Media Design School offers NZ’s first Virtual Reality + Augmented Reality qualification stream

Media Design School is the first tertiary provider in New Zealand to offer a qualification with a dedicated stream focusing on two of the world’s biggest emerging technologies: Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality.

Currently, students of Media Design School’s Graduate Diploma of Creative Technologies (GDCT) are able to select from streams such as 3D Animation and VFX, Graphic Design or Web Development.

However, with the addition of New Zealand’s first AR/VR stream, GDCT students are able to refine their respective crafts in the fields of VR or AR with the support of award-winning lecturers from a diverse array of digital disciplines.

Media Design School’s chief executive officer Darryn Melrose welcomes the addition of the VR/AR stream to the GDCT programme.

Says Melrose: “Media Design School has always been at the forefront of championing emerging technologies and Virtual Reality is no exception.

“In 2014, Media Design School was responsible for bringing the largest virtual reality exhibit in New Zealand to Auckland, showcasing 20 Oculus Rifts and wowing an audience of thousands. From there, our students have been given the opportunity to incorporate elements of Virtual and Augmented Reality into their digital design projects.

“VR and AR have so many applications across a wide range of sectors and offering a dedicated VR/AR stream to our students will enable them to further develop their practical skills in a supportive, hands-on learning environment.”

Graduate Diploma of Creative Technologies student Yingfei Pan is currently incorporating Virtual Reality into her research project. Pan’s proposal, Welcome Home, involves creating a VR experience for prospective homebuyers who may not have time to physically visit a home they intend to purchase, and is on track to be completed by June 2017.

Media Design School has also incorporated opportunities for students to develop concepts and prototypes for both Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality across all of its degree programmes.