Creative Sound Design and Audiovisual Media

Entry requirements

2.1 Hons (or non-UK equivalent) in Music or Audio; we also accept degrees in other relevant subjects such as other areas of arts & humanities, fine arts, art & design, performance, electronics, computing or acoustics.

We may also accept degrees in Arts or Humanities subjects.

We may sometimes accept degrees at 2.2 Hons or non-UK equivalent.

Work experience may be considered in lieu of qualifications.

A personal statement is required for this programme.

Applicants should have some experience of working creatively with sound, audiovisual media, digital media or music technology and submit a portfolio for entry including examples of your prior work in this areas. This can be done through common streaming services such as SoundCloud, Vimeo or YouTube, or through a file sharing or transfer service.

Normally applicants should provide two or three examples of their work in audio or video format as appropriate. Applicants should include links to their work in a document uploaded with the online application.

Months of entry

September

Course content

This Masters programme provides advanced training in creative practice with sound and audiovisual technologies. The programme offers topics relevant to practising musicians and sound designers, digital artists, and the creative industries, including sound shaping and design, audiovisual composition, creative sound recording, creative sound and media performance, and sound and media aesthetics. Later in the programme, you will develop an individual portfolio of creative practice based on your particular skills and interests.

Why this programme

• We are a leading research centre for Music in Scotland, with a supportive and welcoming community of scholars and practitioners. 95% of our research was rated as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent' in the UK’s most recent Research Excellence Framework exercise (REF2021).
• You are supported in developing your own distinctive creative identity through experimentation and risk-taking in your sound and audiovisual work. Most courses are assessed through creative, practice-based projects.
• We offer a wide selection of optional courses, giving you lexibility to explore your interests and shape your studies around your ambitions. With opportunities to develop practical and transferable skills, particularly in sound recording and sound and media performance, we aim to help prepare our students for a wide range of careers in the creative industries.
• You will benefit from studying in the city of Glasgow, the UK’s first UNESCO city of music, with its vibrant and exciting music scene; this includes festivals such as Sonica, Counterflows, Radiophrenia and Tectonics as well as a host of grass-roots sonic activity. There is a wide range of venues providing programmes of creative sound work, including The Old Hairdressers, Tramway, Mono, SWG3, CCA and City Halls, all of which have hosted our students’ work. The presence of music-performing organisations such as the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, RSNO, Scottish Opera, and the Scottish Ensemble, as well as experimental music ensembles such as the Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra, provides a rich musical context for your studies.
• We work with the city’s cultural programme (Glasgow Life), and in collaboration with local arts houses and organisations such as Cryptic, to bring leading sonic artists to Glasgow, with associated workshops and collaborative opportunities for our students.
• Your work can be showcased in our annual postgraduate event Sound Thought, which takes place at the Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA).
• Your work can also be showcased at the Glasgow Electronic and Audiovisual Media (GLEAM) Festival.
• You will have access to high-quality facilities, including a Mac-equipped audio lab and media lab; three studios, one of which features an ambisonic surround sound space; a Concert Hall with a Genelec and D&B sound diffusion system; as well as seminar and practice rooms.
• You will be supported by award-winning technical staff.