DkIT | Certificate in Sound Design & Implementation For Interactive Media | ESF+ 2026

• This course has closed.

THIS PROGRAMME IS CO FUNDED BY THE GOVERNMENT OF IRELAND AND THE EUROPEAN UNION (EUFUNDS.IE)

A collaboration between Cultural & Creative Industry Skillnet and Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT), this programme is offered to creative professionals at a special CCIS partnership rate of €850 (normally the fee for this course would be €1,500 in 2026).

Overview

This part-time programme seeks to offer individuals with an interest in Interactive Audio production for games, animation, XR and related industries, an opportunity to develop their knowledge, skills and competencies in interactive media including Sound Design and Implementation.

The interactive media industry has seen significant growth throughout Ireland in the last decade: international games publishers run operations from Dublin, Cork and Galway; Irish animation studios are entertaining worldwide audiences; and Irish virtual reality studios are developing interactive products using augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR). This one-year part-time programme, targeted at anyone wanting to upskill their practical and technical skills of Sound Design and Implementation for Interactive Media, meets the needs of this sector and will provide participants with the required knowledge, skills and confidence to assist them in gaining employment in the Irish games, animation and AR/VR industries. Aimed specifically at those who have specialist music and audio production knowledge, this course will allow participants to hone their skills in the area of interactive audio, AR/VR audio design, game audio middleware, audio scripting and procedural audio, and audio implementation, an area not covered to date on undergraduate music production or audio production programmes, and skills that will provide them entry into the growing interactive media industry in Ireland.

Aims & Objectives

There is an emphasis on practical application and applied learning tasks, with modules including live briefs, real-world audio implementation tasks and middleware programming. Project-based assessments simulate client collaboration, iterative delivery, and post-production scenarios.

First semester modules include:

• Audio Middleware
  • Audio Middleware (10 ECTS). Audio Production knowledge dynamic and adaptive sound design ready for implementation into a game engine.
• Sound Design
  • Sound Design for Interactive Media (10 ECTS). Audio Production Knowledge, Technical knowledge transferable to other areas, Procedural Audio, audio for games and interactive media.

Second semester modules include:

• Audio Implementation
  • Audio Implementation (10 ECTS) Technical knowledge transferrable to other areas Audio implementation into the game engine and for implementation into interactive media.
• Interactive Audio Industry
  • Interactive Audio Industry – Job Readiness (5 ECTS) specific Job Readiness training relative to the interactive
    audio and media industry.

Work Placement

Work Placement (5 ECTS)
One Day a Week (10 days total) is a flexible approach to work placement, with the option of an Industry Project in lieu of WP. Both offer the development of Project Management and Leadership skills with links to a valuable Irish Interactive Media sector

Participant profile/Who can apply/Eligibility

Applicants should hold a Level 7 qualification or higher or have substantial prior experience working in the audio area. 

An approved Portfolio of relevant digital audio/visual work will be required. Prior experiential learning will be assessed under the Institutes DkIT Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) policy process and graduates of discplines will be considered. Learn more about RPL at DkIT

Candidates will be interviewed where deemed appropriate.

Dates and times of the course

Each Semester is 12 weeks in duration and with teaching delivered over
two afternoons / two evenings a week.

Sound Design and Implementation for Interactive Media employs a blended delivery methodology:

• 24 hours of synchronous online teaching delivered weekly
• On-campus workshops for guest speakers
• One-day-per-week industry placement or industry-aligned project (5 ECTS)

This format enables high engagement while maintaining accessibility for learners, career changers and
remote participants.
Combined with traditional lectures, and mindful of the needs of these students for a flexible approach, a
variety of learning and teaching methodologies will be used by lecturers in this new programme, including:

• Lectures
• Case studies
• Guest lectures
• Reflective journals
• Poster presentations
• Experiential learning
• Group work
• Practical/lab/studio based classes
• Tutorials
• Student-led seminars
• Debates and thematic discussions
• Self-directed projects involving research, design, application, justification and evaluation.

Location

Dundalk Institute of Technology (DkIT) is set in a state-of-the-art campus in Dundalk, at the epicentre of the Dublin – Belfast economic corridor. The area is marked as having significant importance due to its growing population and strong economic links between North and South of Ireland.
Getting to DkIT

Costs/fee

The fee for this week course is €850 per person (normally €1500).
Payment will be due in full before the course commences.

CCIS Membership Support

Who Qualifies:
INDIVIDUALS

• Sole traders or Freelancers who are Resident in the ROI are eligible as Member Companies.
• Private company (SME) or Enterprise employees.

COMPANIES

• Private Enterprise & SMEs based in the Republic of Ireland.
• Commercial semi-state companies providing that income contributed to a Network is not sourced from the public purse (must provide a letter).
• Social enterprises that trade as commercial social enterprises, and are companies registered with the CRO

Who Does Not Qualify:
INDIVIDUALS

• Applicants who are not Resident in the Republic of Ireland
• Applicants who are Unemployed and in receipt of Unemployment Benefit
• Applicants participating on a CE Scheme
• Applicants in receipt of a BURSARY, SCHOLARSHIP OR GRANT AID toward fees for this course from another government agency or programme.

COMPANIES

• Skillnet Ireland funding is not available to public sector bodies or organisation that are publicly funded such as community-based not-for-profit companies or charities.
• Social enterprises that are solely constituted as charities do not currently meet the eligibility criteria.

All programmes are provided without discrimination. This includes discrimination based on gender, race or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age, or sexual orientation. An inclusive environment that welcomes participants from diverse communities is promoted.

Application process

Please read carefully. This is a 3-Step application. Failure to complete all three steps could impact your CCIS support application.

1. Complete the Special Category Data Participant Questionnaire below (Scroll for the QR Code or Link)
2. Fill out the Cultural & Creative Industries Skillnet membership application form below (Green ‘Apply’ button)
3. Submit your DkIT Course Application if you have not already done so (link at the top of this page)..
   
   If your Course Application is successful you will be notified by DkIT and given access to a CCIS Registration/Payment Link. Refunds cannot be issued once the course has commenced.
   
   DOWNLOAD APPLICATION STEP BY STEP GUIDE HERE

This course is part funded by ESF+.

ESF+ stands for European Social Fund Plus. It is a European fund that focuses on lifelong learning through improving employment and education opportunities.

In addition to the CCIS support application, Cultural & Creative Industries Skillnet is required by Government to collect ‘Special Category Data‘ from those who wish to avail of ESF+ supports for this programme. Given the sensitive nature of this data, strict controls over access have been implemented.

Your Rights and Choices
The mandatory form will ask for general and special category data about you. You can choose if you want to share the special category information in questions 13 to 18. If you do answer these questions, we will handle answers with utmost care.

You have the right to access your data, get us to correct it if we get your details wrong, and ask us to delete your data. You can also choose to opt out or withdraw at any time (*I Do Not Consent). However, if you withdraw, we will not be able to provide you with access to the Sound Design & Implementation for Interactive Media course until you reapply.

At the end of this questionnaire, we will also ask you to declare that the information you have provided is true. If you would like to take part in the ESF+ course, you must answer all the questions even if they do not apply. 

Further data will be collected at the following milestones.

• the course certification date
• 6 months post certification

If you wish to use your rights to access or change your information, or are concerned about anything on your participant form, please email dpo@skillnetireland.ie. 

For more information on ESF+ data processing and your rights, please see the ESF+ Data Privacy Notice.  You can find this on the Skillnet Ireland website or email your postal address and we will post it to you. 

Special Category Data Questionnaire

PLEASE FILL OUT THIS FORM OR ACCESS VIA THE QR CODE BELOW.

CCIS membership application

CCIS Membership Application Deadline: Rolling but before course commences.

If you experience any difficulties with your CCIS membership application please contact susantalbot@furthr.ie with a Subject Heading of : DkIT| CCIS Application | [Course Name]

Important: All Course Applications To Be Made Separately via DkIT. Deadline TBC