In the introductory part of the course, common across all DMI courses, you will work with other students from diverse academic, creative and technical backgrounds to experience the commonalities in professional digital media practice.

The second part of the course is shared with Games Development MSc and 3D Computer Generated Imagery MA/MSc students. It focuses on the craft of computer animation and visual effects, including the core 3D graphics skills of modelling, shading, lighting, rendering, animation and rigging, and associated skills such as rotoscoping and match moving.

The specialist MA modules focus on developing experiential interfaces and games design principles. Optional modules allow you to either develop an individual design project and/or specialise in narrative, audio or experience design in project work with other DMi students.

The specialist MSc modules emphasise 3D graphics programming for games and the mathematics, physics and coding skills which underpin this. Optional modules allow you to either develop an individual design project and/or specialise in development methods, multimedia and / or networked communications in project work with other DMi students.

For your final MA project you will be encouraged to work in a team, taking a professional role (e.g. programmer, level designer, art director etc.) to produce a professional piece of work. Alternatively you may undertake an industry-based project.

Digital Interdisciplinary Practice (15 credit Core across whole suite)

Responding to the changes and new demands of the digital media Industries, the focus of Digital Interdisciplinary Practice is establishing students’ team-working skills through innovative project development practices devised in consultation with external advisors from industry. These may be innovative and complex and involve high-levels of creative problem solving and user testing, developing students’ ability to interpret, interact and participate in iterative design processes and agile development practices. Students’ will be expected to present work in the context of their own practice, making their understanding of development processes for digital media clear and contextualising their own contribution. They will also be expected to develop an understanding of how iterative design processes and agile development practices relate to career opportunities in the digital media industries, cultivate their professional practice and initiate professional standard working relationships towards group projects.

Digital Content Production Processes (15 credit Core across whole suite)

This module forms one of the cornerstones of the Digital Media suite of courses and is one of two modules that all students will take. Its focus is on the various modes of production such as but not limited to: games production, mobile computing, online social spaces and interactive media. Indicative content may include idea development formalisations, responding to a brief, researching the brief, developing a pitch, pre-production paperwork, production pipelines, post production and testing etc. These practices will be contextualised by emerging and constantly changing legal frameworks of intellectual property, digital rights in the 21st Century and the increasing concerns over accessibility are also explored.

Fundamentals of CGI (15 credit Core 3D CGi MA/MSc & GD MA/MSc)

It is anticipated that students undertaking this module will already have experience of 3D computer generated imagery (CGI) in some form. This module develops student’s skills up to a level that will enable them to continue with project components at postgraduate level. This will include the theoretical aspects of CGI. The module will ensure that students are competent in the preferred industry standard software used on this postgraduate course.

Applications of CGI (15 credit Core 3D CGi MA/MSc & GD MA/MSc)

This module will further develop students’ skills in 3D CGI modelling and rendering to an advanced level. Students will specialise in the area specific to their overall degree course. This module will enable students to specialise in creating models for buildings, environments and interior spaces, photorealistic rendering and compositing into live action.

Experience Design 1 (Core to MA/MSc UXD & MA GD)

The focus of this module is ‘active design research’. The context is emerging principles of experience design media in advertising and cultural (as well as) spatial consumption. Students will interrogate the meaning of experience design, evaluate the cultural contexts of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ experience design (in for example, mobile and interactive), and produce prototypes for the purpose of design research. Students will be given the opportunity to design and apply primary research and user experience analyses to their own prototypes. Throughout the module students will be encouraged to develop and investigate the possibility of experience design proposals for all sensory modes (see, hear, touch, smell, taste!).

Games Design (15 credit Core MA GD & Option MA 3D CGi & MA UXD)

Game development is a highly complex, intensive process requiring teams of programmers, artists, project managers, writers, musicians and many others. The Game Designer is central to this process and designers must be able to communicate their vision to artists, programmers, producers, marketing staff, and others involved in the development process, and accept feedback on their work. This involves presenting ideas both verbally and on paper and in technical demos, in a range of 2D and 3D graphics and animation packages, with some programming skills at least at scripting’ level.

High Level Games Programming (15 credit Core MSc GD, Option MSc 3D CGi)

The module covers the process of creating computer games using various graphics libraries together with high level games features such as particle systems, physics and behaviours. It aims to guide students through the process of creating 3D computer games to become familiar with and code using high level games development libraries.

Low Level Games Programming (15 credit Core MSc GD, Option MSc 3D CGi)

This module covers performance optimisation in games programming. It aims to introduce the essential concepts of optimised coding strategies applied to games programming, and relate these strategies to actual games hardware and to study strategies for optimised networked games programming.

CHOOSE 30 credits

Experience Design 2 (Core MA/MSc UXD & Option MA GD)

In this module you will produce an integrated interaction/experience design project with digital media tools of your own choosing. Drawing on concepts and theories explored in Experience Design (I) you will continue to work in groups. You will extend your principle investigations to produce a prototype to cover all the human senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell and taste. The prototype design should work both within and beyond the screen. You have the opportunity in this module to explore and/or experiment with the possibility of one or more experience design methodologies. Which will include structural design elements for the five senses. (For example: http://naturalinteraction.org or: http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/article/HONSHI/20080428/151131)

Sequences & Stories (Option MA GD)

This module aims to develop an understanding of classic and alternative narrative structures and storytelling device; develop analytical skills that can be used to understand a scene shot by shot with respect to narrative functions.; explore verbal storytelling – discourse and deliver; develop a critical awareness of the relationship between filmmaker and audience; encourage students to use their own personal experiences, and their knowledge of a variety of media to develop stories of their own with both verbal and visual components; learn storyboarding skills and give students the opportunity to critically evaluate their own practice.

Digital Audio (Option MA/MSc GD & MA/MSc UXD)

This module aims to develop students’ understanding of Digital Music production; provide students with the skills to use MIDI Sequencers and Samplers in the creation of audio files; e.g. sound effects, music, samples, field recording, MIDI, etc Also, to enhance students’ understanding of the makeup of Analog and Digital Audio; Engage students critically with the principles of sound design for digital media products including websites, CDRoms, digital video and mobile content.

Practice Research Project (30 credit Option across all MAs)

During this module two substantial projects will be undertaken based on the identification of an issue which needs to be communicated to a group or directed at an identified ‘window of opportunity’. Normally one brief will be set and the other self-initiated, however, both will encourage questioning. The set brief will be open to negotiation, rewrite or re-positioning. The second, self-initiated brief encourages independence and should be born out of autonomous research and reflection upon reading interests or concerns. It could also be an extension of a subject which has already been touched upon during earlier projects. In the development of projects students will be expected to research and to liaise with outside agencies as appropriate. Most importantly, the self-initiated part of this module acts as a fore-runner to the final ‘Major Project’ and the success of these projects will indicate the appropriateness and readiness for the next stage, completion of the Major Practice Research Project.

Creative Research Methods (15 credit Option across all MAs)

This module provides students with the opportunity to develop their own creative research methodologies while investigating a topic of their own choosing. It will address issues surrounding practice related research in digital media. These issues will be examined by looking at digital media works developed by a variety of practitioners/researchers, their methodologies and their position in research. The seminars will provide students with the appropriate research skills to develop their projects. We will examine how theory and practice run hand in hand to study and produce a practice-led proposal, developing visual research processes and methodologies with the aim to produce a digital media project and a written research paper.

Research Methods; Humanities (15 credit Option across all MAs)

This module encourages you to develop the fundamental research and writing skills needed to successfully undertake MA work, including the final dissertation. It also provides specialist help relating to electronic tools and resources relevant to current literary scholarship and research practice. Individual writing workshops allow you to analyse your own writing methods, as well as constructively analyse the writing of your peers and established authors.

Agile Development (Option MSc GD)

This module is a core module in the Information Systems and Software Engineering postgraduate programmes. The module focuses on various approaches to Agile Development and deals mainly with techniques, documentation, testing and project management. This module aims to provide a critical awareness of the strengths and limitations of agile development approaches and techniques; a comprehensive understanding of the use of the DSDM Atern framework with analysis and design techniques from the object oriented paradigm; and a systematic understanding of the fundamental principles and techniques associated with agile project management.

Multimedia Communications (Option MSc GD)

The module mainly focuses on providing key concepts about multimedia signals (audio, images and video) and relevant compression and transmission techniques. This module aims o provide students with an understanding of Quality of Service (QoS) parameters and mechanism applied to IP networks and an understanding of the principles of source coding applied to voice, audio, image and video compression and experience of writing an academic report.

Digital Communication (Option MSc GD)

To provide the students with working knowledge of the Digital Communications area, covering subjects as PHY for digital networks, digital transmission and media, digital modulations and digital access networks with emphasis on wireless networks. This module aims to provide students with a sound understanding of the physical layer, a comprehension of digital transmission, a comprehension of digital modulation, an understanding of transmission media and a comprehension of high-speed digital access with emphasis on wireless networks.

TCP/IP Networks (Option MSc GD)

This module covers computer networks, the Internet and Internet Protocol (IP). The subject areas in the module include network architecture, transport protocols as well as the link layer and Ethernet. This module aims to provide the student with a basic understanding of computer networks the Internet and IP, an understanding of transport protocols and a knowledge of the link layer and Ethernet.

Research Methods; Sciences (15 credit Option across all MScs)

Research Methods module provides the student with the research skills and techniques necessary to complete other modules and the project. This vital module will help you to select and justify a research topic, use various resources to carry out a literature search, and look at the structure and format of the project.

CHOOSE 60 credits:

Final Project; CISM (60 credit Option across all MScs)

This module constitutes the major individual piece of work of the Masters Programme where the student carries out a project involving independent critical research, design and implementation (where applicable). You will be expected to apply established research methods for independent research; develop an ability to organise and carry out an extended and independent study of work at postgraduate level; pursue in-depth studies of professional or academic relevance to the student and an organisation or a company and extend the knowledge and skills developed in the taught component of the course.

Final Project; SCi (60 credit Option 3D CGi MA & all MScs)

This module presents students with the opportunity to choose a specialism from the field of Digital Technology. Students will be able to build on the skills acquired in previous modules, and develop them to a standard appropriate for admission to the media industry. The choice of specialism will be determined by both the overall degree programme that they are following, and also the student’s particular interests. Whilst the project will be individual in nature, it may be undertaken as a collaboration with other students so as to form a greater piece of work.

Final Project; FASS (60 credit Option across all MAs)

Students are required to complete a substantial piece of work in the form of an interactive or convergent media project (this may include web, video; animation; audio, photographic; or mixed-media installation production). The project dissertation is equivalent to two units and is submitted at the end of the course. The project dissertation will be a completion of a practical project and accompanying reflective / critical paper.

Final Project; FADA (60 credit Option across all MAs)

The final Module of the course, the Final Major Project offers students the opportunity to undertake an approved period of tutored and independent learning, combining practical and academic skills, working on a subject of specialist interest. Each student is asked to produce a Project proposal, including proposed research study programme and submission format for approval before starting the Module. The project should normally be structured to balance a period of critical, sociological and/or historical research with a demonstration of design analysis, methods and creative development, aiming to extend the boundaries of knowledge regarding User Experience Design, Games Development or 3D Computer Generated Imaging. The study can relate to the development of existing template/s in one of the above fields or may focus on producing, designing, realising and / or theorising the development of new work in one of these fields.