The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) has well-established university campuses in Savannah and Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States, and in Lacoste, France. It has established an international reputation for developing people with the creative talents that are sought after by leading companies such as Apple, DreamWorks SKG, Electronic Arts, General Electric, Marvel Comics, Microsoft Corporation, Movado Watches, Pixar, Ralph Lauren, Vtech and Versace.
'Our postgraduate degree programmes at SCAD are designed for dedicated, self-motivated students who are committed to the pursuit of excellence through advanced study,' says John Paul Rowan, vice-president for SCAD Hong Kong (SCAD HK).
He says that graduate curricula are structured to address the literature of the discipline, and to ensure ongoing student engagement in research or appropriate professional practice and training experiences. 'The graduate experience culminates in student teaching or in a thesis or final project demonstrating a mature and resolved body of work or research,' adds Rowan.
For a little more than a year, SCAD has been offering postgraduate degree programmes in graphic design, interactive game development and photography at its campus in the historic former North Kowloon Magistracy Building, in Sham Shui Po. Students can complete either a master's of arts or master's of fine arts degree in each area.
Photography is currently the most popular area of study for students at the Hong Kong campus. The postgraduate programme enables students to explore camera vision, equipment and technique, photographic applications of digital technology, the use of black-and-white, colour and alternative photographic processes, and studio and location lighting techniques.
In keeping with the college's philosophy of preparing students for life after university, there are also courses in portfolio development and business practices that help prepare students for careers in a wide range of commercial, fine art or documentary fields of work.