitions are stated, results and techniques are explained, and immediate queries are discussed. Workshops and projects are used to foster practical engagement with the taught material.

The dissertation plays a key role in deepening understanding, in developing research and literature review skills, and in applying knowledge and skills gained in the programme to plan, execute, and evaluate a significant investigation into a current problem area related to the design of multimedia artefacts.

Typical Modules

3D Computer Graphics and Motion Capture
Multimedia and Interaction Design
Audio Visual Post Production
3D Film Design and Production
Multimedia Research Directions
Dissertation Project

Special Features

Advanced resources
Our green screen TV studio lab, audio studio and cutting edge design tools are amongst our range of advanced equipment available to students. Design tools used during the course include:

Advanced 3D Technologies – 3D Studio, Vicon Motion Capture, Motion Builder, 3D Stereo Video
Multimedia and Interaction Design – Flash and Action Script
Audio Visual Post Production – AfterEffects, Final Cut Pro, Nuke, Logic Studio Pro
3D Film Design and Production – Nuke, Ocular.

State of the art student projects and placements

Assessment

You will be assessed on practical and written elements of each module.

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MA Intelligent Mobility is a new 15-month, 240 credit programme that will succeed the existing MA Vehicle Design. It will be launched in 2017/18 alongside the Intelligent Mobility Lab, a new multidisciplinary research centre dedicated to the future of transportation design, systems and urban mobility, led by Director and inaugural Chair in Intelligent Mobility Professor Dale Harrow. MA Intelligent Mobility aims to place the RCA in the vanguard of the ‘third age’ of automotive design.

The MA Intelligent Mobility programme will comprise two distinct specialisms: Automotive Transitions and Urban Mobility. Automotive Transitions students will focus on using design thinking to develop innovative forms of transportation, such as autonomous vehicles. Urban Mobility students will focus on designing the systems and frameworks that enable people to move through hyper-connected cities. The programme will also acknowledge and explore solutions for the 80 per cent of people in developing or emerging economies who do not have access to transport.

The programme offers:

• a strong tutor team with diverse and high-level practitioner experience
• varied creative and cultural backgrounds within the MA specialisms
• close ties to the Intelligent Mobility Lab, a new multidisciplinary research centre
• extensive industrial relationships through sponsored projects, internships, portfolio reviews, trips and bursaries/awards. Recent collaborations have been with organisations including: Audi, Bentley, Citroen, Hitachi Rail Europe, Jaguar, Kia, EXA (aerodynamic software), Sabic and TATA
• close relationships with other RCA programmes, including Fashion, Textiles, Sculpture and Innovation Design Engineering
• a west-London location at the heart of a uniquely diverse vehicle, design and cultural environment
• alumni in numerous top design positions globally.

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This advanced Master's programme in Mobile Application Development prepares students to develop applications for these devices, equipping you to become highly skilled professionals for the Mobile Industry with the latest skill set.

The programme combines technology, interface design and application development for mobile platforms, with a particular emphasis on developing iPhone and iPad apps and creating apps with high usability and reliability.

On completion of the course, you will have gained skills in the latest technologies in this rapidly expanding and developing field.

Visit the website https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/257/mobile-application-development

About the School of Engineering and Digital Arts

The School of Engineering and Digital Arts successfully combines modern engineering and technology with the exciting new field of digital media.

Established over 40 years ago, the School has developed a top-quality teaching and research base, receiving excellent ratings in both research and teaching assessments.

The School undertakes high-quality research that has had significant national and international impact, and our spread of expertise allows us to respond rapidly to new developments. Our 30 academic staff and over 130 postgraduate students and research staff provide an ideal focus to effectively support a high level of research activity. There is a thriving student population studying for postgraduate degrees in a friendly and supportive teaching and research environment.

We have research funding from the Research Councils UK, European research programmes, a number of industrial and commercial companies and government agencies including the Ministry of Defence. Our Electronic Systems Design Centre and Digital Media Hub provide training and consultancy for a wide range of companies. Many of our research projects are collaborative, and we have well-developed links with institutions worldwide.

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Our lives, now more than ever, inhabit the digital world. Most day-to-day activities are mediated through online platforms and processes, whether through dealing with big data through new modes of visualisation, having new user-digital-experiences, or encountering digital visual effects in animation, photography, motion design and online advertising. Digital media represents an embedded set of practices within the creative and cultural industries and looks set to evolve and expand in innovative ways in the future.

Our MA in Digital Media offers continuing or recent graduates from creative design subjects with an opportunity to enhance their knowledge, creative skills and employment prospects. We encourage our students to explore the growth potential of digital media platforms and processes with the development of innovative and imaginative concepts and ideas. The course guides you in your development of core specialist themes which may include data visualisation, app design, motion design, animation, visual effects (VFX), advertising, commercial and/or artist-led photographic practices or user experience design (UXD). Our practice-led modules facilitate opportunities for you to produce high quality portfolios often underpinned by industry focused trends and competition briefs.

The expectation is that you will be seeking to enter the cultural and creative industries into roles such as data visualisers, motion designers, animators, editors, visual effects artists and user experience designers (UX). You may also be seeking to develop proposals for further postgraduate research.

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About the course

The Professional Doctorate in Design (DDes) is aimed at candidates who currently work in a design discipline, and who wish to engage in research that relates to their professional role. It is also appropriate for candidates who wish to enhance their experience and employability through research training in Design, including those who wish to pursue an academic career. Fields of study may include, but are not limited to:

- Graphic Design and Typography
- Digital Design
- Interaction Design
- 3D printing/additive manufacture
- Architecture
- Product Design
- Interior Design
- Fashion

The DDes is a structured doctorate that can be undertaken part-time using a combination of online and on-campus research activities and supervision. This allows candidates to study in their home countries and to attend at the University only once per year. Candidates can also choose to attend for blocks of full-time study at the University, thereby shortening the overall duration of their studies, and playing an active role in the university’s research community.

The course philosophy is that practice and research cannot be separated. Candidates will be expected to continue with their professional practice and to bring this to bear upon the research questions in the professional doctorate. Most candidates will have established workplaces. For those who do not, or for self-employed or studio practitioners, we offer blocks of time at the University with studio and workshop space provided. At the end of the course we expect that candidates will present a portfolio of both textual and non-textual work, including a written thesis and supporting artefacts that tell a comprehensive story about the research project, its context, its methods and for whom the outcomes will have impact.

Frequently Asked Questions - http://www.herts.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/11898/ProfDocFAQs-2015.pdf

Why choose this course?

- Outcomes include both written thesis and practical
- Part-time doctorate that can be undertaken by candidates based overseas via a virtual research environment, with attendance on campus once a year.
- Directly addresses the international debate concerning the nature of research in creative areas.
- Equips candidates with a range of conceptual and practical skills.
- Structured assignments providing a thorough grounding in practice-led research and the relationship between academic and professional values individual supervised research in the candidate’s own area of professional expertise.
- Individual supervised research in the candidate’s own area of professional expertise.
- Leads to an internationally recognised UK doctorate in Design.

Careers

After successfully completing the doctorate the candidate will have the knowledge and skills necessary to pursue research and to contribute to the development of commercial, institutional and national structures for research in creative areas in their home countries. Research in the Creative Arts is an emerging area and we expect graduates from our programme will take leading roles in its international development.

Teaching methods

The course begins with a series of online study and research skills, which provide a thorough grounding in the philosophical and theoretical issues surrounding notions of so-called practice-based research and the relationship between academic and professional values. At the end of Year 1 when this Phase has been successfully completed, the candidate then undertakes an individual supervised research project in his or her own professional discipline. During this second Phase there are online study materials and structured learning experiences that guide the candidate towards the presentation of a comprehensive outline of the doctoral research. Once the second Phase has been successfully completed (normally during Year 3), the candidate focuses on the production of a written thesis and accompanying artefacts that communicate the content of the research project. Throughout the whole programme we expect both practice and theoretical research to be completely integrated.

Work Placement

This course does not offer work placement. The concept of the professional doctorate (in contrast to the PhD) is that students are already professionally engaged in the workplace, and use this experience as the basis of their doctoral study. Research questions that are grounded in the workplace form the focus of the inquiry, and solutions are implemented through the workplace.

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The MA Games Enterprise is an innovative new course that will give you the opportunity to develop design, production and enterprise skills. It builds upon the existing successful teaching at undergraduate degree level within this subject area that has produced award-winning game developers, SMEs, artists and designers.

The course is aimed at those who wish to expand their existing skills and develop their practice within an environment that functions as a small development company, but who also wish to tailor their learning to their own specialism. Using proven industry simulation techniques and collaborative practices, this course emulates team-based activity as used within the industry. As part of the course you will develop a game project that has robust documentation, detailed business strategy and, of course, a game to be proud of.

See the website http://courses.southwales.ac.uk/courses/1559-ma-games-enterprise

What you will study

Each module will use industry standard project management software, such as Trello, Github and BaseCamp where appropriate, which will also facilitate the capturing of developmental evidence for development and research journals.

Selection of modules include:
- Design and Aesthetics
- Technology and Engine
- Contexts and Market
- Playtesting, Prototyping and Evaluation
- Major Project

Common Modules:
The Faculty understands the importance of a strong grounding in research knowledge and skills, enterprise and innovation as part of a balanced postgraduate education.

We also recognise that each student has different requirements of their postgraduate experience.

You can choose to study one of the following three, 20 credit common modules. Each of these has a different focus, enabling you to select the module that will be most beneficial to you.

- Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship:
This module aims to develop your knowledge of the methods to identify, develop and manage enterprise and innovation in the creative sector. It will then help you apply this to your own entrepreneurial project.

- Research and Practice in the Creative and Cultural Industries:
The focus of this module is on the development of research knowledge and skills, while also encouraging critical engagement with approaches to creative practice. You will also explore ideas, debates and issues in the creative and cultural industries.

- Research Paradigms:
This module focuses on research paradigms and their theoretical underpinnings. It also looks at key conceptual tools drawn from a wide range of subject areas relevant to postgraduate research in the creative industries.

PLEASE NOTE: Modules are subject to change.

Learning and teaching methods

The course will be taught through a variety of seminars, discussions and presentations. All staff are active in research, consultancy, or employed within the games industry.

Work Experience and Employment Prospects

Successful graduates will be in a position to apply for roles within games development and also have the skills and knowledge to be able to set up their own start-up companies.

Assessment methods

You will study through a mixture of lectures and seminars. Guest speakers from within the industry will enhance your experience – these might be from within the areas of design, programming, development or enterprise. Towards the end of the course you will produce a final game with accompanying documentation that exemplifies the design process, play testing and evaluation, promotion and enterprise and, in addition, have opportunities to showcase your work towards publishing your final game.

Facilities

Our purpose built ATRiuM Building at our Cardiff Campus features state-of-the-art facilities for audio and video production and editing, graphic design, studio recording and more. The building is an engine room for the next generation of media practitioners and thinkers.

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MA Games at NUA is centred on exploring the exciting territory of games development, enabling you to scrutinize and define your place within this increasingly important economic, commercial and cultural field.

The course will accelerate your creative skills, in an institution that has gained an international reputation for innovative practice and artistic excellence in games education. This industry-focused course combines the rigour of studying full-time at Masters level, with the opportunity to apply your knowledge and skills to develop industry standard outcomes.

Seeking to nurture intellectual, personal and professional achievement as a basis for a sustained career, during the course you will be encouraged to develop independent research projects, and to explore professional contexts and opportunities within the field. Through the development of advanced technical skills and an individual creative approach, you will identify your own commercial practice in terms of innovation, market awareness, professional experience and enterprise.

The course provides industry-standard resources in a facility which has been selected as one of only 12 partners worldwide in Sony’s PlayStation®First Academic Development Programme. A core programme of academic workshops and technical sessions support the development of individual research projects and the application of advanced skills.

Creative thinking and innovation are at the core of the MA philosophy and you will engage with students from across the postgraduate community to share opportunities and debate contemporary issues.

We encourage our students to engage in critical discourse through course specific seminars, lectures and critiques; larger NUA symposia such as Dialogues (Fine Art) and Cowbird (Design); and attendance at national and international exhibitions and conferences.

Facilities

Media Lab 1

For digital 3D production. Software includes the ZBrush, Silo, Autodesk Entertainment Creation Suite, Corel Painter and Adobe Creative Suit.

Media Labs 2 and 4

For video capture, edit, production and 2D animation: Adobe Premiere Pro, Maya and Adobe Creative Suite.

Technical Workshops

You will have on-hand support from a team of dedicated workshop technicians. During the course, inductions and training for workshops, equipment and software that is identified as appropriate to your course will be provided.

The Ideas Factory^NUA Incubation Hub

You will work on academic projects with access to the University's digital centre, among start-up digital businesses. The Ideas Factory^NUA is equipped with state-of-the-art media facilities and a Digital User Research Lab.

Digital User Research Lab

User Experience testing facility equipped with specialist Morae tracking software and commonly used games platforms, including bespoke Sony testing equipment.

High Speed Internet

The University's network provides an extremely reliable, high speed and high bandwidth internet connection, enabling national and international collaboration and communication.

NUA Library

The largest specialist are, design and media collection in the East of England including 32,000 books, 1,300 journal subscriptions and 3,000 DVDs.

Applications

The offer of entry onto a Masters Degree (MA) is based on an expectation that you have the potential to fulfil the aims of the course of study and achieve the standard required to successfully complete the award. Entrants should normally have achieved a BA (Hons)/BSc Degree of 2:1 or above (or its equivalent), in a subject related to your proposed course of study.

Applicants who hold a Degree from another discipline may also be considered for entry, subject to the submission of a satisfactory portfolio of art, design or media-related work in support of their application.

The majority of applicants to courses at NUA will be invited to attend an interview. This provides an invaluable chance to meet face-to-face and is the major factor in determining the success of your submission. The interview is an opportunity to assess your work and the suitability of your application and also provides you with a chance to assess NUA’s staff, campus and facilities and ask questions. The key focus of your application process is on your portfolio. Some courses may require additional entry requirements or passes in specific subjects.

• Complete the application form, including a well-prepared and considered 500 word statement indicating your intentions for MA study. The form should be word-processed not hand-written.
• Detach the Reference Form and forward to your chosen referee with a request to complete and return to NUA at the address indicated.
• Email the completed form to: [email protected] or post to Admissions, Norwich University of the Arts, Francis House, 3 – 7 Redwell St, Norwich, NR2 4SN
• We will endeavour to contact you within two weeks of receiving your application and reference from your nominated referee. If your application is acceptable we will arrange a date for interview.

For further information on this course, please visit our website - MA Games.

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Hyper Island's MA in Experience Design has been designed in response to demand from the industry. There is currently a gap between what schools teach and what a designer needs to know. How to build products, services, and systems in the real world, that give a great experience.

The role of a designer is shifting. A product today is rarely just physical and consumers expectations are higher than ever. The challenge for designers is to design and deliver meaningful experiences, both online and offline.

The MA in Digital Experience Design will develop your technical, creative and strategic skills as an experience designer to lead the change within this evolving industry.

You will explore experience design and related fields such as service design and interaction design, understanding human behavior, rigorous research, digital technologies and prototyping, project management, business acumen and how to build and lead an effective team.

You will leave us primed for roles across human-centred design such as Experience Designer, Information Architect, Interaction Designer and Service Designer. Within these roles, graduates will be able to design and develop high quality experiences, products and services. You will be able to work across disciplinary, cultural, and geographical boundaries to design innovative solutions to meet user and business needs. Above all, you will be able to operate strategically as an agent of change and have the knowledge, skills, and competence to work at the forefront of this fast-paced industry.

The MA Digital Experience Design represents an alternative option in industry-led learning here in the UK. At Hyper Island, you will be immersed in collaborative and high-energy learning environments that mirror the modern workplace dynamics. We value both professional and personal development and we seek to help you achieve that by supporting you with new methods, tools, and knowledge to develop your abilities. It is a post-graduate Master of Arts degree awarded by Teesside University.

Hyper Island partners with leading companies such as ustwo, Dare, IDEO, Plan, Tobias & Tobias, Google, MTV, Oxfam, Sony Games and Greenpeace, giving you access to the world’s most successful and innovative thinkers.

Following successful completion of the school-based part of the programme (24 weeks), you will progress to an industry research project (18 weeks). This is your chance to put your learning to work in an independent research or professional context and helps you to take the next step in your career. This can take place anywhere in the world.

Hyper Island will help you design your project and apply it within your career domain. To successfully graduate with a Master's degree, you will present the findings from your project using reports, videos and prototypes as appropriate to your chosen problem to examiners from industry, Teesside University and Hyper Island.

What you learn on the programme:

- Digital strategy
- Business modelling
- Working with agile/lean processes
- Emerging and established technologies for creating experiences
- Human-centred design processes
- Idea generation, selection, and development
- Behavioural psychology
- Participatory research tools
- Building balanced teams to meet project requirements
- Global and remote collaboration
- Leadership and group dynamics

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Course Duration

Full time (Sep start): 12 months

Course Summary

Gamer Camp Pro (MA/MSc Video Games Development) has been created in partnership with the likes of Sony Computer Entertainment Europe,Codemasters,Rareand Exient. We aim to help you become a perfect recruit for a career in the games industry- with not just the skills, but also the experience you’ll need. Our graduates have been employed by companies including Sony Evolution Studios, Ubisoft and Rockstar Games.

The course was developed in partnership with the industry to provide a ‘finishing school’ that produces work-ready graduates with the practical skills they needed to be successful. Many companies recruit directly from the course, giving you access to jobs that you would not come across elsewhere.

You will get specialist skills training, mentoring and support from leading game developers, the chance to design and build a working game that can be published, and experience at every stage of the games development cycle. You will receive real game briefs, training and mentoring from industry partners such as Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, Exient, Rare and Codemasters.

Employment Opportunity

Students leaving Gamer Camp course have gone onto work with many of the industry’s biggest names. Roles secured by our graduates include Concept Artist at Sony Evolution Studios, Character Artist at Sega Hardlight Studios, Associate Producer at Spicy Horse Games, and Environmental Artist at Rockstar. MA and MSc students have also set up their own studios.

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This exciting new multidisciplinary master's programme is fully designed to reflect the needs of contemporary interactive media industries, bringing together creative technologies, interactivity and design practices within digital cultures with the user in mind.

Interactive Media Practice combines a wide range of digital creative technologies primarily combining digital literacies design, technology and interaction, through user centred design for commercial outputs to an industry standard.

Interactive Media Practice places the user at the centre of the experience and focuses on design and content creation in areas such as: mobile app development, wearables, games, rich media websites, interactive guides and installations, immersive VR, next generation advertising and virtual and augmented reality systems, through to social media powerful eMarketing and entrepreneurship through innovation protocol.

According to the late CEO of Apple, Steve Jobs, the app industry "is worth several billion pounds annually and employs around 40,000 people, representing approximately ten per cent of the total audio-visual workforce. Sectors such as sound-driven games and apps show an even wider growth where providers such as Apple have paid a total of two billion dollars to apps within the US alone".

Adobe Systems (UK) fully support the programme with high recommendation, based on the development and key principles the course offers, which is rare and unique. We embrace excellent contracts within the interactive media and games industries, including regular visits and master classes from industry professionals at the top of their game from Adobe to Sony.

Adobe Systems (UK), said: “This Interactive Media degree offers an ideal grounding for those wishing to work in the digital media industries, which increasingly require people who work with technology from a creative perspective. This is the course that will create the next generation of interactive media stars…! ”

The course embraces a hackathon culture with specialist hack labs boasting newly designed flexible learning spaces for students to work more collaboratively on innovation protocols fostering cross-pollination of new ideas creatively. Many students will be working on live industry briefs as well as their own projects independently within and outside our course clusters. This collaborative approach to learning and research often leads to successful projects, which are commercially viable, and quickly gain industry recognition through our end of year show.

“It’s a really multi-faceted MA, bringing together creativity, technology skills and digital media, with an entrepreneurial thread.” – 2015 Graduate.

Our students learn to examine the communication of ideas in a networked world through our entrepreneurship incubator programme and consider the many impacts of digital media in everyday life, for commercial trajectories through practiced based projects.

As one of the top 100 international universities in the world, the University of Westminster's School of Media, Arts and Design currently boasts a series of professional recording studios, a new teaching recording studio, professional technology labs and access to an array of post-production, and multimedia facilities built and equipped to the highest standards.

Using the leading industry software, you will be involved in designing and making interactive digital media content for delivery over the Internet, on tablets and mobile devices and for installations to designing compelling user interfaces creating a great user experience, this also extends to the development towards creating content for the ‘internet of things’.

The MA in Interactive Media Practice course will prepare you for this sector, by leveraging and integrating the fine blend between creativity and technical capacities. You will also benefit from having access to a range of highly regarded industry practitioners who will offer you exceptional insight and working knowledge within the field, both challenging and encouraging your technical and creative fair. On this master's degree you will develop commercial-level interactive media and digital content production skills.

Course content

This multidisciplinary course prepares you to work in a wide range of industry combining theory, practice, and bringing together technical, creative perspective on new media systems, interactive technologies and digital culture as well as exploring new emerging creative technologies, producing an industry professional who can produce as well as explore future creative technologies.

Students are encouraged to work with technology experimentally in a creative way, collaboratively, and to apply emerging and existing technology in new and innovative ways, research and the experimental application. You will also have hands-on experience creating content for, iPad, iPhone, iPod, Playstation , Xbox, Oculus Rift and content rich media websites, advanced web production and design, design for interface all of this with the user in mind. The course will provide skills in the relevant multimedia software, media rich web production, Unity, UdK, website design and development to mobile app development. You will be taught creative coding, interfaces and the course encourages the use a wide range of programming languages delivered by industry practitioners. We also have accreditation opportunities within Adobe and Apple for those students wanting to develop their skills more prolifically within select software.

These include mobile apps, mainstream games, interactive installation, sonic media and eMarketing, with an emphasis on core creative skills. The course also prepares and enhances your ability in producing interactive media, methodologies and production workflows, supported by a robust understanding of the technologies and theories involved.

The Interactive Media Practice degree offers an ideal underpinning for those seeking employment in the digital media industries, which increasingly require people who work with technology form a creative perspective. This is the course that will create the next generation of interactive media talent who are both enterprising and creative.

Our approach on the course is implemented through hackathon culture as seen in technology start up sectors, where cross collaboration through interdisciplinary approach is very welcomed. Students are encouraged to apply from design, non-programming or non-technical backgrounds as well as technical backgrounds.

Modules

-Applied Innovation and Interactive Design
-Mobile Apps and Wearable Devices
-Entrepreneurship and Project Management for Creative Industries
-Social Media and E-Marketing
-Hack Lab and Creative Technologies
-UX Design and Development
-Major Project

Associated careers

There are many highly desirable careers that students from this course can go on into such as: interactive media, app development, new media production, interactive development, advanced web producer, content manager, UX designer, project management, media, digital marketing, media design, online branding, interactive game design, web production, game designer, media advertising, information design, digital production, strategic development, online advertising, UX architect, digital SAM, mobile UX, front end development, wen development, email marketing executive, ecommerce digital marketing manager, .net developer, UX designer academic publisher, UX researcher, social media executive, digital designer, digital advertising, SEO consultant, content marketing specialist, interaction designer, digital project manger, optimisation manager and digital content production. Digital marker, creative technologist, rich media website developer, games producer, social media manger, museum installation, VR gaming, VR advertising.

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Develop your technical knowledge, shape your ideas and concepts and gain a blend of creative and programming skills highly sought after in industry.

This course will equip you with creative prototyping and programming skills for design. You’ll use software and hardware to respond to a range of design briefs dealing with human interaction in spaces and through objects and interfaces.

You’ll learn combined technical and creative skills and have the opportunity to shape your own ideas, concepts and theories through a self-directed major project, informed by design research and critical enquiry.

This course has a strong studio culture and is taught in a multidisciplinary space within a suite of post-graduate design courses where you’ll gain skills and knowledge highly sought after in industry.

See the website http://www.napier.ac.uk/en/Courses/MA--MDes-Interaction-Design-Postgraduate-FullTime

What you'll learn

In specialist prototyping modules you’ll develop specific skills and knowledge in Arduino and other forms of prototyping, which will inform and enable highly developed 3D outcomes in your self-directed major project. Working with specialist tutors, the major project allows you to model and develop design outcomes for human interactions.

Collaboration with practitioners from other areas is encouraged. You have the option of taking an MA or MDes award, depending on whether you complete a dissertation or design project report in your final trimester.

We have a strong studio culture supported by our multidisciplinary staff team of academics and industry based practitioners. You’ll develop creative, professional, strategic and contextual knowledge and skills and apply design thinking to a range of creative outcomes.

Modules

• Design Research Methods
• Sketching in Hardware & Software
• 3D Prototyping or Exhibition Design
• Major Design Project
• Light Art & Projection or Digital Creative
• For MDes Degree - Design Project Report
• For MA Degree - Design Dissertation

Study modules mentioned above are indicative only. Some changes may occur between now and the time that you study.

Careers

You’ll gain a rare blend of creative and programming skills which are highly sought after in industry. With a physical and digital portfolio demonstrating industry-ready skills, graduates can apply for design jobs, freelance work or establish entrepreneurial ventures.

You may also continue to study to MPhil or PhD level.

How to apply

http://www.napier.ac.uk/study-with-us/postgraduate/how-to-apply

SAAS Funding

Nothing should get in the way of furthering your education. Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) awards funding for postgraduate courses, and could provide the help you need to continue your studies. Find out more: http://www.napier.ac.uk/study-with-us/postgraduate/fees-and-funding/saas-funded-courses

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