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MA Music Composition and Sound for Film and Games
Why choose Herts?
- Great Reputation: The University of Hertfordshire’s School of Creative Arts has been ranked 1st in the UK for Creative Schools (The Rookies, Global School Rankings, 2024).
- Fantastic Facilities: We have a stunning array of resources and facilities aligned to industry standards, including recording, mix and mastering studios, performance spaces, high-spec computing labs and a loan store full of free-to-access kit.
- Industry Focussed Teaching: All of our teaching staff are professional composers, sound designers, engineers and producers. We do what we teach!
About the course
MA Music Composition and Sound for Film and Games covers all the most relevant areas of soundtrack composition, creation and production.
It has been created to respond to the current demand for creative professionals who are able to provide both sound design and music content for the film and video game industries.
You will develop practical, industry-focussed skills and create work to showcase these as part of a professional portfolio.
Why choose this course?
Based in our award-winning School of Creative Arts (The Rookies, Global School Rankings, 2024), you will be studying in the University’s top-class studios, supported by tutors who are experienced industry professionals.
You will have many opportunities to work on real-world projects with students from our animation, games and film courses.
All assessment is coursework-based. Relevant, industry-aligned skills lie at the core of all modules.
You will explore all aspects of a soundtrack in both linear and non-linear (game audio) environments, and with practical assignments that focus on the latest and most relevant music and sound-design techniques.
Whether you employ acoustic or electronic sources or aspire to be a cutting-edge hybrid composer/creator, you will learn the tools of the trade in order to stand-out from the rest.
With targeted sessions and expert guidance, you’ll develop a showreel demonstrating your creative talent in providing sound and music for a wide range of media (video, film, video games), opening-up an expansive horizon of possibilities and opportunities for work.
You will benefit from strong industry links via the Music Academic Partnership (MAP), a groundbreaking initiative that unites educational institutions with members of the UK music industry, offering students unique opportunities to engage with industry professionals and enhance their career prospects within the dynamic world of music.
Situated close to London and with excellent access to industry, our vibrant creative community offers an inspiring and supportive environment in which to build your ideal career.
What will I study?
You will receive a mixture of interactive lectures, workshops, one-to-one tutorials, and practical learning.
Module content is reviewed regularly to remain current and industry relevant and includes narrative soundtrack creation, hybrid-scoring, game audio engine/middleware processes (music and sound integration and delivery), sound design and audio asset creation, research skills and career development, alongside a final major project in a related area of your choosing.
Full-time students will commonly attend taught classes across two semesters (120 credits), with a third semester dedicated to completion of a substantial self-directed and tutor-supported project (60 credits).
All course material is reviewed regularly so you will leave the course with up to date theoretical, practical, and technical knowledge along with a portfolio of work that meets industry standards, required for global employment across a wide range of career options.
Facilities
The programme is delivered from the heart of the School of Creative Arts situated on the College Lane Campus – primarily within the attractive Film, Music and Media Building.
You will have access to a stunning array of well-maintained resources and facilities aligned to industry standards, including recording studios, dubbing suites, performance spaces, critical listening spaces, high-spec computing labs and a loan store full of free-to-access kit.
We have a vast selection of top-quality dynamic, condenser and ribbon microphones, including Soundfield, Neumann, AKG, Coles, Shure, Audio-Technica and Beyerdynamic.
Our studios and labs are equipped with a full range of DAW (Logic, Pro Tools, Ableton Live) plug-in (iZotope, Native Instruments, East West, Universal Audio) and other specialist software.
Take a further look at our facilities.
Key staff
Rob Wright MSc. BEd. BSc. FHEA
Head of Music, School of Creative Arts
Rob is a dual professional; both an experienced academic in higher education and an accomplished musician / composer / technologist. He has worked at the University as an Associate Dean with responsibility for Academic Quality Assurance, and since 2019 as Head of the Music Department. His interests lie in those areas where music and sound creatively interface with other media and his musical and visual works that have won compositional awards and received broadcasts.
Bruce Aisher MSc.
Programme Leader for Postgraduate Music.
Bruce is a music producer, songwriter, composer, remixer, sound designer and technology journalist whose work is to be found on over 100 commercially released tracks (including a US Billboard Club Chart No.1 and platinum-selling album), on TV programmes for the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Netflix and Apple TV, multiple movies, trailers and ads, and products by Apple, BandLab, Splice and Native Instruments.
Contact Bruce here (email link: b.aisher@herts.ac.uk)
Dr James Stonehouse
Dr. James Stonehouse focuses on adaptive non-linear video game soundtracks and technical sound design systems in game engines and middleware. James is an experienced game audio practitioner with extensive industry connections and is a commentary audio designer for the Olympic Broadcast Service. (London, Rio, Tokyo and Paris).
He is currently researching interactive sonic environments in game engines and has presented at Short Sounds Film Festival.
Tess Tyler MMus.
Tess is an award-winning composer for the screen. She made her orchestral recording debut at Air Lyndhurst Studios with her score for Steampunk Riders and has recorded many other video game and media scores (LEGO®, Asgard’s Wrath 2, The Undertaker) with the likes of the London Session Orchestra and The Budapest Art Orchestra, and has previously worked alongside the songwriter Imogen Heap. She conducts research in sonic story-telling and music cognition; and is keen to embed her findings into her compositional work.
Dr Kyriacos Michael
Kyriacos is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, performer and musical director. He is a published composer (SATV, Cinephonix, Evolution Media), founder of the band Nova Neon, and has worked on projects for BoohooMan, BBC, EdgeSport and Discovery Channel.
Kyriacos teaches songwriting, composition and research practice. He is an active researcher in the field of immersive music.
Further course information
| Additional information | |
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Sandwich placement or study abroad year |
n/a |
Applications open to international and EU students |
Yes |