MA MSc Masters in Creative Technologies

Are you… A technologist with a creative dimension? A designer with programming skills? An artist working with technologies?

The IOCT Masters in Creative Technologies is a unique creative technologies programme that crosses traditional subject disciplines and enables students to work at the convergence of e-sciences and digital arts and humanities, as part of the diverse and stimulating creative community based around the purpose-built Institute of Creative Technologies at De Montfort University. As a student on the IOCT Masters programme you have access to facilities and resources from across the University – in addition to the central IOCT Lab, there is a wide range of facilities, spaces and equipment available including The Virtual Reality Centre, Phoenix Square Digital Media Centre, The Fused Media Lab and the Usability Lab.

This innovative programme develops knowledge and skills in working creatively with new technologies. As well as core modules in Research Methods students choose from modules taught across disciplines and also complete a Major Project, the focus of which is chosen by the student in negotiation with tutors. Projects in the past have included design and construction of multi-touch surfaces, interactive games design, augmented reality exhibition displays, product design, web design, e-learning packages and digital art exhibitions. Projects may also be selected from a range of commercial briefs, working with local organisations. Current optional modules offered as part of the course include Interactive Media, Applied Computational Intelligence, Rapid Prototyping, Lens Based Media, Creative Digital Media Design, Business Planning for the Creative Entrepreneur, Creative Writing and New Media and Performance Technologies.

In our world of rapidly developing technologies, specific technology-related knowledge is no longer sufficient and graduates require skills in how to select and combine technologies in creative ways. The future workforce must be equipped with a range of contemporary hybrid skills necessary for digital technology innovation, including higher-level digital, technical and interpersonal skills, analytical and problem-solving skills, as well as skills in critical thinking and creative development. Graduates from the IOCT programme have the opportunity be uniquely equipped with such skills, having developed a range of working methods and practices, research and development strategies, and knowledge and understanding from across discipline areas. By crossing traditional discipline boundaries and developing new modes of collaboration and cooperation, IOCT graduates are well placed to face the challenges presented by the current climate. Our groundbreaking cross-discipline approach has been described by Jerry Fishenden, former National Technology Officer of Microsoft UK and current technology adviser to the UK Government, as "a potential blueprint for the next generation of Research & Development" commenting, "This commitment to bringing together disciplines in new and exciting ways will help develop the UK’s reputation as a leader in the creative industries."

The degree supports a range of contemporary career choices including digital media design, computational intelligence, virtual environments, holographic imagery, web content development, the entertainment, games and creative industries, as well as careers in teaching and creative technology development. Graduates from the programme have secured employment in a range of different sectors and companies, including Creative Specialist and Technology Sector Retail Management (Apple), Product Development (Activ), Web Design (Proterra Ltd), Media Production (ITV), and Programming (NESTA) Graduates from the programme also set-up businesses in creative industries and digital media, including web design, photography and video editing, film-making, screen and new media technologies and music composition and production. A number of our graduates have also secured doctoral scholarships around the World to further their specialist interests in areas such as augmented reality, mimetic digital games, digital art, mixed-reality technologies for second language learning, Web Collider and amplified reality. We also welcome graduates who wish to develop their interests as part of PhD studies at the IOCT.

This Masters programme is suitable for a wide range of students, from a variety of backgrounds across Technologies, Art and Design or Humanities who are interested in exploring the trans/multi/inter-disciplinary potential of creative technologies in their work. The course is suitable for students from a variety of sectors; graduates wishing to pursue postgraduate study with a view to increasing their chances of employment within the creative technology industries, mature students with existing postgraduate degrees who wish to expand their interdisciplinary portfolio and company-sponsored professionals working in creative technology industries.

What people says about us…

“What I have found most exciting about the IOCT Masters is the sheer amount of ideas bubbling under the surface. I find it exciting that you can work closely with people who can help you take your ideas from conceptual stages through to post production. I have found it to be as inspiring as I thought it would be, and it has fuelled a passion for the combination of disciplines.” (IOCT Masters student 08/09)

"The IOCT Masters course is sold on the fact that it transcends the boundaries between the Arts, Technology and Humanities, and it really does do just that! There’s a range of input from staff across different areas, faculties and expertise, giving the Masters a feel that as well as being part of a wider community within the university we as students can benefit from the wider knowledge base that accompanies that." (IOCT Masters student 09/10)

The IOCT currently has more than one hundred researchers working on dozens of active projects and with expertise across a wide range of areas. We have high-profile Visiting Professors and Research Fellows, affiliated Research Centres focused upon specific subjects, a cohort of PhD researchers, and a Masters programme that is taught across three Faculties. We actively engage with local industry, and have close relationships with several large companies, SMEs, and government organisations.

For further details about the course, contact Sophy Smith at ssmith05@dmu.ac.uk or have a look at our website at http://www.ioct.dmu.ac.uk/masters.html