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Study plan for MASV-MIX Media and Interaction Design, Master's, 2 years, fall 2024

ECTS Credits

120 ECTS

Full-time/Part-time

Full-time

Language of Instruction

English

Objectives and content

While traditional media distribute information and editorial content that enable enlightened citizens to participate in the public debate, today there is an increasing demand for new technical solutions, user generated content and new forms of audience participation. As a consequence, new qualities that go beyond functionality are associated to products, applications and systems: They should appeal to the user's emotions and experiences, and should be directed to a range of audience groups.

The Master's Programme in media and interaction design concerns the design and development of new technological solutions for media use and media production. Stressing user-centered perspectives on how media users interact with media content and media technology, as well as how media professionals interact with the technology and tools that support their work practices, the master's program in media and interaction design provides the students with an industry-oriented education that enables them to understand and evaluate the user experiences of media users and professionals, and to develop efficient and engaging solutions between media and users.

Students will have the opportunity to explore established as well as innovative media technologies and genres, and will gain experience with different design methods relating to new media. The master's program is an interdisciplinary education based on approaches from human-computer interaction (HCI), user experience and audience studies, and media design. The program provides the students with applied, analytical, methodological and theoretical skills in interaction design for digital media.

The Master's Programme in Media and Interaction Design offers students a theoretical and methodically anchored university education that stresses problem-based learning through workshops, technical training, collaborative work, independent studies and academic reflection. Additional specialization happens through individual and collaborative work connected to the master project. The master project includes practical work, such as the development of a prototype, a production, content production, or a user study, which is academically evaluated through an individually written master thesis.

Required Learning Outcomes

Having completed the programme, the candidate will have achieved the following learning outcomes, defined as knowledge, skills, and general competence:

Knowledge

The candidate

  • has advanced knowledge in interaction design and specialized insight into interaction design for the media.
  • has in-depth knowledge of theories and methods in interaction design, with particular focus on the media.
  • can analyze the user patterns and needs of media users and practitioners when interacting with media technology and content.
  • can analyze practical and theoretical issues relating to the role of media and media technology in society.
  • has specialized knowledge within a specific field, such as programming, evaluation, interaction design, or content design.
  • can develop software for interactive media.

Skills

The candidate

  • can create and produce different kinds of media content in an independent way.
  • can with basis in the theory and practice of interaction design conduct user studies to assess new media interaction solutions in an independent way.
  • can with basis the theory and practice of information science develop technical solutions in an independent way.
  • can analyze and critically assess the effect of interaction design on the user experience of media, and on this ground provide professional reasoning.
  • can analyze and assess ethical and juridical aspects relating to interaction design for media.
  • can plan and execute independent or team-based projects relating to prototype development for new media content and new interaction solutions for the media under supervision and with basis in the theory and practices of interaction design.
  • can critically reflect on their own design practice and suggest alternative approaches, and critically evaluate their own and others' work in HCI, interaction design and media design.

General competence

The candidate

  • can critically analyze interaction, media technology, and different kinds of media content.
  • can conduct independent work and collaborative work connected to software development and the execution of projects in media production.
  • quickly adapt to new challenges and acquire new professional knowledge, and to use this knowledge in independent and creative work related to media user experience design.
  • can communicate professional issues within the field of interaction design.

Admission Requirements

In order to qualify for admission to the Master's program in Media and Interaction Design, applicants must have a Bachelor's or equivalent degree in media, design, ICT or similar fields.

Applicants with undergraduate degrees within the social sciences/humanities may qualify following academic assessment. The degree must include courses corresponding to at least 20 ECTS in programming and a minimum of 10 ECTS in interaction design. The admission commission makes a thorough assessment of the educational background of each applicant.

You also need to document (general entry requirements):

  • Average grade of minimum C (equivalent to Norwegian grade C). When calculating the grade basis for admission, the admission commission chooses minimum 80 ECTS of the most relevant courses of the applicants' degree.
  • Proficiency in English
  • The application must include course descriptions.

Sequential Requirements, courses

First semester: MIX301 Media Technology: Theory and Development (15 ECTS) og INFO361 Advaned Topics in Human-Computer Interaction (15 ECTS)

Second semester: MIX303 Research Design and Field Studies (15 ECTS) and elective course from master level INFO (15 ECTS)

Third and fourth semester: MIX350 Master's Thesis in Interaction and Media Design (60 ECTS)

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching methods include seminars, workshops, individual and group guidance, and practical work (group work, lab work, and placement with a media company), combined with feedback on written and practical work through entire education. Parts of the practice work are organized in a relationship between students and activities in the media industry.

Assessment methods

The Master's program in Media and Interaction Design considers the students through a project description, practical productions, portfolio assessment, and an academic master's thesis and related defense of this. Collaborative practice work is assessed based on individual reflection assignments.

Access to further studies

The programme qualifies for PhD studies in media production, interaction design, media studies, information science, and related fields.

Employability

The education's focus on the combination of traditional and digital media ensures that the students are well prepared for a variation of professional situations and work tasks within the broad field of media and information industries, ranging from content production to technical tasks.

A Master's degree in Media and Interaction Design qualifies the student to a profession as interaction designer or user experience designers, with special competence in media and technology. Students are also qualified for jobs in quality assurance, web design, front-end development, digital marketing, and consultant work relating to digital media. A Master's degree in Media and Interaction Design also qualifies for research and teaching within media production, interaction design and user experience design.

Administrative responsibility

Department of Information Science and Media Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences