Explore composition in film, TV and games and train to write and produce commercially-viable music across media industries
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Overview
This MA Composition for Film, TV and Games degree gives you professional training in writing and producing commercially-viable music for the media industries. The course is 12 months full time and starts in September.
This course explores specialist compositional techniques, develops your operational understanding of hybrid studio technologies, and gives you advanced productional skills to equip you for a career in industry.
The degree mirrors the industry and emphasises working with ‘real-world’ briefs, meeting deadlines and working in a professional environment with state-of-the-art recording and media technology. You will learn to process critical notes and interpret direction, and to iterate your work and deliver a finished product on time, on budget and on brief.
You will learn to prepare for and run a recording session, discover how to manage music budgets and explore how to navigate the industry as a media composer. You will work collaboratively, building networks with post-graduate directors, screenwriters, editors and producers, and have opportunities to contribute to professional projects.
During the final six months of the programme you will engage with self-directed independent study as you create and produce your major research project. This project is supported through mentoring and staged draft submissions. Your project could be a combination of artefacts, a single large-scale specialist production supported by critical reflective analysis, or a significant and appropriate dissertation piece.
Partnerships
As part of the Department of Creative Industries, you will benefit from our industry partnerships with companies including HyperX, DXRacer, Twitch, ARRI and AVID, and access industry-standard software such as Nuke, Maya and Houdini.
Teaching and Assessment
How you will learn
You will learn from experts in the fields of screenwriting, directing, producing, cinematography, picture editing and sound design. Your lecturers and tutors will include well-established and award-winning filmmakers.
You will take part in individual tutorials and seminars in groups of up to 20 students.
In your first year (or first two years if you study part time), you will engage with lectures, research, analysis and skills development classes to develop your specialist and collaborative understanding. You will be taught through technical and creative workshops and project development sessions. You will be expected to complete independent study and practical individual and group work outside of timetabled sessions.
In the final six months of the course, you will increase your independent study and industrial interactions. You are expected to be professional at all times and work towards establishing a professional network that will help you access professional opportunities after you graduate.
Assessment
You will be assessed through a range of assignments including:
- Summative assessments including written and practical coursework
- Presentations
- Screenings
- Portfolio and project work.
Thomas
The Course
What you will study
You will study a range of modules on this course. These modules are:
- Style and Genres
- Programming, Production and Studio Technologies
- Research and the Industry
- Composing Moving Image
- Research and the Industry
- Collaborative Project
- Research and the Industry
- Specialist Project or Research Project.
This list is indicative and subject to change.
Facilities
Use industry-standard equipment
Chapel
Perform in our on-site Chapel, an acoustically superb performance venue which is a fantastic venue for performances and rehearsals.
Learning Resource Centre
The Learning Resource Centre (LRC) contains the library, a café, IT/teaching rooms, and the Support and Information Zone (SIZ).
Library
Our campus library holds more than 200,000 books and over 500,000 eBooks.
Work Placements
Gain practical experience
You will benefit from our established relationships with industry partners and have regular access to work placement and project opportunities at the Engineering and Digital Technology Park, with chances to work collaboratively with both commercial and non commercial partners.
Careers
What you could do after this course
This MA Composition for Film, TV and Games course will help you start your career in a range of industries that use moving image and music.
Some of the industries you could work in include:
- Gaming
- TV
- Film
- Radio
- Advertising
You could choose to continue your studies and enter the academic research environment through a Professional Doctorate pathway.
Course Costs
Course Fees 2025/26
UK fee
International fee
For further details about fees, please see our Tuition Fees page.
For further details about international scholarships, please see our Scholarships page.
University of Chichester alumni who have completed a full undergraduate degree at the University will receive a 15% discount on their postgraduate fees.
For more information contact Stephen Baysted: s.baysted@chi.ac.uk.
Entry Requirements
Typical offers (individual offers may vary):
Honours degree
IELTS
International students who don't meet the entry requirements
If you are an international student and do not yet meet the entry criteria for this course, you may be eligible for our International Premaster’s Programme. This is a one-semester programme that allows you to progress onto a master’s course at the University of Chichester.
Auditions
You will need to interview for this course.
