Master of Arts in Virtual and Extended Realities

at University of the West of England - Bristol - City Campus United Kingdom

Explore the screen industry, tap into Bristol's vibrant creative sector, and build an excellent foundation for working on documentaries, feature films, TV and new platforms.

Why study screen business?

• The UK screen industry is booming, with companies like Netflix and Amazon investing huge amounts in creating original UK dramas and content.
• New platforms are also opening up new opportunities, and producers are needed to meet the ongoing demand for high-quality screen-based content in the digital space, animations and video games, as well as in TV and films.

Why UWE Bristol?

• MA Screen Business is firmly embedded in Bristol's vibrant creative sector and is delivered in partnership with Watershed, the leading film culture and digital media centre in the South West.
• Exploring the structure and operations that make up the contemporary global screen industries, you'll learn about areas such as production, distribution and exhibition, as well as the marketing and reception of film and TV.
• Studying this in Bristol, a UNESCO City of Film, means you'll be part of the city's rapidly expanding screen business sector, the third largest in the UK.
• Bristol is home to the BBC's world-famous Natural History Unit, Aardman Animations, the Bottle Yard Studios, and many leading independent production companies, as well as being one of two Channel 4 regional hubs, and the new production base for Netflix.
• The course draws on UWE Bristol's strong reputation in film studies and filmmaking, and the renowned research of our film and cultural studies staff.
• You'll learn about creative entrepreneurship and the practicalities of establishing yourself as a successful producer.
• There'll be opportunities to network with other future creative leaders, working alongside students on our other postgraduate screen courses.
• We hope to arrange a field trip to an international film festival, subject to Covid restrictions.
• Where possible, the course will include company visits and guest lectures by leading industry experts.

Where can it take me?

• You'll develop the skills to work on documentaries, feature films, TV and new platforms, as a production manager, line producer or production assistant.
• You could go into areas such as finance, distribution or exhibition in an established screen business, or set up your own start-up. Or progress onto further research or teaching.

This exciting and unique Master's degree, accredited by the Broadcast Journalism Training Council (BJTC), and co-designed by UWE academics and BBC journalists offers a practice-based, multi-media approach to news, current affairs and investigative journalism.
We aim to produce graduates with skills and understanding suitable for entry-level posts in all aspects of multi-media journalism content production including print, broadcast and web media.

Why study this course?
You will develop storytelling skills and learn how to make intelligent and surprising programmes that will captivate and engage audiences in a highly competitive broadcast landscape. You have a rare and unique opportunity to be matched with a BBC mentor who, alongside your tutor, will guide you through the production of a final major project.

You will study in a highly professional and creative environment with access to state-of-the-art, industry-standard facilities with a rolling programme of guest lecturers, industry speakers and live collaborative projects which under-pin the real-world knowledge and entrepreneurial skills required to succeed in your career.

The course is based at Bower Ashton Campus, part of City Campus, where exceptional facilities and resources include state-of-the-art digital media, production and fabrication workshops offer a combination of traditional tools and the latest technology.

Bristol is a vibrant and innovative media hub with the highest concentration of creative industries outside London. We work closely with a wide range of news and current affairs partners including Bristol's own television station Made in Bristol, the Bristol Post, Ujima Radio and creative and cultural partners, including the Pervasive Media Studio based at Watershed cinema and digital creativity centre.

We welcome recent graduates, media professionals wishing to update their investigative, writing and critical analysis skills, and those from other professions seeking a career change. Applicants must have previous journalism/writing experience and be able to demonstrate a passion to produce fair and accurate journalism that has impact.

This course was developed alongside industry experts and has produced Graduate Fashion Week award-winners across several categories.

Why study fashion communication?

• The fashion industry employs over 400,000 people in the UK alone, and engages and inspires global audiences through diverse media.
• Fashion brands use a range of platforms and techniques to speak to existing and new customers. To do this, they need professionals with a solid understanding of contemporary culture and fashion.
• Studying fashion communication will introduce you to a variety of roles and specialisms. The knowledge and network you develop will open the door to many careers, including art direction, fashion film, social media, advertising, marketing, copywriting, photography, event management, styling, social media, branding and more.

Why UWE Bristol?

• BA(Hons) Fashion Communication is a creative interdisciplinary course based at Arnolfini, one of Europe's leading centres for the contemporary arts.
• Our staff are industry experts and have strong relationships with the fashion industry so you'll benefit from regular input from fashion professionals.
• Exceptional facilities and resources include industry-standard digital media studios. Production and fabrication workshops offer a combination of traditional tools and the latest technology.
• Discover approaches towards communicating and promoting fashion. Work with photography, digital media and film to explore ideas around fashion and its global dissemination.
• Study and apply branding, market analysis and PR to your creative work and investigate the use of digital marketing strategies, future trends and technology's role in fashion.
• Apply new ideas through project development, which can include online marketing campaigns, promotional films or publications. Demonstrate your creativity and fashion knowledge through an extended independent design project.
• We work closely with industry specialists to keep the curriculum current and relevant to industry. Develop professional and entrepreneurial skills, and participate in live briefs and collaborative projects with industry professionals.
• Go on visits to workplaces and sector events where you'll see the fashion industry in action. Gain valuable experience through professional practice and internships.
• City Campus is a creative powerhouse that spans the city of Bristol and is made up of Bower Ashton, Spike Island, Arnolfini and Watershed.
• Showcase your work to talent scouts and potential employers at the final year Creative Industries Degree Show, and exhibitions in London.
• Focusing on the avenues that most interest you, through your modules and assessments, you'll graduate with an impressive portfolio of work, ready to take your place in the fashion industry.

Where can it take me?

• Fashion communication can take you in many directions.
• Potential careers include photographer, stylist, trend forecaster, fashion editor, brand manager, online marketeer, online visual merchandiser and events manager.

 Work alongside independent and BBC audio producers, and award-winning academics, to gain valuable experience, insights and contacts for your career in audio journalism.

Why study journalism (audio, docs and podcast)?

• Today's fast-moving digital age has opened up enticing opportunities for journalists wanting to work in audio and radio.
• Producers are needed to create high-quality programs for podcasts, radio and audio documentaries - and graduates specializing in this field will build a compelling set of skills to develop a highly versatile portfolio career.

Why UWE Bristol?

• Offered in partnership with the BBC, our MA Journalism (Audio, Docs and Podcast) is for graduates with a passion for radio, and an interest in journalism and audio documentary making.
• Working with award-winning audio producers, you'll learn to develop your own radio documentaries and podcasts, as you build experience of audio collection techniques, sound and recording, working in a studio and using digital editing software.
• Based at the arts-focused Bower Ashton studios, you'll be immersed in audio and radio for the digital age, putting your skills into practice, and delving into the cultural industry and its supply chain.
• There's a strong emphasis on developing your technical expertise, alongside the skills needed to compete as a producer, such as commissioning, pitching and getting your documentaries to air. You'll also gain useful online skills to develop your own websites and podcasts.
• You will build experience on placements in some of Bristol's most innovative cultural organizations, get to pitch your work to Radio 4 editors and work on your own projects with mentoring from industry.

Where can it take me?

• By the end of the course, you'll be equipped to secure audio journalism work on a freelance or staff basis, in production companies and post-production facilities. You could work as a broadcast assistant, junior researcher, production assistant or studio manager.

Choose from a wide selection of modules to focus on areas of theatre making that you're passionate about such as writing, directing, devising physical theatre and acting.

Why study drama?

• Increasingly, independent professional theatre is about making your own work.
• A contemporary company needs to write, devise, direct, tech, and perform original theatre. Individuals may excel in one of these areas, but they also need a good working knowledge of everything else.
• It's all about sharing skills and working as a group to create exciting live performances.

Why UWE Bristol?

• BA(Hons) Drama is perfect for those who love theatre making and appreciate a challenge.
• Work closely with our supportive theatre community to share ideas and work collectively on productions.
• Develop your talent on a path of discovery through every facet of theatre. Choose from a wide selection of modules to become a theatre maker with a wealth of experience, abilities and creativity.
• Focus on the areas of expertise you're passionate about such as writing, directing, devising physical theatre, and acting. Specialise in directing, technical theatre or writing and graduate with the degree title Drama with Creative Writing, Drama with Technical Theatre or Drama with Theatre Directing.
• You'll have a wealth of opportunities to develop personally and gain real-world experience. We work closely with the local theatre network and support you to form your own theatre company, producing your own extra-curricular work and making the most of our rehearsal and performance space.
• As a writer, director, technician, and/or performer, you'll write, devise and produce original performances for your assessed final year projects, which will then be featured in our end of year public Degree Show. Specialist masterclasses led by staff and industry professionals will give you the chance to develop specific skills in areas such as puppetry, auditioning and stage combat.
• City Campus is a creative powerhouse that spans the city of Bristol and is made up of Bower Ashton, Spike Island, Arnolfini and Watershed.
• Drama uses specialist spaces at the Arnolfini and theatre facilities at Bower Ashton Studios.
• Shaping the course towards the areas of theatre making you're most interested in, through your modules and assessments, you'll emerge as a confident and creative drama professional, one also equipped with soft skills such as collaboration, networking and organisation, and ready to thrive in the real world.

Where can it take me?

• Graduate ready for a career in theatre, television, film or education.
• You may also choose to progress to further study with one of the country's prestigious theatre schools such as the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA) and Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA).

Gain valuable practical experience through live briefs, group work, placements and networking events and graduate ready to make your mark in the industry.

Why study animation?

• Animation is a broad creative subject that offers opportunities to all kinds of creatives, including storytellers, designers, artists, technologists and performers.
• It reaches audiences young and old right across the globe. It educates, entertains and informs. It shows us things we could never see with our own eyes; buildings not yet built, the workings of a heart, a dying star.
• It can help us visualise the dynamics of an unfolding news event, place long-extinct creatures into your very hands, and breathe life into those that have never existed.

Why UWE Bristol?

• BA(Hons) Animation is based in the Bristol School of Animation at Bower Ashton Studios, part of our City Campus. Our new animation studio spaces and facilities include digital media studios, production studios and fabrication workshops, offering both traditional tools and the latest technology.
• Studying this in Bristol means you'll be based in a centre of animation production excellence in Europe, with our animation courses forming an integral part of the city's success.
• This practice-based production degree not only develops your creative flair but also provides you with highly sought-after technical skills.
• Learn through making using industry-standard equipment. Practical work is balanced by theoretical study, work experience and research activities, all designed to prepare you for work in a commercial environment. Live briefs, work-based placements and networking events support your transition into professional practice.
• Join a long-established, highly creative animation community in which students are known and valued for their individual creative flair. You'll be taught by a team with extensive commercial animation experience, with regular contributions from commercial practitioners. This, coupled with our strong links with the UK's major animation companies, will ensure you benefit from professional expertise throughout the course.
• Our City Campus is a creative powerhouse. It spans Bristol and is made up of Bower Ashton and renowned contemporary arts centres Spike Island, Arnolfini and Watershed.
• Be a part of Bristol's vibrant arts and cultural scene and make friendships that continue long after graduation, developing into partnerships, startups and larger businesses.
• Showcase your work through our online presence, regular networking events and final year Creative Industries Degree Show to impress talent scouts and potential employers.
• Focus on the avenues that most interest you, and graduate with an impressive portfolio of work.
• See some of the work our students produced over the past few years, including a recent project with Avon and Somerset Police.

Where can it take me?

• Animation is a growing sector that extends way beyond traditional TV based media, one that will continue to need a wide range of creatives of all kinds.
• Our graduates have gone on to form careers in the animation industry, graphic design, computer games, illustration and so on, both throughout the UK and across the world.
• Some choose further study at master's level, including our own MA in Animation.
• Read about our graduate Elise's career in stop-motion animation and Sam's career in digital animation.

Developed in collaboration with external partners, this distinctive interdisciplinary MA programme combines business and leadership with the arts, creative and cultural industries. Learn by doing through a practical, practice-led approach, with an emphasis on equality, diversity and inclusivity.

MA Creative and Cultural Leadership is a flexible work-based course, designed for transformative emerging leaders and influencers committed to equity, diversity and inclusivity in the arts, heritage, cultural and creative industries. As a mid to senior creative, cultural or heritage professional, you'll develop your transformational leadership potential.

As you tackle complex business challenges, you'll become equipped to meet current sector demands. You'll learn new, authentic approaches to collaborative leadership development during rapidly changing times, with an emphasis on equality, diversity and inclusivity.

Why study this course?

• Designed in collaboration with Bristol Business School and UWE Bristol's Creative Economy Unit, the course offers you interdisciplinary expertise in Creative and Cultural Industries and Business. You'll develop practical, work-based learning aimed to address sector gaps, such as leadership and management, business development and enterprise and entrepreneurship.
• Increasingly, creative and cultural leadership takes place outside larger arts organisations, such as museums, galleries, libraries and archives, as well as smaller organisations. These include independent agencies, studios, production companies, performance groups, theatre companies, festivals and social enterprises.

This postgraduate degree has been co-designed by UWE academics and producers, directors and production managers from the BBC's world renowned Natural History Unit (NHU).

Bristol is the global capital of natural history programme making and the natural place to study for an MA in Wildlife Filmmaking. On this highly popular Masters course you will learn how to develop and pitch ideas, tell great stories and make intelligent and surprising programmes to captivate and engage audiences.

Our partnership with the BBC Natural History Unit (NHU) means that, alongside your studies, you will have incredible opportunities to network with professional wildlife film makers, attend talks, film festivals and other events around the city.

Our MA students graduate with the skills, experience and knowledge needed for entry level jobs in all areas of production from online to broadcast. Graduates now work for the BBC, Icon Films, Discovery, Tigress and other top production companies in the UK and overseas.

Why study this course?
The course is based at Bower Ashton, part of the City Campus, in the creative heart of Bristol. Bower has exceptional facilities and resources which include a news studio, TV studio and post production areas which offer the latest technology.

Be inspired by watching some of the Wildlife Filmmaking videos created by students on our Vimeo site.

Alum, Lindsey Parietti, won a student BAFTA for her powerful nature documentary Blood Island, a film created for this course. In this video she talks about what compelled her to tell the story, and the success that followed.

Work with experienced journalists to build your skills and experience, and channel your passion for long-form writing into a successful portfolio journalism career.

Why study journalism (specialist features)?

• In today's fast-paced digital age, journalists need the versatility and skillset to create high-quality features across diverse platforms.
• As a features writer, you could be working on long-form pieces for websites, newspapers, magazines or podcasts, focusing on a specialist subject or type of feature writing, or taking on more diverse business-to-business work.

Why UWE Bristol?

• If you have a passion for journalism and long-form writing, our MA Journalism (Specialist Features) gives you the writing and audio skills to be confident in producing a variety of content across both print and online channels.
• Through a mix of practical and analytical learning, you'll develop high-quality writing, research and storytelling capabilities, alongside technical skills such as page layout, podcasting and website building.
• Unlike other MAs focusing on either news or specialisms such as sport or fashion, this course centres on feature and long-form writing for a range of media markets.
• You'll also have the chance to build up a specialism of your choice (such as sport, music, the environment, travel or fashion), ensuring you develop as a versatile, knowledgeable and employable journalist.
• You'll work with our experienced journalists, and be based at our arts-focused Bower Ashton studios, where you'll be immersed in the writing and multimedia journalism skills needed for today's media industry.
• You will build experience on placements and work shadowing, work on your own projects, and go away with a high-quality portfolio of your print, online and audio work to show to prospective employers.

Where can it take me?

• You'll be in a position to take on work on a freelance or staff basis with magazines (both specialist and business-to-business), or to write for online channels such as websites or podcasts.
• It's up to you if you want to specialise in a particular subject or type of feature writing, or use your skills to secure writing work across different fields.

This production-based course gives you the practical and intellectual skills you need for a successful career in today's creative industries.

Why study filmmaking?

• Our everyday lives are filled with moving images through social media, TV streaming, broadcast TV and cinema to mention just a few.
• Traditional cinema is still a huge and vibrant industry, and the surge in streaming services has created more opportunities for filmmakers to reach their audiences and produce truly cinematic storytelling.
• We're also seeing the expansion of virtual and augmented reality and starting to discover how filmmakers will use this technology in the future.
• The industry needs creative new filmmakers to produce adverts, music videos, social media campaigns, political films, documentaries big and small, TV series, independent titles and big summer blockbusters

Why UWE Bristol?

• BA(Hons) Filmmaking is based at Bower Ashton Studios, part of the City Campus. Exceptional facilities and resources include digital media studios and production and fabrication workshops offering traditional tools and the latest technology.
• This is a production-based degree - you'll learn by making. Our teaching team works at the cutting edge of contemporary media practice, with high levels of practical experience and expertise.
• Attend lectures and seminars at the Arnolfini and Watershed. Develop drama and documentary storytelling skills by developing advanced craft techniques used in the professional media. Gain an in-depth understanding of culture and context.
• The course pushes boundaries, intellectually and imaginatively. Explore filmmaking for the 21st century through development of eclectic short form projects that span the vast opportunities for audience and presentation in the modern industry. Build the knowledge to navigate the industry as it changes over the next 10 to 20 years by applying cutting-edge techniques.
• Our City Campus is a creative powerhouse. It spans across Bristol and is made up of Bower Ashton and renowned contemporary arts centres Spike Island, Arnolfini and Watershed.
• In 2017, Bristol was named UNESCO City of Film because of the strength of the city's moving image culture and industry. The city boasts a strong, skilled-pool of locally-based crew and facilities companies, which includes award-winning freelancers, production and post-production companies.
• Be a part of Bristol's vibrant arts and cultural scene, where students and workers in the creative industries often collaborate.
• Our strong industry contacts include the BBC, ITV, Aardman, Films@59, Bottle Yard Film Studios and E3 Media. They provide ongoing professional input and work experience opportunities.
• Attend talks from broadcast commissioners, cinematographers, directors, composers and coders/designers who will share their influences and techniques. Recent guest speakers include director Ben Wheatley (High Rise), writer and director Gurindha Chandha (Bend It Like Beckham). We have also held masterclasses with editor St John O'Rorke (The White Princess) and art director Sarah Hauldron (Gosford Park).
• Showcase your work to talent scouts and potential employers at the final year Creative Industries Degree Show and graduate with an impressive portfolio of work.

Where can it take me?

• The filmmaking industry is in a hugely exciting period covering a vast array sectors and outputs, and it doesn't seem to be slowing down any time soon.
• Our multi-skilled graduates go on to work in the creative industries for a range of media and multimedia production companies - as researchers, camera operators, editors, assistant directors/producers, mixers, graders and cinematographers.
• Others go on to further study on MA or doctoral research projects.