Media Technology 120 credits
The programme is provided at the KTH Campus, Stockholm. These courses are conducted in Swedish. Next start is autumn semester 2012
Media Technology is defined as technology and methods supporting human communication over distance in time and space. The subject also includes the prerequisites for, and the effects of, the use of media technology. The subject media technology occupies a central part in an interdisciplinary academic environment around communication, interaction and media at the KTH School of Computer Science and Communication.
Jobs and the future
The media industry is a large global labour market that includes, among other things, traditional mass media of different kinds (newspapers, magazines, books, publishers, TV, radio, film, music etc.), interactive digital and mobile media, the gaming industry, publicity and advertising and also a large, varied supplier industry. The media industry is in a constant state of change where new technology influences and re-shapes production and the market. There is, consequently, a great need for expertise in interdisciplinary insights into technology, process, project management, service development and the market, in order to guide companies through the adjustment to these changes. In addition, media technology students are attractive to all types of companies and organisations that are concerned with communication, where different forms of media technology are used.
The programme
Objectives:
The Master programme in Media Technology is to provide students with the basic knowledge and skills to be able to work with and, in an engineering manner, solve technical, organisational, methodological, design and application-related problems and challenges in the area of media. The programme includes knowledge about the technical and interdisciplinary basis of the media and its production, distribution and consumption technology.
The Master programme in media technology is to provide students with the prerequisites to critically, independently and creatively identify, formulate and manage complex issues, and to analyse and evaluate different technical, organisational and design solutions from a holistic viewpoint. The programme is also to provide a basis for further education at the level of researcher and the ability to participate in research and development projects, thus contributing to knowledge development in the area. Students also learn to critically and systematically integrate knowledge from different disciplines and areas of experience and also to make models, plan and evaluate products, services, systems and processes. They will gain insight into business organisations and business development in the area of media and also into the importance of the role of media in society, in opinion formation and in democratic processes such as the ethical and legal aspects of the media and its content, and also the connection between technology, content and application in the media.
Students will develop insight into, and the ability to participate in, group work and to cooperate in different kinds of groups in the programme. They also improve their ability to identify their need for further knowledge and to continually develop their abilities and skills.
Programme structure:
The programme consists of three course blocks which are studied partly parallel over two years:
(i) compulsory courses for all students on the programme
(ii) a choice of specialisation track with 3-4 compulsory courses that provide advanced knowledge of one of the central areas of media technology
(iii) elective courses in the subject area
The advanced tracks are to be studied during periods 2-4 in Year 1. Period 1 in Year 1 is reserved for elective or conditionally elective courses. Students with backgrounds other than the KTH Master of Science in Engineering in Media Technology then study the harmonising courses as preparation for their chosen track.
The programme offers five recommended elective specialisation tracks:
• Interactive Media Technology. Technology and methods for design, development and production of different types of interactive media.
• Published Communication. The information content of pictures, digital picture processing and also principles and methods for print preparation and reproduction. Text/word processing and page production. Knowledge of the opportunities and limitations of the dominant printing methods offset, deep-etch, flexography and digital printing.
• Picture and Video Technology. Methods and technical assistance used in fixed and moving analogue and digital picture technology. Knowledge of tools to register, adapt, transfer, distribute and reproduce sound and pictures.
• Human-Computer Interaction. Computers are becoming more and more a part of people’s everyday life in the industrial world. This demands much of user interfaces. Knowledge from several disciplines must work together to produce a good user interface.
• Sound Technology. Knowledge about how sound is produced, adapted, registered and reproduced, and how people experience sound and music. Knowledge about human hearing and perception and also psychoacoustics is necessary in order to integrate sound with other media.
Students are also able to define an individual track, which must then be approved by the relevant programme director. The overall course structure is as follows.
| Period 1 | Period 2 | Period 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Preparatory Courses | Focus Track | |
| Elective courses and / or conditional optional mathematics course | ||
| Media Law | ||
| Media between technology and culture | Scientific theory and scientific methodology | Thesis at the advanced level |
| Sustainable development | Optional course | |
| Content and expression in the media |
Courses
Preparatory courses:
Depending on the individual student’s previous knowledge and chosen specialisation track, the preparatory courses may, during period 1 Year 1, be chosen from the following list. There may be additions to the list.
• Applied Computer Science
• Graphical Techniques
• Sound as Information bearer
• Picture and Video Technology
• Human-Computer Interaction, Introductory Course.
Elective courses:
In addition to the common compulsory courses and the chosen advanced track, students may choose courses from the other tracks. A sufficient number of these must be at the advanced level for the degree project to meet requirements. Some of the tracks demand previous knowledge of mathematics. Consequently it is possible to study any missing courses, for example Spectral Transformers, Discrete Mathematics or the Theory of Probability and Statistics within the elective course block.
| Interactive Media | Printed Communications | Image and video technology | Audio technology | Human-Computer Interaction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| XML for publication | XML for publication | Optics for the media | Audio technology | Interaction technology and valuation |
| Närvaruproduktion på distans | Digital images for publication | Signal processing for the media | Speech technology | Interaction design I |
| Internet Programming | Printing | Bild och videobehandling | Musical communication and music technology | |
| Media Distribution |
Language of instruction
The programme is conducted mainly in Swedish. However, some courses may be in English. A great deal of the course literature is in English.
Advanced level degree project
The final term is devoted to a degree project at an advanced level, with its focus on solutions using scientific methodology, of a problem in the subject area. The work is carried out and supervised by a teacher at the School of Computer Science. The project may be taken from a company problem or be generated in the research area of the school. Results are presented in the form of a report, which is defended at a formal seminar.
Contact
For questions about the programme please contact:
Björn Hedin
Admission, qualifications and selection
The programme starts in the autumn, and admission is on one occasion only during the academic year.
Students on the Master of Science in Engineering, where the Master programme in Computer Science is a qualification for the engineering degree
Students on the KTH Master of Science in Engineering in Media Technology and Information Technology are to have completed at least 150 credits from Years 1–3 including a Bachelor of Science degree project, by the start of the term. They are guaranteed a place on the programme. Students from Information Technology are to choose the course in Database Technology in Year 3. Applications forms are to be submitted 1–15 November.
Other students
General qualifications required: see the KTH general qualification requirement for the Master programmes.
Special requirements: the special requirement for the Master programme in Media Technology is a BSc degree or equivalent programme in Media Technology, Computer Technology, Information Technology or the equivalent. Students are to have a basic knowledge of Programming (basic knowledge of a programme language and also practical experience) and a basic knowledge of Mathematics (algebra and one variable analysis) and Physics, Optics or the equivalent. Applicants with a BSc degree in another area may also be considered providing that they satisfy the basic requirements in Mathematics and Physics.
The selection process of admitting students to the Master programme in Media Technology is to be carried out in accordance with the order of admission established by the Faculty Board at KTH.
