Masters Degrees (Sound)

*New for 2017, subject to final approval.

The MA in Sound Design is a forward thinking course, which invites you to explore the creative use of sound within film and other visual media at an advanced level. The course focuses on the more creative aspects of sound design and post-production while providing you with the necessary technical skills.

You’ll develop your work within your areas of interest without stylistic boundaries. The content areas include:

• Sound editing (production audio, dialogue/ADR, SFX, music)

• The language and aesthetics of sound design (narrative, dramaturgy)

• Foley

• Field recording

• Sound sculpting and processing

• Working with directors

• Post-production workflows

• Dubbing

• Surround sound

• VR audio

• Industry deliverables

COURSE STRUCTURE

The course delivers a mixture of advanced technical skills related to sound design and audio post production for film and other visual media. It also provides creatively-oriented insights into contemporary sound design practice and encourages students to push the boundaries of the field. Subject areas include:

• Sound sculpting, processing and synthesis

• The language and aesthetics of sound design

• Storytelling and dramaturgy

MA Sound Design is part of a suite of postgraduate courses available across music and sound, operating alongside ‘sister’ pathways in Sound Production and Sound Arts, which allow further specialism in these areas.

For more information on the course structure, please go to: https://www.bathspa.ac.uk/courses/pg-sound-design/

MODULES

In trimester one, you'll gain the skills you’ll need to fulfil the rest of the course. The Skills Portfolio module is built on the idea that you’ll already have technical skills in this area. It therefore allows you to choose a handful of skills projects from a large number of options – these cover skills right across the Sound Arts, Sound Design and Sound Production pathways and include (optional) elements of multimedia.

The Research Methodology and Context module develops skills in postgraduate-level research and writing.

In trimester two, the core module is the Sound Design Practice module. It explores the creative and practical application of Sound Design within a visual narrative and storytelling context.

Alongside this core module, you’ll be offered a wide range of options. The Post Production module explores an industry-level workflow for Audio Post within film and visual media and covers a wide range of associated skillsets. Intertextuality in Sound Production, from the Sound Production pathway, explores the overlap between Urban Music production and what are considered more experimental genres. The Visual Music module, from the Sound Arts pathway, explores the idea that musical thinking can be extended to the visual, and encourages students to develop multimedia projects that explore this idea.

There are also choices in Composition, Performance, Musicology and Professional Practice.

In trimester three, you'll complete the course with a independent research project, compromising of a large-scale practical project, supported by a reflective account.

For more information on modules please visit the course webpage: https://www.bathspa.ac.uk/courses/pg-sound-design/

TEACHING METHODS

The delivery of the course involves a mixture of teaching and learning activities, including lectures, workshops, seminars, online study materials and guest speaker sessions.

The workshop / seminar sessions will include ongoing peer review and tutor support opportunities. Some parts of the course are delivered using a ‘flipped classroom’ model, where students independently work through online study materials and tasks, which are followed up by practical support workshops.

ASSESSMENT

The assessment is majorly based around practical coursework, with the aim to build an extensive portfolio of sound design and post production work. Practical coursework is typically supported by a written commentary or evaluation. The Research Methodology and Context module is assessed through a more substantial written paper.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

You can use the course to develop an individually-tailored portfolio of skills. This will equip you for the current employment landscape, where a combination of traditional audio post production roles are required alongside broader practice in sound, music and other media.

Our graduates have range of successful careers in production, composition, music for film and TV, sound design for moving image and games, sound art, software development, engineering, further education, higher education and research.

Read less

*New for 2017, subject to final approval.

Develop your own signature sound and production style, through this forward-thinking, cutting edge music composition and production course. The MA Sound Production programme is tailored towards individuals who are keen to hone their composition and production skills inside an intertextual and cross-disciplinary framework that pushes at the stylistic boundaries of genre.

The content will cover aesthetic considerations as well as technology and techniques utilised in modern music making. The award is deliberately unbounded by genre and there are opportunities to take an interdisciplinary approach to sound production, including contemporary electronic music, studio and field recording, experimental music and sound design for composition.

COURSE STRUCTURE

The programme encourages interdisciplinary and collaborative working methods with students from the wider music community at Bath Spa, as well as visual media and other departments within the University. While the programme has a music production focus, it also covers key areas of practice such as:

• Sound design

• Electronic music composition

• Soundscape and field recording

• Traditional studio practices

• Sound engineering

• Spatial audio and sound design

• Composition for visual media

You won’t be expected to cover all of these areas. You’ll be able to use the course to develop an individually-tailored portfolio of skills, experience and top-level work across them.

The course is part of a suite of courses available across music and sound, operating alongside ‘sister’ pathways in Sound Design and Sound Arts, which allow further specialism in these areas.

For more information on the 'sister' pathways please refer to the website: https://www.bathspa.ac.uk/courses/pg-sound-production/

MODULES

In trimester one, you'll gain the skills you’ll need to fulfil the rest of the course. The Skills Portfolio module is built on the idea that you’ll already have technical skills in this area. It therefore allows you to choose a handful of skills projects from a large number of options – these cover skills right across the Sound Arts, Sound Design and Sound Production pathways and include (optional) elements of multimedia.

The Research Methodology and Context module develops skills in postgraduate-level research and writing. It is designed to give you the tools for an onward journey in academia, but not to be, in the colloquial sense, ‘academic’.

In trimester two, you’ll advance the knowledge gained in the the first trimester and begin exploring the intertextual possibilities of music composition. In addition, you’ll develop a creative project that will further extend the work undertaken on the trimester 1 Skills Portfolio module.

The module Intertextuality In Sound Production aims to capture and contextualise emerging trends and innovation at the forefront of sound production and composition, and develop composition skills that extend beyond the limits of genre.

Alongside the Sound Production modules there are additional optional modules that you can study from the other pathways. From the Sound Arts pathway, the Visual Music module explores the idea that musical thinking can be extended to the visual, and encourages students to develop multimedia projects that explore this idea. From the Sound Design pathway the Post Production module explores an industry-level workflow for audio post production for picture.

In trimester three, you'll complete the course with a independent research project. While most Masters level courses consist of a substantial written dissertation component, the MA Sound Production programme focuses more on high-level practical work and the concept of ‘practice as research’ through the creation of a large-scale practical project.

The project will fulfil the same function as the traditional dissertation; you’ll develop individual and original research, but through the creation of a portfolio of works, rather than through the written word.

For more information on modules and course structure please visit the course webpage: https://www.bathspa.ac.uk/courses/pg-sound-production/

TEACHING METHODS

Most modules are taught through small-group seminars and workshops, where you’ll benefit from close interaction with tutors and peers. The Major Project and parts of the other modules are taught through individual tutorials where the focus will be entirely on your own practice.

ASSESSMENT

You’ll be assessed entirely on coursework. The majority of this will be practical and creative work, including the dissertation-equivalent Major Project. Some practical projects are accompanied by short informal written assignments, and the for the Research Methodology and Context module you’ll produce a more substantial paper.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

You can use the course to develop an individually-tailored portfolio of skills. This will equip you for the current employment landscape, where a combination of traditional music roles are required alongside broader practice in sound and other media.The course also provides the breadth necessary for FE and HE teaching in the field, and provides the basis required for PhD research and beyond.

Read less

The Masters in Sound Design & Audiovisual Practice provides advanced training in creative practice with sound and audiovisual technologies. The programme offers topics relevant to practicing musicians, artists, and the creative industries, such as sound shaping and design, audiovisual composition, field recording, creative and experimental approaches to technology, live performance, interdisciplinary perspectives on sound, and sonic aesthetics. You then develop an individual portfolio of sonic and audiovisual artwork based on your particular skills and interests.

Why this programme

◾We are Scotland’s leading research centre in Music, with a mutually supportive community of scholars and practitioners.
◾Glasgow offers a huge range of venues for creative sound work, including the Old Hairdressers, Tramway, Mono, SWG3, and City Halls, all of which have hosted our students’ work.
◾You will benefit from studying in the city of Glasgow, the UK’s first UNESCO city of music, with its vibrant and exciting music scene. Festivals abound, such as Sonica, Counterflows, and Tectonics, as does grass-roots sonic activity such as the Lights Out Listening Group. The presence of ensembles such as the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, RSNO, Scottish Opera, Scottish Ensemble, and experimental music ensembles such as the Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra provides a rich context for your studies.
◾The Glasgow Sound Network provides a forum for sharing of sonic practice involving some of Glasgow’s leading creative media companies, artists and academics, offering excellent opportunities for building professional networks.
◾Sound Design & Audiovisual Practice at Glasgow integrates sound design with visual media through a unit in Audiovisual Composition.
◾The programme offers interdisciplinary perspectives and the chance to work with students from Glasgow School of Art through a unit called Sound Art in Dialogue.
◾We work with the city’s cultural programme (Glasgow Life) to bring leading sonic artists to Glasgow, with associated workshops and collaborative opportunities for our students.
◾Your work can be showcased in our annual postgraduate event Sound Thought, which takes place at the Centre for Contemporary Arts.
◾Your work can also be showcased at the GLEAM (Glasgow Electronic and Audiovisual Media) Festival.
◾You can experiment with building devices for making and controlling sound, enhanced by the presence of prototyping facilities in Glasgow such as Maklab, through our Creating with Technology unit.
◾Our students and graduates engage in a wide range of professional creative work including sound design for film and theatre, live performance and award-winning composition.
◾You will benefit from access to our facilities including an audio lab, three studios, the University’s Concert Hall with Genelec and d&b sound diffusion system, seminar and practice rooms.

Programme structure

The programme aims to:
◾provide artistic and technical experience in working with sound as a culturally significant medium
◾enable you to build your knowledge of tools and methods for manipulating sonic and audiovisual media
◾enable you to design, repurpose and reconfigure technologies for creative compositional ends
◾enhance your creative practice through taking an exploratory and critical approach to sonic design and composition

The MSc comprises 180 credits as follows:

Semester 1 compulsory courses (60 credits):
◾Sound Shaping and Design
◾Creating with Technology

Semester 2 compulsory courses (40 credits):
◾Field Recording, Sound and Place
◾Audiovisual Composition

Semester 2 option (one 20 credit course chosen from):
◾Sonic Art Performance
◾Sound Art in Dialogue
◾Sonic Art Aesthetics and Criticism
◾Music, Sound & Screen

Additionally you will produce an individual creative portfolio over the summer (60 credits).

Teaching methods include small group tutorials, seminars and workshops, lab and studio sessions, and individual guidance meetings.

Career prospects

The attributes you gain will be attractive to employers from the creative industries, and are particularly relevant for contemporary music, sound design and sound production, games, theatre, film and television. Many of our graduates undertake successful portfolio careers as artists and sound practitioners in their own right. The programme also offers an excellent foundation upon which to progress to PhD studies and an academic career.

Read less

This online masters degree is for audio professionals who wish to enhance and formalise their industrial experience with industry relevant theory and practices.

The degree is made up of three parts: taught classes, work-based learning, and a research project. All of these elements are designed to apply theory and advanced practice to enhance current approaches to sound design for linear and interactive media.

The MSc Sound Design is delivered over either 18 or 30 months on a part time basis. All of the modules are delivered by distance learning. In addition, you will also develop a deep understanding of how to assess approaches of affecting audiences’ perceptions of linear and interactive media using sound design.

Emphasis is placed on cognisance with professional standards for the production and documentation of sound designs for linear and interactive media, and familiarity with a comprehensive set of methods of assessing listening experiences.

The course builds upon Edinburgh Napier University’s close contacts with internationally recognised professional sound designers for both linear and interactive media.

http://www.napier.ac.uk/courses/msc-sound-design-postgraduate-distance-learning-part-time

Year 1

• Listening
• Sound design for linear media
• Sound design for interactive media
• Advanced professional practice

In the first year, you will study Advanced Professional Practice (APP) for three trimesters. This allows you to tailor your learning needs to those of your organisation or the relevant industries.
Within the first few weeks of this module, under the direction of your academic supervisor you will develop your own learning agreement, which defines the deliverables of this module. If you are an employee you will do this in negotiation with your organisation.

If you are freelance, you may either negotiate with key clients or discuss an equivalent with your supervisor. Your supervisor will mentor you throughout the three trimesters towards the achievement of the deliverables. You will provide a reflective journal on your learning.
During the first year, you will also study one module per trimester: sound design for linear media, listening and sound design for interactive media. These modules will be taken in the order determined by the date of entry to the course.

Each module is independent of the others. One objective of the APP module is for you to apply immediately, in your practice, the knowledge gained from these three taught modules. After successful completion of the year, you will be eligible for a PG Dip Sound Design. In the second year, you will complete your MSc dissertation in part time mode.

Year 2

Masters Dissertation

In this 60 credit module you will take control of your studies to produce a substantial piece of focussed academic research. Success in the dissertation module indicates an ability to work independently, so you are expected to take the initiative and manage your own project. In effect, you are undertaking independent research as an apprenticeship to an experienced academic supervisor.

Careers

This degree gives you the opportunity to build on existing competencies and develop new skills in linear and interactive media sound design. The emphasis is on becoming an advanced sound professional within linear and/or interactive media.

Career opportunities:
• sound engineer
• sound editor
• sound designer
• sound researcher
• sound archivist
• sound artist
• sound recordist

Currently sound designers can gain employment in:
• art
• audio Books
• audio Branding
• computing (Auditory Displays, Sonification, Web)
• education
• film
• product design
• radio
• soundscape design (domestic, leisure, retail, travel, workplace)
• television
• theatre
• video games

How to apply

http://www.napier.ac.uk/study-with-us/postgraduate/how-to-apply

Fees and Funding

We have lots of funding options available such as the postgraduate tuition fee loan for Scottish & EU students, specifics scholarships for students from North or South America, Asia and Africa, as well as bursaries & grants for those closer to home in England, Northern Ireland and Wales.

Please see our website for up-to-date information about fee and funding and what you could be eligible for.
http://www.napier.ac.uk/study-with-us/postgraduate/fees-and-funding

Nothing should get in the way of furthering your education. Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS) awards funding for postgraduate courses, and could provide the help you need to continue your studies. Find out more: http://www.napier.ac.uk/study-with-us/postgraduate/fees-and-funding/saas-funded-courses

Information for International Students

For applications whose first language is not English, the following is generally required: minimum IELTS 6.0, with no individual component score of less than 5.5 or equivalent. We also offer a range of pre-sessional English language courses to help you meet the English language requirement prior to starting your masters programme. Please see our website for up-to-date information.
http://www.napier.ac.uk/study-with-us/international-students/english-language/english-language-requirements

Read less

Graduates of this course win BAFTAs and multiple other awards every year. Our students have won the student section of the Los Angeles based Golden Reel Awards for best sound 13 times since 1996 (we won it again this year)! Sound Design students train in all aspects of audio post-production, developing the techniques and creative awareness required as dubbing editors, sound designers and dubbing mixers.

-Most comprehensive course in sound available.
-Study in a collaborative filmmaking environment.
-Aesthetic and technical skills developed.
-Facilities rival professional post-production houses.
-Work on both live action and animation films.
-Unlike other schools, all production costs are met by the School.

We welcome EU/EEA Students. Those accepted onto courses starting in 2018 will have their fees guaranteed at the UK rate for both years of the course. Postgraduate students can apply for a loan to help with their studies via the Student Loans Company Loans. A £ 10,000 loan is available to contribute to course and living costs. The Post Graduate Loan is only open to EU/EEA and UK Students who normally live in England. It is not currently available to Scottish, Welsh or Northern Ireland Students. Find out more here: https://nfts.co.uk/our-courses/masters/sound-design-film-television

COURSE OVERVIEW

The components of the soundtrack – dialogue, atmospheres, Foleys, ADR, designed fx and music – are explored in detail using facilities rivalling those of the best audio post-production houses. With a firm emphasis on storytelling, students develop an aesthetic awareness integrated with technical expertise, encouraging them to be collaborators from an early stage in all productions and throughout the whole post-production process.

In 2016, an NFTS student won the Verna Fields Award for Best Sound Editing in the student category of the US Motion Picture Sound Editors Golden Reel Awards. This is the 13th time a graduating NFTS student has won this award in the last 20 years and, together with the demand for new graduates, demonstrates the esteem with which this course is regarded within the film and television industry.

CURRICULUM

The course represents a steady progression beginning with the basic technology and skills that underpin and support the creative process and ending with the responsibility for sound design on a range of graduation films. At each stage additional skills are added through specific workshops - e.g. music recording, to provide a comprehensive education that is of great value in understanding and communicating with other industry professionals.

Using the latest equipment and technology, students work as sound designers on fiction, documentary and animation projects developing their skills in digital tracklaying and mixing.

YEAR ONE
A series of exercises focusing on sound editing and mixing techniques Workshops with Editing and Composing students:
-Abstract Film Workshop
-Without Images - a sound-only project
-Dramaturgy Workshop - focusing on script and script analysis, blocking and cover, and performance
-Editing the Scene - editing a scene to learn the basics of scene structure
-Short documentary - sound mixing
-Zen and Beyond - fiction workshop focusing on visual storytelling
-Documentary Poetry - exploring the use of non- synchronous sound and music
-Animation projects - the application of music and sound effects
-1st year Fiction film - collaborating with all other departments
-Cross Spec - an introduction to film language and storytelling involving all departments

YEAR TWO
-Investigative Documentary - sound post for the major 1st year Documentary production
-Remixing the 1st year Fiction film tracks
-Advanced editing, design and mixing techniques including surround sound mixing
-2nd Year Fiction production, shot on a digital format
-Graduation films in documentary, fiction and animation

On the short films and 2nd Year films, Sound Design students work as sound supervisors, creating the track from pre-production through to the mix.

Unlike other schools, all production costs are met by the School. In addition you will be given a cash Production Budget. NFTS students are engaged in more productions as part of the curriculum than any of our competitors.

Read less

In the MA for Sound Arts you will explore sound as a creative medium at an advanced level, and focus on the areas that interest you most. We’ll help you develop the technical skills you need, but the course is about sound more than technology, and values lo-tech and no-tech as much as the latest technological developments.

You can work in any music genre, and/or cover areas such as soundscape recording and sound design, interactive audio (for applications such as live performance, gaming, VR, immersive environments and installations), spatial audio, hardware/software (instrument) design and interdisciplinary practice incorporating other media.

COURSE STRUCTURE

The course caters for those working in a wide variety of music genres, and at the same time also covers areas of practice such as soundscape recording and sound design, interactive audio, spatial audio, hardware/software design and interdisciplinary practice incorporating other media. Most students won’t cover all of these areas, but will use the course to develop an individually-tailored portfolio of skills, experience and top-level work across them.

Most students won’t cover all of these areas, but will use the course to develop an individually-tailored portfolio of skills, experience and top-level work across them. We believe this to be appropriate to the current employment landscape where many combine traditional roles in music with broader practice in sound and other media. The course also provides the breadth necessary for FE and HE teaching in this field, and provides a basis where required for PhD research and beyond.

MODULES

In trimester one, you'll gain the skills you’ll need to fulfil the rest of the course. The Skills Portfolio module is built on the idea that you’ll already have technical skills in this area. It therefore allows you to choose a handful of skills projects from a large number of options – these cover skills right across the Sound Arts, Sound Design and Sound Production pathways and include (optional) elements of multimedia.

The Research Methodology and Context module develops skills in postgraduate-level research and writing.

In trimester two, you'll study the Sonic Architecture module. This is intended as an expansion of traditional music composition teaching, where the aesthetic aspects of individual work will be examined and developed.

Alongside this core module, you’ll be offered a wide range of options.The Visual Music module explores the idea that musical thinking can be extended to the visual. Intertextuality in Sound Production, from the Sound Production pathway, explores the overlap between Urban Music production. Post Production, from the Sound Design pathway, explores an industry-level workflow for Audio Post for picture.

There are also choices in Composition, Performance, Musicology and Professional Practice.

In trimester three, you'll complete the course with a independent research project, compromising of a large-scale practical project. Allowing you to develop your own individual and original research area.

For detailed information on modules, please visit the course webpage: https://www.bathspa.ac.uk/courses/pg-sound-arts/

TEACHING METHODS

Most modules are taught through small-group seminars and workshops, where you’ll benefit from close interaction with tutors and peers. The Major Project and parts of the other modules are taught through individual tutorials where the focus will be entirely on your own practice.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

You’ll be assessed entirely on coursework. The majority of this will be practical and creative work, including the dissertation-equivalent Major Project. Some practical projects are accompanied by short informal written assignments, and for the Research Methodology and Context module you’ll produce a more substantial paper.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Our graduates have range of successful careers in production, composition, music for film and TV, sound design for moving image and games, sound art, software development, engineering, further education, higher education and research.

MA Sound is a new course – this is based on MMus Creative Sound and Media Technology, which is its predecessor.

For information on facilities and resources, please go to our website: https://www.bathspa.ac.uk/courses/pg-sound-arts/

Read less

From television, film and radio, to gaming, digital and online advertising, the demand for specialists who can use sound creatively has never been higher. This course will give you an understanding of the innovation and technology behind studio sound production and design.

You'll study the relationship between sound, music and image, and build your skills in sound production technology and music editing techniques. You'll develop the ability to produce original sounds and audio-visual media so you can create professional audio across a variety of media formats.

Our short course is a fantastic opportunity to learn from experienced music and film professionals in state-of-the-art studios. We're dedicated to providing you with hands-on, practical experience so you can produce your own work, developing your ability to deliver professional sound content to a specific brief.

Visit the website http://courses.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/creativesound_apd

Mature Applicants

Our University welcomes applications from mature applicants who demonstrate academic potential. We usually require some evidence of recent academic study, for example completion of an access course, however recent relevant work experience may also be considered. Please note that for some of our professional courses all applicants will need to meet the specified entry criteria and in these cases work experience cannot be considered in lieu.

If you wish to apply through this route you should refer to our University Recognition of Prior Learning policy that is available on our website (http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/studenthub/recognition-of-prior-learning.htm).

Please note that all applicants to our University are required to meet our standard English language requirement of GCSE grade C or equivalent, variations to this will be listed on the individual course entry requirements.

Careers

We believe a short course can make a big difference.Employment opportunities could be open to you in sound engineering,performance, digital media, gaming, music for film and television, production,radio, composition, sonic art, and music marketing and PR. If you would like tocontinue your studies, we offer a range of masters courses, such as AudioEngineering or Sound Design.

- Sound Designer
- Composer for Media
- Studio Engineer/Producer
- Audio Producer (Film, TV, Gaming)

Careers advice:
The dedicated Jobs and Careers team offers expert advice and a host of resources to help you choose and gain employment. Whether you're in your first or final year, you can speak to members of staff from our Careers Office who can offer you advice from writing a CV to searching for jobs.

Visit the careers site - https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/employability/jobs-careers-support.htm

Course Benefits

You might have just finished your degree, or be working in industry looking to acquire new skills for your professional development. Taught over four weekends in the year - Saturday to Monday - we've designed this course so that it fits around your lifestyle, requiring minimum time off work.

You'll have access to a suite of professional music studios, including recording rooms, audio booths, instruments, portable audio recorders, lab with soundcard and mixer, and computer workstations with software such as Sibelius, Pro Tools and SynthMaker, and music analysis tools.

You will access an impressive range of facilities at our Northern Film School, including production studios, edit suites, production offices, and film and script archive.

We also offer exciting short study opportunities in film, music and performing arts, taught during Easter and Summer. These creative workshops, ranging from two days to a week, are a great way to build your expertise for professional use, embrace a subject you're passionate about, or develop your skills before applying for one of our postgraduate qualifications.

Core Modules

Sound, Music & Image
Evaluate the relationships between sound, music and image, and create examples of audio-visual media to a professional standard.

Creative Sound Design
We will equip you with the expertise to develop audio-based artefacts in the fields of electro-acoustic music, sonic art and sound design.

Martin Briggs

Senior Lecturer, Music & Sound

"We believe the particular combination of staff experience and expertise, first class facilities, real world practical assignments, guest lecturers and industry networks, contacts and accreditation make our specialist courses in sound second to none."

Originally training in music and media, Martin has worked as both a performer and producer in music, sound recording, video production and live events. His current research is concerned with collaborative partnerships and working practices in music and sound creation. Whilst still working as a musician and arranger, he is also involved in the promotion of local community music workshops, performances and events.

Facilities

- Sound recording & editing equipment
A comprehensive range of audio editing, composition and sound processing software is available.

You'll have access to a suite of professional music studios, including film composition and audio post production rooms, instruments, together with portable field recording equipment and extensive computer workstation facilities.

- Northern Film School
You will also be able to access an impressive range of facilities at our Northern Film School, including production studios, edit suites, production offices, and film and script archive.

- Library
Our Library is open 24/7, every day of the year. However you like to work, we have got you covered with group and silent study areas, extensive e-learning resources and PC suites.

Find out how to apply here - http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/postgraduate/how-to-apply/

Read less

Introduction

Intensive and specialised, MA Sound Arts at LCC gives you the chance to develop your conceptual and contextual understanding of sound arts in practice and in theory. Develop an individual approach, build a distinctive portfolio and tap into the College's Creative Research into Sound Arts Practice (CRISAP).

Content

Intensive and specialised, this programme is designed to further the development of students’ conceptual and contextual understanding of Sound Arts practice and its discourse. Students are encouraged to adopt a personal and distinctive approach to their work and research.

The course is designed for students who have a substantial background in producing sound-based work within the context of contemporary arts and media practice. You may have studied some aspect of sound arts - such as sound design, music technology and sonic art - at undergraduate level. You may come from other disciplines, such as fine art, digital arts, or time-based or performance art. Or you may have no formal qualifications but have significant experience of producing creative work with sound and wish to develop this work in an academic context. The main characteristic of a successful applicant is that they will already have achieved a distinctive and enquiring approach to and understanding of the aspects of sound arts that they wish to develop further in a creative and experimental academic environment.

The course includes a strong taught component combined with providing students with ample opportunities for practical work. You will be able to extend your portfolio within an academic context, engage in theoretical and practical research, develop your creative and critical skills, explore personal areas of interest in sound arts and engage in practice-based research. The aim of the course is to facilitate individual practice and guide you towards a professional career as a sound artist or into research.

Specialist areas of interest within the department include the following:

Composition
Sound recording and mixing
Phonography
Field recording and acoustic ecology
Interactive work
Sound installations
Live performance
Radiophonic practices
Sound for film
A variety of cross platform work

Structure

Phase 1

Induction
Practice based Research
Contemporary themes in Sound Arts practice

Phase 2

Project Development + workshops
Curatorial Contexts for Sound Art

Phase 3

Major Project

Read less

This programme is targeted at individuals interested in exploring the domain of sound in the wider context of new media theory and technology. It is strongly interdisciplinary and course content ranges from the study of film sound to interactive audio design, sound installation and web design.

This programme will provide you with knowledge, skill and understanding in a range of sound design situations both commercial and experimental. Graduates of the programme will be armed with professional, practical, analytical and critical skills to take into sound-related industries or on towards further academic study such as a PhD.

The Reid Studio is our new surround-sound mixing and production studio, and our Russolo Room offers industry-standard recording equipment and software. Our Sound Lab, which hosts a number of fully equipped workstations, is available for your use.

Programme structure

Students will attend a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials and practical sessions supported with occasional input from external professionals in the field of sound design and related areas.

Learning outcomes

Students who follow this programme will:

• develop specific knowledge and obtain a broadly based foundation in sound design technologies
• explore the use of existing computer-aided sound design techniques in a creative way
• be able to analyse and critically think about sound and its role in a wider creative arts environment
• develop understanding of the scope and limitations of computer applications in sound design
• engage in cross-disciplinary collaboration in the context of audiovisual practice
• discover new creative uses of advanced technologies
• foster the ability to work cooperatively in groups in the context of design
• develop an understanding of the potential for new technologies

Career opportunities

Thanks to the rich cross-disciplinary course of study this programme provides, you will graduate with advanced skills in multimedia, audio production, post-production and other digital technologies which are applied to sound design. These skills will allow you to take on commissions in professional sound design, or pursue your own creative path.

You will also gain a wide variety of transferable skills, such as research, teamwork and communication that will increase your employability.

Read less

With the next generation of games consoles upon us, the demand for 'Hollywood' quality soundtracks to match the increasingly impressive visuals in games has never been greater. If you are a sound designer or composer, this course gives you the opportunity to explore the issues and opportunities that interactivity presents.

Your course has been designed by a teaching team who have professional experience and links to the games industry, ensuring the latest developments in games audio are reflected in your study. You will gain up-to-date skills in sound design and interactive composition, and explore the importance of music and sound in other media.

You will have access to a suite of high-quality professional music studios, and you will develop your expertise using real-world game engines, middleware and prototyping tools to implement sound and music into games.

Our close links with local and national music, arts and festival organisations provide you with opportunities to test your knowledge and skills in a variety of practical settings.

- Research Excellence Framework 2014: our University demonstrated strength in five emerging areas of research which it entered into the assessment for the first time, including in music, drama, dance and performing arts.

Visit the website http://courses.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/sminteractivegames_msc

Mature Applicants

Our University welcomes applications from mature applicants who demonstrate academic potential. We usually require some evidence of recent academic study, for example completion of an access course, however recent relevant work experience may also be considered. Please note that for some of our professional courses all applicants will need to meet the specified entry criteria and in these cases work experience cannot be considered in lieu.

If you wish to apply through this route you should refer to our University Recognition of Prior Learning policy that is available on our website (http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/studenthub/recognition-of-prior-learning.htm).

Please note that all applicants to our University are required to meet our standard English language requirement of GCSE grade C or equivalent, variations to this will be listed on the individual course entry requirements.

Careers

As well as mainstream games industry roles such as audio director, sound designer and composer, your course will give you access to opportunities in other related media and multimedia industries. The games industry is currently thriving and you will be well placed to take advantage of this growing area.

- Audio Director
- Audio Designer
- Composer

Careers advice: The dedicated Jobs and Careers team offers expert advice and a host of resources to help you choose and gain employment. Whether you're in your first or final year, you can speak to members of staff from our Careers Office who can offer you advice from writing a CV to searching for jobs.

Visit the careers site - https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/employability/jobs-careers-support.htm

Course Benefits

You will have access to a suite of high quality, professional music studios - approved by JAMES, the accrediting body of the Music Producers' Guild and the Association of Professional Recording Studios - and you will also benefit from our links with local and national music, arts and festival organisations.

Our music facilities include five recording studios, each with a control room and live area with instruments and amps.

Core Modules

Collaborative Practice
Your opportunity to experience a collaborative environment, you will work in small groups to devise and develop a practical project that shows off your creative and technical skills.

Interfaces & Interactivity
Consider a range of approaches to interactive and reactive musical or artistic system design, as you create an original system for making and manipulating sound.

Creative Sound Design
Explore a range of sound production techniques and gain an understanding of the key technological developments, innovations and innovators within the field of sound design.

Research Practice
Develop your awareness of the methods and skills which are required in order to carry out research into the ideas and practice of music technology.

Sound & Music for Interactivity
Address the challenges of producing audio content for interactive media. You will evaluate the role of sound and music in games and use industry standard tools to produce audio that demonstrates your understanding.

Sound, Music & Image
Examine the relationships between sound, music and image, and devise and create examples of audio-visual media to a professional standard.

Major Individual Project
The final project gives you the opportunity to combine your previous learning into a significant piece of work in an area of interest to you.

Negotiated Skills Development
Broaden and deepen your knowledge by working with your tutor to identify a project and undertake a self-directed piece of work.

Facilities

- Music Studios
"Being able to work in such good facilities gave me a buzz – I loved working in the studios." Piers of chart-topping, Mobo-nominated Rudimental

- Library
Our libraries are two of the only university libraries in the UK open 24/7 every day of the year. However you like to study, the libraries have got you covered with group study, silent study, extensive e-learning resources and PC suites.

- Headingley Campus
Our historic Headingley Campus is set in 100 acres of parkland with easy access to Leeds city centre.

Find out how to apply here - http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/postgraduate/how-to-apply/

Read less

Explore the creative and technical aspects of location sound, studio sound production and sound design.

There are increasing numbers of freelancers and sole traders in sound design, and this course has been created to ensure that training opportunities remain within the industry, to keep skills current, while developing and encouraging new talent.

Working closely with our Northern Film School and guided by a highly skilled teaching team with extensive industry experience, you will have the opportunity to collaborate with MA Filmmaking students on films right through the development, shooting, editing and post-production process. This hands-on experience will be complemented by academic and practical study in sound design.

Research Excellence Framework 2014: our University demonstrated strength in five emerging areas of research which it entered into the assessment for the first time, including in music, drama, dance and performing arts.

Visit the website http://courses.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/sounddesign_ma

Mature Applicants

Our University welcomes applications from mature applicants who demonstrate academic potential. We usually require some evidence of recent academic study, for example completion of an access course, however recent relevant work experience may also be considered. Please note that for some of our professional courses all applicants will need to meet the specified entry criteria and in these cases work experience cannot be considered in lieu.

If you wish to apply through this route you should refer to our University Recognition of Prior Learning policy that is available on our website (http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/studenthub/recognition-of-prior-learning.htm).

Please note that all applicants to our University are required to meet our standard English language requirement of GCSE grade C or equivalent, variations to this will be listed on the individual course entry requirements.

Careers

A range of job roles in the film, TV, radio and music sectors will be open to you on completion of your course. They include foley editor and re-recording mixer as well as:

- Dialogue Editor
- Location Recordist
- Sound Designer
- Sound Editor

Careers advice: The dedicated Jobs and Careers team offers expert advice and a host of resources to help you choose and gain employment. Whether you're in your first or final year, you can speak to members of staff from our Careers Office who can offer you advice from writing a CV to searching for jobs.

Visit the careers site - https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/employability/jobs-careers-support.htm

Course Benefits

You will benefit from our links with local and national music, arts and festival organisations, with plenty of opportunities to practise the skills you are developing in a live setting.

You will also have access to a suite of high quality, professional music studios, approved by JAMES - the accrediting body of the Music Producers' Guild and the Association of Professional Recording Services.

Core Modules

Collaborative Practice
Experience the collaborative working environment and develop your skills in fulfilling complex briefs.

Studio Production Skills
Develop a practical understanding of the creative possibilities of the studio environment through the creation of a musical product.

Creative Sound Design
Gain the knowledge and skills you need to develop audio-based artefacts in the fields of electro-acoustic music, sonic art and sound design.

Research Practice
Examine the methods and skills which are required in order to carry out research into the ideas and practice of music technology.

Sound, Music & Image
Explore the relationships between sound, music and image as you devise and create examples of audio-visual media to a professional standard.

Location Sound
This module aims to equip you with the theory and the techniques for recording and mixing sound for film, television and radio.

Major Individual Project
This major project gives you the opportunity to engage in research and advanced practice in an area of your own choosing.

Negotiated Skills Development
Work closely with your tutors, researching and applying current theory and practice alongside a learning plan that meets your own aims and objectives.

Electro-acoustic Music
Explore the techniques and methods employed in electro-acoustic composition and use those techniques and methods to create an original composition.

Facilities

- Library
Our libraries are two of the only university libraries in the UK open 24/7 every day of the year. However you like to study, the libraries have got you covered with group study, silent study, extensive e-learning resources and PC suites.

- Broadcasting Place
Broadcasting Place provides students with creative and contemporary learning environments, is packed with the latest technology and is a focal point for new and innovative thinking in the city.

Find out how to apply here - http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/postgraduate/how-to-apply/

Read less

This MA will consolidate your audio skills as a film and television sound recordist and designer. You will develop your sound storytelling skills through targeted workshops and their subsequent application in the context of live filmmaking projects- http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/ma-filmmaking-sound-recording-design/

What we offer

This Masters, a pathway of the MA Filmmaking, is housed in a new purpose-built media facility equipped with state-of-the art teaching spaces including film and photography studios equipped with Arri lighting and Greenscreen, Avid Media Composer, Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere Film Editing, Animation, Digital Special Effects, Pro Tools Audio Postproduction and Foley suites.

We have studio spaces, and extensive production facilities and informal rehearsal and meeting spaces where you can discuss and collaborate with producers and your shoot team.

You work on at least one film per term in your specialist role, culminating in a major production towards the end of the degree. In addition to your specialist area, you attend classes in related disciplines such as Film Directing and Editing and collaborate with students across specialisations on film projects. This framework is designed to stimulate collaborative practice by providing you with a breadth of filmmaking knowledge combined with a high level of expertise in your chosen filmmaking discipline.

Sound and music collaborations

Goldsmiths also has an excellent with fully-equipped music recording studios and mixing facilities and students collaborate there on both acoustic and electronic composition. In addition, MA Filmmaking students collaborate with staff and students on the MA in Music Composition for the Screen at the Royal College of Music.

Notable composers who have mentored our students include Miguel Mera, Vasco Hexel and Michael McAvoy. Goldsmiths' new can also provide exciting opportunities for collaboration in installation and interactive work.

Our students say...

"The Goldsmiths MA in Filmmaking was a real eye-opener into the world of film production and I am very grateful to have had the chance to experience it."

"I very much enjoyed the workshops from visiting professionals; the sessions with Sound Designer David Heinemann were particularly inspiring."

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact the Department of Media & Communications.

Modules & Structure

You work in depth on at least one film per term in your specialist role, culminating in a major production towards the end of the degree. You will also lead and take part in a number of other sound-based and music-based projects in Screen Lab. This collaborative framework is designed to stimulate collaborative practice by providing you with a breadth of filmmaking knowledge combined with a high level of expertise in sound recording and design.

For two terms you will spend a full day a week in specialised contact with your specific programme convenor, plus a further day in Screen Lab working with colleagues across the programme in a Talent Campus-style project-led learning structure with:

Masterclasses
Pitches
Role-plays
Exercises aimed at using your skills specialism in a variety of live shoot situations
You will also have a variety of research projects to undertake, as well as other module options.

The third term will be taken up with your final substantive project, and in writing up a process paper on your work and research over the year.

Screen Lab

You will also advance your collaborative skills by working in teams with fiction and documentary producers and directors, edit, cinematography and music students, on a variety of projects and at least three scheduled films across the year.

You will leave the programme with a diverse portfolio of performed work that may span a variety of formats – music video, web series drama, documentary, campaign/commercial, experimental art pieces and feature-scale short fiction films.

Screen School options

As well as your Sound Recording, Post-Production and Design specialism, you will undertake three short courses to enhance your other skills and critical approaches.

If you are passionate about fashioning an exciting career for yourself as a filmmaker in an environment that promotes innovative filmmaking, this course is for you.

Skills & careers

On completing the programme, you will be equipped to enter the global job market, armed with an enhanced understanding of your practical, intellectual and creative capacities as a film sound recordist and sound designer.

Possibly the most important skill we furnish you with is the rigorous discipline of working collaboratively under pressure as part of a creative team on challenging projects.

In addition to your practical filmmaking skills, we enable you to develop a variety of transferable intellectual, organisational and communication skills to equip you for a broad range of employment opportunities across the arts and media landscape (film, television, online, the creative arts, advertising and related hybrid forms).

Our graduates

Our alumni are active in the film, media and cultural industries around the world as:

Fiction and Documentary Sound Designers
Dubbing Mixers
Sound Recordists

Other entry requirements

Please note that unless you are exempted (Please check your status with our Admissions Team: [email protected]) overseas students require an English language qualification of IELTS 7.0 in order to be considered for a place on the MA Filmmaking programme.

If you have not yet achieved IELTS 7.0, we advise you to sit your IELTS exam at the earliest opportunity and to submit your application immediately after receiving your result. The annual IELTS deadline for the programme is April 30th.

Because funding deadlines and requirements vary around the world, applications are considered on a rolling basis and places on the programme fill up across the recruitment cycle. For this reason, we strongly advise you to submit your completed application as early as you can.

Funding

Please visit http://www.gold.ac.uk/pg/fees-funding/ for details.

Read less

Embrace your interest in film, television and music by becoming a skilled professional in sound recording.

We have an excellent reputation for teaching film and music, with many of our graduates going on to win BAFTA's and Oscars.

You might be a budding filmmaker, journalist, photographer or documentary director, or simply have a creative passion for recording sound. Whatever your motivation, we will teach you professional techniques in music recording and post production so that you can record high-quality sound for the moving image.

This short course - taught over four weekends in the year - is a fantastic opportunity to learn from experienced film and recording professionals in state-of-the-art studios. We?re dedicated to providing you with hands-on, practical experience by giving you opportunities to produce your own work and explore the creative possibilities in sound recording and mixing.

Visit the website http://courses.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/soundrecording_apd

Mature Applicants

Our University welcomes applications from mature applicants who demonstrate academic potential. We usually require some evidence of recent academic study, for example completion of an access course, however recent relevant work experience may also be considered. Please note that for some of our professional courses all applicants will need to meet the specified entry criteria and in these cases work experience cannot be considered in lieu.

If you wish to apply through this route you should refer to our University Recognition of Prior Learning policy that is available on our website (http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/studenthub/recognition-of-prior-learning.htm).

Please note that all applicants to our University are required to meet our standard English language requirement of GCSE grade C or equivalent, variations to this will be listed on the individual course entry requirements.

Careers

There is a strong demand for well-trained soundrecording professionals and we provide the skills to help you on your way tobecoming an expert in quality sound broadcasting. If you would like to continueyour studies in this area there are opportunities to move onto one of our masterscourses such as Music for the Moving Image or Sound Design.

- Audio Editor
- Audio Engineer
- Studio Manager
- Composer for Film and Television

Careers advice: The dedicated Jobs and Careers team offers expert advice and a host of resources to help you choose and gain employment. Whether you're in your first or final year, you can speak to members of staff from our Careers Office who can offer you advice from writing a CV to searching for jobs.

Visit the careers site - https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/employability/jobs-careers-support.htm

Course Benefits

You'll be learning at our Northern Film School ? the first film school in the UK to receive JAMES accreditation. JAMES, a professional body that represents organisations across the media sector, described us as 'a benchmark against which all other film courses need to be measured'.

Taught over four weekends in the year - Saturday to Monday - we've designed this course so it fits easily into your lifestyle, requiring minimum time off work.

You'll have access to a suite of professional music studios, including recording rooms, audio booths, instruments, portable audio recorders and a lab with soundcard and mixer. You'll be able to access an impressive range of facilities at our Northern Film School, including production studios, edit suites, production offices, and film and script archive.

We also offer exciting short study opportunities in film, music and performing arts, taught during Easter and Summer. These creative workshops, ranging from two days to a week, are a great way to build your expertise for professional use, embrace a subject you're passionate about, or develop your skills before applying for one of our postgraduate qualifications.

Core Modules

Studio Skills
You will gain a strong understanding of the creative possibilities of the studio environment through the development of a musical product.

Studio and Sound Location
We will equip you with the theory and the techniques for recording and mixing sound for film, television and radio.

Laura Taylor

Senior Lecturer

"Our courses prepare you for an industry that is ever-changing, demanding and highly competitive. You will emerge with a strong understanding of your specialism, and with a focused approach towards personal development and career planning."

Specialist sound tutor Laura Taylor has worked for the BBC, Channel 5, ITV Yorkshire and Discovery Channel. She has experience in live television, post production sound and commercial and community radio, and has worked within the educational and community sector. Laura has very close links with community radio station ELFM and the Soundmill Studios in Leeds.

Facilities

- Sound recording & editing facilities
You'll have access to a suite of professional music studios, including film composition and audio post production rooms, instruments, together with portable field recording equipment and extensive computer workstation facilities.

A comprehensive range of audio editing, composition and sound processing software is available.

- Northern Film School
You will also be able to access an impressive range of facilities at our Northern Film School, including production studios, edit suites, production offices, and film and script archive.

- Library
Our Library is open 24/7, every day of the year. However you like to work, we have got you covered with group and silent study areas, extensive e-learning resources and PC suites.

Find out how to apply here - http://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/postgraduate/how-to-apply/

Read less

Award: Master of Arts, University of Chichester

If you have a strong interest in video games and a background in music or audio, then this master’s degree course will give you the skills you need to work as a sound designer in video games. As a career it’s both creatively fulfilling and technically challenging. Creating audio worlds, storytelling with sound, finding innovate technical solutions to creative problems is what this postgraduate degree course is all about.

The course has been developed in close consultation with the industry so we know we are teaching you the skills your future employers want you to have. It’s a strongly project focused course and you will develop an effective workflow, remote working and collaboration and a clear understanding of what’s expected of a professional member of the game audio team.

You need to be technically literate and learn software easily. This course does not require you to learn to code but you will be developing a powerful combination of creative and technical abilities that are market-focused. Working in games is all about finding new ways of doing things and creative problem solving. This postgraduate course accurately reflects the working life of a games composer working as part of remote working team.
All your tutors are working professional video game sound designers.

You will work on a inspiring range of games, including commercial releases, provided as part of your course materials. You will learn not only how to create inspiring interactive music and sound but also how to implement your audio inside the game using industry standard middleware like FMOD and WWise.

Game audio courses and sound design schools are relatively few and far between. This is currently the only online master’s degree in game audio available. Whether you are a composer looking to increase your chances of employment or an audio professional with a passion a for sound design, our MA will bring you real-world professional tuition you need to lay the solid foundations of a career in video game sound design and audio.

Course Highlights

- Personal 1-to-1 tuition from top professional sound designers.
- Work on over 30 real-world projects. The workload is challenging but it’s only through hard work that you will truly reach the next level.
- Detailed feedback from working professionals, online workshops and tutorial groups, forum discussions and exclusive webinars.
- Unique programme developing key, industry facing skill sets, to prepare you for a career as a video game sound designer.

Fees

All of our postgraduate courses have a flat fee, regardless of whether you are full or part time.

Course: £8,850 / $12,950 / €11,600

Fees can be paid as one upfront cost, or as instalments spread monthly across the duration of the course.

Students are required to buy, rent or access additional books, scores, recordings, films and other reference material.

Time Commitment

In the UK, an MA involves 180 academic credits and each credit represents a notional 10 hours of work..

For Sound Design for Video Games students there are 24 projects including a longer Major Project at the end of the course.

Practice based creative degrees are notoriously difficult to quantify in terms of how long they take to complete. It depends to a large extent, on how fast you write music. Some students write 5 minutes of music a day while others write 5 minutes a week or less. If you work reasonably productively, i.e. 2-3 minutes a day, which is probably average in the professional working industry, you would complete the work in much less time.

A well organized person, working productively, might be able to complete the course in two or three days a week whereas another working slower, might take 5 days a week. Assume therefore that the full-time lies somewhere between 2 and 5 days a week depending on your work rate. Part time would be pro-rata so a three year schedule would be 1-2 days a week.

The Provisional Schedule

Both full-time and part-time students join the same course. Full time students will compete their taught modules by the end of the 9th month. The rest of the year is spent on their major project. Part time students will do their modules in roughly twice the time.

To encourage a sense of “togetherness”, most of the group activities are not locked into particular modules. Guest lecturers, webinars, workshops and solo live sessions will be scheduled regularly throughout the year and are free for all to attend. The individual module work is normally more focused on individual or small group tuition and so is more flexible in terms of timing.

Application

When you are sure you are ready to apply for the programme, go to the course page and click the “apply now” button. This will take you to our store where you can pay the non-returnable application fee of £50 / €70 / $90.

Once your payment has been processed, you will be able to login and complete the application pack.

We will need your personal details, details of your academic, musical and technical background. If you are offered a place, we will require copies of a number of documents including those confirming your academic history, identity and language ability where English is not your first language.

You will also be required to send us some music.

For full details on the application procedure, please visit our website below.

Visit the MA Sound Design for Video Games page on the ThinkSpace Education website for more details!

Read less

The Masters in Sonic Arts provides advanced training in creative practice with sound and audiovisual technologies. The programme offers topics relevant to practicing musicians, artists, and the creative industries, such as sound shaping and design, audiovisual composition, field recording, creative and experimental approaches to technology, live performance, interdisciplinary perspectives on sound, and sonic aesthetics. You then develop an individual portfolio of sonic and audiovisual artwork based on your particular skills and interests.

Key facts

• MMus: 12 months full-time; 24 months part-time
• PgDip 12 months full-time; 24 months part-time
• Contact: Dr Nick Fells: [email protected]

Why Glasgow

• We are Scotland’s leading research centre in Music, with a mutually supportive community of scholars and practitioners.
• Glasgow offers a huge range of venues, including the Old Hairdressers, the Arches, Tramway, Mono, SWG3, and City Halls, all of which have hosted our students’ work.
• You will benefit from studying in the city of Glasgow, the UK’s first UNESCO city of music, with its vibrant and exciting music scene. Festivals abound, such as Sonica, Behaviour, Counterflows, and Tectonics, as does grass-roots sonic activity such as the Lights Out Listening Group. The presence of ensembles such as the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, RSNO, Scottish Opera, Scottish Ensemble, and experimental music ensembles such as the Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra provides a rich context for your studies.
• Sonic Arts at Glasgow integrates sound design with visual media through a unit in Audiovisual Composition.
• Sonic Arts at Glasgow offers interdisciplinary perspectives and the chance to work with students from Glasgow School of Art through a unit called Sound Art in Dialogue.
• We work with the city’s cultural programme (Glasgow Life) to bring leading sonic artists to Glasgow, with associated workshops and collaborative opportunities for our students.
• Your work can be showcased in our annual postgraduate event Sound Thought, which has taken place at the Arches and the Centre for Contemporary Arts.
• Your work can also be showcased at the GLEAM (Glasgow Electronic and Audiovisual Media) Festival taking place in October this year.
• You can experiment with building devices for making and controlling sound, enhanced by the presence of prototyping facilities in Glasgow such as Maklab, through our Creating with Technology unit.
• Our Sonic Arts students and graduates engage in a wide range of professional creative work including sound design for film and theatre, live performance and award-winning composition.
• You will benefit from access to our facilities including an audio lab, three studios, the University’s Concert Hall with Genelec and d&b sound diffusion system, seminar and practice rooms, and a dedicated postgraduate research space.

Programme structure

The programme aims to:
• provide artistic and technical experience in working with sound as a culturally significant medium
• enable you to build your knowledge of tools and methods for manipulating sonic and audiovisual media
• enable you to design, repurpose and reconfigure technologies for creative compositional ends
• enhance your creative practice through taking an exploratory and critical approach to sonic design and composition

The MMus comprises 180 credits as follows:

Semester 1 compulsory courses (60 credits):
• Sound Shaping and Design
• Creating with Technology

Semester 2 compulsory courses (40 credits):
• Field Recording, Sound and Place
• Audiovisual Composition

Semester 2 option (one 20 credit course chosen from):
• Sonic Art Performance
• Sound Art in Dialogue
• Sonic Art Aesthetics and Criticism
• Music, Sound & Screen

Additionally you will produce an individual creative portfolio over the summer (60 credits).

Teaching methods include small group tutorials, seminars and workshops, lab and studio sessions, and individual guidance meetings.
The Postgraduate Diploma comprises 120 credits. You will produce two 15-minute creative portfolios each with a critical commentary of 2,000 words, under the guidance of a member of academic staff; they also attend research seminars and workshops.

The Postgraduate Certificate comprises 60 credits. You will produce a 15-minute creative portfolio with a critical commentary of 2,000 words, under the guidance of a member of academic staff; they also attend research seminars and workshops.

Career prospects

The attributes you gain will be attractive to employers from the creative industries, and are particularly relevant for contemporary music, sound design and sound production, games, theatre, film and television. Many of our graduates undertake successful portfolio careers as artists and sound practitioners in their own right. The programme also offers an excellent foundation upon which to progress to PhD studies and an academic career.

Read less