MA Special Effects for Film & TV
- Study Mode: Full Time
- Location: High Wycombe
- Duration: One Year
- Start Date: September 2027
Are you ready to elevate your career in the film and TV industry? This MA enables you to focus your studies on the conceptualisation, design and crafting of props, model-making, animatronics design and fabrication technologies.
Our industry standard facilities are here to help you produce your most creative ideas. We will build your confidence in using the latest post-production software. Our other specialist resources including:
- CNC and laser cutter machines
- prototyping workshops equipped with advanced tools
- industry standard capture devices (still and moving)
- photography studios equipped with flash and LED lighting
- blue/green screen video studio
- computer suites
At every step you’ll be supported by a dedicated team of technicians who will provide you with advice, technical assistance and support to realise your assignment briefs and final project.
The MA in Special Effects for Film & TV is led by a dedicated and experienced course team, you’ll benefit from their industry knowledge and the industry links they bring to the course. Many of our guest lecturers are specialists based at various studios all over the country.
As part of the College of Creative Arts, Technology and Engineering at BNU, you’ll benefit from a practiced-based course, supported by contextual studies. You’ll also have the opportunity to work collaboratively across the College with other courses, ensuring during your studies you are building a varied network, like you would in the real world.
With a history of delivery expert craft, art and design education for more than 130 years, Buckinghamshire New University is the perfect place to start your creative career in special effects makeup, props or modelmaking.
With London and Oxford only a short train ride away, you will also experience visits to outside bodies, such as prop stores, sets and set stores, material suppliers and manufacturing professionals and museums.
What will I study?
This MA enables you to focus your studies on the conceptualisation, design and crafting of props, model-making, animatronics design and fabrication technologies.
This taught course is industry-focused and will provide opportunities for you to engage with a broad range of skills and techniques required within special effects props production for film and TV and associated creative industries.
You’ll delve into the interpretation of scripted and envisioned concepts which will expand your innovative thinking, originality, imagination and develop the practical and problem solving skills to carry the projects through problem-solving to completion.
Upon graduation from this course you will have developed the theoretical and conceptual design approaches within your chosen specialism and the relevant practical skills to produce a polished and functional camera ready product to a professional standard suitable for the creative industries.
You will be supported in the acquisition of knowledge to enable you to work as a freelancer in a competitive industry, enabling you to forge a successful career within your chosen specialism.
How will I be taught and assessed?
This postgraduate degree encompasses a wide variety of teaching and learning methods. During this course, you will benefit from a full schedule where you’ll learn everything you need to know to feel ready for the industry by the time you graduate.
The degree is strongly vocationally-based, and you may have opportunities to present your work to a range of audiences, including industry-professionals. You’ll do this through collections, exhibitions, screenings, and other teaching methods as applicable to each specialism.
Individual and small group tutorials led by tutors and industry professionals are not only to support you throughout the degree but more importantly to prepare you for the professional world afterwards with an outstanding portfolio and a network of employers.
You’ll be assessed though a range of portfolio and presentations, which can include timed, practical outputs, written assessments and research sketchbooks.
Projects are designed to present new challenges to you as you progress through the course. By the end of your time with BNU, you’ll leave with a full eye-catching portfolio to go to employers with.
What are the course entry requirements?
As the key aim of this programme is to provide knowledge and skills in all related areas of the conceptualisation, design and crafting of props, model-making, animatronics design and fabrication technologies, the course will be recruiting applicants with a broad base of appropriate skills within the field and enable them to focus on an area relevant to their career aspirations.
A minimum of 2.2 at BA/BSc level in a relevant subject is required. Alternatively, a Higher National Diploma (HND) qualification in relevant subject, with a minimum of 2 years’ industry experience will be required.
Applicants will need to have a suitably appropriate portfolio of work and an undergraduate degree in areas such as Special Effects Make-Up, Animation, Electronics, Mechanical Engineering, Model- making, Sculptor making, Engineering Product Design, and Manufacturing Design. The key aim of this programme, depending on their specialism, is to deepen students’ knowledge and specialist skills in all related areas before entering the industry.
Due to the technical nature of the programme, applicants whose first-degree discipline is not in a related area of special effects will be considered only if they can demonstrate that they have an appropriately focused portfolio. Likewise, candidates whose existing knowledge or skillset is not up to entry standard at Level 7 will also be required to undertake a short bridging course during the summer before the start of the MA, or be required to undertake an academic research task to develop their knowledge and preparedness for Level 7 study.
Overseas applicants whose first language is not English are required to have attained a minimum score of 6.5 overall with a minimum 6.0 in each component of the IELTS Academic Test. However, as part of the selection process, all applicants are required to attend an interview to demonstrate their strengths in addition to any formal entry requirements.
Modules
This provides a guide of the modules that make up your course. You can find more information about how your course is structured on our Academic Advice section.
What are the tuition fees
Home
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Home, Academic Year 2026 - 2027: £14,750 *
International
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Overseas/International, Academic Year 2026 - 2027: £21,060 *
Please note all of the 2026/27 fees stated are subject to parliamentary procedure. Tuition fees are expected to increase each academic year in line with the maximum permitted value set by the Government for that academic year. The expected rise for Home undergraduate students (including those on a foundation year course), may impact both new and continuing students.
Additional costs
Your tuition fees cover most course costs, but you may need to budget for additional expenses. These can include specialist equipment, project materials, professional memberships, field trips or placements, as well as everyday student costs like printing, books and stationery.
Contact us
If you have any questions about the fees above, contact our enquiries team by completing this form.
What are my career prospects?
Throughout your time with us we’ll support you on the route to your chosen career. We’ll help you to develop crucial skills, encouraging you to become enterprising, employable and good leaders. Our Careers and Employability Team also help you find employment after graduation.
Upon graduation, you will be prepared for a range of career possibilities. Using the skills and knowledge learnt on this course, you could find yourself taking the next step in the following roles all over the world:
- Animatronics Designer
- SFX technician and/or assistant
- Props & Modelmaker
- SFX Structure Engineer
- Control & Signal writer
- Sculptor
- Character Designer
- 3D modeller
- Pre-visualisation Artist
- Technical Director (TD)
- Animatronics Engineer
- Rig-builder
- Fabricator.
Potential career and employment areas will fall within the animatronics, casualty simulation, props & model-making, mechanical and electronic engineering, rigging, set design and visual effects sectors of the film and TV industry.
