Digital Media Higher National Diploma
Course Description
A Digital Art & Design Course for Creatives!
This diverse and fast-paced course provides professional training in motion graphics, animation, video compositing, 3D graphics, and visual effects (VFX). Students learn how to research and generate ideas and gain the design skills needed to produce high-end, mouth-watering graphics.
Year one covers a broad range of skills in computer graphics, motion graphics, VFX (visual effects), video compositing, animation and 3D modelling.
Year 2 develops and refine these skills, focusing on advanced motion graphics and editing, 3D character animation, 3D cinematography. Students learn to produce professional quality motion graphics, rig and animate 3D models and light, render and composite their work.
These skills equip students for careers in motion design, visual effects, 3D graphics for games, film and television.
See the exciting directions our graduates move on to!
This is a two-year BTEC Higher National Diploma, an international qualification delivered and recognised around the world. As part of the UK framework it is equivalent in value to a Foundation Degree.
This course can be viewed as the first two years of a three-year Higher Education degree. Graduates can apply to a range of UK colleges and universities to do a one-year top-up to achieve an Honours Degree. They may also apply for advanced entry to a number of Irish Higher Education courses.
On completing this course, students are also well equipped to go directly into the workplace.
Erasmus+
This year some of our students are doing a 2-week work placement doing VFX in a film studio in Malaga, Spain as part of the Erasmus program. Read about it here
Where can this course take you?
Watch this short interview with Oliver Keane, a graduate of the Digital Media course, to hear about the impressive possibilities for our course graduates:

Student Showreel: Zoe Serodio
Watch on Vimeo The Name of the Wind Animation from Laura Clarke on Vimeo.
'How to make a cloud in a bottle' - an animated Explainer Video made as a group project using Adobe After Effects and Adobe Illustrator:
Watch on YouTube
Digital Media Student Showreel
Watch the Digital Media Student Showreel on Youtube: 2D animation, 3D lighting and modelling, 3D animation, Motion Graphics, VFK, compositing, sound editing, and much more.
BTEC Higher National Diploma in Creative Media Production (Motion Graphics route)
BGHC2 (Year 2)
603/2282/2
BTEC Higher National Certificate in Creative Media Production (Motion Graphics route)
(Year 1)
603/2286/X
This is a two year course.
Leaving Certificate or equivalent. All applicants are interviewed with a portfolio of work and places are awarded on suitability.
Photoshop, After Effects, 3D modelling, VFX, Motion Graphics, Animation, Project Development, Professional Practice, and more!
Students gain skills in leading industry computer programs such as:
- 3DS MAX
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe After Effects
- Adobe Audition
- Adobe Illustrator
Year One covers a broad range of skills in computer graphics, motion graphics, VFX (visual effects), compositing, animation and 3D.
Year Two focuses on 3D modelling, visual effects, advanced motion graphics and animation techniques. Students also learn to promote themselves professionally.
Whether you have zero experience in 3D modelling, or if you have already been learning 3D with programs like Blender, 3DS Max, Maya, Cinema 4D or ZBrush, this course will take take your 3D skills to a professional level.
Year One
- Image creation and editing in Adobe Photoshop
- Video post-production & animation in Adobe After Effects
- 3D
- Project development
- Motion graphics practices
- Visual effects & motion graphics cultures
- Professional practice
Year Two
- Advanced motion graphics studies
- 3D computer modelling & animation
- 3D character rigging & animation
- 3D cinematography
- Sound design & editing
- Visual effects & video compositing
- Advanced editing & compositing
- Personal professional development
Graduates have an excellent and adaptable skills set. Recent graduates are employed in e-learning, 3D animation, architectural visualisation, film post-production and video-game graphics, motion graphics and animation. They work for a broad range of companies such as Boulder Media, Sixteen South, Wavebreak Media, Framestore, Factory Media, M-I-E, SceneStealer, Jellyfish, Growth University, Twitter, Red Man Media and many more.
NOTE: for a detailed list of where our Digital Media Graduates are working now, please explore our 'Highlights' section below.
For full details on progression opportunities see these links:
Cork Colleges Progression Scheme
Note: Some of the courses below also offer the possibility of advanced entry into 2nd and 3rd year of their courses for students who achieve high enough grades in their HND at CSN.
- Various UK colleges for a 1-year top-up course to achieve a BA in Creative Media Production
- Colaiste Dhulaigh (Dublin): B.A. (Hons) Top Up Degree In Animation (1 year) delivered in Dublin in conjunction with the University of Wolverhampton (UK).
-
MTU:
- BA (Hons) Visual Communications (CR600)
- BA (Hons) Photography with New Media (CR225)
- BA (Hons) in Creative Digital Media (CR112).
-
TUS:
- BSC (Hons) Game Art & Design (Level 8) (LC502)
- BSC (Hons) Creative Media and Design (Level 8) (LC517)
- BSC (Hons) Digital Animation Production (Level 8) (LC518)
- BSC Creative Media and Design (Level 7) (LC504)
-
MTU Tralee
- BA in Animation, Visual Effects and Motion Design (TL701)
- BA (Hons) in Animation, Visual Effects and Motion Design (TL801)
NOTE: for a detailed list of where our Digital Media Graduates are working now, please explore our 'Testimonials & Highlights' section below.
This year's BTEC Higher National Diploma Digital Media graduates are moving in some very exciting directions
Click here to read about where these Digital Media students progressed to straight after graduating from CSN
STUDENT WORK
Motion Graphics
'How to make a cloud in a bottle' - an Explainer Video made as a group project using Adobe After Effects and Adobe Illustrator.
2D Animation
Laura Clark, Digital Media Year 1.
A 28 second animation of 'The Name of the Wind' by Patrick Rothfuss.
Drawings done in Adobe Photoshop and animated in Adobe Animate. Audio from the UK audiobook on audible.co.uk read by Rupert Degas.
The Name of the Wind Animation from Laura Clarke on Vimeo.
3D Cinematography
A trailer for 'The Last of Us' by Fabien White
Previous Graduates
Previous graduates of Digital Media such as Iva Trajkovic (See her IMDB page here) have gone onto successful careers in visual effects and compositing for film.
IvaVfx Showreel from ivavfx on Vimeo.
A number of our graduates have excelled in 3D modelling and animation including Zoltan Kovary and Kevin O'Shea.
Zoltan Kovary: 'Priceless'.
Where our Graduates are Working Now
Oliver Keane
Head of Motion Graphics and Animation, Factory Media London,http://factorymedia.com
I would not be in my position if it wasn't for the Digital Media course at CSN. I owe a lot to this course and the teachers for helping me start my journey into the industry, without this course I would have not gotten my degree or a job.
Richard Gavin
Lecturer on the Digital Animation and Creative Multimedia course in LIT Clonmel (MA Digital Effects at NCCA).
Brian McCarthy
Digital Designer as Scenestealer Brighton, UK www.scenestealer.tv www.brianmacdesigns.com
"The foundation and support offered to Digital Media students is fantastic; there is always help and resources for students who put in the work required to acquire good grades."
Laura Ring
Front End Developer at Jellyfishhttp://www.jellyfish.co.uk/
(BA Digital Media Design, University of Brighton)
I wouldn't have the job I have today if it wasn't for the Digital Media course at CSN. It gives you a fundamental knowledge that can be applied to all areas of digital media and a strong grounding in practical skills, software, and production. Thank you Andrea, John and Rupert!
David O' Brien
Designer / UI Prototyper at Twitter
Arthur O' Regan
UX Designer at Xanadu Consultancy.
Edel Lougheed
Marketing & Design Dept., Eagle Consumables, New Zealand.
The lecturers in CSN Digital Media are down to earth and very passionate about their roles, something that is so important to students. There was a wide range of classes available that gave the students a taste of each creative area. I have referred other people who are not sure of 3rd level colleges onto CSN.
Jack French
Web Designer & Developer Red Man Media in Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin.www.redmanmedia.ie.
Studying Digital Media at CSN was a really great experience.
Iva Trajkovic
Iva's IMDB http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3765256/
Iva was introduced to compositing and 3D as part of her BTEC HND using software like 3DS Max & Combustion. After CSN she went on to do a one-year BA top up course in Bournemouth. She was then accepted onto the prestigious MA in Digital Effects in Bournemouth University and from there landed a job with one of the world's top visual effects and post-production companies Framestore CFC after completing this course and advancing on to others.
Iva's film visual effects credits include:
Gravity, World War Z , Frankenweenie, Dredd, Wrath of the Titans, Immortals , Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1, Resident Evil: Afterlife, Clash of the Titans, Nanny McPhee Returns, Legends of Chima (Animated TV Series).
Jessica O'Callaghan
www.jessocallaghan.com BA in Digital Media Design Brighton (University of Brighton one-year top up degree). UK National Media UK Award Design winner.
Currently working as a Digital Designer for a HTML5 based online advertising company, Scenestealer http://scenestealer.tv .
The CSN Digital Media course was amazing. Everyone who came over to Brighton (to do the University of Brighton one-year top up degree) from Cork was way more technically skilled than those who had done the first two years in Brighton. I learnt so much in those two years, what I learnt at CSN got me my degree; I wouldn't have done half as well without it."
Killian Foley
Currently completing a BSc (Honours) in Creative Multimedia at LIT.
I really enjoyed my time at CSN. Unlike big universities, the class was nice and small, making it easier to be social with my whole class. Whenever we needed help with anything, the lecturers were more than happy to help out. I loved the content of the course, and while we weren't overloaded with work, we were given a good challenge. In relation to the course I'm currently studying (Creative Multimedia - BSc (Honours) (Level 8)), I had a good head start, thanks to what I learned in Digital Media.
Kevin O'Shea
Working as a 3D and motion graphics artist for an M-I-E, an animation studio in London http://m-i-e.com
BA in Digital Media Design Brighton (University of Brighton one-year top up degree).
I loved my time at CSN. If I could go back and do it again I would. I met a lot of different people who had gone through a lot of different courses in Digital Media and none of them were as comprehensive or as practically useful as this course. I thought the course was excellent with a great mix of software and theory that opens up a huge amount of options to everyone who graduates. I was very happy with what was taught to me.
Christopher Buckley
Dog Day Media www.dogdaymedia.com
Working for Prisma Print in Cork doing graphic & web design. Also collaborating with a photographer John Daly http://johndalyinspire.com
The CSN Digital Media course offers a very diverse and in-depth footing in the Digital Media world, more so than any other similar course as far as I can tell. I really appreciated the time being put in by the tutors to actually help you learn how to design effectively rather than just handing you the briefs which I've encountered in other media courses. I have CSN alone to thank for starting me on my career in Digital Media and there is no other course I would recommend to someone if they are looking to develop an interest in Digital Media and possibly make a career out of it!
Andrew Field
My experience studying Digital Media at CSN has been hugely beneficial; it allowed me to explore and develop my creative abilities. The teaching staff of the course I could not praise any higher! They were very clear and skilled at teaching the course in such a fun and exciting way.
Liz McHugh
Graphic Designer with Hopkins Communications. It is the best course I have done. I found the lectures excellent and I loved the course and what we covered over the two years.
Jessica Coughlan
Working in Film & TV Production.
I really enjoyed my time at CSN and most certainly benefited from it. I would highly recommend this course to anybody with an interest in the media sector.
Zoltan Kovary Editor and motion graphics artist, working in the film industry.
Daria Grieco: Editorial manager at Amazon.
Joey Teehan: Owner of Subliminal Design Studio