Entry requirements

This course is for practitioners who already have a foundation in hair and makeup and want to move beyond junior level into design thinking, supervision and leadership.

This course is right for you if you’re interested in:

Designing hair and makeup that supports character, narrative and performance
Working in film and high-end television
Translating scripts into screen-ready designs
Period, contemporary and character-driven work
Wigs, hairpieces, prosthetics and transformation
Leading teams and contributing confidently in collaborative environments
Working under pressure in fast-paced production settings
Developing the authority to justify creative decisions on set

You may be:

A recent graduate with strong foundational training in hair and makeup
A working practitioner ready to step into more senior roles
A creative professional looking to specialise in screen hair and makeup

What matters most is your commitment to the craft, your understanding of storytelling, your collaborative mindset and your readiness to work at Master’s level.

Students come from diverse backgrounds and countries. We value professionalism, creative potential and ambition to grow.

Months of entry

January

Course content

This MA offers intensive, production-led training in advanced screen hair and makeup for film and high-end television.

Designed for experienced practitioners ready to step beyond junior roles, the course develops your ability to design hair and makeup for character, lead your department and operate confidently within professional production environments.

Hair and makeup is central to how stories are told on screen. It shapes character, supports performance, establishes period and genre, and helps build believable worlds. From subtle realism to bold transformation, hair and makeup decisions are felt in every close-up. This course is an Industry-embedded MA designed for experienced practitioners who already have junior-level skills and are ready for their next level in their career.

The course combines advanced craft development with live production experience, leadership training, budgeting awareness and professional preparation. You’ll work alongside directors, producers, cinematographers and production designers on real NFTS films, operating within professional workflows that mirrors Industry expectations.

The programme is run by Elizabeth Tagg - Director of The Iver Makeup Academy, a specialist training provider led by BAFTA and Emmy Award–winning industry professionals with credits across major international productions including Supergirl, Nuremberg, Star Wars, Avengers, Ghostbusters, Black Mirror and many more.

This MA is designed to help you enter the Industry confident, production-literate and ready to work at a professional level as a makeup artist, supervisor or emerging designer in film and HETV. Graduates of NFTS production courses go on to work across film and television in roles ranging from assistants and trainees to supervisors and department leads on major productions.

You’ll leave the course with:

Advanced technical and creative hair and makeup skills for screen
Experience leading and assisting on live NFTS productions
Practical understanding of budgeting, scheduling and departmental management
Confidence working within professional hair and makeup teams
A curated industry-ready portfolio and reflective Master’s Portfolio
Career planning tools and Industry insight
Strong cross-department connections across the NFTS community

Information for international students

This course is open to UK/EU/International students.

Fees and funding

Please visit our website for information on fees. All production costs are included in the course fees, including the use of School facilities and equipment.

We will do all we can to help you make the finances work to come to the NFTS, so please visit our funding guide to find out more about what support is available to you.

Qualification, course duration and attendance options

MA
full time
12 months
- Campus-based learningis available for this qualification

Course contact details

Name: Course Enquiries
Email: info@nfts.co.uk

Visit website

Hair and Makeup for Film and Television