Multimedia Computing

Media and multimedia technologies have become essential to so many aspects of modern life. Technologies become more sophisticated and the boundaries overlap, blur and disappear. New and exciting ways will be used for communication.

The techniques of a fast growing and highly competitive multimedia industry include; Website development, Still and moving images, audio production, 2-D and 3-D computer animation. Our Multimedia Computing programme is designed to give you insight into the secrets of multimedia technology and the skills that will enable you to develop new and creative ways of using multimedia.

Aston University's Computing Science degrees are accredited for Chartered IT Professional (CITP), the British Computer Society's Chartered qualification. This gives students the right to join the BCS, the principal organisation for IT professionals in the UK, when they graduate. Accreditation shows that the BCS consider the courses are up to date, are based on benchmarks, and assessed appropriately.

Learning, teaching & assessment

You will benefit from our range of teaching methods and learning styles including: lectures, seminars and small group discussions, lab exercises and practical classes, computer-aided learning, individual and group projects.

Assessment is by a combination of written exams, projects and coursework. The proportion of each varies according to the modules chosen but examinations typically comprise around 75% and continuous assessment around 25%.

Placement year

The multimedia industry needs students and Graduates who can rise to the technological challenges it faces. Our 4-year sandwich programme incorporates twelve months of paid professional experience. Your placement will give you practical experience in a real work environment and is an excellent way to improve your CV.

Well-paid placements for sandwich students are available each year with companies large and small, local and nationwide. Computer Science at Aston has maintained strong links with industry for many years and our students have a good reputation with placement employers. Our experienced staff will help you find a suitable placement and support you during your placement year.

Career prospects

Multimedia computing has numerous application areas, including entertainment, education, commerce, engineering, medicine and scientific research. Multimedia is a fast growing field and experts in it are in high demand. There is a need for people with the right technical and software development skills to work hand in hand with creative designers to deliver high quality multimedia productions. Career opportunities exist in areas such as website design and development, multimedia information editing and management, the Internet and e-commerce. Potential employers include broadcast organisations, media production companies, website designers and indeed any company that maintains a significant web presence.

Objectives

Multimedia is about conveying information as effectively as possible through the integrated use of different media. Multimedia Computing at Aston combines the principles of computing with the tools and skills necessary for working with multimedia. The link between multimedia and computing science is emphasised and illustrated throughout the programme.

• You will learn new and interesting ways to combine text, still and moving images, sound and computer animation into software applications and make them accessible through the Internet, CD, DVD and broadcast media.

• You will also acquire knowledge and understanding of the scientific principles that underpin the presentation, representation and communication of information in its various forms for multimedia systems.

• You will learn new approaches to integrating computing into the environment, enabling people to interact with computers more naturally than ever before, for example when on the move.

• The Multimedia Computing programme incorporates a significant amount of practical and project work. This provides great opportunities for putting the taught ideas into practice and leads to a deeper understanding of the subject.

• As a graduate in Multimedia Computing, you will be ready for a rewarding career as a technical professional. You will be adaptable to a wide range of opportunities in the design and application of information communication systems based on multimedia, Internet and computer software technologies.