Computer Science and Digital Creativity - BA (Hons)

Liverpool Hope University

Computer Science Computer Science is all about new ideas, new opportunities and fresh thinking. There is no other discipline that can be applied to so many different areas and have such a profound impact on all aspects of society. The dynamism of this exciting subject is reflected in this degree through the study of a range of topics including networks, robotics, internet, and mobile and cutting-edge technologies such as Virtual Reality. Study this degree with us and you will acquire practical skills that are highly sought after by industry, such as programming in C, C++, Java, Lua, Python, C# and low level languages (such as x86 and ARM). Computer Science has a wide-reaching social impact, posing many ethical questions, and these issues are examined at various points during the full degree. Digital Creativity The proposed BA Digital Creativity major will educate students towards creating work that bridges the gap between traditional creative practices and their modern technologically-facilitated counterparts from gaming, to graphic design to music and dance. It responds to the continuing appropriation of emerging digital technologies by artists with the aim of discovering new approaches for creative expression, often referred to under the umbrella term Creative Convergence. The course responds to the teaching and research interests of staff within the subjects of Music, Performance and Visual Arts as well as colleagues in the areas related to Computer Science. Students will learn how to use a variety of technologies and realise assessed projects; these may include motion capture, haptic feedback, interaction design, data sonification visualisation, animation & sound design, and coding/scripting in relevant languages strictly for creative output. The course will be structured around lectures, practical seminars and workshops and tutorials. There is the expectation of independent study for the realisation of creative digital applications. The practical seminars will act as laboratories for students to experiment with these technologies and enhance their skillsets, working towards a signature practice that primes them for the digital creative sector. The lectures provide a theoretical basis for students to critically position their work, further developed through student-led discussions in tutorials. The lecture content also informs the seminars, ensuring that students are able to perceive the practical application of these ideas. In their first year of study, students will be introduced to the key practitioners and practices who demonstrate the ways digital technologies enrich the creative potential of traditional art forms. Please note that Combined Honours degrees at Liverpool Hope University are split 50/50. This means both subjects will be studied equally.