What You'll Learn

User Experience Design & Research

This module will also equip students with fundamental knowledge of User Experience (UX) Design. Students will immerse in understanding of culture, industry, and people in relation to Digital Products such as mobile applications and websites. They will learn methods to uncover the motivations and expectations of users, and design useful and delightful interfaces to create the best user experiences. Students will learn a variety of prototyping methods such as wireframing, sketching, though hands-on learning, and also industry standard tools to create high fidelity wireframes. This module also introduces students to the research tools needed to understand their stakeholders, analyse data and communicate their findings. In this module, students will develop fluency in deriving insights to tackle the problems and issues at hand through research. They will practise teamwork and develop problem solving skills when analysing data.

Visual Design & Photography

This module exposes students to the theory and practice of digital photography within the framework of an integrative digital workflow in content creation, including the finer points of digital image enhancement, manipulation & compositing. Students will be taught product and portrait photography and learn the essentials of controlling and balancing artificial lights with natural lights to achieve impactful aesthetics for photography. Students will focus on studio and outdoor digital photography, and be equipped with the fundamentals of preparing digital images and intermediate techniques of image manipulation & compositing. By the end of the module, students would have created a portfolio of photographic fine prints and digital content for commercial applications.

Developing a Brand

This module provides students with foundational competencies in working with brands, and marketing communications. We see the effect of good branding in all the products and services we adore and choose to use on a daily basis. Indeed, branding gives all communications disciplines purpose, from marketing to advertising to public relations. This module will enable students to build and nurture a sustainable branding strategy, eventually applying the brand’s character across a spectrum of communications activations, while cultivating a foundational understanding of how branding synergizes with both marketing and communication activities.

Data Fluency

Data can help you gain insights into the UN SDGs. Learn to employ data-handling processes such as formulating data-based questions, pre-processing data and analysing data using numerical and graphical summaries. This module will allow you to demonstrate your competency to use data to examine one aspect of a UN SDG and/or generate some insights to support a theoretical solution to a UN SDG.

Artificial Intelligence and Its Impact

You will get a broad overview of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and its societal and ethical impacts in modern society. Learn to build a simple AI model with online tools, discuss how to promote good ethics in AI, and consider how the use of AI can address your chosen UN SDG in this module.

Problem Solving With Creative & Computational Thinking

Focused and diffuse thinking, problem identification and analysis, lateral and creative thinking, and the four pillars of computational thinking will be covered in this module. These give you the baseline creative and computational thinking skills for problem solving. You will brainstorm and apply creative and computational thinking techniques to tackle problems related to the UN SDGs.

Polywide Elective 1

Students have the exciting opportunity to shape their own educational journey this semester by choosing from a diverse range of available electives. Each elective is designed to broaden knowledge, foster new skills, and ignite passions in various fields

Sports For Life

Sports for Life (SFL) is a physical education programme that has become part of the Graduation Criteria for ALL Year 1 students matriculated since AY2018/19. During this e-learning Semester, Year 1 students can choose their preferred module from a selection of 9 sports. SFL aims to encourage students to lead an active lifestyle by following a holistic e-learning package with videos and supplementary materials that focuses on acquiring knowledge, rules of the game, basic sports techniques and maintaining fitness. Besides physical activity, the e-learning curriculum also comprises of syllabus on Mental Wellness and Personal Leadership using 7 Habits of Highly Effective College Students.

Digital Marketing

This module aims to equip students with the skills and knowledge to plan and continuously optimize ‘always-on’ activities which can be used in an integrated way to maximise visibility and conversion through the customer lifecycle. Students will learn to employ various digital marketing concepts and strategies to build a strong omnichannel strategy for brands.

Research & Strategy

This module introduces students to the research tools needed to understand the different elements of the ecosystem, analyse data and communicate their findings. In this module, students will also develop fluency in deriving insights through research. The insights yielded will help shape the strategy for marketing communications. Students will practise teamwork and develop problem solving and critical thinking skills as they learn to clarify the context, use research to create insights, develop a communication strategy to set the path for effective communication.

Writing for News, Features & Branded Content

This module focuses on the fundamentals of good journalistic writing such as being clear and concise, and catering to the target audience. The skills taught in this module will specifically apply in the writing and content creation modules. In this module, students will develop a news sense and an ability to adapt their writing to suit the content and the target audience. This is essential in both journalism and content creation.

Digital Content Development

This module aims to equip learners with the knowledge and skills needed to develop digital content that resonates with audiences and aligns with the latest trends, including live streaming and emerging innovations. By the end of this module, learners will have the knowledge and practical skills needed to create effective branded digital content that harnesses the power of emerging innovations & technologies and adapts to future trends in the ever-evolving digital landscape through short form content.

Sustainable Innovation Project

Work in multi-disciplinary groups to apply the design thinking method and tools backed by research and qualitative data, to tackle local issues mapped to the UN SDGs. You will also tap on what you have learnt in the CCC modules that come before this module to create sustainable and innovative prototype solutions for real-life issues faced by a local community in need. In the process, you will develop empathy for the community you have identified for your project and a better understanding of yourselves.

Polywide Elective 2

Students have the exciting opportunity to shape their own educational journey this semester by choosing from a diverse range of available electives. Each elective is designed to broaden knowledge, foster new skills, and ignite passions in various fields

Digital Analytics

In this module, students will be equipped with the skills to utilise a variety analytics tools and interpret data obtained from these sources to refine marketing strategies which will influence the overall business strategy of companies. They will have the opportunity to develop adaptability and problem-solving skills through the analysis of data to develop key insights which help create effective marketing strategies, campaigns or content.

Public Relations

This module equips students with the fundamentals of public relations practice (also otherwise known as ‘Owned’ and “Earned” media in the POE framework), as well the skills required to handle the changing nature of public relations taking into account digital and social media. They will use problem-solving, empathy and creativity to connect with different groups, and build mutually beneficial relationships.

Advertising

This module will prepare students as multi-faceted communicators and explore creative strategy, concept formation, art direction, and copywriting in Advertising (also known as "Paid" media in the POE framework). Throughout this module, students will analyse the advertising process as a means of communication and its emotional appeal. Students will be engaged in practical communication assignments as appropriate to the subject matter and create a showcase portfolio of projects.

Creative Video Content Creation

Video content is booming, and it’s everywhere. Brand realise the value of video and its success can give the organisation a powerful lead over their competitors. This module exposes students to the theory and practice of digital video production for video content creation. Students will be taught the importance of video content creation through learning social media marketing. Students will learn the essential form of scriptwriting, story structure, film grammar, video camera techniques, audio capture techniques, set art direction, non-linear editing techniques and learn the essentials of controlling and balancing artificial lights with natural lights to achieve an impactful aesthetics for videography. Students will focus on pre-production, production and post-production and be equipped with the fundamentals to prepare a digital video in various formats for different platforms. By the end of the module, students will be expected to create a showreel of commercially viable work.

Tinker Lab

​Tinker Lab is part of the Project Core modules that will be offered to all second year MAD students in semester 2. It is designed to strengthen students' skills and mindset as they work in a transdisciplinary team, tapping onto the transdisciplinary framework, process and tools to innovate solutions. Tinker Lab builds on the practices taught in X-Lab to further develop students’ ability to inspire innovation with purpose, encouraging participants to make a meaningful impact through their creations. This module aims to foster a mindset where tinkering is not just about play but about leveraging technology to bring about positive change (e.g. Sustainability Goals). Participants are invited to explore the endless possibilities of using their skills and ideas as catalysts for meaningful impact, whether on a personal, communal, or global scale. Through hands-on exploration, and collaborative projects, participants will uncover their potential as change-makers and learn to embrace creativity, experimentation, and iteration as tools.

Persuasive Communication with Data Storytelling

While data offer the hard facts, they rely on us to give them a clear and convincing voice to call stakeholders into action in tackling the UN SDGs. Attain the skills to craft compelling narratives supported by hard facts that persuade intellectually and effectively, in this module. You will learn to generate data visualisations, and apply narrative elements and persuasive delivery techniques to influence others or shape their perspectives.

Final Year Project (DMC)

This module serves as a platform for students to reinforce their skillset and knowledge in order to develop effective and creative integrated communication strategies and campaigns based on provided live clients’ briefs. Students will craft their integrated communications proposals for their clients – from situation analysis, conducting research, deriving insights to development of communication strategy. They will harness communication tools and tactics to build a communications campaign, solving the issues posed by the client’s brief.

Media Law & Ethics

This module introduces students to key media laws, including intellectual property laws, and examines government policies behind the regulation of media content, as well as the challenges. Students will better appreciate their ethical responsibilities as media professionals, as they develop a working understanding of media laws.

Innovation Lab

Innovation Lab is an opportunity for students to integrate, apply and deepen the knowledge, skillsets and competencies (both technical and general) they have gained over the course of their study. Building on the skills taught in Experience Lab and the Tinker Lab, students will work in mixed groups to tackle complex real-world issues through industry projects. They will learn how to research and generate new, innovative solutions that go beyond a single domain, while considering other factors such as meeting a business-end, dealing with resource constraints, as well as taking advantage of social, cultural and economic trends. They will also learn how to communicate with their stakeholders and manage a project. By the end of this module, students will deepen their skills in acquiring and synthesising knowledge from across disciplines and develop resilience in tackling complex problems

Polywide Elective 3

Students have the exciting opportunity to shape their own educational journey this semester by choosing from a diverse range of available electives. Each elective is designed to broaden knowledge, foster new skills, and ignite passions in various fields

Internship Programme

This module aims to immerse students with the real-world industry experience. This programme comprises a 22-week enhanced internship programme integrating a structured learning outcome which facilitates authentic learning.

INTS: Personal Branding and Career Agility

INTS: Effective Writing for the Workplace