Film (Documentary) - MA

University of South Wales

United Kingdom, Cardiff

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University of South Wales

United Kingdom , Cardiff

Key Facts

Program Level

Master by Course Work

Study Type

Full Time

Delivery

On Campus

Campuses

Cardiff

Program Language

English

Start & Deadlines

Next Intake DeadlinesSeptember-2026

Apply to this program

Go to the official application for the university

Duration 1 year (s)

Tuition Fee

GBP 17,900 / year

Next Intake September-2026

Film (Documentary) - MA

About

The MA Film (Documentary) course offers hands-on experience and advanced documentary skills. Through industry placements, collaborative projects, and a final production, you'll develop a portfolio that meets industry standards. You'll gain expertise in storytelling, self-shooting, and production processes, preparing you for a career in documentary filmmaking.

Industry
This module introduces work experience in your chosen field, guided by industry partners. Lectures cover industry entry and professionalism, film festivals and fundraising, followed by workshops to help you develop your online presence and CV/Showreel portfolio.

Specialist Craft Practice / Advanced Specialist Craft Practice
Develop advanced skills in your chosen discipline through lectures, workshops, practical exercises and tutorials. You will build a portfolio that meets assessment criteria and industry standards for submission.

Film Theory and Practice
This module explores key theoretical and critical frameworks and their application to contemporary film practice. You will produce written and audio-visual work that engages creatively with film theory and criticism.

Collaborative Practice
In this module, you will work with students from the other pathways in production groups, making a 6 – 9 minute film. You will learn how to work effectively in teams, understand production processes and hierarchies, meet deadlines and manage budgets.

Major Production Project
In this final major project, you'll make a 12 – 15 minute film and supporting materials, either individually or through collaboration, with ongoing guidance and feedback.

Requirements

Entry Requirements

Academic Qualifications

Students who have completed a 4 year Bachelor degree (60% overall or a GPA of 2.5 or above on the scale of 4, 4 being the highest) can be considered for entry onto a relevant postgraduate programme of study.
Applicants with other relevant qualifications or work experience may be considered on a case by case basis.

English Program Requirements

English language requirements

International applicants will need to have achieved an overall of IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component/TOEFL 72 overall and a minimum of 18 in reading, 17 in listening, 20 in speaking and 17 in writing or equivalent.

Equivalents can be located on our English Language pages.

If you have previously studied through the medium of English, IELTS might not be required, please visit our country specific page for further details. If your country is not featured, please contact us.

If you do not meet the English entry criteria, please visit our Pre-Sessional course pages.

Career

Career paths

Documentary director
Documentary cinematographer
Factual programme development
Video journalist
TV Researcher

Careers and Employability

Graduate careers

Serving as the stepping stone for your film career, many of our graduates take up roles as camera trainees, sound trainees, script supervisors and production runners, working for the BBC, Netflix, and Channel 4. Some graduates have also set up their own production companies.

With the transferable skills you’ll learn on our MA Film (Documentary) course, you can pursue a wide range of career opportunities including researcher, postproduction technician, screenwriter, director and editor.

Industry links

MA Film (Documentary) degree can provide you with the opportunities to hone the skills needed in today’s film and television industry. Our staff’s wide selection of contacts and as an education partner of Screen Alliance Wales, we provide opportunities for you to network with industry professionals and regularly advertise and update you on positions on upcoming productions.

Careers support

We’re here to help you take the first steps in your film and television career. We know how competitive it can be, but you’re in the right hands. The film and television industry in Wales is growing rapidly, providing more and more opportunities. We’ll teach you how to tell your stories and make your films stand out. Through our industry partnerships not only will you experience working in a professional environment, you will also learn all about networking – a key skill for a career in film.