Course summary

Sound is the most dynamic part of the media industry right now and this long-standing MA in audio, radio and podcasting will give you the theoretical knowledge and practical experience to navigate it and excel in it. We value what you have already achieved. Creativity in the audio medium is a uniquely personal experience and your existing knowledge and skills mean you'll be able to add diversity to the area of the industry you intend to join. Why study MA Audio, Radio and Podcasting Audio is a medium that has the potential to be transformative, to further the human experience. It’s a medium that creates a sense of intimacy, while continually generating questions. This degree will empower you to create something permanent, something with a life beyond your own, something significant. You'll be working in The Department of Media, Communications and Cultural Studies (MCCS), ranked 2nd in the UK for 'world-leading or internationally excellent' research (REF, 2021) and 12th in the world (2nd in the UK) in the 2022 QS World Rankings for communication & media studies. Students regularly win major and prestigious audio awards and with such a well-established and successful degree, our alumni hold important positions throughout the audio industry and include leading journalists, sound designers and independent producers. Alumni include Hannah Walker-Brown (multi-award-winning audio documentary maker, writer and the Creative Director for Broccoli Productions, a London-based podcast production company) Hunter Charlton and Ben Tulloh (directors of Burning Bright productions), Tayo Papoola (music producer, DJ and podcaster), Jason Phipps (former commissioning Editor of BBC Sounds, now Head of Content & Development at Chalk & Blade, Mark Burman (BBC features producer), Hanna Dean (award-winning freelance features producer), Arlie Adlington (freelance audio producer, sound designer and mix engineer) Wei Dong Lin, studio director (BBC) and podcast sound designer (The Economist) and many more. We'll excite your curiosity about the modern audio landscape The MA poses questions about the influence of audio as a medium and the power it has to stir emotions, evoke feelings, and conjure vivid mental images. We look at the ways in which recording technologies can preserve and hold on to an aspect of our existence – be that a cultural exchange or an artistic communication – and how we can inspire future generations with the work we create. How you'll do this

• The degree blends theory and practice. You'll spend the majority of your time actually producing content.

• You'll work in professional-standard digital studios and post-production suites with a dedicated newsroom. There is also a student radio station broadcasting online.

• Journalism skills are vital to news and documentary production and this is one area where you'll spend a lot of time gathering original stories and crafting news programmes.

• Our media law module is one of the most intensive in the UK. You'll learn how to report in a legal and safe manner, including ethical treatment of topics and contributors.

• We don’t get in the way of your talent; we encourage and support it.

• We adopt a reflective, humanitarian approach to storytelling. In order to develop creative imagination, we need to embrace diversity and understand all kinds of belief systems. You'll spend time within communities, questioning, listening and learning well after your graduation.

• You can develop your own individual ideas about the sonic arts.

• This MA gives you skills which employers want. The ability to think critically, act confidently, ask the right questions and apply research rigour are valuable in adjacent industries and freelance work.

• We assemble some of the best audio producers who will share their experience, motivate you, and offer feedback to help each piece of work be better than the last.