MA Directing

A degree, in a relevant subject (2.2 minimum), plus a portfolio demonstrating recent engagement and creative activities in your intended study area. Accreditation of professional experience may be possible for practitioners without a first degree. Your degree subject should be in media/film/television production practice, with existing knowledge of directing and working with actors.

A minimum IELTS score of 6.5 overall with at least 5.5 in any component (or equivalent) is required for those whose first language is not English.

For country specific qualifications, please visit our your country page.

If you do not have the required level of English for entry, our academic English courses can help you to achieve this level.

Your portfolio should include at least two completed short films in which you have taken a lead role — work in directing is preferred for this submission. Short films can be fiction or documentary, but not music videos, promos, commercials, or amateur productions. We recommend you visit us to see if we are right for you - we hold open days where you can often meet relevant staff and view the facilities.

A personal statement outlining why you want to pursue your chosen master's course at the University of Hertfordshire, reflecting on your current skills and experience, and detailing your ambitions for your future career.


Institution code	H36
Course length	Full Time, 1 Years
Location	University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield

Employability

Careers

MA Directing at the University of Hertfordshire will give you advanced directing skills and a strong portfolio of professionally produced work that demonstrates your creative vision, leadership and ability to work with actors. Through industry-structured production projects, you’ll gain experience in professional production environments, developing the collaboration, communication and decision-making skills essential to real-world filmmaking practice.

Career opportunities are wide-ranging. You could work as a director, assistant director (including 1st, 2nd or 3rd AD or script supervisor, or progress as an independent filmmaker. Graduates from Hertfordshire’s film programmes have moved into freelance roles across independent film, television drama, documentary and entertainment production, building sustainable careers within the screen industries.

Professional Accreditations

The MA Directing course at Herts is professionally accredited by BAFTA albert, recognising its commitment to sustainable filmmaking practices. You’ll achieve BAFTA albert accreditation as part of the core module Screenwriting and Film Production Techniques, gaining practical training in environmentally responsible production aligned with current industry standards.

About the course

MA Directing at Herts will enable you to:

Shape and realise original screen stories, developing projects from script development through rehearsal, shoot, and final edit
Lead creative vision on set, working closely with actors, cinematographers, and designers to translate narrative and performance into compelling screen work
Develop a strong directorial voice through intensive practical projects, focusing on storytelling, blocking, pacing, and tone
Gain experience managing and motivating production teams, preparing you for professional directing roles or further academic research.

Why choose this course?

Do you want to develop the creative vision, leadership and storytelling skills needed to direct film and television projects? Directing sits at the heart of filmmaking, shaping performance, storytelling and the creative vision of a production. On the MA Directing course you’ll develop your voice as a director while building the practical, leadership and collaborative skills needed to work in film and television.

You’ll study in a collaborative postgraduate film production environment that reflects professional industry practice. Working closely with students in producing, cinematography, screenwriting and editing, you’ll develop your skills within real-world production structures that mirror how film and television projects are made in the UK.

Practical filmmaking is central to the course. You’ll gain hands-on directing experience supported by research-led teaching, industry engagement and regular feedback through scene work, project supervision and group critique. The course culminates in a major project in directing.

You’ll also gain BAFTA albert–accredited training in sustainable production practices through the core module Screenwriting and Film Production Techniques. Designed for graduates looking to progress into the screen industries or further study, MA Directing at Herts equips you with the confidence, skills and professional awareness to succeed as a director. You will also have opportunities to participate in The Elstree Project, a long-running research initiative documenting the history of the Elstree and Borehamwood studios.

What will I study?

The MA Directing course at Herts is delivered full-time over one academic year and combines hands-on filmmaking with academic research and industry context. You’ll study across two teaching days per week through a mix of lectures, seminars, rehearsals, practical workshops, tutorials and independent study. Teaching is mainly face to face, with some hybrid or online activity where appropriate. Assessment is 100% coursework, allowing you to showcase your skills through practical directing work, presentations and reflective submissions.

In the early stages of the course, you’ll develop advanced directing skills while gaining a strong understanding of professional film production practice. You’ll focus on working with actors, visual storytelling and scene construction, supported by regular feedback and guided independent study.

You’ll complete the course by undertaking a major project in directing, where you’ll lead a substantial film production. This final project brings together your creative, practical and collaborative skills, producing work that reflects current industry standards and forms a key part of your professional portfolio.

Level 7

Module	Credits	Compulsory/optional
Screenwriting and Film Production Techniques	60 Credits	Compulsory
This module explores the dual aspects of film storytelling in the written script and in its translation to the visual medium of film, through production practices. You will consider a range of screenwriting and storytelling methods, and see how these translate from script to screen, as well as how actors and directors interpret written direction. Screenwriters learn about how to write for the screen, while filmmakers learn how to adapt a script into a moving image. Additionally, the module introduces you to the environmental impact of global and national production methods, regulations and policy, and ways in which to reduce the carbon footprint of productions with the accredited BAFTA albert certification training and assessment.
Investigative Minds: Culture, Industry, Research	30 Credits	Compulsory
This module aims to equip you with a range of research skills which can be deployed in academic and professional contexts within your chosen area of discipline. Focusing on both academic and industry research and presentation, key skills addressed include those of research management, critical evaluation, academic conventions, research methodologies, and a range of modes of contextual analysis. The module provides an opportunity for you to engage with a cross-section of people and environments from throughout the creative industries, seeking an understanding of how your own practice may be located within these contexts, locally, nationally or globally.
Finding the Story: Major Project Development and Planning	30 Credits	Compulsory
This module explores and applies the skills required to plan and prepare to work on and participate in the completion of a professional film production (documentary or fiction) or feature length script in readiness for application in one of the following Semester C modules: 7CTA2011 Major Project in Film Producing 7CTA2012 Major Project in Screenwriting 7CTA2076 Major Project in Film Editing and Post Production 7CTA2101 Major Project in Factual and Documentary 7CTA2102 Major Project in Cinematography 7CTA2103 Major Project in Directing It provides an overview of scheduling and budgeting for a professional film production, as well as protocols of working with cast/contributors and crew, story outlines and script planning (including synopses, treatments and beat sheets), scheduling, production management and budgeting, casting, preparing to direct and how a director works with their creative team, pre-production cinematography and lighting design, post production and editing considerations, post workflows, marketing and delivery, post-completion sales and the value chain. A pre-production pack, aimed to inform the writing of a feature script or production of a short film, is typically created in readiness for the major study.
Major Project in Directing	60 Credits	Compulsory
This module enables you to realise a sustained film project (usually 10-15 min in length) in collaboration with others, having negotiated and planned for the work to be undertaken in the 7CTA2010 Finding the Story module prior to this. Typically – supported by a mentor staff member – you will receive a number of one-to-one tutorials and mentoring sessions during the various stages of the production and post-production process, in order to assist you in generating independent, self-managed project work at an advanced level. The Major Project offers a setting in which you can increase your confidence in creative decision making, whilst expanding awareness of the requirements of film style and technologies, the marketplace and audiences. With tutor supervision, you are expected to work independently and with a team to manage the challenge of the Major Project.

Further course information

Programme specifications
MA Directing - Full Time, Sem A	Download

Additional information
Sandwich placement or study abroad year	n/a
Applications open to international and EU students	Yes

Student experience

At the University of Hertfordshire, we want to make sure your time studying with us is as stress-free and rewarding as possible. We offer a range of support services including; student wellbeing, academic support, accommodation and childcare to ensure that you make the most of your time at Herts and can focus on studying and having fun.

You’ll study in the award-winning FMM (Film, Music and Media) building on the College Lane campus, with access to high-spec computer labs and industry-standard facilities. You’ll edit and complete post-production work in the Walter Murch Post Production Lab, use the Mike Newell Sound Stage for film production, and develop your camera skills in the Doug Milsome Cinematography Lab, which is also used for film screenings. You’ll also have access to professional software and hardware through the Learning Resource Centre. If you’re a home student, you can access parts of the course remotely, while overseas students study on campus in line with visa requirements. All students are welcome on campus five days a week.

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Funding and fees
Other financial support

Find out more about other financial support available to UK and EU students

Fees 2026
UK Students
Full time
- £10320 for the 2026/2027 academic year
EU Students
Full time
- £17950 for the 2026/2027 academic year
International Students
Full time
- £17950 for the 2026/2027 academic year
*Tuition fees are charged annually. The fees quoted above are for the specified year(s) only. Fees may be higher in future years, for both new and continuing students. Please see the University's Fees and Finance Policy (and in particular the section headed "When tuition fees change"), for further information about when and by how much the University may increase its fees for future years.

View detailed information about tuition fees

Living costs / accommodation

The University of Hertfordshire offers a great choice of student accommodation, on campus or nearby in the local area, to suit every student budget.

View detailed information about our accommodation

Read more about additional fees in the Programme Specification.
How to apply

International/EU applicants without pre-settled status in the UK

Apply through our international/EU application portal

Home and EU applicants with pre-settled/settled status in the UK

2026
Start Date End Date Year Location Link
21/09/2026 30/09/2027 1 UH Hatfield Campus Apply online (Full Time)
2027
Start Date End Date Year Location Link
21/09/2027 30/09/2028 1 UH Hatfield Campus Apply online (Full Time)

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MA Directing

Careers

Professional Accreditations

About the course

Why choose this course?

What will I study?

Further course information

Student experience

Other financial support

Fees 2026

UK Students

Full time

EU Students

Full time

International Students

Full time

Living costs / accommodation

International/EU applicants without pre-settled status in the UK

Home and EU applicants with pre-settled/settled status in the UK

2026

2027