ACADEMIC FOCUS & SPECIALIZATION

The Emirates College of Media Arts and Sciences will offer very specialized undergraduate degree programs in four areas: Film and Digital Television, Broadcast Journalism, Digital Animation and Digital New Media Design. At the completion of the 4 year program students will receive a Bachelor of Media Arts in their chosen pattern area.

The first year of studies will contain required blocks of lectures, workshops and labs which will enable the students to successfully build the foundation upon which to base their individual choice for the major area of study.

Initially, four major degree programs will be offered which the students will choose during the second semester of the first year of studies (double majors would only be allowed under special circumstances for exceptionally gifted students).

During the first, second and third year of studies, the college of media will present the lectures, workshops and labs in block format – guest professors and media specialists from leading partner universities and media companies from around the world will spend from 4-6 weeks teaching at the college of media, versus a full semester of teaching. The block format will allow our students to attain the highest possible levels of knowledge during their studies by receiving a full semester of studies in a particular subject in block format.

Students will concentrate on advanced courses, workshops and labs in the second and third year of studies, along with certain required courses.

The fourth year of study will consist of a semester of internship (which must be directly related to the choice of major), followed by the final semester which will be devoted entirely to the creation of the students’ diploma thesis.

CURRICULUM DESIGN

In the initial years of operation the college will offer four major degree programs:
• Film and Digital Television
• Broadcast Journalism
• Digital Animation
• Digital New Media Design

Film and Digital Television
The School of Film and Digital Television will offer both creative and practical training oriented to the digital future. Traditional film making techniques will soon follow in the footsteps of television by going completely digital with regard to production and distribution. In fact, certain major motion picture studios are now in the process of distributing product digitally to exhibitors worldwide. And the age of interactive digital television is now upon us and the need within the industry will be great for individuals with a broad knowledge of both the creative and business sides of the industry.

ECMAS students will be trained to become executive producers, producers, line producers, and directors, and to assume other key roles within both the film and television industries. Students will achieve this through a balance of lectures and seminars, practical training and via interdisciplinary projects with the students of the schools of new media design and digital animation. Media companies in Dubai and throughout the Gulf region, as well as internationally, will provide excellent opportunities for students during their internship semester. And many students will find that permanent positions with these companies will be available to them immediately upon graduation.

Broadcast Journalism
Broadcast Journalism is the field of news journals which are "broadcast", that is, published electronically, instead of the older methods, such as printed newspapers and posters. Broadcast methods include radio (air, cable, and Internet), television (air, cable, and Internet), and, more recently, the Internet generally. Such media disperse pictures (static and moving), visual text, and/or sounds.

A Broadcast Journalism major will prepare students for careers in radio, television and areas of the entertainment industry. Graduates will be strong communicators and researchers in addition to having the critical thinking skills necessary to work in any field. Some of the possible career options include reporter, news director, news anchor, assignment editor, correspondent, writer, and producer for local, national, regional and international entities. Broadcast Journalism is also an excellent degree choice for those with career interests in public relations, advertising, politics or communication careers.

Broadcast journalism involves writing, editing, producing, directing and reporting news and information through outlets, such as radio, television, and electronic media. It is a field in which clear communication is of the utmost importance. Coursework for broadcast journalism majors will include media communication, news writing, ethics and law, and workshops in radio, television, newspaper, and electronic media.

ECMAS graduates with a degree in Broadcast Journalism will develop effective oral, written, and visual communication abilities. Broadcast Journalism graduates also will be able to accurately present information and work under the pressure of deadlines. They will be able to effectively research and gather information along with thinking critically and analytically. Broadcast Journalism majors will be aware of and understand the communication processes in diverse cultural, social, legal, and ethical contexts.

Digital Animation
The need within the film and television industries for highly qualified digital animators is growing year by year at a tremendous rate. Digital production methods demand that students be trained specifically in the areas of 3-D computer animation, visual effects including CGI (computer generated images), virtual reality and interactive media both creatively and technically.

The School of Digital Animation will challenge students to expand their individual artistic horizons to both complement existing production requirements as well as to initiate their own individual styles by way of entrepreneurship in a challenging yet highly rewarding field within the media business.

Digital New Media Design
The “digital age” requires designers of the highest possible caliber for the web, for film and television production and beyond into the future. The School of New Media Design will focus on digital “graphic design” to meet these needs. However, this curriculum will not focus on design for the printed page or for other one and two dimensional forms of media, but strictly for the motion graphics and designs of digital media. Students will have access to the latest state of the art equipment and software and will be encouraged to call upon their inherent creative abilities to become the highly skilled designers of the future. Students will take part in traditional lectures and seminars, along with intensive laboratory works in addition to interdisciplinary project work with the students from the schools of film and digital television and digital animation.

As with students from the film and digital television school, media companies in Dubai and throughout the Gulf region, as well as internationally, will provide excellent opportunities for students during their internship semester. And many students will find that permanent positions with these companies will be available to them immediately upon graduation.

Students will have lectures, seminars and laboratory training in addition to interdisciplinary project work with students from the schools of film and digital television and new media design. Again, as with students from the schools of film and digital television, and digital animation, media companies in Dubai and throughout the Gulf region, as well as internationally, will provide excellent opportunities for students during their internship semester. And many students will find that permanent positions with these companies will be available to them immediately upon graduation.

Conclusion
The Emirates College of Media Arts & Sciences will be dedicated to ensuring that students receive state of the art equipment and software at all times to compliment a rigid but yet flexible curriculum tailored to meet the specific needs of the media community at large.

By drawing upon the desire within media students to excel in their respective fields of study, ECMAS must and will continually maintain the highest possible academic standards internationally by providing its students with the most highly qualified lecturers and prestigious experts in the media world.

The Emirates College of Media Arts & Sciences is fully dedicated to providing its student body with an education of “wisdom with integrity.”