Television Production MA

Why study MA Television Production at University College Falmouth?

Do you see yourself directing a crew on location, or in the studio waiting to go on air? Or developing and researching ideas, pitching them to commissioning editors, and managing a creative team? If you do, then this postgraduate television production course is for you.

You do not need experience of television production to undertake this course, and we work closely with you so that you acquire the skills necessary to enable you to enter the TV industry.

University College Falmouth is part of the Cornwall Skillset Media Academy network - a UK-wide group of institutions identified as centres of excellence in creative media education and training.

Tell me more about the MA Television Production course

 MA Television Production award information form (93.26 KB)

Intensive, practical, creative and professional - postgraduate Television Production at Falmouth ticks all the boxes. From writing proposals to managing budgets, our course has been closely planned with industry professionals so that you graduate with the skills that employers really want.

You’ll study everything from camerawork and editing, to researching and directing. Lectures and seminars from experienced staff and high calibre guest speakers will open your eyes to the possibilities of programme-making, and with access to state-of-the-art digital recording and editing facilities, you’ll get plenty of hands-on experience to help you develop a wide range of skills.

At Falmouth, we’re renowned for nurturing creative style as well as technical excellence, and that’s what makes our graduates stand apart. We want to teach, challenge and inspire you to make original and creative television. Are you ready?

Professional contacts

The course has very close connections with the television industry, and practitioners often visit Falmouth to talk to students about their own productions and to discuss students’ work in progress. As well as these contacts, the course runs a number of projects with broadcasters and production companies, and some examples are listed below:

ITV Westcountry

Every year, ITV Westcountry selects a number of students from our Television Production course for work placements. The chosen students spend their time on location, in sound and edit suites and transmission, experiencing at first hand what it is like to work with a crew to tight deadlines and exacting standards. In order to be considered for the scheme, students have to undergo a formal interview, so they also gain invaluable experience in developing ideas and appearing before interview panels.

Denham Productions

This project gives students the chance to present their ideas to a commissioning panel. They are asked to develop an idea for a programme or series, and then to pitch it in a live presentation. All the students who pitch receive careful and helpful feedback on their ideas. The best ideas can be selected for production at University College Falmouth, with the opportunity for ideas to be piloted for broadcast

Twofour TV

Twofour Broadcast, the major production company based in Plymouth, offer two MA TV Production students bursaries of £1,000. In addition to the bursaries, the two students have the opportunity of work experience placements.

Guest lectures

TV Production guest lecture series 2010/11

• Jaimie D'Cruz - Producer of Exit Through the Gift Shop
• Dan Adamson - Director of Programmes, Twofour Broadcast
• Simon Nash - Producer, director and writer of natural history documentaries
• Ben Gutteridge - TV Drama Director
• Brett Harvey - Writer/Director
• Bridget Sneyd - Senior Executive Producer, Twofour Broadcast

Entry requirements and how to apply

Entry requirements through the university sector include Honours Degrees, Foundation Degrees and HNDs in a related subject. If you have solid professional industry experience rather than academic achievement, this may be acceptable for entry to study at this level through a process called APEL (Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning). More information about entry requirements can be found here

Applications should be made direct to Falmouth using the online application form

For further information about MA TV Production at University College Falmouth, please email admissions@falmouth.ac.uk or telephone Admissions on 01326 255764.

Interview and selection process

Although not compulsory, along with your application you may wish to send some examples of your work, either as paper copies, online links, emails or CDs. These can either be sent with your application or separately, either by email to admissions@falmouth.ac.uk or by post to:

Admissions, University College Falmouth
Woodlane, Falmouth, Cornwall TR11 4RH

Once you have applied the course team will assess your application and if we think you have the potential to study at Falmouth we will invite you to an interview. We would really like to see you in person but we can hold a telephone interview if this is not possible. Where possible we like to interview at our postgraduate open days, but we do hold interviews throughout the year. 

Answers and advice about the course

 Postgraduate study guide 2012 (2.70 MB)

If you have any queries about the course please email admissions@falmouth.ac.uk or telephone Admissions on 01326 255764.

Funding your study

A Master’s degree represents a significant investment in your future, and you will rightly be concerned about funding. Our fees & funding section outlines fees for full and part time students and has guides to introduce you to ways of funding your course at Falmouth.

Postgraduate scholarships

We are pleased to announce our MBA and MA scholarships for students joining us for the 2012/13 academic year. Full details about the scholarships, eligibility, and application deadlines are available on our postgraduate funding page.

South West Screen

South West Screen is offering industry-backed postgraduate bursaries to three South West students.

Postgraduate placements

Put your skills to use in Cornwall's dynamic business environment on a paid placement project

Postgraduate Placements Cornwall is a consultancy level business placement programme running in Cornwall until 2014. The programme is delivered by University College Falmouth and partner institutions University of Exeter and PCMD.

For more information about the project, please contact the Placement Office in the Annexe at Tremough:

Tel: 01326 254200 or 01326 255984
Email: placementteam@falmouth.ac.uk

Career opportunities

Because the range of skills that the programme covers is so broad, graduates have gone on to find jobs in all kinds of areas of TV work. They work in production companies throughout the UK as well as in Europe and further afield as researchers, directors, producers, editors, camera operators and sound recordists.

• Some graduates become researchers, working on programmes as varied as documentaries, light entertainment, daytime, children’s, or features.
• Some graduates decide they want to work in drama, and that the best way into that field is to start as runners, and later as assistant directors.
• Some graduates become interested in technical areas and go on to find posts such as assistant editors or assistant cameramen.
• Some go into ideas development, coming up with new ideas for TV programmes.
• Graduates from the course have also gone on to find work as production assistants, production managers, creative designers and sound recordists.

The range of jobs in TV in enormous and the tutors work with each student to help them to find their own direction within it.

Graduate case studies

• Television Production graduate case studies

Related courses

• Multimedia Broadcast Journalism MA
  
• International Journalism MA