MA Immersive Arts (Virtual and Augmented Reality)
- MA
- PG Certificate (Postgraduate Certificate)
- PG Diploma (Postgraduate Diploma)
Overview
Creative technologies and interactive and immersive media are transforming the ways in which we experience and engage with culture. Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Mixed Reality (MR) are being used across a wide range of industries, including games and entertainment; theatre and live events; museums and heritage; marketing, advertising, and tourism; architecture and design; and simulation and healthcare.
This MA will enable you to translate your learning and experience in creative arts (for example writing, theatre, film or music production) into making engaging immersive content and designing innovative interactive experiences. We will equip you with the technical skills and knowledge to succeed in this exciting and rapidly growing sector. Throughout the course, you will learn from world-leading academics and pioneering thought-leaders, and work closely with creative industry partners. This MA equips students with:
- creative skills and knowledge to work with virtual reality, augmented reality and interactive media,
- critical, theoretical, and practical skills in creative technologies and immersive storytelling, which underpin effective extended reality experiences (XR),
- the ability to consider the processes of digital content creation, delivery, and consumption holistically in order to produce interactive media for a range of audiences while meeting technological constraints and addressing live industry briefs,
- the ability to work across disciplines to produce engaging immersive experiences for a variety of contexts, through working collaboratively with students on the MSc Immersive Technologies (Virtual and Augmented Reality) to bring together skills in creative arts and computer science/software development,
- skills in responsible innovation and entrepreneurship to become the next generation of leaders in immersive industry startups.
The creative, immersive and screen media industries are thriving in Bristol and the region, which makes the city an ideal place to study Immersive Arts. The MA has been co-designed with industry partners and is closely associated with excellent cutting-edge research in immersive technologies and creative practices within the University, for instance MyWorld. The teaching will be research-led, and give students insights into emerging media and how the creative industries are evolving, along with emphasising practical approaches to learning.
Programme structure
You will be introduced to the fundamental technologies underpinning immersive media, the diverse applications and experiences that can be achieved with these technologies, and the wide range of opportunities in the sector. You will get to experience and discuss inspiring examples, cover theories of immersivity, histories of immersive and interactive media, and emerging technologies and approaches. This will enable you to position your practice in the field and reflect critically on how the sector is developing.
Virtual and augmented reality require new forms of non-linear narrative and you will develop your understanding of interactive storytelling, non-linear dramaturgy and how to structure compelling experiences. You will explore creative content creation, producing 360-degree video and spatial audio, motion capture, directing and/or performing in virtual environments and AR scenes. You will learn how to design interactions to further immerse your audience in the action, giving them agency in how an immersive experience unfolds, and develop understanding of how the player/user is affected by the experience.
To complete your studies, a 60-credit research or practical project can be chosen. This unit will provide you with first-hand experience in planning, delivering, and presenting a substantial piece of original immersive and creative work in an academic, civic or commercial environment.
Visit our programme catalogue for full details of the structure and unit content for our MA in Immersive Arts (Virtual and Augmented Reality).
Entry requirements
You will typically need an upper second-class honours degree or an international equivalent in any discipline.
If you are currently completing a degree, we understand that your final grade may be higher than the interim grades or module/unit grades you have achieved during your studies to date.
We will consider your application if your interim grades are currently slightly lower than the programme's entry requirements and may make you an aspirational offer. This offer would be at the standard level, so you would need to achieve the standard entry requirements by the end of your degree. Specific module requirements would still apply.
We will also consider your application if your final overall achieved grade is slightly lower than the programme's entry requirement.
See international equivalent qualifications on the International Office website.
Read the programme admissions statement for important information on entry requirements, the application process and supporting documents required.
Go to admissions statementIf English is not your first language, you will need to reach the requirements outlined in our profile level B.
Further information about English language requirements and profile levels.
Fees and funding
- Home: full-time
- £15,700 per year
- Home: part-time (three years)
- £5,233 per year
- Home: part-time (two years)
- £7,850 per year
- Overseas: full-time
- £34,200 per year
Fees are subject to an annual review. For programmes that last longer than one year, please budget for up to an 8% increase in fees each year.
More about tuition fees, living costs and financial support.
Alumni discount
University of Bristol students and graduates can benefit from a 25% reduction in tuition fees for postgraduate study. Check your eligibility for an alumni discount.
Funding and scholarships
MyWorld Scholarships: UK offer holders for this programme may be eligible for a scholarship of up to £5,000 towards their tuition fees. Information about eligibility and the application process can be found on the MyWorld website.
Further information on funding for prospective UK and international postgraduate students.
Career prospects
Graduates from this MA will be capable of developing immersive applications and content for a variety of sectors, applying their knowledge to real-world challenges, and will be able to innovate and work successfully in interdisciplinary teams. As diverse sectors pivot to embrace immersive technologies, the demand for graduates with skills in this area has skyrocketed and such expertise is becoming integral to a wide range of occupations across the globe. Students will graduate with a portfolio of work that shows what they are able to do and you will have a network of professional contacts to draw on.
Graduates from this MA will be sought after in a wide range of roles, for instance in immersive theatre and events, in the interaction department of animation, film and screen media companies, in advertising, marketing, experience and app design, in digital museum interpretation and in games development.
Contact us
- Contact
- Enquiries Team
- Phone
- +44 (0) 117 394 1649
- choosebristol-pg@bristol.ac.uk
- Contact
- Dr Harry Wilson, Programme Director
- harry.wilson@bristol.ac.uk
- Faculties
- Schools
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