Bachelor of Arts (Digital Arts and Technology)

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Course Overview
Key Facts
Course Outline
Further Education
Why Choose This Course?
Course Fees
Find Out More

Entry Points (2023)

410

Course Overview

How are our lives, society, and culture shaped by digital technologies? How can these technologies expand our creative powers? How can they be used to help us to understand our world and environment, to preserve and explore our cultural heritage, and to create and share our knowledge? These are questions that guide the unique blend of study and practice-based learning central to the BA Digital Arts and Technology programme.

The programme allows you to pursue an interest in arts and humanities (you will complete a full programme in an Arts subject of your choice), combined with a training in information technology. In addition, in a series of courses unique to the programme, you will examine the influence and creative possibilities of the digital culture in which we are immersed, examining everything from social media and AI through to interactive media, cultural heritage, and remix culture. You will study the impact of digital technology from a historical, cultural, and philosophical perspective, and you will also gain skills and practice in programming, creative coding, web development, and digital content creation (in video, graphic design, and podcasting).

In Year 3 of the programme students can avail of placement opportunities, in which you will either take on a work placement with an appropriate company / cultural institution or a period of international study in a university in Europe. The aim of the placement year is to add to your practical skills, expand your personal networks and enhance your employability.

"I chose this degree because it gave me the opportunity to find myself amongst the different aspects of digital culture. I believe whether you are a more artistic and creatively motivated person, or someone who prefers more technical approaches like programming, this course has plenty of enjoyable content to show your true potential in. The variety of modules really gave me a good taste of what I would enjoy down the line looking for a career, and thanks to some of these modules I've now moved onto one of these careers, which I previously wouldn't have known about prior to taking this course. I also felt super supported all throughout my academic journey, and I feel looking back that the coursework was well balanced throughout my four enjoyable years at the university. Having the opportunity to do a placement in year 3 also gives you lots of quality experience, but also a nice break from studying for a while. If you're not sure exactly what you want to pursue in the future, but know you want a digital/computer based job whether it's programming, media content creation, UX or other computer sciences, I think it is a great course to explore and find yourself in."

Emilia Muszko, Graduate

Applications and Selections

Who Teaches this Course

Requirements and Assessment

Key Facts

Entry Requirements

Minimum Grade H5 in two subjects and passes in four other subjects at O6/H7 level in the Leaving Certificate including Irish, English, another language, and three other subjects recognised for entry purposes.

Additional Requirements

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Duration

4 years

Next start date

September 2024

A Level Grades (2023)

universityofgalway.ie/alevels

Average intake

QQI/FET FETAC Entry Routes

2 (More Info)

Closing Date

NFQ level

Mode of study

ECTS weighting

Award

CAO

GY125

Course code

Course Outline

Computer Science is a mandatory subject for the degree. In addition, students choose one Arts subject major (e.g. English, French, History, Economics) from a list of possible Arts subject options. They also take a range of courses in digital arts and culture that are specific to this BA programme.

Year 1:

In addition to the modules in your chosen Arts subject, you will complete core Computer Science modules in Algorithms and Programming. You will also complete course-specific modules in digital arts and culture that examine remix culture, interactive media and storytelling, video-editing and graphic design. Those core modules are:

Interactive Storytelling and the Active Audience
Remix Culture in Context
Design Fundamentals (Graphics and Video)

Year 2:

You will continue with a new set of modules in your chosen Arts Subject, and complete modules in Computer Science in Object-Oriented Programming, Web Application Development, Web Information Systems, and Database Systems. In addition, you will continue your specialist studies in digital arts and culture, examining a range of topics such as social media, digital surveillance and transhumanism, AI art and ‘post-digital’ art, while gaining creative practice in web projects and podcasts. These core course-specific modules are:

Perspectives on Digital Culture
Digital Art and Aesthetics

Year 3:

This year is focused primarily on the successful completion of placement- either a work placement with a relevant company or institution or a study abroad placement with an international university. At present these placements occur in the second half of the school term with students taking a range of modules (including in film studies and UX design) during the first part of term. Students also complete the following course-specific project-based module.

Digital Humanities and Digital Cultural Heritage

Year 4:

Students complete their studies in their chosen Arts subject, pursue modules in Artificial Intelligence, Multimedia, and Programming, and complete a final capstone project that draws on the skills they have acquired during the four years of study.

Curriculum Information

Curriculum information relates to the current academic year (in most cases).
Course and module offerings and details may be subject to change.

Glossary of Terms

Credits: You must earn a defined number of credits (aka ECTS) to complete each year of your course. You do this by taking all of its required modules as well as the correct number of optional modules to obtain that year's total number of credits.
Module: An examinable portion of a subject or course, for which you attend lectures and/or tutorials and carry out assignments. E.g. Algebra and Calculus could be modules within the subject Mathematics. Each module has a unique module code eg. MA140.
Subject: Some courses allow you to choose subjects, where related modules are grouped together. Subjects have their own required number of credits, so you must take all that subject's required modules and may also need to obtain the remainder of the subject's total credits by choosing from its available optional modules.
Optional: A module you may choose to study.
Required: A module that you must study if you choose this course (or subject).
Required Core Subject: A subject you must study because it's integral to that course.
Semester: Most courses have 2 semesters (aka terms) per year, so a three-year course will have six semesters in total. For clarity, this page will refer to the first semester of year 2 as 'Semester 3'.

Year 1 (60 Credits)

Year 2 (60 Credits)

Year 3 (60 Credits)

Year 4 (60 Credits)

Further Education

Some students may wish to continue their education and specialize in a field. Relevant postgraduate programmes that students may consider include:

Why Choose This Course?

Career Opportunities

Career prospects for graduates with the combination of creativity, analytic skills and technical know-how are increasing all the time. Career opportunities exist in the fields of: information technology, education, creative arts, cultural heritage and cultural industries, UX, interaction design, AI, social media, journalism and others.

Who’s Suited to This Course

Learning Outcomes

Transferable Skills Employers Value

Work Placement

Placements will be arranged in Year 3 of the programme, which will involve either work placements in appropriate companies/cultural institutions, or international study abroad. The aim of the year is to add to your practical skills, expand your personal networks and enhance your employability.

Study Abroad

Related Student Organisations

Course Fees

Fees: EU

€6,076 p.a. (€6,216 p.a. including levy) 2024/25

Fees: Tuition

€3,076 p.a. 2024/25

Fees: Student Contribution

€3,000 p.a. 2024/25

Fees: Student levy

€140 p.a. 2024/25

Fees: Non EU

€20,000 p.a. (€20,140 p.a. including levy) 2024/25

EU Fees are comprised of Tuition + Student Contribution Charge + Student Levy** €140. **Payable by all students and is not covered by SUSI. Further detail here.