International semester (30 ECTS) Multimedia Communication 2009- 2010 Howest What is Multimedia Communication? Is this course for me? Course concept Course overview Timing and location Academic recognition Prerequisites Tuition Fee? Accommodation Registration Contact and more information

Howest, de Hogeschool West-Vlaanderen Howest, University College West Flanders, is a higher education institution in the province of West Flanders, Belgium. Today Howest has an enrolment of more than 4500 full-time students pursuing one of our 40 Bachelors and Masters degrees covering a wide range of disciplines. Howest consists of five campuses located in Bruges, Kortrijk and Ostend. Students will find an open, vibrant, cosmopolitan and friendly environment that offers many educational opportunities, with emphasis on high quality and practice-oriented courses.

Howest - Multimedia Communication [email protected] - www.howest.be/english

Howest has a growing international reputation, as are the opportunities it offers to students to do part of their studies abroad… and for students from abroad to study here. That is why we are continuously developing our curriculum in English. We warmly welcome students from our partner institutions for an Erasmus exchange period. At this moment, Howest offers different English taught semesters to foreign students, each of them representing at least 30 ECTS:    

Digital Business Management (Sept-Dec) Tourism Management (Sept-Dec) ESPIEW – Entrepreneurial Spirit improving European Welfare (Sept-Dec) Multimedia Communication (Feb-June)

What is Multimedia Communication? Every communication project - be it a flyer, billboard, website, educational CD-ROM, video clip or magazine - is the result of a wonderful fusion of social craftsmanship and technology. One cannot imagine communication without multimedia. Just as much as multimedia always involves communication. Our Multimedia Communication semester combines both areas into a course offer of 42 ECTS in total. MMC is the result of a cooperation between 3 Howest departments: Communication Management, Journalism and Multimedia & Communication Technology. Whoever needs to communicate with an audience will feel the benefits of being fluent at handling text and image, processing data into innovative infographics, incorporating sound and movement in the message, adding shape and color, in brief, turning the content into an attractive, creative and effective multimedia product. Moreover every future professional will feel more self-confident after some media training which enables him to cope with any type of stressful conversational situation. The MMC semester gives you the opportunity to combine course units which will train you in communication, communication management, media, web development and multimedia design. Students of different study fields can compile an interesting programme which meets their individual needs. Having at least some basic skills and knowledge in these areas is considered part of the general skills, the so-called „transversal competencies‟ which employers seek nowadays when hiring new staff, regardless of the sector or specialization area. Another one of these general competencies is the ability to act in an international context. MMC will help you to achieve this, thanks to: Howest - Multimedia Communication [email protected] - www.howest.be/english

o the international „mix‟ of students. o the communication project which you will realize in groups of local and international students. o the constant use of English, being a foreign language for most of the MMC students. o the focus on the international dimension in various course units. Several of the course units are organized jointly for both the international as well as our local students.

Is this course for me? This curriculum appeals to students of many different study areas: media studies and journalism, communication, marketing, advertising, public relations, sales, graphic design, multimedia, computer science. Those students can attend MMC as an exchange semester abroad to enhance the international dimension of their study. Multimedia Communication also offers a great opportunity for students of other study programmes, such as education, business and management, languages, tourism, social sciences and many more, to expand their communication and multimedia technology skills and constitute a unique added value to their degree and their career opportunities. The MMC semester aims mainly at students who want to do an Erasmus exchange abroad in the course of their undergraduate (Bachelor) study. But of course other students and recent graduates are welcome as well.

Course concept Multimedia Communication consists of a common programme and an individual track. We expect all foreign MMC students to enter the first 3 course units as a common part of the semester, for a total of 12 ECTS. The optional course units can be combined in an individual itinerary up to a total of 18 ECTS.

Howest - Multimedia Communication [email protected] - www.howest.be/english

Course overview Course units

HTC* n-TC

SL

ECTS

Socio-cultural overview of 24 41 75 3 Belgium Introduction to the Belgian political, social and economical context. Overview of past and present-day Flemish art & culture. Introductory Dutch language course.

International project management 24

51

75

3

Project planning and management, time management. Intercultural communication and presentation skills. International Project 15 135 Communication project in international teams. Optional course units

150

6

18 ECTS to be chosen out of 30

Marketing Communication: Research, Strategy and 24 51 75 3 Communication Mix Research techniques: qualitative and quantitative SWOT analyses and objectives. Communication mix: advertising, promotion, P.R., fairs, ... 24 51 75 3 Media: - Propaganda and the media A model of propaganda and the media from Ancient Times till the Information Society. - Facing the media How to deal with the media: needs of the media; being interviewed; how to issue a press release; being a spokesperson.

24 51 75 3 Writing for the media How to choose a linguistically correct and attractive packaging for your message. International marketing and event organization

24

51

75

Web development and site 24 51 75 management Website development, hosting and management. Dreamweaver. Photography Creating images

24

51

75

3

3

3

Howest - Multimedia Communication [email protected] - www.howest.be/english

Common itinerary (12 ECTS)

Photoshop Manipulating images Communication exercises in English - 1 Level B1 of the CEFR Communication exercises in English - 2 Level B2 of the CEFR Textes journalistiques en français Level French B2 of the CEFR

24

51

75

3

24

51

75

3

24

51

75

3

24

51

75

3

*Legend: HTC = Hours of teaching and coaching during the semester n-TC = non-teaching and coaching hours per semester SL = total study load per semester

Timing and location The course takes place between February 8th and June 25th 2010, in the city of Kortrijk, at Howest campus Hiepso. Address: Renaat de Rudderlaan 6, 8500 Kortrijk During the 2 weeks Easter Holiday in Belgium, there are no lessons: 05/04/2010 – 18/04/2010. June is the month for examination and final presentations. The official „second chance‟ exam session is in the second half of August and first 2 weeks of September.

Academic recognition Howest applies the ECTS grading system and awards credits for the successfully achieved course units. After concluding the semester, all students receive a Certificate.

Howest - Multimedia Communication [email protected] - www.howest.be/english

Prerequisites o Minimum 3 successfully completed semesters in a Bachelor programme or an equivalent of 90 ECTS. This will need to be confirmed by means of an official certificate, a survey of completed courses, or a signed letter from the sending university. o Sufficient command of the English language (both oral and written communication). The minimum level required is the B2 level of the Common European Framework of Reference. (see http://www.languages.unimaas.nl/niveaus_common_european_framework_reference/CEF_English.htm)

You can provide proof for this in the following ways: - A signed confirmation letter from your university, stating that your English language skills reach the B2 level and thus are sufficient to attend courses, participate in classroom and examination activities and present your project and its results. - An official certificate or score report referring to the European Framework or from one of the recognized language tests (e.g. TOEFL - 500/173 or IETLS - 5.0, no partial results below 4.5). Applicants from USA, Canada, Great Britain, New Zealand and Australia are not required to document their English skills. HOWEST reserves the right to contact the applicant by telephone or the sending university to verify this information. o We strongly recommend you bring your own laptop.

Tuition Fee? For Erasmus exchange students this course is free of tuition. Non-Erasmus European students pay a fee of € 298,8* (*€ 8 per ECTS credit x 30 = € 240 + € 58,80 administration cost – this is the 2008-2009 fee – subject to increase for 09 -10)

Non-European students: please contact International Office. The fee does not include course or other materials, the cost for cultural visits (transportation, museum entrance …). Those have to be paid cash on location.

Howest - Multimedia Communication [email protected] - www.howest.be/english

Accommodation Howest has arranged an option on several private student rooms for the duration of the course. If you want more information about this accommodation possibility, please contact [email protected]. Howest can only assure help with accommodation if your registration reaches us before 30/11/2009. Our assistance will consist in providing you with contact data of owners who have student rooms available. You have to contact the owners yourself, and make all further arrangements with them directly. Howest has no student home or residence in the city of Kortrijk. You can also look for accommodation by yourself. www.kotwest.be can be a great help here, although only in Dutch for the time being.

Registration The registration deadline for Multimedia Communication is the 30st November 2009. The number of places in Multimedia Communication is limited. All applications are subject to approval by the Howest Multimedia Communication team. Because of the international and multidisciplinary nature of the Multimedia Communication programme we strive for a well-balanced composition of the project teams. Keeping this balance will be taken into account during the selections. Send your typewritten Howest Application Form to [email protected]. You can download it at www.howest.be/english.

Howest - Multimedia Communication [email protected] - www.howest.be/english

Contact and more information Howest International Office Ms. Isabelle Pertry International Mobility Officer [email protected] Tel.: + 32 56 24 12 90 Fax: + 32 56 24 12 92 Post address: Marksesteenweg 58, 8500 Kortrijk - Belgium For information about Multimedia Communication contents do not hesitate to contact [email protected] Have a look at our “Practical information package for incoming students” at www.howest.be/english.

Howest - Multimedia Communication [email protected] - www.howest.be/english