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"The mentorship was really important to me. The feedback has been priceless. It also helps when your mentor is the person that inspires you to do well."

Maria Lui, Graduate

MA PROFESSIONAL MEDIA COMPOSITION

Online Postgraduate Masters Degree


Flexible study with personal tuition

Full-time – 12 months (approx 30 hrs/wk)
Part-time – 24 months (approx 15 hrs/wk)
Part-time – 36 months (approx 8 hrs/wk)

Accepting applications for January 13th, 2025 start.
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.

REQUEST INFO
Or schedule a chat with a course advisor

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.

Course tutors

You will be taught and mentored by professionals currently working in the industry, ensuring you receive up-to-date knowledge and expertise. Between them, our tutors work for Disney, Dreamworks, Marvel, Netflix, Universal, Warner Bros, Sky, the BBC, and many others. Below is a selection of the tutors on this course.  You will learn from your tutors in live webinars, group music review sessions, personal one-to-one sessions, and through written feedback on your music. There are also regular guest lecturers from across the industry.

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

In addition to live tuition, you can access on-demand video tutorials and interviews with top industry experts. Regardless of your chosen Master's degree, you'll get lifetime access to all on-demand videos and course materials for every degree we offer, including future additions. Below is a sample of industry leaders who have contributed to this course.

Harry Lightfoot

Trailer Music Composer

Top Gun: Maverick
Avengers: End Game
Black Widow

Tom Howe
Composer & Musician

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

Frozen
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

Composer & Orchestrator

Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw
Batman: Arkham Origins
Scrubs

NOA BEasley

Composer for Video Games

Re:Awaken
A Token War
Phosfi

DAN GRAHAM

Trailer Music Composer

Films for Marvel, Lucasfilm, Paramount, Universal, Warner Bros, Sony

A comprehensive film scoring curriculum

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

FLEXIBLE Schedules THAT FIT AROUND YOUR LIFE

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.

Full time – 12-months (approx 30 hours a week)
Part time – 24-months (approx 15 hours a week)
Part time – 36-months* (approx 8 hours a week)

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

Learn more about SCHEDULES

FinancING

Total fees if inside the UK

Total fees if outside the UK

£11,750

£11,750

Total fees if inside the UK

£11,750

Total fees if outside the UK

£11,750

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.

LEARN MORE ABOUT FINANCING

Employment support programme

HELPING YOU SECURE YOUR FIRST ROLE

This degree not only equips you with the necessary skills for your desired career but also offers valuable assistance in securing a great job once you graduate. Our optional Employment Support Programme (ESP) is provided to graduates of this degree at no extra cost.
 
This bootcamp-style program helps you enhance your demo reel, refine your website, build your professional network, identify job prospects, and improve your pitching abilities. Through a combination of live workshops, video tutorials, and course materials, it provides you with the essential support, training, and motivation required to embark on the fulfilling career you deserve.

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.

How it works

"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. 

Start your application

"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.

BOOK A ONE-TO-ONE

INTERESTED? FIND OUT MORE

REGISTER FOR MORE INFORMATION

Register below to receive further information by email, and get notified about upcoming online Open Days, events and deadlines.

Have a question? We'd love to hear from you.

+44 (0)1243 256049 (UK-based number)

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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.

BOOK A ONE-TO-ONE

Frequently Asked Questions

For more FAQs, and more information please visit the Applications & FAQsStudent Finance and Study With ThinkSpace pages.