Degree Structure

Overview

The four-year Bachelor of Computing in Communications and Media aims to train students in the technological underpinnings of interactive and digital media technologies as well as the skills of media design and content creation tempered with an understanding of the artistic and human aspects. Therefore, the programme has been designed to facilitate the integration of all these aspects. Moreover, students who are passionate about games and wish to gain addition knowledge and practical experience in games development will be able to pursue a Specialisation in Games under this programme.

The following aspects of interactive media and games are covered in the programme:

• Foundations of IT: This refers to the basics of computing required to understand, design, and extend media systems.
• Information encoding, customisation, and repurposing: Information encoding, such as XML, is required for information to be mass communicated on the Internet and World-Wide Web (WWW). Customisation refers to the personalisation of information to individuals and groups which the technology allows, and repurposing refers to the customisation of information to heterogeneous networks (wired and wireless) as well as the plethora of end devices (static and mobile, with varying display plus communication capabilities).
• Text, multimedia information analysis and processing: These refer to the technological basis of various interactive digital media (text, image, graphics, audio and video) and the various types of processing, such as data-rate transformation, summarisation, etc.
• Human-computer interaction: This refers to the human-centred design of intuitive and flexible interfaces for people to communicate via end devices on Internet fringes.
• Games design and games technology. This refers to the design of games and the technologies for the development of digital games.
• Entertainment technology: This refers to technologies required to develop interactive games and virtual reality systems.

The Communications and Media Programme degree requirement is at least 160 MCs. Modules are classified as follows (note that every module can only be counted towards satisfying exactly one requirement):

(i) PROGRAMME REQUIREMENTS (Total of 110 MCs)

Common Essentials

CS1101 or CS1101S Programming Methodology

CS1102 or CS1102S Data Structures and Algorithms

CS2100 Computer Organisation

CS2102 Database Systems

CS2105 Introduction to Computer Networks

Major Requirements

Computing Related

CS1231 Discrete Structures

CS2103 Software Engineering

CS3240 Human-Computer Interaction

CS3241 Computer Graphics

CS3248 Design of Interactive Media ^

CS3342 Interactive Media Development Project ^

Either

CS4101 Honours project

or

complete 12 MCs from the three CM Programme Elective Groups, with modules at level-4000 or above

Communications and Media Related

NM2101 Theories of Communications and New Media

Take at least 28 MCs from the three CM Programme Elective Groups, with at least 16 MCs at level-4000 or above ^

Programme Elective Groups

A) Interactive Media Technology Group

CS2106 Operating Systems

CS3103 Computer Networks and Protocols *

CS3103L Computer Networks Laboratory

CS3242 Multimedia Technologies

CS3243 Foundations of Artificial Intelligence

CS3248 Design of Interactive Media

CS3342 Interactive Media Development Project

CS4240 Virtual Reality and 3D Interaction

CS4241 Multimedia Information Systems

CS4246 Text Processing on the Web

CS4248 Natural Language Processing

CS4249 Design of Advanced User Interfaces

CS5248 Systems Support for Continuous Media

CS5249 Audio in Multimedia Systems

Other relevant modules approved by the Department of Computer Science

B) Content Creation and Mass Communications Group

NM2101 Theories of Communications and New Media

NM2204 Economics of Information and Communication

NM2208 Principles of Visual Communication

NM3201 Media and Globalisation

NM3208 Designing Content for New Media

NM3218 Knowledge Management: Approaches & Critique

SC3213 Ethnography Analysis of Visual Media

NM4201 Culture Industries

NM4202 Transnational Information Producers

NM4204 Ethics in the Information Age

NM4205 Digital Media Project Management

NM4206 Media and Communications Regulation

NM5203 Infocom Technology Policy

NM5204 Computer-Mediated Environments

CS4245 Multimedia E-Learning Environments

Other relevant modules approved by the Department of Computer Science

C) Games Technology Group

CS3343 Digital Media Production

CS4213 Game Development

CS4243 Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition

CS4247 Image Synthesis and Computer Animation

CS4343 Game Development Project

CS4344 Networked and Mobile Gaming

CS4345 General-Purpose Computation on GPU

CS4346 Game Console Programming

CS5243 3D Game Programming Technology

CS5245 Vision and Graphics for Special Effects

NM3216 Game Design I

Other relevant modules approved by the Department of Computer Science.

Science Related

MA1301 Introductory Mathematics

MA1505 Mathematics I

MA1101R Linear Algebra

ST2131 Probability

Science module &

(ii) UNIVERSITY LEVEL REQUIREMENTS

(iii) UNRESTRICTED ELECTIVES

Specialisation in Games

•  Replace CS3248 Design of Interactive Media by CS4213 Game Development.

•  Replace CS3342 Interactive Media Development Project by CS4343 Game Development Project.

•  Take at least 28 MCs from the three CM Programme Elective Groups, with at least 16 MCs at level-4000 or above. Among these modules, at least 16 MCs must be chosen from Elective Group C, with modules at level-3000 or above.

University Scholars Programme (Communications and Media)

Students in the University Scholars Programme who choose the Bachelor of Computing (Communications and Media) major will follow the Communications and Media curriculum, but with the following variations:

1. They will not be required to take the following:

(a) The University Level Requirements (20 MCs)

(b) One Science Module (4 MCs)

(These are replaced by appropriate First-Tier Scholars Modules.)

2. They will take UROP modules CS3208 and CS3209 in place of CS4342 or CS4343. CS3208 and CS3209 are independent study modules (ISMs) and will be counted as two of the four Advanced Scholars Modules [8 MCs].

Summary of degree requirement for Bachelor of Computing in Communications and Media @

@: There should not be any double-counting of a module's MC towards different parts of the programme.

^: Students who wish to specialise in games should refer to Specialisation in Games for the requirements of these modules.

*: Students who take CS3103 (Computer Networks and Protocols) must also take CS3103L (Computer Networks Laboratory).

&: A Science module can be LSM1302 (Genes and Society), LSM1304 (Microbes, Environment and Man), PC1143 (Physics III), PC1144 (Physics IV), PC1221 (Fundamentals of Physics I), PC1222 (Fundamentals of Physics II), PC1432 (Physics IIE) or courses approved by the Department of Computer Science.