Master of design
THE creative content industry has played a major role in generating national income for this developing nation. According to “Malaysia’s Creative Content Industry – Overview, Initiatives and the Future” report by MSC Malaysia, this industry is targeted by the Malaysian Government to generate RM33bil towards Gross National Income ( GNI) by 2020. In fact, by observing the development of the Malaysian job market, the workforce from this industry saw a great surge from 45,000 professionals in 2008 to 100,000 in 2010.
With this increase also comes a demand for postgraduate and professional courses, where creative professionals can further their knowledge and skills in the artistic industry. Unfortunately, most traditional art and creative courses in Malaysia lack the options needed to meet the integration of skills required by the industry.
With the objective to make a breakthrough in cultivating greater talents for the artistic industry, the School of Communication and Creative Arts ( SCCA) at KDU University College ( KDU) launched the Master of Design ( Innovation) programme, which is a dual parchment programme awarded by KDU and the Rome University of Fine Arts ( RUFA).
“This master programme fuses various disciplines in design. It equips young professionals with specific skills and knowledge in the fields of design, advertising and communication, as well as the advance level of multimedia with comprehensive research process that help respond to the expectations of the industry demand,” explained KDU acting head of SCCA and deputy vice- chancellor of academic Associate Professor Dr Hon Wei Min.
The Master of Design ( Innovation) is a mixed mode programme that provides continuous learning from industry practitioners. The programme is also practice- focused and students will generate a variety of coursework beyond the boundaries of traditional graphic design.
The Master of Design ( Innovation) programme holds up to three main areas – Visual Design, which encompasses branding, photography, prototyping ideas and solving problems with visuals; Multimedia Design, where students learn mobile apps design, web design, user experience design and sensory design; and Advertising and Communication, which takes students through end- user psychology, market research process and exhibition design.
The programme is guided by a faculty made up of academics, industry practitioners and professional artists. Other than the usual lecture and tutorial settings, students will also experience series of workshops, seminars, meetings and out- of- classroom learning with tutors and industry practitioners who are prominent in the various fields of creative expression.
“It is fundamentally important for students to experience various alternative knowledge and skills that are necessary to enrich their learning journey, as the continuous learning opportunity enables students to measure themselves against the challenges and opportunities of the working world,” said Prof Hon.
The programme is best suited for those in the areas of design and innovation, multimedia and web, advertising, marketing and communication, photography, new media design and design as research.
Graduates who wish to expand their technical skills and study- work opportunities, as well as build up their portfolio, are all encouraged to pursue this master degree.
The programme also offers flexibility as it is available in both full- time and part- time study mode.
Upon completion of the Master of Design ( Innovation), students will obtain a dual parchment awarded by both KDU and RUFA.
KDU’s partnership with RUFA enables its students to not only obtain a recognised qualification from one of the top European creative centres of excellence in design, but also provide opportunities for students to expand their career prospects.
For more information on the Master of Design ( Innovation) programme, or to find out how you can hit the ground running with KDU University College, log on to www. kdu. edu. my or call 03- 5565 0538 ( KDU University College, Utropolis, Glenmarie) / 03- 7953 6688 ( KDU College, Damansara Jaya).