Diploma in Chinese Media & Communication (N88)

Learn storytelling and presentation skills in both Chinese and English, as well as the fundamentals of the Chinese media business and Chinese language & culture. Plus, you will get to hone your skills in news writing, advertising, marketing and publicity, as well as radio and video production. 

To prepare you for a career in the fast-evolving media landscape where authentic and compelling stories are in demand, you will learn user experience and user interface (UX/UI) design to create engaging and meaningful content.

Through our strong industry partnerships, you will also get opportunities to work on collaborative projects and gain insights into how organisations share impactful brand stories.

In your final year, you will spend a semester working on a final-year project in your area of interest and another semester interning at top local media companies such as Singapore Press Holdings, Mediacorp, Wawa Pictures, August Pictures, and Our Grandfather Story.

Academic Writing & Presentation (4 Credit Units)

This module focuses on critical thinking, academic writing as well as presentation and listening skills. The module aims to equip students with the skills for academic writing and presentation. Finding and evaluating academic sources, reading, note-taking, essay planning and writing, and presentation skills will be developed in this module.

Career & Professional Preparation 1 (1 Credit Unit)

This module gives students a foundational introduction to their three-year diploma course curriculum and how it prepares them for industry. It will help them to embark on their course with the end in mind, through guided reflection of their personal characteristics and producing an overall game plan for their future education and career goals. The module aims to deepen students’ commitment to the sector that the course prepares them for.

Introduction to Mass Communication (4 Credit Units)

This module provides an introduction to the basic theories and concepts of mass communication. Besides exploring the historical development, organisation and functions of the media, students will also examine the production processes of the media industries, as well as a broad range of issues such as globalisation, identities and representation.

Publication Design & Production (4 Credit Units)

This module introduces students to typography and page composition, including grid layout, and the principles of alignment, contrast, proximity and repetition. Through lectures, hands-on projects and classroom critiques, students learn the process of designing magazines, brochures, periodicals, books and collateral pieces. This module also covers writing design specifications, copy-fitting, copy-editing and newspaper production layout.

Visual Communication (4 Credit Units)

This module focuses on the use of images in the media and examines the theories and concepts of visual literacy. It provides an introduction to communicating visually through conceptual thinking with the use of digital photography and imaging software. Students will also think critically about the issues of visual images in communication and learn the basic principles of visual design.

Writing for Chinese Media (4 Credit Units)

This module aims to foster a love of writing in Chinese and build a strong foundation in the Chinese language. It teaches students how to write effectively, and covers creative writing, storytelling and other forms of writing. Students will also learn different elements of style, construction and syntax in essay writing.

Audience Research (4 Credit Units)

This module introduces different types of mass media research methodologies, with a focus on survey research and focus group study. Students will learn how to conduct the two types of studies to understand the needs of the audience. They will also learn how to analyse the data and present the findings in both oral and written formats. The module is conducted in English.

Professional Communication 1 (3 Credit Units)

This module prepares students to communicate effectively in business settings. Students will learn both oral and written communication skills that demonstrate concepts of business communication principles, interpersonal skills and intercultural skills. Topics such as business proposal and report writing, elevator pitch and professional presentation will be covered. The module is conducted in English.

Speech Communication in Chinese (4 Credit Units)

This module teaches students the basics of Chinese phonetics as well as speech communication styles in different social settings. It trains students to be effective, articulate, confident, composed and credible Mandarin speakers in a variety of professional situations. The module also explores how communication affects human behaviour and social developments.

UI & UX Design (4 Credit Units)

This module introduces the process of user interface (UI) design, digital content development and new media skills. Students will also gain understanding in the usability and usefulness of a digital product in the area of user experience (UX). The module is conducted in Chinese.

Video Production (4 Credit Units)

This module provides a theoretical and practical introduction to video production and post-production techniques. It covers single and multi-camera operation, and basic concepts of television broadcast and programming.

Health & Wellness^ (1 Credit Unit)

Marketing & Publicity (4 Credit Units)

This module equips students with the necessary strategic skills, as well as tools and techniques to organise and implement marketing and publicity activities. Students are involved in planning, coordinating, staging and managing events. They will also learn to write persuasively for various audiences, with a focus on the Chinese- language audience. The module is conducted in Chinese.

Radio Production (4 Credit Units)

This module teaches students audio production skills and on-air presentation skills for professional radio broadcasting. The hands-on training covers industry-standard digital editing software, as well as research and script writing techniques for radio commercials and other types of radio content. The module also aims to develop students’ understanding of the radio industry and the job of a radio presenter.

News Reporting & Feature Writing (4 Credit Units)

This module equips the students with the basic skills in writing news and feature stories for the print and online media. Students will learn to gather information from different sources and to critically assess the information they obtain. They will also examine the social responsibility and ethical framework of print journalists, and learn to write with accuracy, clarity and credibility.

Fundamentals of Translation (3 Credit Units)

This module introduces students to fundamental strategies and techniques of English-Chinese (EC) and Chinese- English (CE) translation. Students will learn the basic principles of written translation and apply these principles to the translation of a variety of text genres. Students will also understand and experience how a translator makes decisions in actual translation practices by considering a host of factors, including the author’s intention, the desired function of the translated text as well as the needs of target language readers.

Chinese History & Culture (3 Credit Units)

This module provides an introduction to Chinese history and culture. Students will be taught to think critically about social, cultural, economic and political issues in Chinese societies.

Professional Communication 2 (2 Credit Units)

This module prepares students to write effective cover letters and resumes. Preparation and enhancement of portfolio to meet professional standards as well as development of presentation skills, and improvement of job- seeking techniques will also be covered in the module.

Digital Advertising (4 Credit Units)

This module provides an introduction to the creative process of advertising. Through basic principles of copywriting, students will learn to write and edit advertising and commercial copy for different media platforms. They will also learn about media planning and get to produce advertising materials and develop advertising campaigns in both languages. The module is conducted in Chinese.

Feature Production (4 Credit Units)

This module equips students with practical skills to produce video news stories, feature stories and mini documentaries. Students will learn about the video production process, from research and filming to funding and distribution. The module is conducted in Chinese.

Introduction to Chinese Literature (3 Credit Units)

This module surveys the development of classical Chinese literature from ancient times to contemporary period. It introduces students to representative literary works of each period, ranging from legends to modern and contemporary literature. The module explores the historical background of literary works, the lives and experiences of major writers, as well as the structural and formal characteristics of different literary genres.

Media Ethics & Regulation (4 Credit Units)

This module examines the legal, regulatory and ethical issues that media practitioners face in the course of their work, with emphasis placed on Singapore. Students will learn the fundamental concepts and doctrines in law and explore the different theoretical approaches to media ethics. Using real-life and hypothetical case studies, they will develop analytical skills to make ethical judgments in complex situations. Areas of interests include contract, censorship, defamation and intellectual property. The module is conducted in English.

Project Development (4 Credit Units)

This module guides the students in the creative process of generating, developing, and communicating new ideas. It provides an introduction to different techniques, approaches to idea generation, equips students with the basic knowledge and skills of proposal writing, pitching and project management. Upon completion of this bilingual module, students will enhance their problem-solving skills, and develop creative and feasible proposals for their final-year projects.

World Issues: A Singapore Perspective^ (2 Credit Units)

Final Year Project (12 Credit Units)

This module requires students to work on a capstone project that allows them to integrate and apply what they have learnt in their three years of study. In small teams, they will undertake an industry-related project. The module will also include seminars, workshops and industry visits.

Professional Communication 3 (2 Credit Units)

The module equips students with the knowledge and skills in professional etiquette in a variety of workplace settings. Personal branding and the use of social media (LinkedIn) and the Internet in job-seeking will also be covered in the module. Students will also learn to curate and develop a digital portfolio that highlights their accomplishments, past works, projects and skills.

Project ID: Connecting the Dots^ (4 Credit Units)

6-Month Internship (20 Credit Units)

This module provides the opportunity for students to be assigned to industry attachments at reputable organisations. The attachment, which will be for the entire internship semester, will match students’ abilities and interests to relevant organisations.