Digital Music and Sound Arts MA

Course in brief

Our Digital Music and Sound Arts MA is aimed at graduate and professional artists who are interested in exploratory, experimental and interdisciplinary approaches to sound, music, AV media, and sound arts practices and productions.

The course enables students to address new developments in digital music and sound arts and the role of sound in contemporary culture in its widest sense. It is structured around a framework for developing advanced practices relevant to artistic and commercial contexts, and for potential researchers wishing to further their research-based practice.

Through creative practice-based research students will engage with musical composition and sound design productions, as well as focusing on the relationship of sound to other art forms and related media key areas including:

sound for screen and moving image
sound arts
sound and new media.

Key facts

Apply direct to the university

Location Brighton: Grand Parade

Full-time 1 year
Part-time 2 years

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Please make sure that you meet the entry requirements before applying. If you have any questions the course team will be happy to help.

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Entry criteria

Entry requirements

The entry requirements listed here are our typical offer for this course for students planning to start their course in 2018, and should be used as a general guide. We operate a flexible admissions policy – this means that different applicants may be made higher or lower offers for the same course, depending on their other achievements.

Degree and experience
Normally a 2:1 in a related subject. However, given the nature of the course it is anticipated that students from a variety of backgrounds will apply. For example, practitionerswithout a good first degree but with a substantial professional experience and portfolio will be considered. Applicants with non-relevant academic qualifications may be assessed for accreditation prior learning (APL) equivalence on the basis of appropriate professional or work-related experience.

English language requirements
IELTS 6.5 overall, with 6.0 in writing and at least 5.5 in the other parts.

International students whose language skills do not match the IELTS scores set out here should consider applying for this course through the Extended Masters programme at the university's Language Institute.

International equivalencies

International equivalencies by country

Albania
Algeria
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belgium
Bermuda
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burma (Myanmar)
Cameroon
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Ecuador
Egypt
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Guyana
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kosovo
Kuwait
Latvia
Lebanon
Liechtenstein
Libya
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malaysia
Malawi
Malta
Mexico
Moldova
Montenegro
Morocco
Namibia
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nigeria
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palestinian National Authority
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russian Federation
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
Syria
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tanzania
Thailand
Tunisia
Turkey
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United States
Uzbekistan
Venezuela
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

We can help you meet our English language or academic entry requirements.

Visit our language institute

For English language preparation courses.

Visit our International College

For academic preparation courses.

Course in detail

Why study with us?

You’ll be exposed to sound across a wide spectrum of aesthetic forms and in diverse technological media, especially the relation of sound to other art forms.
Our staff are experts in the field and work as artists, producers, curators, composers and authors as well as in teaching.
The course combines practical experimentation in both music and sound art with theoretical reflection and contextual research.
You are encouraged to articulate, explore and develop your ideas within group and independent projects.

Areas of study

Through creative practice-based research students will engage with musical composition and sound design productions. Studies will place particular emphasis on the relationship of sound to other art forms and related media key areas including:

sound for screen and moving image – addressing screen-based musical composition and sound design for film, video, games, new media, television, multi-channel audio-visual installations and audio-visual projections in space
sound arts – addressing sound in relation to other art forms, such as sculpture, installation art, photography, architecture, soundscape composition, environmental art as well as sound ecology, sound in space and spatialisation of sound, audio-visual installations and radiophonics
sound and new media – covering sound and music in the context of the new content afforded by the digital media, such as generative composition & sound design, audio programming for new media applications and interactivity, hybrid (lived and virtual) environments, interface and new instrument design, computer games, locative media, apps design for mobile media.

Modules

Experimental Sound Practice
Practice-based Research Methods
Critical Theory – Research Essay
Contemporary Debates in Sonic Media and Sound Arts
Sound Research Project and Professional Practice: Stage 1 (Initiation)
Sound Research Project and Professional Practice: Stage 2 (Resolution)

Some modules are shared with students from the Digital Media, Culture and Society MA, and the Digital Media Arts MA, enabling a cross pollination of ideas and strategies.

Facilities

Students have access to high-end equipment, resources and expert staff support, including:

four state-of-the-art networked digital studios equipped with surround sound, high-end sound processing, AV post-production capable via fully automated mixing and mastering, which includes an array of analogue hardware synthesizers and specialised analogue outboard equipment and instruments, for example Theramin
two sound isolated sound recording booths with connection to all studios
sound diffusion lab dedicated for multi-channel sound (up to 16 channel), HD video projections and digitally controlled LED DMX eight channel lighting system for research and experimentation with multi-channel audio-visual interactive systems
computer suite with specialised audio and AV software
recording equipment: digital mobile multi-channel professional digital recorders, professional condenser and dynamic microphones, 5.1 surround sound microphone
specialist software: IRCAM Spat, MaxMSP, Pure Data, Logic Audio Pro, Cubase, Pro Tools, Melodyne, Final Cut Pro, full Adobe Suite
dedicated electronic workshop mash-up area to aide building and experimentation with interface design, new instrument design, sensors via dedicated Arduino kits
AV technical support
technical inductions and workshop sessions
tutor support for practice-based research and theoretical research project development.

Careers and employability

The course emphasises the creative exploration of sound in the context of both new creative industries and contemporary arts practices. Students are encouraged to develop a strong portfolio preparing them for professional opportunities as creative specialists or researchers, who can move across different fields of practice and respond to conceptual and technical innovations with imaginative solutions.

Fees and funding

Your fees

UK/EU (full-time) 6,270 GBP

International (full-time) 14,580 GBP

Scholarships, bursaries and loans

We offer a range of scholarships for postgraduate students. Bursaries and loans may also be available to you.

Find out more about postgraduate fees and funding.

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2018–19.

Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and are subject to an annual increase of no more than 5% or RPI (whichever is the greater). The annual increase for UK/EU students, who are subject to regulated fees, will increase no more than the statutory maximum fee.

You can find out more about our fees in the university's student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full- or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take.

What's included in the fee?

When costs such as health or DBS checks, or use of specialist materials are incurred as a mandatory requirement of the course they are included in your tuition fee.

You may incur additional costs depending on the optional modules or activities you choose. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. Before you apply check with the school that provides your course using the contact details in the Find out more tab (at the end of this page) for advice about what is included and what optional costs you could face so you can budget accordingly.

See our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships as well as further information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Location and living here

Location

About Brighton

Forward-thinking and welcoming, the city of Brighton & Hove is a community of creative and diverse people who share values like sustainability and inclusivity – just like its university.

Miles of pebble beaches, hundreds of bars, restaurants and clubs, a packed calendar of culture, music and sport and great independent and high street shopping attract visitors from all over the world. By the end of your course you’ll still be finding new things to enjoy about the city.

The Brighton Festival, England’s largest arts festival, takes place every May – as does the Great Escape Europe’s leading industry showcase for new music, 300 bands perform over three days at venues across the city. Major events celebrate Pride, digital culture, cinema, photography, food and the winter solstice. Our own Brighton Graduate show is a highlight, turning the university into the largest exhibition space in the south east as we celebrate the outstanding creativity of our students.

As a student here you’ll have a unique opportunity to experience what the city has to offer. Volunteering and placement opportunities enable you to play your part in the events, organisations and communities that make Brighton such a compelling place to be.

Campus where this course is taught

Grand Parade campus

Our Grand Parade campus is in the heart of Brighton, across the road from the Royal Pavilion and a five-minute walk from the beach. After your lectures you’ll be right in the city centre, close to all the best pubs, clubs, restaurants and cafes that Brighton has to offer.

The campus is home to a creative community of arts and humanities students, specialising in everything from fashion and textiles to politics and philosophy. It is also the location of the University of Brighton Gallery and Sallis Benney Theatre, which host events throughout the festival season and beyond.

The world-renowned University of Brighton Design Archives are in the basement of Grand Parade and offer extensive resources for the study of British design in the twentieth century. St Peters House, the campus library, is also nearby and houses a specialist collection of arts books and journals.

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Accommodation

Brighton

Our Brighton halls of residence are located across the city in Grand Parade, Moulsecoomb, Varley Park and Falmer.

Grand Parade is in central Brighton and has one hall of residence, Phoenix Brewery, within walking distance.
Moulsecoomb is two miles from the city centre and also has one hall of residence, Moulsecoomb Place, on campus.
Varley Park offers the biggest choice of student accommodation with ten halls of residence.
Falmer campus has two halls of residence: Great Wilkins and Paddock Field.
Varley Park and Falmer are around four miles from Brighton centre; there are good public transport services nearby.

Aside from halls, you have the option of Unihomes, which we let out to our students on behalf of private landlords. We recommend Unihomes and House Share when you’re balancing learning with placements, shifts and other commitments, because they give you more choice and flexibility.

You can also choose to join the many students who live away from campus in private rented accommodation. We have a list of high-quality, university-endorsed private sector accommodation and can help you find housemates to move in with.

Find out more on our accommodation webpages and if you have any questions, our accommodation team will be happy to help. You can contact them by email at accommodation@brighton.ac.uk or by telephone on 01273 644100.

Paddock Field

Moulsecoomb Place

Maps

Accommodation

University building

Grand Parade campus map

Find out more

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