Kaplan

Q:

I am currently in poly finishing up my Diploma in Mass Communications. I would like to focus my career in the field of Digital Media. Is there a bachelor degree program which will allow me to upgrade my knowledge and skills in this area?

A:

The University of South Australia and Asia Pacific Management Institute has just launched a Bachelor of Media Arts which would be able to provide polytechnic graduates like yourself the necessary theoretical and technical know-how in the emerging area of Digital Media. This program traverses traditional and new media forms and platforms, emphasising creative content production and project management in the area of digital media. It provides students with a comprehensive set of portable production skills and expertise which are directly relevant to and applicable across a range of communications industries. The 15-month program is targeted at design and communication professionals who need the skills and information necessary to succeed in the highly competitive world of digital design and communication. As such, the program covers key topics such as Web design, video, audio, and animation. It also provides an overview of the digital production pipeline, shares principles and techniques for all types of new media, and examines how professionals create commercial art and fine art. Subjects include:

• Digital Media Techniques
• Digital Media Concepts
• Digital Illustration Design
• Documentary Production, Forms & Techniques
• Design for Interactive Media
• Music Sound Studio
• Creating Interactive Multimedia
• Electronic Publishing on the Internet
• Gaming, Narrative and Machinima
• Graphical Communication for Design

The focus of the program is on visual communication; students learn the principles and elements of design, visual grammar, use of grids for layout and composition and framing, as well as beginning skills in storyboarding producing content for the Web. Graduates will be equipped with practical skills and be ready to enter the workforce with the necessary expertise.

Q:

I am an avid computer gamer and would love to further my career in the field of digital gaming. What would be covered in degrees that are in gaming and games technology and what are the career prospects in this field if I decide to expand beyond gaming?

A:

Bachelor degrees in Gaming or Games Technology would typically cover areas such as programming, artifical intelligence, and background on how to design gaming flow. The Murdoch University Bachelor of Science in Information Technology with double majors in Games Technology and Computer Science program is designed to provide students with a thorough understanding of the theory, design and programming techniques required for producing software games and also provide students with a thorough understanding of the theory, methods and systems used by the computing industry. Units cover the major areas of software development, computer technology, systems applications and software engineering, in addition to general introductory programming, graphics, artificial intelligence, games theory, virtual reality, multi-user games programming and advanced games production using games specific software tools. You can pursue the program via Asia Pacific Management Institute either after your ‘A' levels (through the Diploma in Information Technology) or enter into the 2nd year with your polytechnic diploma in a related field.

Employment Prospects
Excellent career opportunities exist in this rapidly expanding industry, both locally and internationally as game programmers, designers, and many other positions in Information Technology such as systems analysts, database administrators, computer systems and network managers, user support officers and software engineers.

Q:

I am currently studying for my ‘A' levels and intend to take up an overseas degree program after I get my results next year. I am considering between studying overseas and taking up an overseas program locally in Singapore via a private institute. But due to budget constraints, I may have to study in Singapore. I would like to know why have some of those studying at private institutes chosen to do so and do you observe that private students study extra hard (more so than those in university or poly) because they have more to prove?

A:

Purely-local educational institutions offer a range of quality programs. However, at the end of the day, the choice in Singapore is still somewhat limited. Institutions like ours offer Singaporean students the opportunity to study with the best universities from North America, Europe and Australia without having to leave the comforts of home.

Also, the majority of our students are comprised of working adults who are professionals, managers and executives. These discerning adults choose part-time educational programs that allow them to balance their work and family responsibilities. The best range of these type of programs are offered by private institutions like ours. There are also students who take up our full-time programs because they want to focus their time on their studies first before entering the workforce.

In our 20 years' experience, we have observed private students to be self-starters who work extremely hard. These are not youngsters who have absolutely no idea why they are pursuing a particular course. Our students are rational adults, who have made a conscious decision to upgrade themselves, and have chosen to pay the full fee to pursue a course of study that holds great appeal to them. The younger students have the full support of their parents who have also recognized that private institutes such as ours provide teaching and service quality which match or exceed the standards of those at the universities. The students have chosen courses that will give them an advantage in their careers and to prove their commitment to complete their studies, we find that no more than 10% of any given intake actually fail to complete their programs on time on target.