Masters Degrees (Sound Design)

*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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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!

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Prepare for a career as a high quality sound design professional.

Overview

This course is ideal if you want a solid grounding in the latest postproduction systems and techniques as well as a rich understanding of digital sound design creation and audio for film, television and interactive media.

You can choose to focus on production-orientated work and apply for this MA degree. Alternatively you can focus on formal research into the technologies behind postproduction systems and apply for the MSc Postproduction with Sound Design. We run this course in parallel with our masters in Postproduction with Visual Effects which will allow you to work with others as you learn, giving you a well-rounded understanding of the postproduction process.

Throughout the course you'll receive powerful scientific and technical training combined with hands-on experience of sound design, program creation and artistic decision-making. Many of our graduates work in the industry, from film to television companies, and some of our graduates have gone on to study for PhDs in sound-related areas.

Course content

This course aims to help you develop a knowledge of the theories and technologies that are central to professional production and postproduction of sound in film and television. You'll be able to develop the practical skills that a professional in the film or television industry needs. This course is also ideal if you want to prepare for further research in postproduction systems.

Your understanding of professional production values and aesthetics will be enhanced through technical analysis and critical evaluation. You'll also work on creative and technical collaborative projects with others studying related courses. This will allow you to develop a range of skills, such as time management, working to objectives and team work which you'll find useful in the film and television industries as well as elsewhere.

Most of our students study full-time for one year, but you can also study this course part-time over two years.

You'll study a total of 180 credits. 80 of these will be through taught modules in the first two terms. You'll then go on to take a further 100 credits as part of an extended research project in the third term.

Term 1
1. Digital Production and Postproduction Workflows (20 credits)
2. Languages of Film and Television (10 credits)

Term 2
1. Group Projects (20 credits)
2. Audio Effects Design Lab (10 credits)
3. Spatialized Audio and Surround Sound (10 credits)
4. The Business of Production and Postproduction (10 credits)

The final term is dedicated to the design and development of individual project work.

Careers

The film and television industry is highly competitive and there is a constant demand for sound designers with a solid knowledge of current software and postproduction techniques. There's also demand for sound designers who possess a firm grasp of story and understand how technology can enhance the audio-visual experience.

There's also an increasing demand for researchers, in both industry and academia, who have a firm understanding of postproduction tools and how they can be applied to create the next generation of postproduction technologies.

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Prepare for a career as a high quality sound design professional.

Overview

This course is ideal if you want a solid grounding in the latest postproduction systems and techniques as well as a rich understanding of digital sound design creation and audio for film, television and interactive media.

You can choose to focus on formal research into the technologies behind postproduction systems and apply for this MSc degree. Alternatively you can focus on production-orientated work and apply for an MA Postproduction with Sound Design. We run this course in parallel with our masters in Postproduction with Visual Effects which will allow you to work with others as you learn, giving you a well-rounded understanding of the postproduction process.

Throughout the course you'll receive powerful scientific and technical training combined with hands-on experience of sound design, programme creation and artistic decision-making. Many of our graduates work in the industry, from film to television companies, and some of our graduates have gone on to study for PhDs in sound-related areas.

Course content

This course aims to help you develop a knowledge of the theories and technologies that are central to professional production and postproduction of sound in film and television. You'll be able to develop the practical skills that a professional in the film or television industry needs. This course is also ideal if you want to prepare for further research in postproduction systems.

Your understanding of professional production values and aesthetics will be enhanced through technical analysis and critical evaluation. You'll also work on creative and technical collaborative projects with others studying related courses. This will allow you to develop a range of skills, such as time management, working to objectives and team work which you'll find useful in the film and television industries as well as elsewhere.

Most of our students study full-time for one year, but you can also study this course part-time over two years.

You'll study a total of 180 credits. 80 of these will be through taught modules in the first two terms. You'll then go on to take a further 100 credits as part of an extended research project in the third term.

Term 1
1. Digital Production and Postproduction Workflows (20 credits)
2. Languages of Film and Television (10 credits)

Term 2
1. Group Projects (20 credits)
2. Audio Effects Design Lab (10 credits)
3. Spatialized Audio and Surround Sound (10 credits)
4. The Business of Production and Postproduction (10 credits)

The final term is dedicated to the design and development of individual project work.

Careers

The film and television industry is highly competitive and there is a constant demand for sound designers with a solid knowledge of current software and postproduction techniques. There's also demand for sound designers who possess a firm grasp of story and understand how technology can enhance the audio-visual experience.

There's also an increasing demand for researchers, in both industry and academia, who have a firm understanding of postproduction tools and how they can be applied to create the next generation of postproduction technologies.

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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.

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Course content

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 sound but also how to implement your audio inside the game using industry standard middleware like FMOD and WWise.

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.

Working specifically on creating great audio for video games, you will be tasked with recording, manipulating and implementing audio using the same tools you will be expected to use in the industry.

Sound Design for Video Games students are trained in the practical audio of games such as foley, dynamic game states and the many technical challenges that face professional sound designers working today.

Whilst you will learn how to edit music for video games, Sound Design for Video Games students won’t be assessed on their own compositional skills.

Teaching and assessment

• Personal 1-to-1 tuition from top professional composers and sound designers.
• Learn by working through projects. The workload is challenging but it’s only through hard work that you will truly reach the next level.
• Detailed feedback from a range of tutors, online workshops and tutorial groups, forum discussions and exclusive webinars.
• Telephone and direct email support.

Hardware and software

You will be uploading and downloading a large quantity of material so you should have access to a reliable broadband with a speed of at least 5Mbs or more.

We have found that the Google Chrome browser is the most compatible with the Adobe Connect webinar software we use which will also be an important part of your course.

All your assignments are uploaded through the Student Portal on our website. This can also be accessed with any standard FTP client, for example CuteFTP on a PC or Transmit on a Mac.

HARDWARE

You will need a computer, software and ancillary equipment (MIDI keyboard, monitors, hard drives both internal and external), Mac or PC, capable of producing professional quality music and audio, and recording equipment. This is the overriding principle and the following minimum technical specifications are given for guidance.

PC

• Windows 7 or above PC laptop / desktop
• Quad core 2.3 GHz processor +
• 16 GB RAM +
• Graphics card, 1GB GPU (EVGA Nvidia GT 610 or equivalent), we recommend 2GB+

MAC

• OSX 10.8 or above
• MacBook Pro, iMac or Mac Pro
• Quad core 2.3 GHz processor +
• 16 GB of RAM +
• Graphics card, 1GB GPU, we recommend 2GB+

SOFTWARE

This is an intensive course with strict deadlines in order to mirror a real-world professional working environment. As such, students must be have acquired and be competent in the use of the minimum technical requirements prior to starting the course to get the most out of it. Students may be eligible for significant educational discounts.

DAW (Digital Audio Workstation):

We expect you to have a working knowledge of one computer based DAW:

• Logic
• Cubase
• Nuendo
• Sonar
• Digital Performer
• Reaper

Game Software: 

You need to have a copy of the following programs but we do not expect you to know how to use them. The exact version number of this software is important, and the version we support may change. Full information on the current approved course software version is available when on the course. Both Unity and Fmod are able to be downloaded for free.

• Unity
• Fmod

Recommended Additional Software:

• Pro Tools
• Kontakt
• Sound Forge

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

There are increasing numbers of freelancers in sound design and this course has been created to help those already working in the industry update their skills in the planning, generation and manipulation of audio soundtracks. At the same time, it meets the training requirements of those new to the field and will help develop and encourage fresh talent.

Working closely with the University's Northern Film School and guided by a highly-skilled teaching team with extensive industry experience, you will have the opportunity to collaborate with the University's MA Filmmaking students at all stages of the filmmaking process, including shooting, editing and post-production. This hands-on experience will be complemented by academic and practical studies in sound design.

You will also benefit from our links with local and national music, arts and festival organisations, which will provide plenty of opportunities to practise your skills in a live setting.

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.

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.

Artist in Residence Programme

The Artist in Residence programme gives our students an opportunity to work with professional artists and gives them a taste of what is it like to work on a professional music project. So far we have welcomed artists Chris T-T, Ian Prowse, I Monster, Tom Williams and Utah Saints.

Core modules

• Location Sound
• Studio Production Skills
• Collaborative Practice
• Negotiated Skills Development
• Audio Visual Practice
• Research Practice
• Final Individual Project

Option modules

• Sound, Music & Image
• Electro-Acoustic Music
• Spatial Audio

Job Prospects

A range of job roles in the creative and media industries will be available 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

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Research profile

The MSc by Research in Sound Design is aimed at those with considerable practical experience of sound design, but who wish to pursue further study, researching a particular area of this field.

Graduates will be able to engage critically with the social, cultural, technical and theoretical aspects of sound art, design, digital composition and digital media.

Programme structure

You will learn via a research-methods course, reading courses, and selections from an interdisciplinary menu of course options, with supervision from an academic active in your research area.

Training and support

You will learn via a research methods course, reading courses and selections from an interdisciplinary menu of course options, with supervision from an academic active in your research area.

All of our research students benefit from ECA’s interdisciplinary approach and all are assigned two research supervisors. Your second supervisor may be from another discipline within ECA, or from somewhere else within the College of Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences or elsewhere within the University, according to the expertise required. On occasion more than two supervisors will be assigned, particularly where the degree brings together multiple disciplines.

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*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.

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Our Digital Music and Sound Arts MA is aimed at graduate and professional artists who are interested in exploratory, experimental and interdisciplinary approaches to sound, music, AV media, and sound arts practices and productions.

The course enables students to address new developments in digital music and sound arts and the role of sound in contemporary culture in its widest sense. It is structured around a framework for developing advanced practices relevant to artistic and commercial contexts, and for potential researchers wishing to further their research-based practice.

Through creative practice-based research students will engage with musical composition and sound design productions, as well as focusing on the relationship of sound to other art forms and related media key areas including:

• sound for screen and moving image
• sound arts
• sound and new media.

Why study with us?

• You’ll be exposed to sound across a wide spectrum of aesthetic forms and in diverse technological media, especially the relation of sound to other art forms.
• Our staff are experts in the field and work as artists, producers, curators, composers and authors as well as in teaching.
• The course combines practical experimentation in both music and sound art with theoretical reflection and contextual research.
• You are encouraged to articulate, explore and develop your ideas within group and independent projects.

Areas of study

Through creative practice-based research students will engage with musical composition and sound design productions. Studies will place particular emphasis on the relationship of sound to other art forms and related media key areas including:

• sound for screen and moving image – addressing screen-based musical composition and sound design for film, video, games, new media, television, multi-channel audio-visual installations and audio-visual projections in space
• sound arts – addressing sound in relation to other art forms, such as sculpture, installation art, photography, architecture, soundscape composition, environmental art as well as sound ecology, sound in space and spatialisation of sound, audio-visual installations and radiophonics
• sound and new media – covering sound and music in the context of the new content afforded by the digital media, such as generative composition & sound design, audio programming for new media applications and interactivity, hybrid (lived and virtual) environments, interface and new instrument design, computer games, locative media, apps design for mobile media.

Modules

• Experimental Sound Practice
• Practice-based Research Methods
• Critical Theory – Research Essay
• Contemporary Debates in Sonic Media and Sound Arts
• Sound Research Project and Professional Practice: Stage 1 (Initiation)
• Sound Research Project and Professional Practice: Stage 2 (Resolution)

Some modules are shared with students from the Digital Media, Culture and Society MA, and the Digital Media Arts MA, enabling a cross pollination of ideas and strategies.

Facilities

Students have access to high-end equipment, resources and expert staff support, including:

• four state-of-the-art networked digital studios equipped with surround sound, high-end sound processing, AV post-production capable via fully automated mixing and mastering, which includes an array of analogue hardware synthesizers and specialised analogue outboard equipment and instruments, for example Theramin
• two sound isolated sound recording booths with connection to all studios
• sound diffusion lab dedicated for multi-channel sound (up to 16 channel), HD video projections and digitally controlled LED DMX eight channel lighting system for research and experimentation with multi-channel audio-visual interactive systems
• computer suite with specialised audio and AV software
• recording equipment: digital mobile multi-channel professional digital recorders, professional condenser and dynamic microphones, 5.1 surround sound microphone
• specialist software: IRCAM Spat, MaxMSP, Pure Data, Logic Audio Pro, Cubase, Pro Tools, Melodyne, Final Cut Pro, full Adobe Suite
• dedicated electronic workshop mash-up area to aide building and experimentation with interface design, new instrument design, sensors via dedicated Arduino kits
• AV technical support
• technical inductions and workshop sessions
• tutor support for practice-based research and theoretical research project development.

Careers and employability

The course emphasises the creative exploration of sound in the context of both new creative industries and contemporary arts practices. Students are encouraged to develop a strong portfolio preparing them for professional opportunities as creative specialists or researchers, who can move across different fields of practice and respond to conceptual and technical innovations with imaginative solutions.

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We were the first UK university to offer a Master’s degree in sound, and we continue to offer the opportunity to harness your skills within The Faculty of Media & Communication’s vibrant production environment.

This degree will advance your sound knowledge in a variety of different genres, ranging from documentary to drama and animation. Relevant industry practice underpins teaching and learning methods on this course, which aims to enable you to develop creative opportunities in sound.

You may have an undergraduate qualification in a related subject or may be able to show your suitability for this programme of study through associated work-experience or evidence of and outputs from other related activities.

In collaboration with other disciplines from the postgraduate media production framework, you will learn how to work with sound more effectively in location and post-production environments. You will also have the opportunity to develop collaborative projects with computergenerated material through Bournemouth University’s National Centre for Computer Animation (NCCA) or via other creative ventures.

You will have the advantage of working in a range of tailor-made facilities, including specially built post-production sound studios, foley/ commentary recording suites, as well as other facilities. Course-specific sound resources are available to book 24 hours a day, seven days a week for most of the year.

As part of the AVID Learning Partnership, this course has greater relevance and credibility within the industry.

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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/

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