Media Education Prepares You For Media Engineering Design Integration Field

Project manager, digital media production; interactive technical producer, museum and instructional design; producer, digital signage networks; user experience designer, consumer electronics; software designer, embedded systems; mobile communications application developer. These are just a few of the jobs available in Media Engineering Design Integration (MEDI) to those with media education from Centennial College. But what exactly is this field? In it, robotics technology, the power of mobile Internet and 3D cinematic storytelling are combined with the next generation of media and entertainment experiences. Professionals in this industry are in high demand by media technology developers, media publishers and media producers.

The first media education courses of its sort, the Media Engineering Design Integration program at Centennial College brings together the School of Communications, Media and Design and School of Engineering, Technology and Applied Science. In the process, it merges two diverse groups of students with different strengths and weaknesses. To bring the groups of engineering technology and media design professionals to a level of equivalence, students will be expected to qualify for advanced standing in two courses in their respective disciplines in the first semester.

Focused on the design, production and management of innovative media products, the media studies courses in this program include application development and content creation for wireless devices, interactive museum and retail installations, digital signage systems and networks and more. Media studies courses include topics such as introduction to media engineering, video production and sound design, media electronics, the marketing cycle, content management and much more. In addition, laboratory practice with PLCs, robotics, sensors, electronics and network technology is a key component. Many of the courses include project-based training, lectures and laboratory experience. Specific courses include: Video Production and Sound Design (introduces students to the best practices of video producers, editors and audio designers in the creation of digital media productions); Math and Electrical Fundamentals (a theory and lab course that introduces students to the fundamental principles and theorems of D C and A C series and parallel circuits); Content Management (introduces principles underlying the major systems of content management for the collection and dissemination of information within organizations, and the management of editorial content for digital publishing enterprises); and many others.

To complement their in-school media education, in their final semester, students spend 15 weeks, three days a week, in a field placement working alongside professional staff in a media production environment or media engineering technology firm. This work placement is facilitated by the faculty, and will be determined based on the students’ project work and in consultation with the host companies. Classroom and project work will be coordinated with the placement. Project advance meetings for the work placement relationship will have begun during the second term, so that students will be able to make a positive contribution during their placement.

To apply to this post-graduate certificate program with its array of media studies courses, students must submit an official transcript that demonstrates proof of successful completion of a post-secondary diploma or degree program. In addition, there are also non-academic requirements such as a program information session or portfolio review. Please note that Centennial will consider people presenting a partial post-secondary education (eight college or university credits) in media production or engineering technology.