Interactive Digital Media

Entry requirements

Applications will be accepted from good honours' graduates in any discipline. Literary, artistic and creative ability is taken into consideration along with mathematical and problem-solving ability. Knowledge of programming is not a pre-requisite for entry. In exceptional circumstances, an applicant with relevant professional experience but without the required formal qualification may be considered.

Months of entry

September

Course content

Founded in 1996, the MSc in Interactive Digital Media (IDM) was the first of its kind in Ireland. Its graduates work in the digital media and related sectors, both nationally and internationally. It is delivered on a full-time basis over one year and carries a total ECTS weighting of 90.

The course is designed to help students combine their existing skills – technical as well as non-technical – with the knowledge needed to design and develop digital media applications and content on existing and emerging platforms. To this end, the course covers the programming languages and applications used in digital media, a range of design techniques (graphic design, interactive design, UI/UX design, game design) as well as approaches to content creation in a range of modalities (moving image, audio, sensor technologies).

The MSc in Interactive Digital Media lets students build on knowledge gained at undergraduate level in order to allow them to work and stay current in the digital media sector. Platforms for digital media applications are constantly evolving, and what used to be focused on desktop computers and mobile devices now also include Virtual and Augmented Reality and Internet of Things. The skill sets required to design and build digital media applications and content have expanded and now include analytical, technical and creative skills. Teams creating digital media are practically always multidisciplinary, so communication is more important than ever.

The course also covers critical thinking around digital media, giving the students the ability to situate works in relevant cultural contexts and anchor their ideas in deeper thinking than is often possible in today’s fast-moving world. While the course covers practical aspects of design and technology, it also includes a solid theoretical foundation for each topic, such as scientific, cultural and critical concerns, rather than focusing exclusively on how to use off-the-shelf applications.

Students are accepted from a wide range of backgrounds, and the range of skills each year facilitates exchange and learning between different disciplines. Students work collaboratively on course assignments and their final projects, which are exhibited publicly at the end of each year in our Annual Showcase.

Graduates from the IDM programme work in many roles across the digital sector. Current positions held by our graduates include: App Designers and Developers, Web Designers and Developers, Software Developers, Graphic and Visual Designers, UI and UX Designers, Interaction Designers, Game Designers and Developers, Product Designers, Technology Journalists, Project Managers, Security and Data Analysts, Digital Analysts, Corporate Communications Leads, Chief Executive Officers (CEOs), Chief Information Officers (CIOs), Chief Commercial Officers (CCOs), Research Fellows and Professors.

Information for international students

If English is not your first language, you will be required to submit documentation of reasonable competence in the English language. This may be one of the following:

• a minimum score of at least 570 on the paper-based TOEFL test, or
• a minimum score of at least 230 on the computer-based TOEFL test, or
• a minimum score of at least 88 on the Internet-based (iBT) TOEFL test, or
• a minimum of Grade 6.5 in the IELTS , or
• a minimum of Grade C in the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English
• a minimum of Grade C in the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English
• Pearson Test of English (Academic) - PTE Academic: a minimum score of 63 to be eligible (with no section score below 59)

Please note that test scores are only valid for two years.