COURSE CURRICULUM

The MA Filmmaking at UWS is tailored to support a wide range of creative ambitions, whether in first-person documentaries, avant-garde essay films, or commercial dramas, and for careers as directors, editors, cinematographers, or sound designers. The program is led by industry-active filmmaker-academics, including Professor Nick Higgins, Paul Wright, and Sam Firth, and supported by a global roster of award-winning fiction and documentary filmmakers. Delivered primarily from Film City Glasgow, a hub housing over 20 production and post-production companies and Scotland’s only Dolby sound recording studio, the course combines practical filmmaking with theoretical study and industry insight. Additional teaching takes place at the £81 million Ayr Campus, offering state-of-the-art facilities close to Glasgow. Students progress through a Postgraduate Diploma stage, completing core modules including Advanced Documentary Film Practice, Advanced Fiction Film Practice, Development Lab, and Film as an Industry, totalling 120 credits. This stage develops both production skills and professional knowledge, preparing students for the Master’s Film Project. In the final 60-credit master’s module, students produce a graduation film in their chosen genre, applying their learning in a fully realised project, with funding support of £500–£2,500 for production costs. By the end of the program, students will have created three short films and gained the skills, experience, and industry insight necessary to pursue careers across the international screen industries.