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Message From Director

Artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing our whole way of life. It casts prominent effects on the landscape of the digital media industry. AI technologies are appearing in computational journalism, computer-assisted editorial judgement, multimedia processing, machine learning, recommender systems, search engines, immersive media, social media bots, robot reporters, and automated content-generation and -promotion systems.

The interplay between human and machine is shaping both sets of actors simultaneously. Critical reflection on the legal, moral and ethical issues of these developments has also come to the fore, with growing concerns about fake news and misinformation, algorithm-driven audience polarization, privacy protection, the surveillance society, news professionalism and the ever-enlarging knowledge gap and digital divide.

This MSc in AI and Digital Media is Hong Kong’s first full-fledged interdisciplinary taught postgraduate programme focusing on the application of big data analytics and AI for media and communication. It is expected to facilitate more teaching and research so that AI can serve the social good in a broader sense, bringing it to bear on well-being, e-health, smart city, cultural preservation and cultural diversity.

Welcome to join us!


Dr. Paolo MENGONI
Programme Director
Senior Lecturer
Department of Interactive Media
School of Communication

Dr. CHOY, Martin Man Ting
Associate Programme Director
Senior Lecturer
Department of Computer Science

About This Programme

The new programme aims to provide students with cutting-edge interdisciplinary knowledge of and skills in AI and media communication needed for the computational and digital age. Students are expected to become proficient in essential aspects of data-driven research, story-telling, branding and promotion, audience engagement and editorial decision-making.

Grounded in an academic core of several theoretical and methodological courses, the Programme offers a wide range of elective courses focusing on knowledge and practice in media institutions and operations in the context of the digital transition. These combinations of courses have been chosen with the specific goal of nurturing high-quality, ethical professionals and managerial personnel in the media and communication industry.

Curriculum Design

The graduation requirement for all students is 30 units, consisting of 6 units of bridging courses, 12 units of core courses, and 12 units of elective courses of which a minimum of 9 units must be from this Programme.

An academic advisory system (led by the Programme Director) will be established to help students understand the structure of the programme at the beginning of the first semester.

Schedule

The full-time mode

Year Semester Units
Year 1 1st Semester 15
2 bridging courses
2 core courses
1 elective course
2nd semester 15
2 core courses
3 elective courses
Total 30


The part-time mode

Year Semester Units
Year 1 1st Semester 9
2 bridging courses
1 core course
2nd semester 6
1 core course
1 elective course
Year 2 1st semester 6
1 core course
1 elective course
2nd semester 9
1 core course
2 elective courses
Total 30

Transfer of units or course exemption may be granted to students only if they meet some stringent requirements set within the University framework. Students should seek the Programme’s advice on the studies prior to applying it. The application for transfer of units/course exemption should be submitted to the Programme and Academic Registry on or before the end of the first add/drop period of your first year of study. Students should allow ample time for the Programme to process the application which will be evaluated by the Admission Panel.


For a detailed study curriculum, please refer to the programme information at the website

Course List

BRIDGING COURSES
AIDM7320 Basics in Media and Communication
AIDM7330 Programming for Data Science
CORE COURSES
AIDM7340 AI for Digital Media
AIDM7350 AI and Digital Media Workshop
AIDM7360 Big Data Management and Analytics
AIDM7390 Data Mining & Knowledge Discovery for Digital Media
ELECTIVE COURSES
AIDM7010 Media Psychology
AIDM7020 AI and Big Data Applications in Financial Market Analytics
AIDM7040 Generative AI for Digital Media
AIDM7380 Recommender Systems for Digital Media
AIDM7400 Data Analysis and Visualization Studio
AIDM7410 Computational Journalism
AIDM7420 News and Feature Writing for Digital Media
AIDM7450 Dynamic Web & Mobile Programming for Digital Media
AIDM7460 Digital Media Research Project
AIDM7470 Big Data and Social Media Marketing
AIDM7620 Social Media and Online Social Networks
AIDM7840 Algorithmic Culture
AIDM7860 Human-Computer Interaction and User Experience
AIDM7880 AI for Social Good: Laws, Ethics, and Methods
COMM7020 Approaches & Methods in Comm Research
COMM7660 Statistical Analysis in Communication
COMP7045 Natural Language Processing
COMP7810 Business Intelligence
COMP7990 Principles and Practices of Data Analytics

Admission Requirements

Academic Qualification

Applicants should possess a bachelor’s degree with honours from a recognised university or institution.

Language Proficiency Requirement

Applicants should be able to communicate in English at an advanced level, possessing one or more of the following qualifications if they did not study in an English-speaking institution. The test result provided should be within two years from the date of issuance of the Admission Offer letter.

  1. an IELTS overall band score of at least 6.0; or
  2. a minimum score of 74 in TOEFL (iBT); or
  3. a minimum score of 450 in CET-6.

  4. * Note: Test result provided should be within two years from the date of issuance of the Admission Offer letter. TOEFL iBT Home Edition or IELTS Indicator test is not accepted.

Others
  1. Applicants should submit a 500-word letter of interest in English.
  2. Applicants should submit a work portfolio (publications, demonstration, GitHub repositories, personal websites, etc), and provide other qualifications and awards, if any.
  3. Applicants should provide two reference letters.

Tuition Fee

HK$180,000 (per year for one-year full time student)
HK$90,000 (per year for two-year part time student) (local Hong Kong students only)

More Information

Scholarship and Fellowships

Approved Programme under UGC’s Targeted Taught Postgraduate Programmes Fellowships Scheme 2024/25 (For Local Students Only)

AIDM programme has been selected for sponsorship under the Targeted Taught Postgraduate Programmes Fellowships Scheme. This Scheme, offered by the University Grants Committee, provides fellowships for local students pursuing designated taught postgraduate programmes. The main objective of the scheme is to attract more meritorious local students to pursue further studies in priority areas conducive to the development of Hong Kong.

Please visit the website for details: https://ar.hkbu.edu.hk/tpg-studies/prospective-student/targeted-taught-postgraduate-programmes-fellowships-scheme-2024-25

Fellowship Entitlement

Selected Fellowship recipients are required to pay a minimum tuition fee of HK$42,100. The outstanding balance of the tuition fee will be subsidised by the Fellowship, subject to a cap of HK$120,000. For details, please refer to the UGC's website.

Eligibility
  • 1. Applications are open to local students only;
  • 2. The award of the fellowships will be based on merits taking into account the students' academic achievements, professional qualifications, relevant working experience and achievements in other areas as well as the personal statement/proposal submitted by the students; and
  • 3. To avoid double subsidy, applications from students who are receiving other forms of government scholarship (except student financial assistance) for pursuing the same programme will not be considered.

FAQ

1. Can I live on campus?

The student halls are not available to post-graduate students, but there is a private on-campus dorm called the NTT International House that some students like to stay in. Most students find private housing off campus .

2. What is Hong Kong like?

Hong Kong is a dynamic, international 24-hour city that is full of people, cultural events and food from all over the world. Cantonese is the main language but English is also widely used. Hong Kong is one of the safest cities in the world, is an excellent travel hub for exploring the rest of Asia and has a large variety of outdoor activities and tourist attractions. People love living in the city for its vibrancy and endless list of things to do.

3. Is a dissertation required?

No. We recommend disserations only for students interested in pursuing further studies.

4. Do I need to speak Chinese to enroll in your programme?

Not at all! The programme is taught 100 per cent in English. And if you want to learn Cantonese or Putonghua, there are many opportunities to study.

5. Can I work in Hong Kong on a student visa?

Students can work on campus up to 20 hours per week and are allowed to have short-term internships while studying. Students may also work in the summer and the Hong Kong government allows students to spend one year working in Hong Kong after graduation without a work visa. See government regulations here.

6. Does tuition include health insurance?

Yes. We have committed a substantial subsidy for all students of the progamme to enjoy the same privileges and services as those of UGC-funded programmes at the University Health Clinic.

 


UGC’s Targeted Taught Postgraduate Programmes Fellowships Scheme 2024/25 (For Local Students Only)

AIDM programme has been selected for sponsorship under the Targeted Taught Postgraduate Programmes Fellowships Scheme. This Scheme, offered by the University Grants Committee, provides fellowships for local students pursuing designated taught postgraduate programmes. The main objective of the scheme is to attract more meritorious local students to pursue further studies in priority areas conducive to the development of Hong Kong.

Please visit the website for details: https://ar.hkbu.edu.hk/tpg-studies/prospective-student/targeted-taught-postgraduate-programmes-fellowships-scheme-2024-25

Fellowship Entitlement

Selected Fellowship recipients are required to pay a minimum tuition fee of HK$42,100. The outstanding balance of the tuition fee will be subsidised by the Fellowship, subject to a cap of HK$120,000. For details, please refer to the UGC's website.

Eligibility