MA in Media and Broadcast Production
Queen's University Belfast - Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Key Information
Campus location
Belfast, United Kingdom
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
1 - 3 year
Pace
Full time, Part time
Tuition fees
GBP 19,100 / per year *
Application deadline
Request info
Earliest start date
Sep 2024
* Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland: £6,980 | England, Scotland or Wales: £8,360 | EU Other and International: £19,100
Introduction
This MA is an intensive programme providing you with a solid foundation in media-based storytelling by combining in-depth research methods with a practical, hands-on approach to learning. It will teach you how to record and edit in audio and video formats; how to research, produce, script and edit your own material, whether it is short features or long-form documentaries; and how to produce stories for radio, TV and interactive online platforms. To do this, you’ll also learn effective interviewing techniques. This MA will teach you how to identify a good story and then how to research and pitch it for a successful commissioning outcome.
Whether you want to be a broadcast journalist, radio or podcast producer, videographer, documentary filmmaker, media production/communications specialist, post-production editor or immersive media practitioner, our practice-centred approach will strategically position you to work for any aspect of radio or podcasting; factual TV; documentary and informational production. Upon completing this MA, you will have numerous factual media outputs under your belt in radio/podcast, TV, documentary, interactive and experimental hybrid formats. This will be the basis of a robust work portfolio with which you can then enter the work market.
The programme is designed to appeal to graduate students in the Humanities and Social Sciences, particularly those with backgrounds in English, politics, history, journalism, cultural studies, and creative writing. The previous academic study of or practical experience in areas of the media is beneficial but not essential. This would also interest those from other disciplines who want to retrain and have already had some relevant media industry experience.
Industry Links
We have strong links to the BBC and relationships with local and global media organisations. We have industry professionals as guest speakers, both from Northern Ireland as well as internationally: foreign correspondents, award-winning directors and producers, photographers, editors and script writers. Students can take part in a range of talks and events and have regular opportunities to engage with the vibrant media scene in Northern Ireland and the international media landscape.
Students will use equipment and facilities acquired and designed in collaboration with BBC NI and other industry representatives. The Media and Broadcast MA is taught from the Sonic Arts Research Centre, the home of the world-renowned Sonic Lab. Students have opportunities to explore hybrid forms of storytelling using industry-level cameras, editing software and facilities.
Student Experience
Based in the School of Arts, English and Languages, the MA in Media and Broadcast Production offers a robust, hands-on production experience combined with rigorous academic research, enabling students to leave with a rich portfolio of self-produced, shot and edited factual stories in audio and video formats; radio and TV documentaries; and thorough understanding of modern media and broadcast landscapes.
Students are encouraged to develop their own interests throughout the degree, guided by the staff, whose expertise is wide-ranging, covering broadcast journalism, factual (audio and video) documentary production, hybrid storytelling, interactive media, virtual reality, media research & analysis and communications.
Gallery
Admissions
Curriculum
Full Time;
- Semester One: Three compulsory modules
- Semester Two: Two compulsory modules and one optional.
- Summer: Dissertation
Part-Time;
- Year One, Semester One: Two compulsory modules
- Year One, Semester Two: One module
- Year Two, Semester One: One compulsory module
- Year Two, Semester Two: Two modules
- Year Three, September to May: Dissertation
Course Details
All modules are subject to change and availability. Listings here should be taken as indicative.
Core Modules:
Media and Broadcast Analysis
This module introduces students to the academic analysis of broadcasting and media. In doing so, the aim is to provide students with an understanding of a range of different methods for conducting their own research and for understanding other academics' research. By considering these ideas and elements, students should develop their understanding of the media and broadcast environment in ways that aid their practical work as well as allow them to consider how their own work, as well as that of others, can be interpreted by different audiences. Students should provide their own examples of programming and material but will also be supplied with examples, including archival material, audience research etc.
The Radio Documentary and Narrative Podcasting
This module develops the skills needed for students to produce a multi-faceted industry-standard radio feature, incorporating interview clips, sound effects, music, and a script. The module takes students through the production process, from the initial idea and gathering of material to scripting and editing. The module examines the history of the radio documentary and analyses changes in the genre.
Broadcast Journalism
This module explores theoretical concepts relating to journalism while developing each student’s own journalistic craft through workshop-based practice. It empowers students to work independently as journalists and produce their own news/feature radio and television outputs. Students will be brought through the process of producing packages from the pitch and strong story conceptualisation, effective interviewing, scripting and the final edit. This module also teaches the regulatory and ethical framework surrounding broadcast journalism.
Television Documentary Practice
This practice-based module explores documentary filmmaking in the context of television and broadcast commissioning structures on the island of Ireland and the UK. Students will be encouraged to combine their theory and practice to produce their documentaries and become informed practitioners, aware of the commissioning structures and current industry practices, yet capable of reflecting critically on their own practice.
Broadcasting Genre
This module examines the uses and significance of genre in broadcasting. It covers theories of genre, the relationships between genres in different media (including literature and cinema), and the uses of the genre by broadcasters, producers and audiences. Through the module, students will develop their own case studies focusing on a genre of their choice, practising and enhancing their independent research skills as they build their individual assessed project. They will engage with questions about how genres are formed and used, why people categorise things in genres, how genres interact with policy and taste formations, and how generic descriptions and canons change over time.
Interactive Media
This module introduces the production of interactive and non-linear forms of new media as emergent alternatives to traditional linear forms of media. New media is explored through both a practical exploration of interactive formats; and by considering critical debates around aesthetics, power, force, significance and form in a series of new media texts, artefacts and systems. The module situates practices in an environment that is ceaselessly evolving and explores new technologies such as virtual reality, immersive media and interactive documentary for web/mobile devices. This module offers a practical introduction to software authoring tools and an exploration of disruptive new technologies as they emerge.
Media and Broadcast Production Dissertation
Each student will develop and produce a dissertation based on a topic which they select in consultation with their supervisor. The Media and Broadcast Production dissertation may take the form of a practice-based (documentary, podcast, etc.) output with the associated reflective statement or a traditional academic dissertation Students will undertake their dissertation work independently over the summer, supported by their supervisor.
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
This programme is designed to offer a range of highly useful skills, experience and understanding regarding broadcasting and contemporary media, which are useful in a range of careers, including broadcasting, journalism, marketing, press and public relations, advertising and teaching. Some students choose to continue their studies to PhD level on a chosen specialised topic in Media and Broadcast Production.
Employment Links
Queen's postgraduates reap exceptional benefits. Unique initiatives, such as Degree Plus and Researcher Plus, bolster our commitment to employability, while innovative leadership and executive programmes alongside sterling integration with business experts help our students gain key leadership positions both nationally and internationally.
Degree plus award for extra-curricular skills
In addition to your degree programme, at Queen's, you can have the opportunity to gain wider life, academic and employability skills. For example, placements, voluntary work, clubs, societies, sports and lots more. So not only do you graduate with a degree recognised from a world-leading university, you'll have practical national and international experience plus a wider exposure to life overall. We call this Degree Plus. It's what makes studying at Queen's University Belfast special.