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TWO SUBJECT AREAS IN ONE DEGREE

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MFA VIDEO GAME & MEDIA COMPOSITION

ONLINE Dual-Pathway Postgraduate Masters Degree


Flexible study with personal tuition

Full-time – 24 months (approx 30 hrs/wk)
Part-time – 36 months (approx 20 hrs/wk)
Part-time – 48 months (approx 15 hrs/wk)


Accepting applications for January 13th, 2025 start.
Apply now

As a composer, you will find more work by being flexible and, as the game industry grows, you’ll find more projects that are able to compete with the blockbuster movie industry. This course equips you with the creative and technical skills to tackle a wide range of film and television projects from feature films to animation, as well as teaching you the technical and creative skills needed to succeed in the rapidly expanding world of video game music.

During this comprehensive Master of Fine Arts degree course, you will cover the skills taught in both our MA Composing for Video Games and MA Professional Media Composition degree courses.

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Preparing you for the career you deserve

Video games are now a huge sector in the entertainment industry, closely followed by film and television. This course addresses the core composition skills needed to compete in any industry whilst giving you comprehensive training needed to work at a professional level in both video games and linear media music.

On this course, you will learn:

  • To write linear music for feature films, television, animation, as well as game cutscenes and cinematics.
  • To write dynamic music for video games required for interactive gameplay driven by the player’s choices
  • To produce professional quality demos and sampled mockups
  • Collaborative and remote working skills, which are vital in such a connected global industry.
  • To use Wwise to implement your music interactively in fully functional Unity games, many specially designed or licenced for the course - including commercial releases.
  • The technical aspects of writing to picture, including spotting the film, working with hit points and markers, and responding to feedback by professional composers.

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

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

Bill Boston

Composer & Orchestrator

Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs
I, Robot

Kevin Vail

Sound Designer & Engineer

Far Cry 5
Batman: Arkham City
Watchdogs

Giorgio Vezzini

Sound Designer & Audio Lead

Baldur's Gate 3
Batman: Arkham Knight
League of Legends

Arhynn Descy

Film Composer & Pianist

Member of AMPAS 
Ivor Novello Award Judge
Acclaimed Music Editor

Fred Bux

Composer & Producer

Netflix
Disney
Paramount

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

Dana Kyle

Composer & Songwriter

Assistant composer on:
The Walking Dead
Agents of Shield

Ross Tregenza

Sound Designer & Composer

Alien Vs. Predator
Gears of War
Team Sonic Racing

Jake Gaule

Composer & Sound Designer

Far Cry: Rise of the Revolution
Window
Idoz Games

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.

STEPHEN BAYSTED

Composer & Orchestrator

Fast & Furious: Crossroads
The Walking Dead: Assult
Project Cars

ALEX GREEN

Sound Designer  

Working with RubberBandGames on their early access game 'Wobbly Life'

JOHN HARVEY

Sound Designer  

Project Cars
Shameless
Ripper Street

STafford bawler 

Audio Director

Island Extreme Stunts
DiRT
Hungry Shark Shorts

Mark Angus

Audio Director & Sound Designer

Alien: Isolation
Telling Lies
Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 2

Matt Lightbound

Sound & Audio Designer

Dead Island 2
Planet Coaster
Jurassic World Evolution

Lindsay Wright

Media Composer

The Crown
Law & Order
The Walk-in

SPencer bambrick 

Composer & Electronic Artist

Nick Jr. Block Party
Evil Nun
Eternights 

Harry Lightfoot

Trailer Music Composer

Top Gun: Maverick
Avengers: End Game
Black Widow

Tom Howe
Composer & Musician

Ted Lasso
Wonder Woman
Mulan

Richard Wilkinson

Games Composer

Peaky Blinders: The King's Random
Narcos: Rise of the Cartels

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

Chris haigh

Trailer Composer

Toy Story 4
Guardians of the Galaxy Volume.3
Avengers Endgame

NOA BEasley

Composer for Video Games

Re:Awaken
A Token War
Phosfi

LEARN EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO SUCCEED

Your course falls into twelve modules plus a final major project which lasts three months. Each module focuses on a different area of media composition and orchestration, while at the same time developing specific compositional, technical and 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.

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.

This module will provide students with:

  • An understanding of the resources available to 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 in 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.

"I love that ThinkSpace only hires tutors that are actively working in the industry... It's really forward thinking"

Thor Bremmer
MFA Video Game Music & Audio graduate

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."

FLEXIBLE Schedules TO 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 – 24 months (approx 30 hrs/wk)
Part-time – 36 months (approx 20 hrs/wk)
Part-time – 48 months (approx 15 hrs/wk)

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.

Learn more about SCHEDULES

FinancING

Total fees if inside the UK

Total fees if outside the UK

£16,750

£16,750

Total fees if inside the UK

£16,750

Total fees if outside the UK

£16,750

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.


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 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.