Education???

[Bradley316]

I am currently looking to enrol on a Masters degree programme, I have been accepted onto two courses, both at Liverpool John Moores University.

MA Multimedia Arts
http://www.livjm.ac.uk/learning/postgrad/las/4502.asp

MSc Interactive Multimedia Systems
http://www.livjm.ac.uk/learning/postgrad/cms/4461.asp

My problem is I haven't the faintest idea which offer to accept. The first programme is more Art based, it examines creativity, user experience, developmental stuff, etc. The second is a more traditional course looking at technology, programming, project management, etc.

I am just looking for advice from people, which course do you think will better further my career and personal development?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
[Edited by Bradley316 on 05-16-2002 at 05:14 AM]

[erova]

bradley:

i really think we're the last people to ask because we don't have any idea who you are, what your background is, what your goals are, what gets you motivated, and what gets you bored.

are you trying to be a vp of technology, get rich with stock options and have off every friday to play golf with your investors? go plan b.

want a loft studio, get published, have flashkit kids ten years from now asking how you did it, never have to wear a tie again? go plan a.

[Bradley316]

Thanks for the input, I am sorry for being a little vague.

Basically, I am primarily a web designer. I need feedback from people working in the industry to tell me which course would be more valuable to them and why. That way I can get a better understanding of the pros and cons associated with each programme.

[RazoRmedia]

Dave, is that you ?

[gecko2]

I would go for the first one. I don't have a reason apart from I have a gut feeling that it is the course for you

[mentuat]

i would suggest that (b) will get you more chance of being employed at the end of it

[RazoRmedia]

Is your name Dave Bradley ?

I went to John Moores University to do my degree. This was about 4 years ago and they didn't do any web stuff at all, they were using crappy systems too in some of the labs on the 7th floor but hopefully they will have upgraded.

My first thoughts are that a) is completely artistic and will no doubt comprise of a lot more theory than practice and b) is more of the approach that I took, incidentally, my course was a 4 year computer studies sandwich course with hons which they don't seem to do anymore. There is a lot of stuff covered which seems stupid to learn because you'll never use it again, this is true, I haven't used bugger all of my course really but it does give you certain knowledge of different approaches. Stuff like CPM, GANNT charts, soft systems modelling etc will never ever be used by me again.

If you want my advice, apply for this course. There'll always be work in this industry as technology progresses and it is probably very satisfying.

If you do go to the uni, stay in St. Andrews Gardens (the bullring), theres lots of great women !!!

[DeeDesigns]

when i started my MSc i thought that i'd get a job at the end of it, but this has proved me wrong. All the job offers i got last year demanding the skills i now have, are no longer advertised, all the web designer jobs are web programers jobs sql, asp, php etc. all the sodding multimedia jobs are now G3 mobile coms related, it sucks doing these courses and then finding out the industry is after something total different