The Master of Science degree is for students wishing to work within a scientific or technological discipline. Such a degree might include investigations into the methodologies, techniques, tools and standards used to construct well founded interactive digital media products.

Students will study aspects of Interactive Digital Media, according to their preferred specialisation, for example: gaming; assistive technology; interactive film/narrative; web design; digital sound and music composition; usability theory and project management.

The programme is offered in block and traditional mode. In block mode students are required to attend classes for two intensive ‘taught’ weeks for each taught module. Students are then expected to undertake assignments and assessment outside of this ‘teaching’ block and to engage in on-line forms of communication with their tutors and fellow students. The blocks of taught study at UEL will be in October and November and March and April.

This programme will only be offered in block mode in 2010/11. The programme will be offered in both block mode and traditional mode from 2011/12.

This programme aims to provide an enhanced experience of interactive digital media project design and realisation. The key focus is on developing students’ professional skills and abilities or supplementing their current skills with industry-relevant theory and project management expertise. Theoretical work will be underpinned by the practical planning and construction of Interactive Digital Media products.

Students are presented with a broad range of perspectives, that stimulate and situate their own practices whilst links with other organisations and practitioners give students an excellent opportunity to learn from case studies, placements and mentors.

Learning is facilitated through lectures, seminars, workshops and project work, across a variety of modes such as block, distance and student self-directed. A high level of tutor-student and peer-to-peer support provides an environment of shared experience, such as that already found in SMARTlab’s doctoral programme.

The MSc is at UEL’s Docklands Campus. SMARTlab and CITE provide a range of facilities for new media research including MAGIClab, an adaptable environment designed to house a range of activities. Here a number of technical skills can be learnt and put into practice, including 3D prototyping and laser cutting. Strong links with the open source community and hard/software development also mean that students can participate in wider discussions and testing of ideas and products. SMARTlab is located in the Knowledge Dock at UEL, a centre for innovation and business start-up. SMARTlab also has links with a large number of schools and other institutions where projects happen on a regular basis.

Applicants are normally expected to hold a first degree in a relevant subject, for example, BSc Computing, BSc Digital Media. The applicants should hold a British award classification of no less than a lower second class honours (2:2). Alternatively, a degree qualification of a standard equivalent from a recognised university outside the U.K is expected. Applicants with non-standard qualifications will be assessed at interview with the production of a portfolio of work.

In the case of applicants whose first language is not English, then IELTS 6.5 (or equivalent) is required. International qualifications will be checked for appropriate matriculation to UK Higher Education postgraduate programmes.

Students that apply to enter stages of the programme may be admitted through normal Accreditation of Experiential Learning (AEL) or Accreditation of Certificated Learning (ACL) processes, or through an approved articulation agreement. Therefore such applicants must be able to demonstrate and evidence that they have the required learning outcomes as listed in the modules for which they are seeking exemption.

The programme is offered in traditional or block release mode commencing in September. The programme is offered in full-time mode and part-time mode, commencing September. The full time mode consists of two 15-week semesters plus a 14 week period for a dissertation project. The part time mode consists of four 15-week semesters plus a 28 week period for a dissertation project. A full time student will study two 30-credit modules per semester whereas a part time student will study one 30-credit module per semester. For both modes of study the dissertation project may occur during the summer period. It is possible to move from full-time to part-time study and vice-versa to accommodate any external factors such as financial constraints or domestic commitments.  However, this may impact on the overall duration of the study period.

The block mode instance of the programme will require students to attend for the taught element of the programme from 9am to 6pm for two weeks for each taught module in October/November and in March/April. Students will be expected to undertake assignments and assessment outside of this ‘taught’ period and to engage in on-line communication activities with tutors and other students such as email, on-line forums, UEL Plus etc., particularly for the dissertation.

This programme will utilise a mixture of teaching methods that focus on and maximise a student’s learning experience. A series of lectures and seminars will be used to present information, general principles, applications and methods. However, lectures will not be student-passive sessions but interactive sessions with students participating. Lectures will be enhanced by support activities aiming to enforce student understanding and learning including tutorials, problem solving sessions, laboratories, group work and projects. Moreover, a series of student-based activities such as presentations will be used to provide students with the necessary skills to clearly describe their work and ideas.

Where group work is required, this will be managed to ensure that each student’s role and responsibilities are easily identifiable and quantifiable, with clear aims and objectives for the group and its members laid out at the start of each group project. The onus is on each individual however, and it is the individual's documentation and self-reflection that will be assessed.

Where learning contracts are used, students are required to take responsibility for their own academic development. The expectation is that students will undertake directed work and further study in their own time. Work undertaken throughout the programme will vary in accordance with the assignment load and the scheduling of assessments. However, the Programme Leader will endeavour to ensure that the workload is evenly distributed. By utilising this ethos throughout the programme, students are developing a professional attitude, which will be necessary during their future career. The discipline will also support the need for students to understand the nature of continuing professional development.

In block mode teaching will be delivered in a mix of the above formats over the block with on-line formats used outside of the ‘teaching’ block.

The philosophy regarding assessment is to provide a mix of tasks that test the breadth and depth of knowledge and skills, and ensure that the identified learning outcomes have been achieved. Therefore, group and individual assignments, and problem solving activities will be used, including discussion, presentation and written tasks.

The weighting of practical and written assessment will vary from module to module.

The requirements of the British Computer Society have been taken into account in the design of the MSc part of this programme. In addition SMARTlab Digital Media Institute has extensive ties with industry, since most of its PhD student body either come from or return to industry. SMARTlab is funded through a combination of industry partnerships, public funding and private grants.

Students might engage in project work with external organisations if required.

The expected career destinations for graduates include:

• Web Developer
• Human Computer Interface Designer
• Interactive Product Designer
• Digital Media Project Manager
• e-Learning Developer
• Software Programmer

Added value

Students on the programme will enjoy academic and professional contact with a wide range of leading academics in the media, games industry and computing domains, and will work on their projects in a unique research environment, attached to the SMARTlab’s renowned cutting edge Research Centre.
This is a unique programme as SMARTlab Masters students can work across genres, disciplinary and cultural boundaries. The SMARTlab MSc can provide students with a bridge from their first degree onto PhD study.

This programme focuses on real, practical contributions to the ethical, socially responsible delivery of new media tools and approaches to creative research for actual need. The programme also provides industry-based models as examples and introduces new developments in the broader fields both creatively and technologically; it pushes and challenges students in the creative domain, through assessing their working methods, their areas of expertise and, where appropriate, their roles within collaborative interactive media teams.

Students are expected to work on individual production projects in the core modules. The core module in Semester A may also include group project work subject to negotiation with the module leader. They may also engage in additional individual projects on some of the modules with a production component. The research methods and dissertation project require individual production work for submission. This is based on 75% production-based work.

Students will work across genres, disciplinary and cultural boundaries. Graduates can build rewarding careers the majority of market sectors, ranging from careers in the film/entertainment industry and the design sector, to corporate sectors and retail industry, or government and financial sectors.

The expected career destinations for graduates include:

• Web Developer
• Human Computer Interface Designer
• Interactive Product Designer
• Digital Media Project Manager

The programme will adhere to the UEL requirements for academic support, counselling and student support arrangements. The quality of modules will adhere to UEL’s Quality procedures which incorporate student and staff feedback via programme meetings, module feedback and evaluation, be subject to ratification by external examiners, and feed into the relevant Schools quality audit and quality tracking via the Review and Enhancement Process (REP) for the relevant fields and for this programme.

Academic support will be drawn from the relevant field and school, and via staff development through the annual staff development review.

Student support and counselling is via tutor support on the various modules in this programme, and via the students’ personal tutor. A personal tutor will be allocated to each student at the start of the programme. The personal tutor will be available to help students in their academic progress as well as in any general issues that they might face during their studies. An appropriate dissertation tutor will also be allocated to every student who takes the dissertation to provide support and knowledge throughout the duration of the dissertation. A programme leader will also be available to help students with any issues related to their programme. A programme handbook in line with UEL regulations will be available to all students at the start of their programme. Material for students will be mainly available in typed format and on-line but will also be produced to the necessary format required for any student on the programme with a registered disability. Last but not least, counsellors are available for consultation through the student services.

Students may take this programme in block mode where you will be taught on an intensive basis for 2 weeks for each module. Study outside of this period will be via directed study.