Graduate Certificate in Interactive Media Management

at George Brown College - Waterfront Campus Canada

The Honours Bachelor of Brand Design is a four-year degree program that responds to the rapidly changing world of graphic design by preparing students to be forward-looking brand designers with strengths in collaboration, research, critical and strategic thinking, technical design execution and brand storytelling. It is built on multidisciplinary pillars of research, critical thinking, strategic brand development, technical design execution and brand storytelling.

Brands are more than logos or sales tactics, they are carefully developed relationships between the brand makers and audiences – a brand is a promise to follow through on a purpose and a set of values that taken together express how someone perceives an organization or product. The Honours Bachelor of Brand Design degree is an opportunity to build a knowledgeable creative community of collaborators and strategic designers who are able to bridge business strategy, technology and the design world in order to produce innovative brand experiences.

Graduates of the Honours Bachelor of Brand Design degree program will have the analytical and technical skills to:

• Communicate and evolve the brand through the design of visual and physical, online and offline identities and experiences.
• Research to create and tailor designs that work across different touchpoints, generating dynamic, responsive, multi-sensory and personalized brand experiences for customers.
• Write, visualize and translate the brand story across these touchpoints and engage long-term with the emotions of audiences.
• Collaborate towards creative innovation with multidisciplinary teams.

This program responds to the dynamic and growing field of design, training learners to:

• Create streamlined brand messaging across numerous mediums and touchpoints that engages audiences.
• Understand new technology and be able to work across the old and new channels.
• Have strong writing skills and adapt to different situations, audiences and genres.
• Be flexible in that they are able to adapt to changing work and work environments (multiple sectors, services and products).
• Work collaboratively and bridge business and creative roles, by understanding the culture, processes, and language of the branding business.
• Utilize diverse and quantifiable research methodologies in the design process.
• Offer a diverse and customizable range of services to clients, particularly niche services (e.g. video and animation).
• Have the ability to compete on tender: put together a professional sales pitch while offering a competitive price.

Your Field Education Options

• Students must complete a 420-hour paid co-op work term in the spring/summer period between the third and fourth year.
• Students have the opportunity to complete this co-op domestically and/or internationally, as opportunities arise. The majority of co-op work terms are completed in the Greater Toronto Area, where the design sector is robust and the majority of interaction jobs are located.
• The School of Design Field Placement team works with many notable training partners, including agencies such as Publicis, K9 Strategy + Design, Trevor/Peter and Relish Interactive; larger, well-known brands such as Nelvana (Corus Entertainment), Rogers Media, Mozilla, Crayola and PUR Gum; and a variety of industry-relevant arts and design institutions, including the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), the Association of Registered Graphic Designers (RGD) and Applied Arts.
• The work term allows students to apply the skills, abilities and knowledge they've acquired in the program in a workplace environment or through an appropriate interaction design research project or initiative. Students gain valuable experience and the opportunity to reflect on the application of previous learning. A faculty member evaluates the student based on feedback provided by the employer.
• Students will develop a digital portfolio demonstrating artifacts completed during the co-op work term.

Program Learning Outcomes

• The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:
  • Use ideation techniques to generate innovative design solutions that respond to a creative brief.
  • Participate in a collaborative brand-building project to produce an outcome that meets the needs of the client.
  • Incorporate interdisciplinary theoretical approaches in the planning, production, and critique of design and strategy work.
  • Plan, conduct and apply research in order to contextualize and make informed design.
  • Assess the social, environmental, and economic impact of the design solution in order to prioritize sustainability issues in design practice.
  • Use the fundamental principles of branding to address the needs of the brand design and strategy for clients of various scale.
  • Design solutions in support of a brand strategy.
  • Communicate information, arguments, creative ideas, and brand stories persuasively, to a range of audiences, using a variety of verbal, visual, and written communication techniques.
  • Utilize professional practices and knowledge of the business of branding in all design and strategy work.

This one-year (3 semesters) graduate certificate program will prepare learners to translate concepts and ideas into visual and functional interfaces, websites, applications and systems, both personal and professional. Front-End Developers focus on human-centred design to produce high-impact websites and apps that respond to the needs of a client — in sectors ranging from healthcare to fintech, retail to technology, and beyond.

The program establishes a new standard for application development with a core focus on five pillars:

• Accessible user interface design (“UI”)
• Intuitive user experience design (“UX”)
• Industry workflow and problem solving skills
• Full-stack application architecture
• Front-end development

This program has been designed to meet industry needs as application design and development remain critical skills within the rapidly evolving digital economy. Efficient and effective communication with stakeholders and audiences alike is needed in nearly every contemporary industry, from retail to marketing and beyond.

Graduates of the Web Development – Front-End Design program will have the theoretical and hands-on training to:

• Develop custom front-end interactive prototypes and solutions, using the latest techniques in HTML, CSS and JavaScript.
• Integrate the latest libraries and frameworks to improve efficiency, while maximizing employability.
• Master the development workflow, including testing, debugging, documentation, bundling and deployment.
• Put user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design principles into practice.
• Apply knowledge from all levels of the design and development stack to create solutions that meet the requirements of a client brief.

Program Learning Outcomes

• The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:
  • Determine and document requirements for web computing projects based on the effective application of stakeholder needs.
  • Prepare and present proposals and business plans for web applications that satisfy stakeholder requirements.
  • Design, model, implement and optimize accessible web solutions to meet client requirements and constraints, and align with standards and best practices.
  • Design, model, implement, optimize and maintain databases to support data-driven solutions for web environments.
  • Implement a development process to support consistency between development platforms and production platforms.
  • Develop the appropriate information architecture in order to satisfy a broad range of requirements and enhance the user experience.
  • Apply project management concepts to web environment projects to ensure the effective management throughout the life cycle of the project.
  • Test, troubleshoot and debug web applications to support requirements and meet Quality Assurance objectives.
  • Communicate and collaborate with team members and stakeholders to ensure effective working relationships.
  • Evaluate proposed solutions to optimize and improve web applications based on usability testing and analysis.
  • Adhere to ethical, legal and regulatory requirements and/or principles to develop and manage web applications.
  • Select and apply strategies for personal and professional development to enhance work performance.
  • Use front-end frameworks to promote patterns of design and development that conform to the latest industry standards.
  • Create interactive experiences for various types of front-end interfaces or devices, with a focus on user-facing applications.

The Dental Technology program will prepare you to work in the field of dental technology. If you want to work in the dental industry but don’t necessarily want to engage directly with client care, consider this profession. We recommend that you have an eye for detail, enjoy working with your hands and have good hand/eye coordination.

We’ll teach you to use a variety of tools to create oral devices that are prescribed by regulated dental practitioners (often a dentist). You’ll learn how to use specialized hand tools, molds and the latest technology to make oral devices that are as unique as the individuals you will be creating them for. You’ll practice your skills in our on-site high-tech dental labs as we teach you to create:

• Full dentures
• Partial dentures
• Crowns
• Bridges
• Implant-regulated restorations
• Orthodontic appliances
• Other speciality items

PROGRAM STANDARDS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

• Apply learned theory of biology, biomechanics, chemistry, and anatomy in all relevant aspects of dental technology practice.
• Employ safe and aseptic procedures when using and maintaining equipment and materials associated with the dental technology profession.
• Select and utilize specified materials in the construction of dental prostheses, recognizing the materials’ limitations and advantages.
• Complete all work in the dental technology practice in adherence to the legislative and ethical requirements of the profession.
• Design and construct dental prostheses using current technologies and materials.
• Analyze and evaluate the design and construction of dental prostheses.
• Work and communicate effectively as part of an interdisciplinary health care team.
• Identify effective business practices in the management of a dental laboratory.

Video games have become one of the leading forms of artistic expression in the 21st century. Game development requires a combination of talents, hard work and passion. The Game - Art three-year advanced diploma is a rigorous program of study that focuses on the principles and techniques of video game art creation required to break into the industry.

Students will develop both 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional artistic abilities by learning concept art, sprite and pixel art, modelling, texturing, animation and level design. Taught by faculty with industry experience and mentored by local game industry leaders, students will develop games for commercial, educational and other purposes.

Students will have the unique opportunity to develop commercial quality games in a simulated video game studio environment, at times working with industry partners and game programmers. In the second year, students choose whether to specialize in game modelling or game animation.

Prior to graduation, each student will assemble a portfolio/demo of their creative work demonstrating their ability in game development and highlighting their chosen area of specialization. It is anticipated that graduates of the Game Development program will find employment in the game industry at entry-level positions.

Program Learning Outcomes
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

• Analyze the differences in game genres in order to develop games that meet the needs of specific markets.
• Analyze the history of video games to compare various approaches to game development.
• Support the development of games by identifying and relating concepts from a range of industry roles – programming, design and art.
• Contribute as an individual and a member of a game development team to the effective completion of a game development project.
• Develop strategies for ongoing personal and professional development to enhance work performance in the games industry.
• Perform all work in compliance with relevant statutes, regulations, legislation, industry standards and codes of ethics.
• Develop pre-production and conceptual art for games and gaming through the selection and application of relevant design tools and drawing techniques
• Create original game assets to meet requirements outlined in game design documents and/or creative briefs
• Engage in original world building and level design within a range of game engines to meet industry and marketplace requirements
• Generate user interface design in alignment with Game Design Documents to optimize both the aesthetics and function of gameplay

The Digital Design – Game Design program develops the production and design abilities of students in management scenarios through courses in design documentation, milestone and pipeline scheduling, game design theory and psychology. Taught by international faculty with industry experience and mentored by game industry leaders, students will learn how to design and develop games, not only for the entertainment market but also for serious gaming applications in health, education, construction, marketing and other sectors.

Students will have the unique opportunity to develop commercial quality games in a simulated video game studio environment, at times working with industry partners, game artists and programmers. The program offers a unique and intensive delivery structure in which the first two semesters are held in Milan, and the final semester is held in Toronto.

It is anticipated that graduates of this program will find employment in the game industry. Prior to graduation, each student will have assembled a portfolio/demo of their creative work demonstrating their ability in game design and highlighting their chosen area of specialization.

Program Learning Outcomes

• The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:
  • Design environment and characters using the principles of game design.
  • Read, analyze and create game design documents for effective game creation and management.
  • Create environments, objects and characters for integration within a video game.
  • Import game assets and levels into game engines to create appropriate high-end 3D game applications or engines.
  • Produce a 3D game using appropriate tools and game management techniques.
  • Create and produce digital components, games and documentation using a variety of computer platforms.
  • Prepare a variety of industry standard documents and prototypes in a skilled manner and demonstrate professional presentation and organizational skills.
  • Develop and present a working game design document for a marketable game.
  • Use an existing game engine to create a prototype game.
  • Evaluate different types of games and platforms and select the appropriate ones for a particular game strategy.
  • Present the game design prototype and document using innovative techniques as well as digital, verbal and written skills.
  • Manage the design and production process of a game prototype.

Recreation Management in Gerontology is a unique diploma program that will teach you the specialized skills required to work with older adults. Over the course of two years, you’ll learn how to design therapeutic programs for older adults that consider the physical, mental and spiritual perspectives of the aging process.

You’ll learn to develop strong communication skills – both from a management and interpersonal perspective. This work requires the ability to work with people across different life stages, so effective communication skills are essential to the job. You will go on to develop coordinator skills that will prepare you to manage physical, financial and human resources.

You’ll also study the science and theory behind aging. This in-depth look at the biological changes of aging includes an understanding of diseases often related to aging like Alzheimer’s and dementia.

Hands-on learning is a major component of this program. To help you gain confidence as you learn to create specialized therapeutic programs, you’ll get lots of practice on-site at our 21,000+ square foot Simulation Centre facility and off-site with one of our field placement partners. You’ll also learn proper documentation and Resident Assessment Instrument – Minimum Data Set (RAI-MDS) training.

This academically challenging program will equip you with the skills required to provide therapeutic recreation in a variety of settings that include long-term care facilities, retirement homes, community-based service agencies and adult day programs.

Your Field Education Options
Field education, also known as work integrated learning, plays an important role in this program by integrating theoretical learning with practical experience in a workplace setting. Field education is offered in each semester with each experience building on the previous one.

You can expect to complete your field placements in a variety of settings and with older adults of differing needs and abilities.

Program Learning Outcomes

• The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:
  • Function effectively as a member of an inter-professional team in the development and provision of health-promoting and life-enhancing services and programs for older adults.
  • Accurately and comprehensively assess and record the ongoing needs of the older adult using a variety of widely used electronic systems.
  • Develop, coordinate, deliver and evaluate a variety of services/programs that enhance clients’ level of functioning and quality of life by applying relevant research and theory to practice.
  • Apply appropriate health and safety protocols in order to protect the health, safety and well-being of their clients, their co-workers and themselves.
  • Communicate effectively using a variety of therapeutic techniques and in adherence with privacy and freedom of information legislation.
  • Identify, select and use appropriate professional and community resources to meet the needs of the older adult.
  • Ensure programs operate in compliance with relevant policy, legislation and standards of practice for services to older adults in a variety of settings.
  • Establish and maintain professional and ethical standards in the field of activation gerontology as set out by relevant professional bodies.
  • Promote accessible, inclusive and responsive programs and services by recognizing the diverse needs and experiences of individuals, groups, families and communities.
  • Manage physical, financial and human resources in order to effectively coordinate services for older adults.

The Dental Hygiene program prepares students to practice as primary oral health care providers. This three-year program focuses on developing interpersonal communication skills and professionalism while applying the dental hygiene process of care. Emphasis is placed on preparing students to function effectively within a collaborative relationship including the client, the community and other health-care providers.

The Dental Hygiene program prepares students to practice as primary oral health care providers.

This three-year program focuses on applying the dental hygiene process of care while developing interprofessionalism, client-centred care and interpersonal communication skills. Students have the opportunity to gain confidence in their learned skills while working with clients in our on-site WAVE Dental Clinic.

Emphasis is placed on preparing students to function effectively within a collaborative dental team that includes:

    the client
    the community
    other health care providers

Students and clients collaboratively evaluate care provided by delineating short-term and long-term goals and employing strategies for continued care.

The Dental Hygiene program is accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation of Canada.

Graduates of this program are eligible to apply for the National Dental Hygiene Certification Examination. (Note: Additional fees apply.) Successful completion is one of the requirements for registration by the College of Dental Hygienists of Ontario (CDHO) to practise in the province. Visti the CDHO website (A Guide to the Process of Being Registered as a Dental Hygienist in Ontario).

Hearing Instrument Specialist is a three-year, six-semester advanced diploma program that uses the latest technology to train students to work in this field.

As our population ages, there is greater demand for highly qualified hearing instrument specialists who can provide a client-centred approach to better hearing health care. Our vision is to be the leader in preparing hearing professionals with applied and academic skills and competencies.

Students will develop clinical skills that will enable them to not only test hearing, but to select and fit hearing aids.

Graduates will have a strong foundation in the theory and skills related to the hearing instrument sciences, such as:

• Acoustics
• Audiometric testing
• Hearing aid technology

The curriculum offers significant opportunities for applied learning. To help prepare our graduates for employment, we offer additional courses that cover key contemporary topics including:

• Health promotion
• Counselling
• Business management

Art and Design Foundation is a one-year certificate program that provides students with a broad base of expert knowledge and technical skills in the field of art and design. This program is designed for students who want to explore a variety of art and design disciplines, to develop their portfolio for further study or for those who wish to enjoy learning creative skills in a studio-based environment.