MA PROFESSIONAL MEDIA COMPOSITION
Online Postgraduate Masters Degree
Flexible study with personal tuition
Apply now
The MA Professional Media Composition goes beyond traditional film scoring Masters, equipping students with comprehensive skills for a variety of media. You'll learn how to compose for films, television, trailers, documentaries, animation, games, library music and more. The program combines hands-on projects reflecting real industry demands with lessons from working media composers. This course caters to all musical talents, focusing on composing marketable music, producing demos, and mastering film scoring technicalities.
Graduates not only earn a prestigious, university-accredited Masters degree but also gain access to ThinkSpace's Employment Support Programme – a launchpad for successful careers in the industry.
THE PRACTICAL FILM SCORING MASTERS
The course is extremely practical and you will spend most of your time working on real-world projects.
We’re not just looking for orchestral composers. Electronic musicians, guitarists and experimental composers are all more than welcome.
On this course, you will learn to:
- Write music that today’s market wants to buy.
- Compose in a wide range of styles using different technical and creative approaches.
- Produce professional quality demos and sampled mockups.
- Develop a unique voice of your own so you can stand out from the crowd.
- Bring your music up to date and explore new styles and techniques.
- Learn the technical aspects of writing to picture, spotting the film, working with hit points and more.
- Develop research and critical thinking skills to help you put media music in context.
Guy michelmore
Composer & ThinkSpace CEO
Composed for Marvel, Disney, Lionsgate & Dreamworks
Bill Boston
Composer & Orchestrator
Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs
I, Robot
Arhynn Descy
Film Composer & Pianist
Member of AMPAS
Ivor Novello Award Judge
Acclaimed Music Editor
Fred Bux
Composer & Producer
Netflix
Disney
Paramount
Jamie Christopherson
Games Composer
Fortnite
The Lord of the Rings: Battle of Middle Earth
Emily Rice
Composer & Orchestrator
Tomb Raider
The Mummy
Star Trek: Discovery
Will Farmer
Composer & Orchestrator
BBC
Netflix
Audible
Norman Ludwn
Composer & Orchestrator
Jurassic World
Star Trek Into Darkness
Inside Out
Emer Landers
Composer & Orchestrator
Bach is Blue
Forever Hold Your Peace
A Risky Undertaking
Course CONTRIBUTORS
Harry Lightfoot
Trailer Music Composer
Top Gun: Maverick
Avengers: End Game
Black Widow
Ted Lasso
Wonder Woman
Mulan
Chris haigh
Trailer Composer
Toy Story 4
Guardians of the Galaxy Volume.3
Avengers Endgame
Lindsay Wright
Media Composer
The Crown
Law & Order
The Walk-in
Andrea Possee
Composer & Orchestrator
Baymax!
Traitors
My Life with Puppies
Christine Hals
Media Composer & Vocalist
God of War: Ragnarök
Narvik: Hitler's First Defeat
ED COX
Trailer Music Composer
Has worked for Louder Music Productions in Hollywood
The Meg
Milton Nelson
Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw
Batman: Arkham Origins
Scrubs
NOA BEasley
Re:Awaken
A Token War
Phosfi
DAN GRAHAM
Trailer Music Composer
Films for Marvel, Lucasfilm, Paramount, Universal, Warner Bros, Sony
Your course consists of six modules and a final major project. Each module focuses on a different area of the media music industries or a specific set of creative, technical or business skills.
Media composers are required to compose in a very wide range of styles. While most composers have a home style in which they can write fluently, being able to achieve the same level of fluency in a new style takes insight, skill, and practice. It requires a significant amount of research, analysis, and critical thinking to uncover the elements that make any particular style of music effective.
This analytical thinking, when focussed on their own music, helps to develop a self-critical sense of objectivity which is an important part of mastering new genres and new areas of work. In this module, we first explain how some common styles work and then ask students to reproduce and extend work in a given style.
In this module, students will develop knowledge and understanding of the various techniques, strategies, and processes used by professional media composers and other professionals working in different genres, and learn to compose in a range of common media styles.
This module will provide students with:
- An understanding of the resources available in terms of sounds and samples that can make a huge difference to the quality of your output composition.
- A guide on how to compose for action sequences and a break down of the various techniques and musical stylings included.
- A deep dive into numerous samples of music fitting the adventure genre and a scoring tutorial on how to compose for this genre.
- An examination of contemporary crime music and a tutorial on how to use various techniques to compose for this contemporary crime genre.
- A breakdown of the sci-fi musical soundscape and an introduction in how to compose for this genre.
- Understanding what musical techniques are used to make someone laugh and how to compose for the comedy genre.
WHAT COURSE ALUMNI SAY
"I chose ThinkSpace because the course tutors all work in the industry themselves. The skills I'm learning as a composer are right up there.
James Wedlock
Course graduate
"I needed to learn everything – fast! With ThinkSpace, I was able to learn exactly what I want to learn, in the way I wanted to learn it."
Maria Lui
Course graduate
We offer three different schedules so you can pick which best fits around your life. It is also possible to switch between these schedules at certain points during the degree, should you find that that you have more or less time available than you anticipated. You can also pause your degree altogether if life gets in the way.
Please note that these weekly hours are estimates based on previous years' students. It will vary from student to student, depending on your rate of work. These time estimates include every element of the course: live workshops, one-to-one tutorials, reading and watching the course materials, and time spent on assignment projects.
*36 month option not available to UK students on a postgraduate student loan
FinancING
Fees are set in pounds sterling so may be subject to exchange rate fluctuations for those outside the UK.
You will be invoiced in instalments at the start of each term. (For courses lasting longer than 12 months, please budget for an annual inflation linked increase on the remaining balance of fees, based on UK RPI, capped at 8%.
STUDENT LOANS
In the UK you can apply for the following student loans to cover or contribute towards postgraduate tuition fee :
- Up to £12,167 in England. More info
- Up to £18,770 in Wales. More info
- Up to £6,500 in Northern Ireland. More info
- Up to £7,000 in Scotland. More info
PAY-AS-YOU-LEARN OPTIONS
We offer interest-free payment plans, where you can spread the cost of your course across the duration of your studies. The payment plan you are on depends on the schedule you are on. You will be required to pay a deposit upon enrolling.
Employment support programme
HELPING YOU SECURE YOUR FIRST ROLE
Unsure about studying online?
Concerned about feeling disconnected or lacking individual attention from home? Don't worry, our online music campus connects you with fellow students, industry alumni, tutors, and professionals across the globe. There's always someone to assist, offer advice, provide encouragement, or share work opportunities.
Discover what our degree alumni have to say about their connected experience with ThinkSpace, the friends they've made, and the networks they've built.
"I love the community. I've made friends for life and I look forward to working with many of them in the future."
accredited by Arts University Bournemouth
Your degree is accredited and awarded by our academic partner, Arts University Bournemouth (AUB). Home to the prestigious Bournemouth Film School – whose alumni include film director Edgar Wright (Baby Driver) and screenwriter Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire) – AUB is a public university on the south coast of England. Its history dates back to the 1880s.
AUB provide academic oversight across our degrees, which are subject to the same rigorous quality checks as degrees taught by all UK universities.
How to apply
To make an initial application you will need to fill out the application form, write a short cover letter and provide a few examples of your music or sound design.
"Am I good enough?"
We are frequently asked this and are glad to help. You’ll need to be competent in your DAW and be able to write music fluently and productively. It doesn’t have to be orchestral music – as this course encourages all styles – and it doesn’t have to be perfect by any means. We are looking for potential. You also don't need a high level of music theory.
We recommend booking a chat with one of our course advisors. As ThinkSpace Masters graduates themselves, they can take a listen to some of your work and tell you where you stand.
REGISTER FOR MORE INFORMATION
Register below to receive further information by email, and get notified about upcoming online Open Days, events and deadlines.
SCHEDULE A CHAT WITH A COURSE ADVISOR
We recommend booking an informal audio or video chat with one of our friendly course advisors. You can discuss your goals and time commitments, and learn about your different options for subjects, schedules and financing.
They can also review some examples of your music and let you know if you're ready for a Masters. If you're not quite there yet, they'll suggest some practical next steps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Masters Degrees
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MFA VIDEO GAME AND MEDIA COMPOSITION
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