UNIVERSITY of Bradfordschool of Computing Informatics and Mediabradford Media Schoolprogramme

UNIVERSITY OF BRADFORDSchool of Computing Informatics and MediaBradford Media SchoolProgramme title: BSc (Honours) Media Technology and Production

Awarding & teaching institution: / University of Bradford
Final award: / BSc (Honours)
[Framework for Higher Education Qualifications level H]
Programme title: / Media Technology and Production
Duration: / 3 years full time; 4 years full time with Diploma of International Studies; 4-6 years part time
UCAS code: / HP63/BSc MTP
Subject benchmark statement: / Art and Design; Communication, Media, Film and Cultural Studies
Date produced: / May 2002
Last updated : / June2012

Introduction

Even in difficult economic times, the media industries, as a whole, are growing in the UK and internationally. They are also diversifying and changing rapidly, in a world that faces significant social, environmental and political challenges. As the technologies surrounding television, film, computing and communications become more entwined, graduates, who can demonstrate technical knowledge, creative skills, and a critical understanding of the workings of the media industries, are very much in demand. Studying hard on a degree here will equip you for a career in these exciting areas.

The course has a focus on video, TV and the moving image, but it is also a course designed for students who wish to develop expertise in a wide range of audio-visual technologies, from photography to Web design.

The School of Computing, Informatics and Media is part of a Skillset Media Academy in partnership with East Coast Media. Our courses are unique in that they are offered in collaboration with Bradford's National Media Museum. Our graduates go on to exciting jobs in the media industries and many have won awards for their work, including Royal Television Society student awards for documentary, drama and animation. Several students have gone on to set up their own businesses in the region (e.g. others work freelance, or have gone on to full time paid employment with a large media organisation, such as the BBC. Students will graduate with a range of media skills meaning they can respond quickly to a rapidly changing environment and be comfortable producing content across several media.
The small but dynamic team of staff at Bradford School of Media run this course, in conjunction with our colleagues in Computing and at The National Media Museum. The School aims to provide degree programmes which enable you to develop an integrated range of knowledge, understanding and skills in the field of digital media through critical engagement with principles, applications, content design and production practice.

Programme Aims

The programme is intended to:

A1.Develop Media Expertise: empower you to develop and produce a range of creative audio-visual media, from idea generation, through to finished product (with specialisation in the production of Video). There is an emphasis on content creation (helping you to produce a strong portfolio of work).

A2.Technical Expertise: introduce a variety of production and post-production equipment and scientific concepts which underpin the production of modern digital media. The course provides you with a broad technical understanding, giving you a distinct advantage when competing for jobs.

A3.Critical Reflection: to encourage evaluation, reflection on and analysis of your own work, and the work of others (including structured usability testing).

A4.Education for Sustainable Development: help you develop an appreciation of the cultural, political, economic and environmental contexts within which media are produced and circulated.

A5.Provide Transferable Skills: to encourage students to develop a portfolio of appropriate transferable skills and attributes including written skills, presentation, promotion, entrepreneurship, project management and team-work skills.

Programme Learning Outcomes

When you have completed the programme you will be able to:

LO1.Acquire, edit and distribute professional quality audio-visual media, in a range of forms

LO2.Use a range of major software application packages and tools, and make informed judgements about which tools to utilise in the context of rapidly developing and converging media industries

LO3.Understand and employ techniques for working effectively in teams for the production of media – including some specialisms in directing, producing, camerawork or comparable team roles.

LO4.Show an informed understanding of the social, political, cultural, technical, and economic conditions of new media production, distribution, and reception in national and international contexts, including the concepts surrounding sustainability, as these relate to your course of study.

LO5.Critically analyse and interpret aural, visual, and audio-visual texts including the ability to critically evaluate television and film texts.

LO6.Demonstrate entrepreneurship, capacity to innovate and knowledge of media business and commissioning practices.

Curriculum

Stage 1

Module Code / Module Title / Type (Core or Option) / Credits / Level / Study period
EM-0146D / Key Concepts in Media / C / 20 / 1 / 1
EM-0227M / Principles of Design for Media / C / 10 / 1 / 1
EM-0102M / Technical Fundamentals / C / 10 / 1 / 1
EM-0122D / Conventions of Videography / C / 20 / 1 / 1
EM-0103D / Issues in Web Development & Technology / C / 20 / 1 / 2
EM-0148D / Visual Literacy and Communication / C / 20 / 1 / 2
EM-0144D / Editing / C / 20 / 1 / 2

Stage 2

Module Code / Module Title / Hons / Ord / Credits / Level / Study period
EM-0258D / Media Ethics, Compliance & Sustainability / C / 20 / 2 / 1
EM-0211D / Soundscapes / C / C / 20 / 2 / 1
EM-0241D / Sound & Visual Media / C / C / 20 / 2 / 1
EM-0267D / Storytelling for Multiple Platforms / C / C / 20 / 2 / 2
EM-0351D / Broadcast Television / C / C / 20 / 2 / 2
EM-0240D / Multimedia Applications Development / O / C / 20 / 1 / 2
EM-0222D / Imaging & Design / O / 20 / 2 / 2
EM-0215D / Photography Research and Practice / O / 20 / 2 / 2

Stage 3

Module Code / Module Title / Hons / Ord* / Ord
From 2011/12 entry / Credits / Level / Study period
EM-0369D / Creative Media Enterprise / C / C / C / 20 / 3 / 1
EM-0353D / Experimental Filmmaking / O / 20 / 3 / 1
EM-0359D / Design for Mobile Content / O / 20 / 3 / 1
EM-0349D / Individual Project: Film and Media / O / C / C / 20 / 3 / 1
EM-0317D / Production Project – Development / C / C / 20 / 3 / 2
EM-0344D / Production Project – Production / C / C / 20 / 3 / 2
EM-0327D / Production Project – Evaluation / C / C / 20 / 3 / 2

*Ordinary route students take 40 credits of options from School portfolio in semester two.

The curriculum may change, subject to the University's course approval, monitoring and review procedures.

Diploma of International Studies

You have the option of studying or working abroad for a year between stages 2 and 3; this option is strongly encouraged. The university’s International Office provides a wide range of opportunities and support for students to gain international experience. Successful completion of the international year qualifies you for the award of the Diploma of International Studies in addition to your degree. This option provides the opportunity to gain valuable experience, and is viewed favourably by prospective employers.

Teaching and Assessment Strategies

You will experience a range of teaching and learning environments. Concepts, principles and theories are generally explored in formal lectures, practised in associated tutorials and seminars, and demonstrated in laboratory classes. Practical skills are developed in laboratory, workshop, and studio sessions. Professional and personal skills are developed through discussion and small-scale project work which involves problem solving and design exercises, often tackled by working in small groups supported by members of academic staff. Project work is used to bring various aspects of your course together. A particular strength of this course is the contribution made to the teaching programme by successful practising media professionals.

Each 20 credit module on the course requires you to commit 200 hours of study. Some of these hours will be formally timetabled - lectures, laboratories, seminars, tutorials and workshops – and others will involve you in carrying out personal study or to work in student teams. The balance between these forms of study changes as you pass through the three years of the course. There are a lot of “contact hours” (time spent with tutors) in the earlier stages of the course; the final year is mostly project based, and at this stage you will be expected to manage your own learning, under the general guidance of your tutors.

Basic principles and concepts are addressed in the first year (Stage One) of your studies. In the second year (Stage Two) a more analytical approach is taken, and in the final year (Stage Three) you will have the opportunity to synthesise and critically review the knowledge, understanding, and skills you have gained throughout the course. You will also have the opportunity to shape elements of your own learning experience, by selecting optional and elective modules, and defining your own project briefs.

Methods of assessment are similarly varied and your progress will be assessed using a mix of presentations and seminar papers, reports, laboratory tests, essays, coursework assignments, and practical media projects. The appropriate method is chosen so that you may demonstrate the particular learning outcomes of each module.

The School is committed to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and endeavours to integrate ESD wherever possible into the curriculum. This includes the level 2 Module Media Ethics, Compliance and Sustainability which is designed for this purpose and elements of a number of other modules.

Assessment Regulations

This Programme conforms to the standard University Assessment Regulations which are available at the following link:

Admission Requirements

The University welcomes applications from all potential students regardless of their previous academic experience; offers are made following detailed consideration of each individual application. Most important in the decision to offer a place is our assessment of a candidate’s potential to benefit from their studies and of their ability to succeed on this particular programme. Entrance requirements for each programme will vary but consideration of your application will be based on a combination of your formal academic qualifications and other relevant experience.

If you have prior certificated learning or professional experience which may be equivalent to parts of this programme, the University has procedures to evaluate this learning in order to provide you with exemptions from specified modules contained within the curriculum. Please talk to us if you do not fit the standard pattern of entry qualifications.

The University of Bradford has always welcomed applications from disabled students, and these will be considered on the same academic grounds as are applied to all applicants. If you have some form of disability you may wish to contact the programme leader before you apply.

A typical offer to someone seeking entry through the UCAS scheme would be 280 points, although this can vary. Students are welcome from a range of academic backgrounds, but some experience of New Media in the broadest sense, is an advantage. Applications are also welcome from mature students (those over 21 years of age on entry) and candidates with non-standard qualifications or who, lacking academic qualifications, have significant relevant experience or a portfolio. On completion of a UCAS form you will be invited to the School for an Open Day when you will have the opportunity to meet staff, view the facilities and discuss “the Bradford experience” with current students.

Learning Resources

The JB Priestley Library on the city campus and our specialist libraries in the School of Health Studies and the School of Management provide a wide range of printed and electronic resources to support your studies. We offer quiet study space if you want to work on your own, and group study areas for the times when you need to discuss work with fellow students. Subject librarians for each School provide training sessions and individual guidance in finding the information you need for your assignment, and will help you organise your references properly.

Student PC clusters can be found in all our libraries and elsewhere on the campus. Many of these are open 24/7. You can also use the University's wireless network to access the internet from your own laptop. Most of our online journals are available on the internet (both on and off campus), and you can also access your University email account, personal information and course-related materials this way.

Staff are on hand during the daytime to help you if you get stuck, and there is a 24/7 IT helpline available.

Within SCIM itself, we have extensive equipment available for its own students which include high-spec PC and MAC editing suites, a Motion Capture Studio, Stop-motion camera equipment and TV studios. The SCIM loans counter enables you to borrow a range of high-end media equipment (still cameras, video equipment, sound recording equipment and mobile devices etc.) Web-space and a range of specialist software are also provided for students. We strongly advise you to visit us, on an open day, and we can show you the high-end kit that is available to our students.

Student Support and Guidance

Course Team

Support for you personally and in your course of study, will be provided both by the University and the Course Team. You will be allocated a personal tutor who is someone with whom you will be able to talk about any academic or personal concerns. The School will ensure that there is someone available with whom you feel comfortable to help and support you. You will be provided with a comprehensive series of handbooks that you can consult on a range of learning issues and your course tutors will be available to consult on subject specific queries.

The Hub, Student Support Centre

The Hub, Student Support Centre provides a central reception where students can receive information, advice and guidance on a whole range of topics about their life at University. The Hub is located in the Richmond Building adjacent to the Atrium.

The teams located within The Hub:

• Accommodation
• Admissions
• Education Liaison
• Enquiries
• Student Administration and Support
• Bursaries and Financial Support
• Finance and Credit Control Group
• Payzone
• Records and Tuition Fees
• International Office
• Customer Service Team

+44 1274 232233

Students’ Union

We value the feedback provided by students and collaborate with the Students’ Union, through a system of course representatives and formal staff student liaison committees, so that any issues you wish to raise are addressed rapidly.

The Students’ Union and the University of Bradford work in partnership to provide confidential counselling and welfare services where you can get help with any aspect of your personal or academic life. Student Financial and Information Services (based in the Hub) will provide you with information about a diverse range of issues such as council tax, personal safety and tourist information. International Students can access a range of additional advice and support services through the Student’s Union.

Careers and Employability

The University is committed to helping students develop and enhance employability and this is an integral part of many programmes. Specialist support is available throughout the course from Career Development Services including help to find part time work while studying, placements, vacation work and graduate vacancies. Students are encouraged to access this support at an early stage and to use the extensive resources on the web site

Discussing options with specialist advisers helps to clarify plans through exploring options and refining skills of job-hunting. In most of programmes there is direct input by Career Development Advisers into the curriculum or through specially arranged workshops. These may take place as early as year 1, or may be achieved through a customised Career and Personal Development module in year 2 or 3 which is developed in close cooperation with the academic department. An annual First Destination Survey leads to compilation of a report on the outcomes of all programmes and to the development of an annually updated Traffic Light Analysis of Employability which is used as a performance indicator.

The specific provision on this programme includes a range of networking opportunities and guest speakers from industry. The structure of the course is designed to enable the creation of a portfolio of work, which will provide an excellent showcase for employers and a significant portion of the third year is given over to an industry style concept, pre-production, production and post-production process, meaning students will be highly employable as a result of the Web development and concept development skills they have gained.

Learner Development Unit (LDU)

The Learner Development Unit provides support in all aspects of academic, maths, numeracy and interpersonal skills. A programme of interactive workshops is delivered during both semesters which complements individual support available from Advisers and the wide range of interactive online materials available from the LDU website.

Disability

Disabled students will find a supportive environment at Bradford where we are committed to ensuring that all aspects of student life are accessible to everyone. The Disability Service can help by providing equipment and advice to help you get the most out of your time at Bradford and is a place where you can discuss any concerns you may have about adjustments that you may need, whether these relate to study, personal care or other issues. For more information contact the Disability Service by phoning: 01274 233739 or via email:

University policies and initiatives

Ecoversity:

Ecoversity is a strategic project of the University which aims to embed the principles of sustainable development into our decision-making, learning and teaching, research activities campus operations and lives of our staff and students. We do not claim to be a beacon for sustainable development but we aspire to become a leading University in this area. The facilities we create for teaching and learning, including teaching spaces, laboratories, IT labs and social spaces, will increasingly reflect our commitments to sustainable development. Staff and student participation in this initiative is crucial to its success and its inclusion in the programme specification is a clear signal that it is at the forefront of our thinking in programme development, delivery, monitoring and review. For more details see

Further Information:

For further information, please check the University prospectus or contact Admissions.

The Admissions Office
The University of Bradford
Richmond Road
Bradford, BD7 1DP
UK / The Recruitment and Marketing Office
School of Computing, Informatics and Media
The University of Bradford
Horton Building
Richmond Road
Bradford, BD7 1DP
UK
+44 (0)1274 233054
/ +44 (0)1274 235963

The contents of this programme specification may change, subject to the University's regulations and course approval, monitoring and review procedures.