MA Sound Arts

The course team welcomes applicants from a broad range of backgrounds, from all over the world.

Applicants to MA Sound Arts will have a good honours degree in a relevant subject such as sound arts, fine art, film and video or other related fields, or a professional or academic qualification recognised as equivalent to an honours degree.

We also welcome applications from prospective students with a background in fine art or other related fields and those who wish to move their practice or research in other areas towards sound art and sonic practices.

Key subjects in Sound Arts are:

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

For fees and funding information, please see website 

During the course you will have the opportunity to develop both your research profile and creative practice. Upon graduation there are a number of options. You may wish to apply for a research degree, or you might decide to work in the theatre, films, television, animation, games production or websites.

Some of our students work as freelance sound artists or musicians in a chosen area which could include performance, composition, sound art installation or curation. Others set up their own businesses.

Autumn, term 1  

• Practice-Based Research (40 credits)
  This unit helps you to plan, develop and realise an applied research project which results in the production of creative sound work. You’ll learn about different ideas of art as both professional practice and practice-based research, and consider the ways in which diversity, inclusion and sustainability inform your process before presenting your own work and research ideas to your fellow students..  
• Contemporary Themes in Sound Arts Practice (20 credits)
  You'll build a practical understanding of contemporary themes in sound arts practice by exploring different genres and strategies, enabling you to develop an understanding of discourse in relation to creative production. You’ll also research and review how a particular artist’s practice is sited in the broader field of sound art.  

Spring, term 2  

• Practice-Based Research (continued)  
• Contemporary Themes in Sound Arts Practice (continued)  
• Collaborative Unit (20 credits)
  This unit will enable you to explore collaborative practice and the social experience of sound, both from within sound arts - where you’ll develop a diverse range of collective responses - and between disciplines, where you’ll work with students from other areas on individual projects.  

Summer, term 3  

• Project Development (20 credits)
  In this unit, you’ll present a Development Proposal which will identify the area of work that you’re going to explore – building on, experimenting with and focusing the range of ideas, experiences, skills and interests developed in Terms 1 and 2. You'll be supported to develop your ideas through practical and scholarly research as well as creative experimentation, and you’ll also consider the appropriate format for your final project.  
• Curatorial Contexts for Sound Art (20 credits)
  This unit explores issues around the curation, exhibition and perception of work relating to sound arts. It provides an understanding of the contexts through which sound arts practice is presented, curated and distributed in the public domain - in the gallery, in the concert hall and other performance spaces, on the internet, on the radio, or in public spaces outside the traditional curatorial reach. During the unit, you will actively engage with discourses relating to climate justice and the ways in which work can be developed with environmental, cultural, economic, and social value. 
• Major Project (60 credits)  
  This final unit of the MA consolidates your learning experience of the previous units through the completion and presentation of a Major Project. This will take place in the context of a curated show hosted in an acoustically and visually compelling public space, which maximises the appreciation of your work as a sound arts practitioner.   

Autumn, term 4  

• Major Project (continued)  
  If you are unable to continue or decide to exit the course, there are two possible exit awards. A Postgraduate Certificate will be awarded on successful completion of the first 60 credits and a Postgraduate Diploma will be awarded on successful completion of the first 120 credits.