About Sound Design & Audiovisual Practice Msc in University of Glasgow

The Masters provides advanced training in creative practice with sound and audiovisual technologies. The programme offers topics relevant to practicing musicians, artists, and the creative industries, such as sound shaping and design, audiovisual composition, field recording, creative and experimental approaches to technology, live performance, interdisciplinary perspectives on sound, and sonic aesthetics. You then develop an individual portfolio of sonic and audiovisual artwork based on your particular skills and interests.

• We are Scotland’s leading research centre in Music, with a mutually supportive community of scholars and practitioners.

• 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. Festivals abound, such as Sonica, Counterflows, and Tectonics, as does grass-roots sonic activity such as the Lights Out Listening Group, and a huge range of venues for creative sound work, including the Old Hairdressers, Tramway, Mono, SWG3, and City Halls, all of which have hosted our students’ work. The presence of ensembles such as the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, RSNO, Scottish Opera, Scottish Ensemble, and experimental music ensembles such as the Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra provides a rich 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 can experiment with building devices for making and controlling sound, enhanced by the presence of prototyping facilities in Glasgow such as Maklab, through our Creating with Technology unit.
• You will benefit from access to our facilities including an audio lab, three studios, the University’s Concert Hall with Genelec and D&B sound diffusion system, seminar and practice rooms.

PROGRAMME STRUCTURE

The programme aims to:

• provide artistic and technical experience in working with sound as a culturally significant medium
• enable you to build your knowledge of tools and methods for manipulating sonic and audiovisual media
• enable you to design, repurpose and reconfigure technologies for creative compositional ends
• enhance your creative practice through taking an exploratory and critical approach to sonic design and composition

CAREER PROSPECTS

The attributes you gain will be attractive to employers from the creative industries, and are particularly relevant for contemporary music, sound design and sound production, games, theatre, film and television. Many of our graduates undertake successful portfolio careers as artists and sound practitioners in their own right. The programme also offers an excellent foundation upon which to progress to PhD studies and an academic career.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

A 2.1 Honours degree or equivalent qualification (e.g GPA of 3.0 or above) in a relevant subject.

Applicants should also have some experience of working creatively with sound, digital media or music technology, and must submit a portfolio for entry including examples of their prior work in this area. 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 their online application.

For applicants whose first language is not English, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level.

International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic module (not General Training)

• 6.5 with no sub-test under 6.0. 
• Tests must have been taken within 4 years 5 months of start date. Combined scores from two tests taken within 6 months of each other can be considered.

Common equivalent English language qualifications

All stated English tests are acceptable for admission to this programme:

TOEFL (ib, my best or athome)

• 90 with minimum R 20, L 19, S 19, W 23. 
• Tests must have been taken within 4 years 5 months of start date. Combined scores from two tests taken within 6 months of each other can be considered.

PTE (Academic)

• 60 with minimum 59 in all sub-tests.
• Tests must have been taken within 4 years 5 months of start date. Combined scores from two tests taken within 6 months of each other can be considered.

University of Glasgow Highlights

University of Glasgow Cost of Attendance

The cost of attendance will also include any additional costs a foreign student may have, such as living expenses while studying in the UK in addition to tuition fees.

University of Glasgow Fees

Tuition fees for some of the popular programs are as follows:

Cost of Living at University of Glasgow

Other costs involved include rent or on-campus accommodation fees, expenses on books and material, and other lifestyle choices