Multimedia and design courses adapt to new digital media
Courses equip students with all the skills they need to succeed in this fast-paced hi-tech arena.
The rapid rise of digital media over the past 30 years has changed the ways in which the world interacts and does business.
The challenge today for media graduates, therefore, is in trying to understand the implications of new media on citizens of the new digital age, especially in terms of rapid technological developments, the explosion of consumer-friendly intelligent devices, as well as the huge uptake of internet and mobile device usage.
In response to this, universities have been gearing up their programmes for those who wish to pursue a career in, or simply develop a deeper understanding of, new digital media. Two universities which have taken the lead in new media are the City University (CityU) and Polytechnic University (PolyU), both of which have launched individual courses to cater to the demand for new media programmes.
“Over the past 15 years, new media has undergone significant changes,” explains Dr Shen Fei, programme leader for the master of arts in communication and new media programme at CityU. “Our [master’s] programme was launched in 1998 and was the first MA programme of its type in the region.”
Shen explains that the university decided to launch the programme to provide students with advanced training on human communication theories and cutting-edge new media technologies because the expertise and practical skills that once worked with new media needed significant updating in order for graduates to be able to work in the field.