BSc Honours in Digital Media Development

Course structure

The following subjects are indicative of what you will study in this course.

Year 1

The first year provides you with an underpinning of the subject area. You will be introduced to basic UI/UX principles and the process of designing digital media from requirements gathering and specifications to design of traditional websites and 2D interactive media. The first year provides also a solid understanding of programming concepts and languages that are used to create digital media.

Subjects of study include:

• 2D Interactive Media Development
• Computer Systems Fundamentals
• Programming Principles
• User Experience
• Web Design and Development.

Credit Level 4

Year 2

The second year allows progressing to more advanced topics of front-end development ranging from responsive websites to 3D interactive media development and usability testing. The curriculum builds on the fundamental conceptual knowledge attained in Level 4 to apply it to field-specific subjects. The emphasis is on developing your professional skills and learning how digital media projects are managed and organised. Creative modules allow you to build your portfolio in order to demonstrate your technical and creative skills.

Subjects of study include:

• 3D Interactive Media Development
• Advanced Client-side Development
• Game Engine Architectures
• Mobile Application Development
• Object-Oriented Programming
• Server-side Web Development
• Usability Testing

You can choose to take a year-long placement between Years 2 and 3 to work in the digital and creative industries. This gives you the opportunity to practise and enhance the skills you have learnt, and develop a better understanding of the needs of the industry and professional practices, as well as gaining work experience, which is invaluable for your final year of study and long-term career prospects.

Credit Level 5

Year 3

The third year builds on specific skills attained in Level 5 and exposes you to the specialised research topics of digital media design and development. You will complete a project of your own choice (a game, a dynamic and responsive web application or a mobile app) that provides you with the opportunity to develop more advanced skills and techniques in the potential area you will be seeking employment.

Subjects of study include:

• Advanced Interactive Media Development
• Digital marketing, Social Media and Web Analytics
• Final Year Project
• Information Driven Entrepreneurship and Enterprise
• Mobile Native Application Development
• Mobile User Experience.

Credit Level 6

Professional accreditation

This programme is accredited by BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, for fully meeting the educational requirement for Chartered IT Professional (CITP) status. Note that there are additional requirements, including work experience, to achieve full CITP status. Graduates of this accredited degree will also be eligible for professional membership of BCS (MBCS).

The BCS accreditation is an indicator of the programme’s quality to students and employers and is also an important benchmark of the programme’s standard in providing high-quality computing education, and commitment to developing future IT professionals that have the potential to achieve Chartered status. The programme is also likely to be recognised by other countries that are signatories to international accords.

Entry Requirements

UK

One of the following (or equivalent qualification):

• A Levels – BBC/A*A*
• International Baccalaureate – 26 points
• Pearson BTEC Level 3 Extended National Diploma/National Diploma – DMM/D*D*
• Access to HE Diploma - 45 credits at Level 3 with a minimum of 27 Level 3 credits at Merit or Distinction

In addition to one of the above, you should have:

• GCSE English and Mathematics with a minimum grade 4 (grade C in the grading system prior to 2017). Equivalent qualifications are also considered.

If your first language is not English, you will need an IELTS score of 6.0 overall, with 5.5 in each element.

EU/International

• International Baccalaureate – 26 points

If your first language is not English, you will need an IELTS score of 6.0 overall, with 5.5 in each element.

Career path