Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation (APU)

Diploma in Design & Media

Program outline

The APIIT Diploma in Design & Media is designed to:

• Provide a program that covers the academic aspect as well as the vocational aspects of Design and Media.
• Prepare students for careers in the Design and Media environment.
• Provide students with academic and professional skills to develop solutions requiring a holistic outlook in Design Studies.
• Provide students with critical, independent, and cooperative learning skills so as to facilitate their response to continuous future international change.
• Develop students’ intellectual skills, communications ability, and team working capability.
• Provide students with opportunities for progression into Degree Programmes of Design and Media standards in relevant areas.

Semester 1, 2, and 3 of this diploma is aimed to provide some fundamental modules which are relevant to the Design and Media field and to prepare students to proceed to different pathways in Semester 4 and 5. Students will be placed in an innovative learning environment to develop their knowledge and skills in various design and media curriculum.

Semester 1

The first semester aims to provide essential skills to new students that are relevant to their academic life. Students will be exposed to specific terminologies and technologies related to the Design and Media field. Students will learn the fundamentals of drawing, idea generations, and the study of trends and visual thinking.

Modules

• English for Academic Purposes
• Trends and Visual Thinking
• Introduction to Graphic Design
• Imaging/Production Skills for Design

Semester 2

In the second semester, students will develop their communication skills and understand important art theories, media theories, and their practices in the creative industry. Students will further polish their hand illustrations skills and presentation methods through the use of marker renderings.

Modules

• Informing the Masses: Advertising and the Media in the 21st Century
• Visual Art Theory and Practice
• Drawing & Presentation Techniques
• Professional Communications

Semester 3

During the third semester, students will be introduced to the management of creative projects. Students will be exposed to various methods of research that can be used to formulate effective design solutions. Students will also utilize the skills developed from the previous semester and practically apply them to team-based projects that will cultivate their design thinking skills. In addition, they will be exploring theoretical original principles in animation, 3D digital imaging, character, and environment conceptual art design.

Modules

• Animation Principles
• Illustration for Concept Art
• Introduction to Creative Project
• Introduction to Project Management
• 3D Pipeline

Route A: Leading to advertising and media pathways

Semester 4

Be ready to get valuable hands-on experience and exposure to industry-based projects in the fourth semester. Students will get to select their pathway modules to further expand their foundations in technical specialization and creative exploration.

Students will be introduced to the basic use of research techniques to analyze and understand concepts of brand placement and brand identity to formulate a design brief based on market research. Students will also be looking into basic marketing principles, issues relating to consumer behavior, and strategies for creative practice.

Modules

• Applied Timing
• Applied Movement
• Digital Illustration Techniques
• Major Project Preparation
• Client Brief Concept

Semester 5

Illustrated talks and informal discussions will take place in semester 5 to investigate the study of design context as well as to critically evaluate and interpret cinematography taxonomies. At the end of their semester, students will proudly showcase their design skills from their Major Project in a public exhibition. This will be an opportunity for them to meet and present their portfolio to a panel of industry experts.

Modules

• Design and Context
• Cinema Film Analysis
• Major Project
• Marketing Fundamentals, Consumer Behaviour, and Creative Practice

Semester 6

Students will undertake an Internship/Industrial Training for a minimum period of 8 weeks to prepare them for a smooth transition from the classroom to the working environment.

Route B: Leading to animation and visual effects pathway

Semester 4

Be ready to get valuable hands-on experience and exposure to industry-based projects in the fourth semester. Students will get to select their pathway modules to further expand their foundations in technical specialization and creative exploration.

Students will experiment with another context of animation genres and theories as well as traditional character sculpting methods. Alternatively, they can be introduced to digital filming to understand the 2D compositing workflow and to advance their knowledge in the 3D production pipeline.

Modules

• Applied Timing
• Applied Movement
• Digital Illustration Techniques
• Major Project Preparation
• Digital Compositing in Film
• Animation Context and Culture

Semester 5

Illustrated talks and informal discussions will take place in semester 5 to investigate the study of design context as well as to critically evaluate and interpret cinematography taxonomies. At the end of their semester, students will proudly showcase their design skills from their Major Project in a public exhibition. This will be an opportunity for them to meet and present their portfolio to a panel of industry experts.

Modules

• Design and Context
• Cinema Film Analysis
• Major Project
• Advance 3D Pipeline
• Character Sculpture

Semester 6

Students will undertake an Internship/Industrial Training for a minimum period of 8 weeks to prepare them for a smooth transition from the classroom to the working environment.

Route C: Leading to industrial design pathways

Semester 4

Be ready to get valuable hands-on experience and exposure to industry-based projects in the fourth semester. Students will get to select their pathway modules to further expand their foundations in technical specialization and creative exploration.

Students will experience hands-on practical sessions in our specialized workshops to understand how to work with different tools and materials. Students will also be exposed to solid modeling computer-aided design skills such as Solidworks or Rhino.

Supplementing to their final individual project, they will also learn essential techniques to digitally illustrate their designs and animate in 2D and 3D.

Modules

• Applied Timing
• Applied Movement
• Digital Illustration Techniques
• Major Project Preparation
• C.A.D Project
• Surface Modelling

Semester 5

Illustrated talks and informal discussions will take place in semester 5 to investigate the study of design context as well as to critically evaluate and interpret cinematography taxonomies. At the end of their semester, they will proudly showcase their design skills from their Major Project in a public exhibition. This will be an opportunity for them to meet and present their portfolio to a panel of industry experts.

Modules

• Design and Context
• Cinema Film Analysis
• Major Project
• Design Style and Substance

Semester 6

Students will undertake an Internship/Industrial Training for a minimum period of 8 weeks to prepare them for a smooth transition from the classroom to the working environment.

* In addition to the above, all students are also required to successfully complete General Studies modules as stipulated by the Malaysian Qualification Agency, as well as fulfill credit requirements for Co-curricular activities.

Note: Students who undertake this program will be eligible to progress into Year 2 of:

• BA (Hons) in Industrial Design • BA (Hons) in Visual Effects • BA (Hons) in Animation • BA (Hons) in Digital Advertising