Immersive Media

Awards

Target Award

Award Description:Master of Arts - MA

Alternative Exit

Award Description:Postgraduate Certificate - PC

Alternative Exit

Award Description:Postgraduate Diploma - PD

Award Learning Outcomes:Evidence knowledge and understanding of contextual debates and research legacies pertaining to immersive storytelling. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the affordances for immersive arts technologies, their context and audience. Evidence a knowledge and understanding of research and enquiry methods and a critical awareness of current issues and debates at the forefront of current and emerging creative and professional practice. Demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of the tensions that may lie between; user engagement, narrative processes, creativity and commercial concerns, in the development of immersive media products. Demonstrate a critical understanding of the affordances for immersive storytelling. Undertake self-directed research for immersive arts projects, involving sustained independent and autonomous enquiry. Synthesise ideas and conceptual frameworks from different sources of knowledge and from different academic disciplines. Exploit a range of immersive technologies to communicate ideas, information and aesthetic judgements to an audience. Initiate and develop distinctive and original creative work within various forms of immersive technology, delivery platform and context. Demonstrate ability to collaboratively develop, plan and manage a substantial project in response to a brief. Appreciate the complexity and diversity of contemporary communications, media, culture and society. Work productively in a group or team, showing abilities at different times to listen, contribute and lead effectively. Work in flexible, creative and independent ways, showing self-discipline, self-direction, critical self-awareness and reflexivity. Exploit a range of technologies to communicate ideas, information and aesthetic judgements to an audience.

Programme Offerings

Part-Time

F2F-JMU-SEP

Educational Aims of the Course

As with all Master's level programmes, study will be at, or be informed by, the forefront of the academic and professional discipline; the programme aims to provide skills training in immersive arts content production and technologies; including core digital skills for creative media practitioners; practical craft skills; software skills and the opportunity to engage with cutting edge technologies appropriate for individuals who may seek to exploit these in the pursuit of engaging artefacts for a variety of audience contexts at the forefront of arts and industry; to foster the development and application of research and evaluative skills, together with the adoption of professional planning and project management practices for all aspects of creative media production, in order to enhance employability in circumstances requiring sound judgement, personal responsibility, initiative and practical project development and implementation of skills in complex and unpredictable professional and/or artistic environments; to encourage originality in the application of knowledge and understand how the boundaries of knowledge are advanced through research and by approaching complex issues systematically and creatively.

Teaching, Learning and Assessment

Students are taught with a wide mix of teaching methods including lectures, workshops; tutorials; group and individual project work, live projects, pitching to industry practitioners; supervised independent learning, open and resource-based learning, multi-media and new media learning, production practice; tutor-led, student-led and independent learning sessions, reading and research. Specialist IT resources and other studio-based resources, open and resource-based learning, immersive technologies and new media learning, production practice and play are an integral aspect of the delivery. Students are assessed through essays, blogs, critical evaluations, reviews and reports; individual and group presentations (oral and technology based); critical self- evaluation; role-analyses/evaluations; individual portfolios of work; individually and collaboratively produced immersive artefacts for a range of audience contexts.

Opportunities for work related learning

It is intended that much of the study will simulate the professional workplace in terms of interim assessments, reviews and landmarks. These will offer the opportunity for formative feedback by staff and peers, thereby mirroring professional practice. The ‘Collaborative Project’ module in semester 2 offers students an exceptional opportunity to begin dialogue with representatives of the creative media industry and respond to briefs provided by them. It is anticipated that on occasions, this will lead to projects being developed beyond the confines of the module with possibilities for students to work in a commercial environment. It is anticipated that members of the cohort may already be working in the creative media industry, thus adding to the professional contacts of the student cohort as a whole. Students are also encouraged to contact individuals and companies working in the creative media sector to seek work or internships.

Programme Structure

Programme Structure Description

Part-time students will complete 30 credits in semesters one & two in both years one & two. The final 60 credits will be completed in the summer semester of year two. All students complete 7002IM Immersive Media Lab in year one semester one and an Option module in year one semester two of either, 7004IA Collaborative Project or 7002CT Interactive Story. All students complete 7001IA Immersive Story Telling in year two semester one and in semester two, all part-time students take the core research module, 7003IA Research & Proposal which must be passed before submitting the final Masters project, 7005IM Immersive Media Project module which is taken during the summer semester of their final year. An alternative award of Postgraduate Diploma in Immersive Media will be offered to students who have achieved 120 credits excluding the 60-credit Final Project (7005IM). An alternative award of Postgraduate Certificate in Immersive Media will be offered to students who have achieved 60 credits at the point at which they exit the programme excluding the 60-credit Final Project (7005IM).

Structure

Level 7

Entry Requirements

Alternative qualifications considered

A first degree in a relevant subject (e.g. Media Production; Film Studies, Graphic Design, Digital Design, UX, Computer Studies, Computer Games, Fine Art, Design, Architecture, Performing Arts, Music Technology) with a pass of at least a lower second class (2.2). Those without a degree may be considered depending on their circumstances. It is anticipated that there will be interest in this programme from those who are practitioners in the wider creative digital and media industry. It is also expected that applicants will normally be able to demonstrate a good body of professional practice as a creative media practitioner (nominally equivalent to three years). The above should demonstrate that the student has a sufficient level of knowledge to embark upon, and to complete, the programme within the required time limits. Students should provide evidence, in the view of assessors, of their learning capability, study opportunity and commitment to a postgraduate programme of study. The Programme Leader will make a decision on whether to admit the candidate on the basis of experience evidenced by a combination of cv, portfolio/showreel, websites, references and possible interview should their experience need further clarification. Evidence of engagement with critical debate in the area of digital and creative media is expected.

Other international requirements

We welcome overseas applicants who will be considered in line with above entry requirements or recognised qualifications equivalent to a British Bachelors degree in a relevant subject (e.g. Media Studies, Computer Games, Computer Sciences, Design, etc.) with a pass of at least lower second class. Applicants whose first language is not English will be required to have an IELTS score of 6.5 (minimum 5.5 in each component) or an equivalent English language test accepted by UKVI.

HECoS Code(s)

(CAH24-01) media, journalism and communications

Course Catalogue

Immersive Media - 36592 - MA