BIS Specialising in Multimedia

Program Enquiries:

Mr K de Beer
IT Building 6-61
Tel.: +27 12 420 2833
E-mail: [email protected]

"Breathe life into technology"

Is Multimedia for you?

Do you like to work with a computer?
Do you like programming? (Very important!!!)
Are you interested in creating websites for the corporate environment or computer games?
Do you want to learn how to create moving graphics and animation?

What does the degree entail?

Modern information technology offers the possibility of information products being designed and created comprising various types of media over and above the traditional text medium. Information technology is therefore converging various previously separate traditional media. There is not a single discipline that handles the combination of information products. The Multimedia qualification in the Department of Information Science addresses this shortcoming. Any type of institution in all economic spheres, including government, may profit from a multimedia approach to information design, organization and retrieval.

Multimedia documents include text, graphics, sound, video and animation. The purpose of this qualification is to enable students to understand the necessary concepts to build multimedia products and maintain the products. This programme is therefore a combination of theory and practice.

The explosion of the Web, as well as the exponential growth and power of information technology requires the introduction of this degree following international trends. The qualification is a new field of study not offered at other local universities.

With this degree you can:

mark up documents in HTML and XML;
design, build and publish websites;
become a member of a multimedia production team;
create games and animations;
build user-friendly computer interfaces;
create media, e.g. graphics, video and sound for the web;
build 3D worlds;
programme in various programming languages.

Job opportunities
With the convergence of many traditional communication media such as paper publications, television, radio, phone technologies and the advent of all kinds of new devices that enable connection with information sources such as the Web, there is a global shortage of content producers. The BIS Multimedia degree prepares you to get a job with any of these dynamic content producers. You can also become a hardcore coder and work for a programming company. You can develop skills in your particular area of interest: digital music or video, programming, graphic development, games development, Web development, etc. You may work in these industries: telecommunications, broadcasting, publishing and Internet content service providers, in short, at any institution that communicates information in multimedia.

Admission requirements for candidates with a National Senior Certificate

To obtain admission to this degree programme, a candidate should have obtained the following:

(a) a valid National Senior Certificate with admission for degree purposes; and

(b) a minimum APS of 30 in the final Grade 12 examinations; and

(c) compliance with the NSC minimum requirements; additionally one of these languages must be Afrikaans or English at level 4 (50%-59%); and

(d) at least level 5 (60-69%) in Mathematics.

Duration of study

Students registering for a three-year degree, must complete the degree in a maximum of five years.

Minimum credits required: 469	Year level 1	Year level2	Year level 3	Total
Fundamental modules	12	8	0	20
Core modules	116	136	105	357
Other compulsory modules	16	40		56
Elective modules			36	36
Total	144	184	141	469

FIRST YEAR OF STUDY

Fundamental modules for Year Level 1 (12 credits)

Code	Module	Prerequisites	Credits	Period
AIM 101	Academic Information Management		6	S1
ALL 121	Academic literacy for Information Technology		6	S2

Core modules (116 credits)

Code	Module	Prerequisites	Credits	Period
IMY 110	Multimedia: Mark-up languages	Departmental selection	12	S1
IMY 120	Multimedia: Multimedia for the web	IMY 110	12	S2
INL 110	Information science: Introduction to Information science		12	S1
INL 120	Information science: Organisation and representation of information		12	S2
INL 140	Information science: Information and communication technology		12	S2
COS 132	Imperative programming		16	S1
COS 110	Program design: Introduction	COS 131 or COS 132 or COS 153 and Maths level 5 or WTW 133	16	S2
COS 151	Introduction to computer science		8	S1
COS 121	Software modelling	COS 131 or COS 132 or COS 153	16	S2

Other compulsory module (16 credits)

Code	Module	Prerequisites	Credits	Period
VIO 102	Visual design	Mathematics 5 or WTW 114 or WTW 101 or WTW 133 and 143	16	Year

SECOND YEAR OF STUDY

Fundamental module (8 credits)

Code

Module

Prerequisites

Credits

Period

JCP 202

Community-based project

Note:

^ Consult the department at the beginning of the year.

Core modules (136 credits)

Code	Module	Prerequisites	Credits	Period
IMY 210	Multimedia: Advanced mark-up languages (1)	Departmental selection	16	S1
IMY 211	Multimedia: Multimedia and hypermedia theory	Departmental selection	20	S1
IMY 220	Multimedia: Advanced mark-up languages (2)	IMY 210	16	S2
PUB 210	Publishing: Copy-editing		20	S1
COS 212	Data structures and algorithms	COS 131	16	S1
COS 216	Netcentric computer systems	COS 110	16	S1
COS 222	Operating systems	COS 131 or COS 132	16	S2
COS 226	Concurrent systems	COS 131 or COS 132	16	S2

Other compulsory modules (40 credits)

Code	Module	Prerequisites	Credits	Period
COS 284 (was ERA 284)	Computer organisation and architecture	COS 110	16	S2
VIO 202	Visual design	VIO 102	24	Year

THIRD YEAR OF STUDY

Core modules for year-level 3 (105 credits)

Code	Module	Prerequisites	Credits	Period
IMY 300	Multimedia: Project	Departmental selection	45	Year
IMY 310	Multimedia: Human-computer interaction	Departmental selection	30	S1
IMY 320	Multimedia: Trends	Departmental selection	30	S2

Elective modules (36 credits*)

Code	Module	Prerequisites	Credits	Period
Select at least two ^ of the following semester modules:
COS 301	Software engineering	COS 110 and COS 121	27	Year
COS 314	Artificial intelligence	COS 131 or COS 110	18	S1*
COS 332	Computer networks	COS 216	18	S1*
COS 333	Programming languages	COS 110	18	S2*
COS 341	Compiler construction	COS 212	18	S1*
COS 330	Computer security and ethics	COS 110	18	S2*
COS 326	Database systems	INF 214 or TDH	18	S2*
COS 344	Computer graphics	COS 110 and WTW 126	18	S1*
Note: The semester in which these modules are offered may vary from year to year. Students who wish to continue with a BSc(Hons)(CS) should consult the Computer Science department for the correct admission requirements to the degree. COS 301 and three COS electives are compulsory admission requirements for BSc(Hons) (CS).

Click here for a description of all the modules of the School of Information Technology.

For postgraduate degrees click here

Published by Reitumetse Ranthako