Teaching goes digital!
Hosam Al-Samarraie lecturer of Digital Media describes the measures that he and his team have put in place to provide the right learning activities to engage students when teaching online.
Overview
Love combining digital skills with creative storytelling? A Digital Media degree aims to provides you with a foundation of creative and technical skills that will help prepare you for a potential future career in immersive media, interactive film, digital marketing and much more.
Preparing you for a career in the fast-paced digital media, design and communications industries, this course will allow you to work on multiple live projects, exploring a range of multimedia forms, practices and platforms to create imaginative, cutting-edge content.
You’ll have access to our extensive specialist resources, including video and photography studios, industry-standard software suites, radio studios, specialist IT facilities and our dedicated ‘digital media lab’ (subject to availability). As a part of this course we provide you with your own Media Technology Pack.
Why Coventry University?
An award-winning university, we are committed to providing our students with the best possible experience. We continue to invest in both our facilities and our innovative approach to education. Our students benefit from industry-relevant teaching, and resources and support designed to help them succeed. These range from our modern library and computing facilities to dedicated careers advice and our impressive Students’ Union activities.
COVID-19
The University may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via emerging online technologies and methods across all courses. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we are prepared for courses due to start in or after the 2020/2021 academic year to be delivered in a variety of forms. The form of delivery will be determined in accordance with Government and Public Health guidance. Whether on campus or online, our key priority is staff and student safety.
Due to the ongoing restrictions relating to Covid-19, some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) and some non-academic offerings (particularly in relation to international experiences), may vary from those advertised and may have reduced availability or restrictions on their use.
Global ready
An international outlook, with global opportunitiesEmployability
Career-ready graduates, with the skills to succeedTeaching Excellence
Taught by lecturers who are experts in their fieldCourse essentials
A degree which offers you more, at no extra costRelated Links
Building Redevelopment
We are currently in the process of a major redevelopment of our Faculty of Arts and Humanities buildings. The building will be open to the public as well as students, and will feature an expansive gallery space.
Creative Community Hub
We hope that you are all staying safe in these uncertain times. Creative activities can really help fill the days, while we are spending more time at home and we have some ideas to keep you busy.
Virtual experience
Visit our online degree show where we have brought together the work of over 500 students.
Course information
Merging the creative and the technical, the Digital Media BA course will help you to develop skills and practices suited to a range of fields including the Internet of Things (IoT), immersive technologies such as augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), and web, mobile and games app development.
The Digital Media BA course is different from a traditional programming or computer science course as its focus is primarily on creative production in the field of media using digital tools in 3D modelling, application development, immersive technologies, and audio and video production among others.
You will engage in practical hack labs, where you will work through the entire iteration process for digital projects such as reinventing classic arcade games or deploying mobile applications to a client brief. Using the principles of Agile software development, this will enable you to develop your project management and user testing knowledge and skills.
The course focuses on laying a flexible foundation of skills which will prepare you for a changing digital and technological landscape. On successful graduation, you can seek out roles in digital marketing and advertising, IoT development, UI/UX design and testing, web and mobile app development and, increasingly, in augmented reality/virtual reality development.
86%
of our students are satisfied by the quality of the course
NSS, 2016
Course specification
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Modules
We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.
1st
We have been ranked joint first amongst Modern Universities in England for career prospects - Guardian University Guide 2021
In more detail...
On this course, you’ll be taught by staff with expertise in immersive technologies and 360 video, music and digital composition and sound recording, user interface design and digital culture.
This course has five unique features:
- Explores a mix of creative and technical skills and knowledge development through a range of modules that will take students through the entire software development workflow from concept to user testing. In particular our creative hack lab modules offer the opportunity to tackle a project from concept to user testing during a one-week intensive course.
- On this course our students are issued with a media technology pack – currently a MacBook – to be used in line with the 24/7 mobile learning scheme, and pre-loaded with a suite of industry-standard software including Adobe Creative Suite (terms and conditions apply).
- Access to high standard professional media equipment via our Media Loan Shop, with equipment ranging from the most basic audio recorders, to a highly professional camera line up (all subject to availability), with our technicians who could support you and give advice and instructions for ease of use.
- Hear from expert guest speakers from the creative industries, including artists, performers, media producers, photographers and journalists who will look to share their experiences of recording and publishing their work.
- Past staff and students have a strong track record of collaborative applied projects with organisations including Genesys, Jaguar Land Rover, Coventry Telegraph, Rolls-Royce, BBC Big Screens and BT.
- Opportunities to apply for professional experience, placement opportunities and live professional projects. (subject to availability/change and additional fees and visa requirements may apply).
- Previous students have shown a strong track record of collaborative applied projects with organisations including Genesys, Jaguar Land Rover, Rolls-Royce, BBC Big Screens and BT.
- You can apply to receive your own mobile tech pack, including a high-end laptop with industry-standard production software and microcomputer, such as Dynamode or Raspberry Pi (terms and conditions apply).
- Expert guest speakers from the creative and technology industries, including designers, developers, artists, performers, media producers, photographers and journalists who look to share their experiences of working in industry.
- Access to high standard professional media equipment via our Media Loan Shop, with equipment ranging from the most basic audio recorders, to a highly professional camera line up, with technicians on hand to give advice and instructions for ease of use. (Subject to availability and terms and conditions).
Use of state-of-the art digital communications lab – the DigiComm Lab – equipped with industry-standard software.
Our main study themes are:
- Digital Media Theory: Introduces you to the meaning, importance and use of a number of fundamental concepts within the broad fields of digital media analysis and production which will enable you to understand how meaning within media objects has been produced, consumed and interpreted. These may include: networks, systems, digital identity, contexts of production, audience, narrative and genre, and critical reflection. The meaning and significance of these concepts will be explored through a range of methods, including case studies, seminar discussions and individual exercises which should illustrate their development, conventional use and potential limitations.
- Creative and Critical Digital Practice: Explores the core skills and knowledge necessary to effectively produce, distribute and analyse a range of digital media. You will examine how people, ideas and content flow through digital environments and learn how to develop a range of digital media artefacts. You will experiment with different forms of digital media content, including games, apps, immersive experiences, digital video, sound, web and other forms. We’ll examine the development of the digital media landscape and how it has challenged traditional notions of production and consumption, considering the implications of ‘digital’ mediation on areas such as identity, authorship and representation.
- Digital Storytelling and Media Design: Investigate the effects of immersive forms of digital media on storytelling by exploring areas such as augmented reality, pervasive and immersive media, locative media and interactive storytelling. Covering the transition from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0, the semantic web, the mobile web to the Internet of Things, you will explore the way networked culture has enabled new forms of storytelling and media design. It will enable you to develop practical skills in using a range of open source software tools, programming platforms and devices.
The course normally lasts three years when studied full-time. Students successfully completing the first two years of the course can opt to spend a year out between the second and third years on placement or study abroad*.
Your course will focus on areas such as, photography, cinematography, web design, web coding, web apps, illustration and augmented reality.
Your personal tutor will regularly review and discuss your progress on the course. We aim for you to develop through activity-led learning, with an emphasis on live projects, industry briefs, real-world working simulations, experimentation and play. You will also have the opportunity to take part in international trips* where you will be able to develop your knowledge and skills through fieldwork and group projects. Last year, previous students had the opportunity to participate in creating and hosting an immersive experience enhanced by augmented reality in Hong Kong together with students from the Hong Kong Design Institute.
*study abroad are subject to availability/change and additional fees apply.
Teaching methods include: lectures, with associated practical workshops, seminar classes and skills labs.
This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will could vary depending upon the module. Assessment methods include, practical or project work, coursework, tests, essays and presentations, posters.
The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards the achieving the intended learning outcomes. Assessments may include exams, individual assignments or group work elements.
On successful completion, you will be able to:
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of: the various processes and practices that combine towards the production, circulation and consumption of media, communication and cultural texts.
- Generate ideas, concepts, proposals, solutions or arguments independently and/or collaboratively in response to set briefs and/or as self-initiated activity.
- Appreciate the cultural and social significance of the emergence of new technological forms of media and communication practice and how these shape the lived experience of everyday domestic and professional life.
- Undertake a variety of forms of research appropriate to different forms of study and analysis and be able critically to reflect on the appropriateness of each form of research.
- Critically reflect on the chosen processes of production of media artefacts and products.
- Engage in creative, innovative and imaginative work.
- Analyse information and experiences, formulate independent judgements, and articulate reasoned arguments through reflection, review and evaluation of digital media practices.
- Work in flexible, creative and independent ways, demonstrating self-discipline, self-direction and reflexivity.
- Gather, organise and deploy ideas and information in order to formulate arguments cogently, and express them effectively in written, oral and other forms.
- Produce work which shows an effective manipulation of web, design, sound, image and/or the written word, demonstrating competences in operational aspects of digital media technologies, systems, techniques and professional and academic practices.
In a typical teaching week studying Full-time, you should have approximately 12 ‘contact’ hours of teaching. This generally breaks down as:
- Personal tutorial/small group teaching: a 1-hour smaller tutorial each week.
- Medium group teaching: 12 hours of practical classes, workshops or seminars each week.
- Large group teaching: 2 hours of lectures each week.
The contact hours may be made up of a combination of face-to-face teaching, individual and group tutorials, and online classes and tutorials.
In addition, you will be expected to undertake a further 20 hours of self-directed studying, coursework and revising in your own time.
We aim to encourage students to broaden their horizons by taking advantage of either study abroad or placement opportunities*. Our students may also have the opportunity to go on field trips international trips**. Past trips have included Berlin, New York, Hong Kong, and Barcelona. These are often combined with industry or community projects on location in the international destination. Last year a group of our previous final year students had the opportunity to work on the AR Prison Break project and present this immersive experience using augmented reality at the Spark Festival in Hong Kong.
*Study abroad or placement opportunities are subject to availability/change and additional fees apply.
**International and UK field trips are subject to availability/change and additional fees apply.
Global ready
Did you know we help more students travel internationally than any other UK university according to data from the experts in higher education data and analysis, HESA?
In 2018/19, we provided a total of 5,469 experiences abroad that lasted at least five days.
Much of this travel is made possible through our Global Leaders Programme, which enables students to prepare for the challenges of the global employment market, as well as strengthening and developing their broader personal and professional skills.
Explore our international experiences1st for
international experiences
Sending more students overseas than any other UK uni 2016/17
5,469
Student experiences
The number of student trips abroad for at least 5 days in 2018/19
12,000
and counting
The number of students we’ve helped travel internationally since 2016
12
global programmes
As well as trips, we offer other opportunities like language courses
Entry Requirements
Tuition Fees
We pride ourselves on offering competitive tuition fees which we review on an annual basis and offer a wide range of scholarships to support students with their studies. Course fees are calculated on the basis of what it costs to teach each course and we aim for total financial transparency.
For more information, please visit our Finance pages.
Course essentials at no extra cost
We're committed to communicating study costs clearly to make sure you're not faced with having to make any unexpected payments.
This is why our ‘Flying Start’ package provides you with a few course essentials. Your full-time fee for an undergraduate degree will cover the following:
UK field trips
Any mandatory site visits and trips within the United Kingdom.Key material
This can include core textbooks, software and equipment.Laser prints
1,000 A4 sides of black and white laser printing credits per year.Optional year
Pay no tuition fees for optional work placements or study abroad trips.EU student fees
EU nationals starting in the 2020/21 academic year remain eligible for the same fees as home students and the same financial support. Financial support comes from Student Finance England, and covers undergraduate and postgraduate study for the duration of their course, providing they meet the residency requirement.
For tuition fee loans
EU nationals starting in the 2020/21 academic year must have resided in the European Economic Area (EEA) or Switzerland for the three years prior to the start of their course. The purpose of that three year residency should not have been mainly for the purpose of receiving full time education.
For maintenance loans
EU nationals starting in the 2020/21 academic year must have resided in the UK and Islands for the five years prior to the start of their course. The purpose of that five year residency should not have been mainly for the purpose of receiving full time education.
Career prospects
Graduate Immigration Route visa
Based on current information from the UK Government, international students whose study extends beyond summer 2021 may be eligible for a visa under the UK Government’s Graduate Immigration Route, which will enable students to stay and work, or look for work, in the UK at any skill level for up to two (2) years. Check the most up to date guidance available to check your eligibility and any updates from the UK Government before making an application or enrolment decision.
This course places your future employability at its core, so you will be well placed to go into a number of industries that require multi-skilled digital media professionals on graduation. Throughout your studies, you will develop your own Professional Practice Portfolio which you may use when looking for work.
Roles could include Digital Artists and Designers, Digital Project Managers, Creative Technologists, Web Developers, Content and Platform Developers, Digital Researchers, Learning Technologists, Digital Marketing and Business Professionals, as well as more traditional areas within the creative media industries.
Our Talent team could offer tailored career and enterprise support if you wish to seek employment or discuss professional practice opportunities within course specific industries. Our dedicated enterprise officers also offer valuable assistance on how to begin as a freelancer/entrepreneur.
We are committed to preparing you for your future career and giving you a competitive edge in the graduate job market. Our Talent team provide a wide range of support services which could help you when you choose to plan and prepare for your potential career in industry.
Where our graduates work
The School has a very long and impressive history of previous graduates who have gone on to establish themselves in extremely high profile media and cultural employment, examples of which include: executive producer for many highly prestigious Hollywood films, director for BBC documentaries, DJs for national radio stations such as BBC Radio 6 and Virgin Radio, developer at a customer experience company, digital marketing executive at a full-service agency, planners and creatives for a number prestigious London-based advertising agencies.
Disclaimer
By accepting your offer of a place and enrolling with us, a Student Contract will be formed between you and the university. A copy of the 2020/21 Contract can be found here. The Contract details your rights and the obligations you will be bound by during your time as a student and contains the obligations that the university will owe to you. You should read the Contract before you accept an offer of a place and before you enrol at the university.
The tuition fee for the course that is stated on the course webpage and in the prospectus for the first year of study will apply. We will review our tuition fees each year. For UK and EU students, if Parliament permit an increase in tuition fees, we may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation. Following the UK’s exit from the European Union, EU students should be aware that there may be a change to UK laws following the UK’s exit, this may change their student status, their eligibility to study part time, and/or their eligibility for student finance. We will act in accordance with the UK’s laws in force in relation to student tuition fees and finance from time to time.
For International students the tuition fee that is stated on the course webpage and in the prospectus for the first year of study will apply. We will review our tuition fees each year. For international students, we may increase fees for each subsequent year of study but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation.
