Professional Academy Diploma in Digital Media Design

This course would suit anyone who needs to create appealing visual content for their job or business, or to help build their personal brand. Visual assets are a key ingredient of good marketing strategies and therefore needed by every size and type of organisation. Knowledge of professional standards and best practice, as well as hands-on experience using the tools required to implement designs, have become sought-after skills. The course assessments will provide three key assets to kickstart your design portfolio.

Many of our courses are now available in a variety of formats. All formats cover the same course content. You now have more choice in how you learn with us:

Live Online

Our online experience is designed to be just as interactive, supportive, and inspiring as the UCD Professional Academy campus experience.

Online courses can be accessed from any computer or laptop with an internet connection.

Live lectures are delivered using Zoom. During these lectures, your teachers will use technology interactively to ensure an engaging learning experience. When appropriate, students will be encouraged to activate their microphones so that they can ask questions and communicate with other students.

On Campus

UCD Professional Academy is delighted to welcome learners back on the UCD Belfield Campus. On Campus courses are delivered in-person with our industry experts in the O'Brien Science building.

On Demand

On Demand courses enable you to complete your course on your own schedule. Course modules are delivered in the form of one “lesson”. The lesson is broken up into short videos followed by activities designed to put the new information and concepts into practice through exercises, quizzes, forum participation and other activities.

Student care is a high priority at UCD Professional Academy, which is why our Student Services team is on hand to support you throughout your time with us. They will respond to any queries you have, help you with any technical issues, and facilitate your learning experience at every point. All students are given access to our Student Portal, where you can see your timetable, access all your study materials, and manage your account.

You will need two devices for this course, for example a laptop and an additional monitor. At minimum, you should have a laptop and a tablet to follow the lecture while using the applications.

You will learn the following applications, which can be accessed for free, or for a small fee:

• Photopea (free)

• Canva (free version, or €11.99 per month)

• Affinity Designer (30 day free trial, once-off €54.99 fee)

• Adobe Premier Rush (free)

Minimum requirements for Windows

• Processor Recommended: Intel Core i5 or i7, or equivalent

• Operating system: Microsoft Windows 10 with 64-bit support (Version 1903 or later)

• If you are unable to upgrade your operating system because of hardware limitations, you can still use Adobe Premiere Rush on iOS or Android.

• Note:

• Premiere Rush version versions 1.5.62 or later are compatible with Windows 11 operating systems. However, you need to update your NVidia driver to version 472.12 or later to use Premiere Rush on Windows 11.

• RAM 8 GB 

• Hard disk space

• 8 GB of available hard-disk space for installation; extra free space required during installation.

• Monitor resolution - 1280x800 display (1920x1080 or larger recommended)

• Sound card compatible with ASIO protocol or Microsoft Windows Driver Model

Minimum requirements for macOS 

• Processor - Intel Core i5 or i7, or equivalent)

• Operating system - macOS Catalina v10.15 or later

• RAM 8 GB of RAM

• Hard disk space

• 8 GB of available hard-disk space for installation; extra free space required during installation

• Monitor resolution

• 1280 x 800 display (1920 x 1080 or larger recommended)

• Sound card compatible with Apple Core Audio

Your UCD Professional Academy Diploma will be issued electronically on a secure platform, with a link that you can share with employers and others wishing to verify your credentials. You can also add this certificate to your LinkedIn profile.

UCD Professional Academy Diplomas and Certificates are designed to give your career an advantage. Developed in conjunction with industry thought leaders our courses teach practical, applied skills to support you to achieve your career and business goals. Professional Academy Diplomas are suitable for career minded learners wishing to advance their professional skills and prospects rather than their academic credentials.

The Professional Academy is an independent wholly owned part of UCD designed to address the need for skills development in the workforce. Courses tend to be short, designed and delivered by industry practitioners, and are not part of nor do they lead to a traditional University award such as a degree or a masters. They are widely accepted by employers and many students are sponsored to study by their organisation.

For full details of UCD Professional Academy’s Certifications & Governance please visit https://www.ucd.ie/professionalacademy/governance/

A place on any of our part-time & on demand courses can be secured with a 50% deposit with the remaining balance due within 30 days of the course commencing.

For full-time Bootcamp courses, 100% of the course fee should be paid before starting.

Please note that standard terms and conditions apply, which you can review here: https://www.ucd.ie/professionalacademy/terms-and-conditions/