BSc Interactive Media Programme Specification 2023-24

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1	ACADEMIC QUALITY TEAM
2	Programme Specifications 2023-24
3	Revised February 2023
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6	Programme Title			BSc Interactive Media
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8	This document applies to students who commenced the programme(s) in:			2023		Award type			BSc
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10	What level is this qualification?			6		Length of programme			3 Years
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12	Mode of study (Full / Part Time)			Full Time
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14	Will the programme use standard University semester dates?			Yes		For York Online programmes, will standard dates for such programmes be used?			N/A
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16	Awarding institution			University of York		Board of Studies for the programme			School of Arts and Creative Technologies
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18	Lead department			School of Arts and Creative Technologies		Other contributing departments			N/A
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20	Language of study and assessment			English		Language(s) of assessment			English
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22	Is this a campus-based or online programme?			campus
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24	Partner organisations
25	If there are any partner organisations involved in the delivery of the programme, please outline the nature of their involvement. You may wish to refer to the Policy on Collaborative Provision
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29	Reference points
30	Please state relevant reference points consulted in the design of this programme (for example, relevant documentation setting out PSRB requirements; the University's Frameworks for Programme Design (UG or PGT); QAA Subject Benchmark Statements; QAA Qualifications and Credit Frameworks).
31	University UG Programme Design Policy; QAA Benchmark for Communication, Media, Film and Cultural Studies (2019)
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34	Credit Transfer and Recognition of Prior Learning
35	Will this programme involve any exemptions from the University Policy and Procedures on Credit Transfer and the Recognition of Prior Learning? If so, please specify and give a rationale
36	No
37	No
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39	Exceptions to Regulations
40	Please detail any exceptions to University Award Regulations and Frameworks that need to be approved (or are already approved) for this programme. This should include any that have been approved for related programmes and should be extended to this programme.
41	N/A
42	N/A
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44	Internal Transfers
45	Please use the boxes below to specify if transfers into / out of the programme from / to other programmes within the University are possible by indicating yes or no and listing any restrictions. These boxes can also be used to highlight any common transfer routes which it would be useful for students to know.
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47		Transfers in:	Yes - [Internal] transfer applicants [for second year entry] with credits in closely related degree programmes will be considered on a case by case basis by the Admissions Tutor for the Interactive Media BSc, in consultation with the Programme Leader and Chair of Board of Studies.			Transfers out:	Yes - Students are able to request a programme transfer to another programme and this would be discussed with the individual student, usually by the supervisor.
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50	Statement of Purpose
51	Please briefly outline the overall aims of the programme. This should clarify to a prospective student why they should choose this programme, what it will provide to them and what benefits they will gain from completing it.
52	Interactive media has entered almost every aspect of our lives. Mobile apps, websites, games and social media have transformed the way we work, play, learn and interact with each other. But this is just the beginning. With emerging mainstream technologies such as augmented and virtual realities and the Internet of Things, we are only just beginning to understand the huge potential of interactive media to transform and enhance our lives. Our Interactive Media BSc is a unique multidisciplinary degree which will give you the skills and understanding to create the new types of interactive media content that are transforming our society and culture. To innovate in interactive media, you need to be able to understand it from technical, creative and socio-cultural perspectives. In the words of Steve Jobs, "technology alone is not enough — it is technology married with liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields us the result that makes our heart sing". Our unique multidisciplinary course will support you in developing your creativity, acquiring design, technical and programming skills needed in the production of interactive media, and the ability to analyse and assess the impact of interactive media upon individuals and society as a whole. The course combines creative with technical work, user experience design with computer programming, and human-computer interaction with critical analysis of digital culture and society. With hands on engagement in the latest digital technologies, design methods and digital culture theories, you will learn how to understand and create interactive media software, content, and products for a variety of platforms and uses including mobile apps, games and virtual environments, responsive websites, virtual reality, social media, augmented reality, interactive television, digital art installations and many more. This course is academically focused, but also gives you the freedom to develop your own practical ideas from the first year onwards, and so to create a portfolio to show your future employers. Through various courseworks and projects, you will develop skills that are useful in any sectors of prefessional and social life, such as for management, communication, negotiation, research and group work. You will have access to superb technical facilities, be surrounded by students studying closely interrelated courses in performance (theatre), media technology and production (film and TV), and digital technologies (computer science), and be taught by teachers who are groundbreaking researchers in interactive media. You will benefit from our excellent links with industry as well as cultural and governmental organisations through masterclasses, internships and employment opportunities. Upon completion, you will be a well-rounded professional, attractive to a huge range of employers, from entertainment to finance, from technology development to design, from industry to academia.
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63	If there are additional awards associated with the programme upon which students can register, please specify the Statement of Purpose for that programme. This will be most relevant for PGT programmes with exit awards that are also available as entry points. Use additional rows to include more than one additional award. Do not include years in industry / abroad (for which there are separate boxes).
64	Exit Award Title			Is the exit award also available as an entry point?	Outcomes: what will the student be able to do on exit with this award?			Specify the module diet that the student will need to complete to obtain this exit award
65	Certificate of Higher Education			No				All stage 1 modules
66	Diploma of Higher Education			No				All stage 1 and 2 modules
67	BSc (Ord) in Interactive Media			No				All stage 1 and 2 modules, plus and 60 credits in stage 3
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70	Programme Learning Outcomes
71	What are the programme learning outcomes (PLOs) for the programme? (Normally a minimum of 6, maximum of 8). Taken together, these outcomes should capture the distinctive features of the programme and represent the outcomes that students progressively develop in the programme and achieve at graduation. PLOs should be worded to follow the stem 'Graduates will be able to...'
72	1	Initiate, plan and execute interactive media projects, both individually and collaboratively, using various creative, artistic, analytic, technical, organisation and communication skills
73	2	Identify needs for mediated expression, communication and interaction and devise, model, evaluate and communicate meaningful interactive media concepts and artefacts that address them through the application of user experience design methodologies
74	3	Create high quality interactive media assets, including graphics, pictures, video, sound and virtual environments through the application of aesthetic principles, understanding of human perception and application of dedicated authoring tools
75	4	Select, devise and apply appropriate algorithmic abstractions to model behavior of interactive media artefacts and express such models in computer programming languages
76	5	Theorise interactions between media, technology and culture, and critique the social, political and cultural implications of such interactions employing relevant theoretical frameworks
77	6	Adhere to established norms of professional conduct that operate in relation to interactive media
78	7	Mediate conversations between people of various specialities involved in the process of interactive media development, including designers, art and content creators, software developers, business operators, and media analysts
79	8	Approach specific situations with creativity, analyse them critically and with rigour, and communicate ideas with clarity and persuasiveness
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81	Diverse entry routes
82	Detail how you would support students from diverse entry routes to transition into the programme. For example, disciplinary knowledge and conventions of the discipline, language skills, academic and writing skills, lab skills, academic integrity.
83	The programme does not map directly to an area of study that all students will have completed previously. As such, all discipinary content and conventions are taught from a beginner level. Students will be directed to additional language, academic and writing support as appropriate. Academic integrity is explained within the context of the discipline.
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92	Inclusion
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94	Please confirm by ticking the box on the right that the design, content and delivery of the programme will support students from all backgrounds to succeed. This refers to the University's duties under the Equality Act 2010. You may wish to refer to the optional Inclusive Learning self-assessment tools to support reflection on this issue.
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96	Employability
97	Please give a brief overview - no more than 5 sentences - of how the programmes helps develop students' employability. Your Faculty Employability Manager can help reflection on this issue. This statement will be used by Marketing as the basis for external content with respect to employability.
98	The programme ensures relevance to evolving needs of the interactive media industries through its advisory board, who share industrial expertise in order to ensure the PLOs and programme structure produces graduates that have the right skills and knowledge to succeed in a variety of roles. This is further enhanced by the masterclass programme, which brings in interactive media professionals from a range of backgrounds, who share real-world experiences and expose students to industrial perspectives across the programme strands. Modules are grounded in contemporary industrial contexts such as heritage, entertainment and advertising, and involve real industrial partners and site visits where appropriate, to ensure that all student work is conducted with a strong understanding of specific real-world needs. The programme is designed so that students create a range of high quality artefacts as part of their study and assessment, which are ideal for use in portfolios, and help students demonstrate skills and knowledge to potential employers. Along with the complementary support on CVs, applications and schemes from the university Careers service, students are well placed to achieve excellent roles across interactive media industries and beyond.
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