TWO SUBJECT AREAS IN ONE DEGREE


Degree accredited and awarded by

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"Being taught by people who are actively working in the industry is essential, because it's constantly changing. I love the programme and I’m proud to have done it."

Thor Bremmer
Course graduate

MFA VIDEO GAME MUSIC & AUDIO

DUAL PATHWAY POSTGRADUATE DEGREE


Flexible online study with personal tuition

Full time – 24 months (30 hours a week)
Part time – 36 months (15 hours a week)
Part time – 48 months (8 hours a week)


Accepting applications for Jan 2024 start. Apply now

The games industry is one of the fastest expanding areas of media and with it comes unique opportunities for composers and sound designers. MFA Video Game Music and Audio will prepare you to enter the industry as both a video games composer and sound designer, complete with all the skills you need to create and implement fully interactive music and sound design using industry standard game engines and middleware.

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 Sound Design for Video Games degree courses.


INTERESTED?

Register for more information about this course and studying with ThinkSpace Education.

Have questions? Our friendly team are here to help. Complete the form above, email us or call us on +44 (0)1243 256 049

Preparing you for the career you deserve

This course covers every aspect of the video game music and audio world, exploring both linear and interactive music as well as sound design. It will prepare you for a career anywhere in the game audio industry, giving you the creative and technical skills from both a composer’s and sound designer’s perspective.

On this course, you will learn:

  • The essential technical and creative skills required to compose music and create sound effects for video games in a fully interactive setting.
  • How to compose for a wide variety of game genres, from mobile puzzle games through to action and racing games.
  • To create and implement weapon, impact, and vehicle sounds.
  • How to use inexpensive field recording equipment to produce atmospheres, spot-effects and Foley, as well as using sounds from commercial sound libraries.
  • To use Wwise to implement your music and audio interactively in functional Unity games, many specially designed or licensed for the course - including commercial releases.
  • Collaborative, business, and remote working skills which are vital in such a connected global industry.

TAUGHT BY working PROFESSIONALS

Our teaching staff and mentors are all current working professionals, many involved at the highest level in the business. Here are a few of the many who will be giving you individual feedback, either in writing, during weekly one to one mentoring sessions, or at the student workshops. This doesn’t include visiting lecturers - these are the people doing the teaching.

  • Call of Duty Infinite War
  • League of Legends
  • Batman Arkham Knight
  • Forza Horizon 2
  • Resident Evil
  • Warhammer: Total War
  • Lego 2KDrive
  • Metal Gear Rising
  • Cyberpunk 2077
  • Wolfstein Youngblood
  • Team Sonic Racing
  • Need For Speed Shift
  • Walking Dead Assault

They’ve worked for almost every major game studio, including: Electronic Arts, Blizzard, Bandai, Nintendo, Capcom, Frontier, Dambusters Studios, and many others.

See All THINKSPACE Teaching Staff

ROSS TREGENZA

Sound Designer, Composer (Alien Vs. Predator, Gears of War)

ALYX JONES

Sound Designer, Composer (Liquid Violet, Sound Architect)

GIORGIO VEZZINI

Sound Designer, Audio Lead (Batman: Arkham Knight, League of Legends)

HILGROVE KENRICK

Composer (Need for Speed: Shift, 12 Monkeys TV series)

JAMIE CHRISTOPHERSON

Composer (Fortnite, The Lord Of The Rings: Battle Of Middle Earth )

MATTHEW BESIER

Sound Designer, Engineer (Mass Effect series, Dragon Age: Origins)

MARK ANGUS

Sound Designer (Alien: Isolation, EA, Sega, Microsoft)

GREG LESTER

Sound Designer (The Quarry, As Dusk Falls)

KEVIN VALL

Sound Designer, Audio Lead (Driver San Francisco, Batman: Arkham City)

LEARN EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO SUCCEED

Your course falls into nine modules plus a final major project which lasts three months. Each module focuses on a different area of game music and/or orchestration, while at the same time developing specific audio, technical and business skills.

Video game sound designers are expected to turn their hands to a variety of styles and genres. But over and above this, they are expected to create sound that explores the unique interactive nature of the medium. The non-linear medium of video games presents exceptional challenges and opportunities. Foundations of Game Audio examines these and starts to explore ways in which composers and sound designers respond. Students will explore this via professional based projects, the needs and demands of the industry, and learn new essential skills for future modules.

Students will be introduced to the concepts surrounding the purpose of game audio and the practical skill of creating audio in sync with a moving image. They will examine how it works in practice, technically, creatively and in the professional working environment. They will learn to create audio to a brief in a variety of styles, accurately interpreting the intentions of the game audio director.

They will explore the various roles within the game industry and learn who is responsible for each aspect of the game delivery. This module will also discuss game direction and management, storytelling and narrative, level design and game workflows. Specifically, the focus will be on handheld and mobile gaming.

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 (30 hours a week)
Part time – 36 months (15 hours a week)
Part time – 48 months (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 times 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

Price for the whole degree:

£16,750

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%.)

UK and International students pay the same. For those paying in other currencies, the exact price is subject to exchange rate fluctuation.

STUDENT LOANS

In parts of the UK you can apply for the following student loans to cover postgraduate tuition:
- 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

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

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 / sound design. You will find a detailed explanation of the process on the applications page.

You do not require a high level of music theory for this course, just the ability to write great music and lots of potential.

Start your application

"Am I good enough?"

We are asked this question all the time and we’re happy to help and advise. Get in touch and we'll discuss your musical ambitions and ask for some examples of your work. Then we can tell you where you stand. Simply complete the form below, email us or call +44 (0)1243 256 049.


WHAT COURSE ALUMNI sAY

"A great opportunity, a great learning experience, and most of all, I really, really enjoyed doing all the work. The most valuable thing was the number of different games that you get to work on."

Rory Walker
Course graduate

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

Thor Bremmer
Course graduate

Frequently Asked Questions

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

have a question? contact us

Need some advice? Or just want to talk music? We’re always here to lend a professional ear.

postgraduate@thinkspace.ac.uk

+44 (0)1243 256049