Course Content
Media computer scientists
- focus on the users they are developing systems for,
- do not fiddle about with HTML, but develop applications for the web, mobile devices and many other media,
- do not paint with the computer, but develop new software for painting, for designing, and for playing in 3D,
- do not wire up computers, but setup secure networks, both stationary and mobile,
- do not deliver spaghetti code, but systematically construct complex software systems
- do not decorate a software’s surface, but design human-computer interfaces,
- do not start testing applications when it’s already too late,
- do not patronize users, but facilitate new experiences with their systems.
In both study programs, the course of studies is structured into basics (first year), intermediate (second year) and advanced (third year). The first year comprises required basics courses, especially in math, computer science, media computer sciences, media design, and media theory. In the second year, intermediate-level courses in the fields of computer graphics, software engineering, computer networking / network security, design, media theory and human-computer interaction as well as a bachelor’s project, in which typically 15 students work together. The fifth semester is designated for studying at a university abroad. This compulsory semester abroad may be spent at one of the foreign partner universities all over the world. Upon returning from the semester abroad, students can pick from a selection of optional required courses—often offered in English—on specific fields of computer science, design, and media theory. They lead to the concluding bachelor’s thesis.
In addition, the study program Media Computer Science comprises English language courses and a professional practice internship of nine weeks duration. This study program takes seven semesters.
The inter-university study program Digital Media (concentration in Media Informatics) is offered together with the University of Bremen, the University of Applied Sciences Bremerhaven and the University of the Arts Bremen. From the third semester on the students may also choose courses of these universities. Since professional practice internship and English language courses are missing, this study program takes six semesters. Instead, until the end of the third semester the students have to provide a certificate of their English language proficiency.
Media Computer Science or Digital Media: students of both programs with a strong interest in research and development may continue their studies at University of Applied Sciences Bremen in the master’s program Digital Media.
Manageable group sizes and mentoring by the professors from the first semester on allow us to intensively support students, accounting for their special talents. Therefore, students have the opportunity to contribute to and attend international conferences. Here are some examples of students’ activities:
- Icons for MP3 files
- Gait animation input with two digital pens
- Mobile games; experience and human-computer interaction (projects Gangs of Bremen, Insomnia, Mobotz)
- Mashups of data from mobile games with Google Maps
- Interactive story-telling
- Learning game for network security
Requirements:
Both Media Computer Science and Digital Media are interdisciplinary computer science study programs, which require students’ interest and a power to perform on all covered fields.
Computer science: initial programming skills are not expected at the beginning of the studies. However, in order to get an impression of the tools in continuous use during the studies, we recommend to look into the programming languages Java or C# for a couple of weeks.
Maths: In particular for the development of graphics, video, and audio software, reliable math knowledge is required. For first-year students who don’t remember the common logarithm of 1000, a math-refreshment course takes place before the first semester. This course is deemed compulsory if high school graduation dates far back.
Design: For the design parts of the studies, no "artistic” giftedness is required. Interest and curiosity are more important—yet a little talent does not harm. If you are, for instance, interested in communication by means of color, shape, and sound or you want to specialize in the world of typography, where a tenth of a millimeter can be more important than in engineering, these study programs may be the right ones for you.
Media theory: Prospective students should be interested in combining aesthetics and technology, aim to understand and design the interaction between human and machine, and are ready to face the problems and conflicts that this entails theoretically, practically, and socially.
General: Creative approaches and a methodical, systematic procedure are no contradictions in these study programs. Instead, both need to be understood, controlled and even merged. Moreover, academic studies require a proficient use of language. This has two reasons: First, the study programs introduce to and apply science, which is based on forming valid chains of arguments and communicating these in a comprehensible way. Second, the programs’ focus on projects requires a clear communication within the team, often in the form of documents.
Decisive success factors in both study programs are persistence and a goal-oriented approach to solving problems. Often, these problems come in the shape of complex tasks in design, technology, and/or theory that cannot be solved in passing, but demand research, well thought-out (!) experiments, creativity, and simply work.
Everybody who is interested in one of the study programs is urged to ask for a consultation meeting with one of the professors and to study "on trial” for at least one day (appointments may be arranged by e-mail).
Full-Time Studies:
The study programs are designed for full-time studies. The volume of the studies corresponds to three (or three and a half years) of a regular professional occupation with few weeks of vacation per year. The lecture-free time (misleadingly called "term break”) is used for projects, block courses, and preparation for exams. The timetable with possibly only 20 class and lab hours per week does not display the work that is expected to be done beyond the classes. Cumulated for the whole semester, this additional work load typically amounts to twice the time shown in the timetable.