This week, London College of Communication, UAL announced a brand-new MA Virtual Reality degree for the 2018-19 academic year, starting this October. One of the first of its kind in Europe, the course marks the College’s first foray into specialised Virtual Reality degrees, with a BA (Hons) Virtual Reality is also set to commence next year.
Dedicated VR Classroom
In order for students to fully develop their expertise, a suite of dedicated virtual reality classrooms will open this October, equipped with state-of-the-art hardware and software that will enable students to bring their projects to life by filming, sculpting, and animating in VR, including: tethered headsets such as Oculus Rift and HTC VIVE Pro headsets for room-scale VR, equipment for mobile VR, Unity Engine software on each PC for VR development, motion capture suits, and an infinity cove green screen.
Storytelling focus
Perfectly illustrating the College’s focus on developing creative skills, these courses will form part of London College of Communication’s Screen School, helping to develop powerful storytelling techniques through Virtual Reality and encouraging collaborations across modules such as film, games, animation and sound. By treating VR as a discipline rather than a tool, students will learn to create immersive visual narratives – a skill which can be used to aid the understanding of events, campaigns or individual experiences across industries such as film & media, charity & non-profit, education & training, and advertising & marketing.
Diversity and employability
London College of Communication is launching these dedicated courses with the ultimate aim of closing the skills gap between education and employment in the emerging and fast-growth VR industry. As a main barrier to entry is the high cost of equipment and training, one of the College’s long-term goals is to also create a more inclusive industry by providing access to technology and skills to those otherwise marginalised from the field.
MA Virtual Reality course leader, Ana-Despina Tudor, commented: “As more film and media companies experiment with VR content, we’re seeing increased demand from the wider industry for skilled virtual reality experts, which is why it’s so exciting to open these two dedicated courses at London College of Communication. In just a few years, these graduates will gain the skills and understanding to incorporate this emerging technology across various industries, including in technical careers and roles that are entirely new.”
For further information, visit: arts.ac.uk/lcc.