Interactive Media - Conversion Course

Course Outline
The MSc in Interactive Media is a CONVERSION COURSE; it is an intensive taught course focusing on the practical and technical aspects of interactive media.

The broad aim of the course is to equip students from a wide range of backgrounds with a thorough understanding of the technology and industry-standard tools used in the digital media sector. Interactive digital media seeks to entertain, inform and inspire an audience. The creation of interactive digital media is a challenging and complex activity requiring a blend of creative and technical skills using a range of existing and emerging technologies.

On successful completion of the course, you will have a comprehensive knowledge of the underlying concepts, technologies and practices of interactive digital media and be able to apply these to create interactive digital media products.

The MSc (Interactive Media) is a taught programme that may be taken full-time over 12 months or part-time over 24 months from the date of first registration for the programme.

Why Choose This Course
This CONVERSION COURSE is intended for graduates who do not have a Computer Science Degree and would like to attain skills that are in demand by the IT sector. The aim of the MSc in Interactive Media is to equip you with qualifications relevant to the multimedia, broadcast, games, web, social media and general ICT industries. Interactive media is a fast-changing discipline, so we actively engage with industry and the research communities to ensure that the content of the course is continuously evolving and relevant, preparing students for a productive future in the digital media industry.

Programme Structure:
Students must attain 90 credits through a combination of:
• core modules (60 credits)
• dissertation (30 credits)

Core Modules
Full-time students are required to take the following 30 credits of core modules. Part-time students are required to take three of the following core modules in each year (15 credits), for a total of six separate modules over the two years (30 credits).

Modules - Semester 1
• CS6100 Authoring (5 credits) Semester 1
• CS6101 Web Development for Digital Media (5 credits) Semester 1
• CS6102 Graphics for Interactive Media (5 credits) Semester 1
• CS6103 Audio and Sound Engineering (5 credits) Semester 1
• CS6104 Digital Video Capture and Packaging (5 credits) Semester 1
• CS6111 3D Graphics and Modelling (5 credits) Semester 1

Modules - Semester 2
Full-time students select 30 credits, part-time students 15 credits.
• CS6105 Future and Emerging Interaction Technologies (5 credits) Semester 2
• CS6113 Internet-based Applications (5 credits) Semester 2
• CS6114 Digital Video Compression and Delivery (5 credits) Semester 2
• CS6115 Human-Computer Interaction (5 credits) Semester 2
• CS6116 Mobile Multimedia (5 credits) Semester 2
• CS6117 Audio Processing (5 credits) Semester 2

Note: Not all modules may be offered in a particular year and are subject to change.

Project Phase (After Period 2)
Full-time and part-time students are required to take a project as follows:
• CS6200 Dissertation in Interactive Media (30 credits)

Additional Teaching Mode Information
Modules
Further details on the modules listed above can be found in our book of modules. Any modules listed above are indicative of the current set of modules for this course but are subject to change from year to year.

University Calendar
You can find the full academic content for the current year of any given course in our University Calendar.

Requirements
• Open to graduates of any discipline who have achieved at least a Second Class Honours Grade II in a primary honours degree (NFQ, Level 8), or those with an equivalent professional qualification, are eligible to apply, provided there is no significant overlap between their previous courses of study and the content of this course. Significant overlap may occur where candidates have pursued a Computer Science course with significant multimedia or digital media content. In these cases, the Selection Committee will decide the eligibility of the candidate. Applicants without the requisite primary degree will be subject to the approval of the School and the College of Science, Engineering and Food Science under Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
• Candidates from Grandes Écoles Colleges are also eligible to apply if they are studying in an ENSEA or EFREI Graduate School and are eligible to enter the final year (M2) of their programme, provided there is no significant overlap between their previous courses of study and the content of this course.

English Language Requirements
Applicants that are non-native speakers of the English language must meet the university approved English language requirements available at https://www.ucc.ie/en/study/comparison/english/postgraduate/

For applicants with qualifications completed outside of Ireland
Applicants must meet the required entry academic grade, equivalent to Irish requirements, available at https://www.ucc.ie/en/study/comparison/

International/non-EU applicants
For full details of the non-EU application procedure please visit our how to apply pages for international students. In UCC, we use the term programme and course interchangeably to describe what a person has registered to study in UCC and its constituent colleges, schools, and departments.

Not all courses are open to international/non-EU applicants, please check the fact file above.

For more information please contact the International Office.

Closing Date: Non-EU Closing Date: 15 June

Open for EU applications, check rounds closing dates under
How to Apply - Application Date Weblink below.

How Do I Apply
1. Choose Course
Firstly choose your course. Applicants can apply for up to two courses under one application. Details of taught courses are available on our online prospectus.

2. Apply Online
Once you have chosen your course you can apply online at the online application portal. Applicants will need to apply before the course closing date. There is a non-refundable €50 application fee for all courses apart from the Education - Professional Master of Education - (Secondary School/Post-Primary Teacher Training) which has a €100 application fee.

Applicants for the Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health Nursing must apply on the PAC website when the programme opens for applications.

3. Gather Supporting Documents
Scanned copies of the following documents will need to be uploaded to the online application portal in support of your application. Applicants may need to produce the original documents if you are accepted onto a course and register at UCC.
• Original qualification documents listed on your application including transcripts of results from institutions other than UCC
• Any supplementary items requested for your course.

Please log into the online application portal for more details.

4. Application processing timeline
Our online application portal opens for applications for most courses in early November of each year. Check specific course details.

5. Rounds
For courses that are in the rounds system (Irish and EU applicants), please check the rounds closing dates.

Postgraduate Diploma in Interactive Media
Students who successfully achieve the pass standard in the examination may opt not to proceed to the digital media project and may opt instead to be awarded the Postgraduate Diploma in Interactive Media.

1 year full-time
2 years part-time
The part-time option will be taught during weekday working hours over 2 years.

Lectures: 12 hours per week (full-time); 6 hours per week (part-time)

Laboratory sessions: 6 hours per week (full-time); 3 hours per week (part-time)

You are expected to undertake independent reading and study.

Full details and regulations governing Examinations for each programme will be contained in the Marks and Standards 2017 and for each module in the Book of Modules.

Start Date: 7 September 2020

Skills and Careers Information
The ICT sector in Ireland is a thriving and growing industry with the top 5 global software companies, the top 3 global enterprise software companies, and 9 of the top 10 US ICT companies maintaining a presence in Ireland (IDA Ireland). This sector is one of the country's most prevalent employers with over 75,000 people employed by ICT companies in Ireland. There are currently 5,400 ICT companies in Ireland, 233 of which are foreign owned. The sector is amongst the top three Irish growth industries, with both indigenous and international companies creating large bases in the country (Enterprise Europe).

Numerous reports, both national and international have highlighted the digital media industry as one of the fastest growing industries in a high-value sector with significant employment and strong revenues.

Graduates of the MSc Interactive Media can take up employment in areas such as:
• Graphic Design & UI/UX Development
• Senior Developer, Designer, Architect, Management
• Social Media / Digital Content
• Product Management
• Digital Analytics / Visualisation
• Data / Statistical Analysis, Business Intelligence Specialist

Companies actively recruiting our graduates:
ABB Group, Amazon, Apple, capSpire, ChyronHego Corporation, Connecta Ireland, Core International, Eden Recruitment, General Motors, Ignite Programme, University College Cork, Johnson Controls, Media HQ, MMD Distrbution, Pentagon 2000, PFH Technology Group, Retail in Motion, SANA Consultants, Screendragon, Search4Less, Teamwork, TPx, User-X Ltd, VMware, Wave Break Media, Xanadu Consultancy, Zahra Media Group, and more.