Multimedia
Do you have a creative, enquiring mind and an interest in the design of engaging and interactive media experiences? Then DCU’s BSc in Multimedia is the degree for you! Digital media technologies are central to our everyday lives and essential for any company to succeed in a globalised economy. On this programme, you’ll learn from teaching staff with real-world professional experience and deep knowledge based on research and industry practice.
| Award Name | Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | Major |
| Awarding Body | Dublin City University |
| NFQ Level | Level 8 NFQ |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) | Major | Dublin City University | Level 8 NFQ |
Duration
3 years, full-time.
Specific Subjects or course requirements
General Entry Requirements
Applicants must present a minimum of 6 Leaving Certificate subjects at Grade O6/H7, which must include Mathematics and English or Irish. In addition, applicants must present at least 2 subjects at Grade H5.
Additional Requirements
Minimum of H4 in English.
Leaving Certificate General Entry Requirements
Applicants wishing to undertake a Level 8 degree at DCU must be at least 16 years of age on 15 January of the year of entry.
Leaving Certificate Subject Combinations
Certain subjects will not be scored separately if they occur in combination with subjects that are similar in content. In each case, the highest individual grade will be scored. The following 6 groups of subjects are affected by this:
1 Music and Musicianship, Music A, Music B.
2 Economics, Agricultural Economics.
3 Physics with Chemistry - if combined with Physics and Chemistry; only 2 best scored - if combined with Physics or Chemistry; only best scored.
4 History, Economics and Economic History - if all 3 subjects are taken; only the best 2 will be scored.
5 Latin, Classical Studies.
6 Greek, Classical Studies.
Candidates who meet the points requirements but not the specific course requirements, for example H4 in English for the BA in Journalism, are permitted to repeat that subject only to meet the course requirements.
Bonus Points for Honours Mathematics
25 bonus points will continue to be awarded for higher level Mathematics, at grades H6 and above in the Irish Leaving Certificate or equivalent.
Leaving Certificate Mathematics Requirements
DCU does not award points for the subject of Mathematics at Leaving Certificate Ordinary Alternative or Foundation Level. However, these courses will be accepted for admission purposes for the following courses:
DC001 - Bachelor of Early Childhood Education
DC009 - Bachelor of Arts: Joint Honours
DC014 - BA in Jazz and Contemporary Music Performance
DC131 - BA in Communication Studies
DC132 - BA in Journalism
DC133 - BSc in Multimedia
DC155 - BA in Applied Language and Translation Studies
DC231 - BA in International Relations
DC232 - Bachelor of Civil Law and Society
DC235 - BSc in Education and Training
DC238 - BA in Social Sciences and Cultural Innovation
DC291 – Bachelor of Arts – Joint Honours (Media)
DC292 – Bachelor of Arts – Joint Honours (Law)
DC293 - Bachelor of Arts – Joint Honours (International Languages)
DC294 - BA in Climate and Environmental Sustainability
DC295 - Bachelor of Arts – Joint Honours (Politics)
Leaving Certificate Vocational Progamme LCVP
Distinction 66
Merit 46
Pass 28
Please note that LCVP link modules cannot be used as a subject for general or specific course entry requirements, but can be used for the calculation of points.
QQI FET Applicants General Information
DCU welcomes applicants with appropriate QQI-FET (Level 5/6) qualifications. Applicants who have a full National Framework of Qualifications Level 5 award in appropriate qualifications and modules can be admitted on a competitive basis to certain DCU courses.
QQI-FET (Level 5) entry route is a competitive entry route with a limited number of places. A quota of places are offered based on the CAO ranked order of applicants based on performance. For courses with a QQI-FET (Level 5) entry route, approximately 10% of places are retained for QQI-FET (Level 5) applicants. Application is made through the CAO.
Careers / Further progression
Future Careers
Digital Project Manager
Game / App Designer
Graphic Design
UI Design
Interaction Design / User Experience Consultant
Digital Animator
Sound Designer / Editor
VFX Artist
Video Editor
In These Areas
Interaction Design Consultancy
Digital Media Production
Web and App Design
Broadcast Production for TV and Film
Advertising Agency
Social Media and Tech.
Games Development
Software Development
Further information
Mature applicants are those aged 23 years, or above, on 1 January in the year of entry. All candidates (presenting with EU/Non EU qualifications) applying on the grounds of mature years should apply ONLY through the CAO by 1 February.
For many DCU courses, mature application assessment is based on the CAO application and in some instances, an assessment and/or interview. ‘Other’ experience, apart from performance in examinations, may be taken into consideration - this may be work experience, further studies, or other such experience deemed to be relevant to the application. Interviews will take place in April either in person or remotely.
For more information, please contact the Mature Student Officer, orla.stafford@dcu.ie or dcu.ie/mature-students
For general and admission enquiries, please visit dcu.ie/registry/ug-admissions
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Entry 2024
Early online application (discounted): Fee €30 Closing Date: 20 January 2024 at 5pm
Normal online application: Fee €45 Closing Date: 1 February 2024 at 5pm
Late online application - restrictions apply (see page 3 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee: €60 Closing Date: 1 May 2024 at 5pm
Change of Mind - restrictions apply (see page 3 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee: Nil Closing Date: 1 July 2024 at 5pm
Exceptional online late application (see page 34 of the 2024 CAO Handbook): Fee €60 Closing Date: 22 July 2024 at 5pm
Be sure to complete any action well in advance of closing dates. You should avoid making an application close to a closing date. No extensions to closing dates will be allowed and all application fees are non-refundable.
LATE APPLICATIONS
Late Applications are those which are received after 5pm on 1 February 2024. The closing date for late applications is 5pm on 1 May 2024, subject to the restrictions listed on page 3 of the 2024 CAO Handbook. The online facility for late applications opens on the 5 March 2024 at 12:00 noon - a fee of €60 applies.
Exceptional Late Applications (Exception to the timetable)
The exceptional closing date of 22 July at 5pm applies only to applicants who are registered as an undergraduate student on 1 May 2024 in any year in any one of the participating HEIs (subject to the exclusions listed below). In order to avail of the Exceptional Late Application facility you must have entered the HEI through the CAO system. This is an exceptional late closing date and all steps must be completed by 5pm on 22 July. No changes may be made after this date.
If you did not enter your current course through the CAO system, you must first contact the Admissions Office of the HEI to which you wish to apply and they will inform you if you may submit an application direct to the institution.
Exclusions:
You may submit a late application only for entry to courses other than your existing course. If you wish to repeat the year in the same course you must arrange this within your HEI.
Mary Immaculate College Limerick, Marino Institute of Education, Trinity College Dublin, University of Limerick and Maynooth University have special procedures in place in the case of current or previous students who wish to apply for entry to another course in the same HEI. Such applicants must contact their Admissions Office to determine the application procedure. However, if you are a student in another HEI and you wish to apply to any of these five HEIs, you should apply through CAO.
Refer to page 34 of the 2024 CAO Handbook on how to make an Exceptional Late Application.
Restrictions
As a CAO applicant you may experience one or more of the following restrictions based on your course choices, your category of application, or restrictions imposed by the HEIs that you wish to apply to. Please read the section on 'Restrictions' on page 3 of the 2024 CAO Handbook carefully. This section includes information on:
General Restrictions
1. Making a late application
2. Making changes to your course choices
Restricted Courses
3. Applying for a restricted course
Mature Applicants
4. Mature applicants
Supplementary Admissions Routes
5. Applying for DARE and/or HEAR
Why DCU?
− First course of its type in Ireland and has retained a strong reputation for excellence
− Staff are actively engaged in contemporary creative media practice, production and contribute to internationally recognised artistic and research work
− Our graduates work at the highest levels with their employers recognising the value of their degree
− You get to shape your degree by choosing areas of special interest after exploring a wide variety of topics and creative media forms
− Course continually updated to ensure it stays relevant to emerging media forms
About You
Do you have a creative, enquiring outlook? Do you have an interest in the design of engaging and interactive media experiences? Do you enjoy working with digital technologies? Are you interested in problem-solving, creative expression and working in focused team projects? If you are intrigued by the relationship we have with media and digital technologies in our lives, and want to explore, improve, and expand that relationship - this is the course for you.
Understanding: Multimedia
The course focuses on the conceptual and creative dimensions of multimedia as well as the technological aspects. Develop an understanding of theory relevant to digital media, including issues of content and form, and the relationship of media to society. Contemporary and emerging digital media technologies are increasingly central to our everyday lives. These technologies are widely used for the creation, display, and interaction of content we engage with regularly in many areas of life – from education to work, entertainment, or news reporting.
Media technologies and productions have a role in the expressive arts, and in public and private spaces where we interact with information. This course equips you to analyse these interactions critically and to create original ones, grounded in a sound understanding of theory and design. You will acquire a command of the concepts and practices in digital text, image, sound manipulation, in programming and controlling responsive media. You will contribute to multimedia product development and manage diverse productions individually and in groups. Many of our graduates are highly successful designers, developers, artists, educators, entrepreneurs, and scholars.
Course Structure
Year 1 core modules provide you with a broad understanding and ability to work with different multimedia forms. In Years 2 and 3, a range of specialisms are possible, enabling you to build upon the strengths you discover in Year 1. For example, core modules in Year 1 in the areas of audio, video, responsive media, and digital image manipulation all have follow-up modules that enable you to advance these skills in Year 2.
Project work is a vital part of this degree, and you will be set numerous individual and group projects throughout Years 1, 2 and 3. In Year 3 you will develop a major project as part of a group through a year-long process that culminates in our final year exhibition.
The various modules will introduce you to a range of core skills from which you can build and specialise.
You will also study a range of innovative modules introduced recently, including Environmental Storytelling, Instructional Design and Media Spaces.
What Will I Study?
The following list includes both core and optional modules:
Year 1
(Core Modules only)
Sound Production | Imaging and Design | Media Theory and History | Information Design | Responsive Media | Digital Video | Writing for Media | Psychology, Media and Creativity
Year 2
Core Modules
New Media and Society | Critical Praxis | Interaction Design
Optional Modules
Audio | Imaging and Design 2 | Interactive Applications | Scriptwriting | Advanced Video Production | Environmental Storytelling | Media Spaces | Instructional Design | Analysing Advertising | Film History and Theory
Year 3
Core Modules
Project Development | Emerging Media | Best Practice | Major Project: Group Production
Optional Modules
Media Law | Press and Public Relations | Uaneen Award: DCU’s Leadership and Engagement Module
Contact Details
Tel: +353 (0) 1 700 6961
E: marcos.dias@dcu.ie
E: studenthelp@dcu.ie
Visit Us Online dcu.ie/DC133