Skip to content

Awards

Target Award

Award Description:Master of Arts - MA

Alternative Exit

Alternative Exit

Programme Offerings

Full-Time

F2F-JMU-SEP

Educational Aims of the Course

As with all Master's level programmes, study will be at, or be informed by, the forefront of academic and professional discipline; Study will provide skills training in documentary production; including core journalism skills for documentary makers; practical craft skills; post production software skills and the opportunity to engage with cutting edge technology appropriate to the professional media industry; Modules have been designed to foster the development and application of research and evaluative skills, together with the adoption of professional planning and project management practices for all aspects of documentary production, in order to enhance employability in circumstances requiring sound judgement, personal responsibility, initiative and practical programme-making skills in complex and unpredictable professional environments; All students will be actively encouraged to show originality in the application of knowledge and understand how the boundaries of knowledge are advanced through research and by approaching complex issues systematically and creatively; The University will provide an educational experience which facilitates the development of all students irrespective of race, gender, physical ability and sexual orientation.

Learning Outcomes

1.
Evidence knowledge and understanding of a range of documentary media texts from diverse cultural and industrial backgrounds;
2.
Evidence knowledge and understanding of the variety of cultural and industrial contexts in which these texts are produced, disseminated and received;
3.
Evidence knowledge and understanding of the techniques and practices involved in the production of documentary media artefacts;
4.
Evidence knowledge and understanding of the skills and approaches concerned with the production of digital media;
5.
Evidence knowledge and understanding of the business of funding, distributing and marketing documentaries in the independent sector;
6.
Show an understanding of key production processes and professional practices relevant to media and communicative industries, and of ways of conceptualising creativity and authorship;
7.
Demonstrate a critical understanding of the narrative processes and modes of representation at work in different documentary genres;
8.
Engage critically and evaluatively with major thinkers, debates and intellectual paradigms within the documentary field and put them to productive use;
9.
Analyse, interpret, and show the exercise of critical judgement in the understanding of and practical production of documentary artefacts;
10.
Develop substantive and detailed knowledge and understanding in the field of documentary-making within a broader national and global context;
11.
Consider and evaluate their own work in a reflexive manner, including in some instances, with reference to their own professional and/or placement experience;
12.
Undertake self-directed research for documentary projects, involving sustained independent and autonomous enquiry;
13.
Formulate appropriate research questions in terms of potential story ideas and employ appropriate methods and resources for exploring and researching these ideas with a view to producing a documentary media artefact;
14.
Draw and reflect upon the relevance and impact of their own cultural commitments and positionings to the practice of story ideas and story narrative research;

Teaching, Learning and Assessment

Knowledge and understanding is acquired through a wide mix of teaching methods including lectures, demonstrations, screenings, workshops; tutorials; group and individual project work, live projects, pitching to industry practitioners; supervised independent learning, open and resource-based learning, multi-media and new media learning, production practice; work placement; small group and individual learning and teaching situations; tutor-led, student-led and independent learning sessions. Specialist IT resources and other studio-based resources play an important part in the delivery. Essays, reviews and reports; seen examinations; individual presentations (oral and technology based); critical self- evaluation; role-analyses/evaluations; logbooks, diaries and autobiographical writing; individual portfolios of work (whether critical, creative, self-reflective, or the outcome of the professional practice); individually produced artefacts, including productions in sound, audio-visual or other media; individual project reports; research exercises; tasks aimed at the assessment of specific skills (e.g. different media platform skills; digital post-production skills, research skills, skills of application); external placement or work-based learning reflection reports.

Opportunities for work related learning

It is intended that much of the study will simulate the professional workplace in terms of tutorials and rough cut assessments run in part as production meetings as experienced in the professional industry. These will offer the opportunity for formative feedback, thereby mirroring professional practice. For those students with a media background at undergraduate level, a placement module allows them the opportunity for substantial work experience to be recognised and assessed within either 7007DOC Industry Placement module (10c) or 7013DOC Professional Placement (20c). Work experience would need to be approved by the Programme Leader, incorporate a minimum of 80 hours and be undertaken within a media organisation which produces short and/or long-form documentaries/factual programming. It is anticipated that members of the cohort may already be working in the professional media industry, thus adding to the professional contacts of the student cohort as a whole. Regular contact is maintained with Journalism and Media Production alumni working in the media industry which will help students to forge further industry contacts. Students are also encouraged to contact production companies and seek work shadowing placements or internships. The Journalism and Media Production departments organise regular events where documentary-makers and media professionals are invited to give presentations/run master classes. These events offer excellent networking opportunities for students to make contact with people in the industry, which can lead to placement opportunities.

Programme Structure

Programme Structure Description

Full-time students will complete 60 credits in semesters one, two and summer. Students will choose modules that reflect their existing professional media experience. Teaching staff will give advice about which route will be most advantageous for them, to ensure they can achieve the requisite learning outcomes. In Semester 1, students … For more content click the Read More button below.

Structure

Level 7

Entry Requirements

Alternative qualifications considered

IELTS

Interview required

RPL

Undergraduate degree

Extra Entry Requirements

  • to demonstrate a genuine interest and commitment to practical filmmaking (non-media graduates)
  • to demonstrate the ability to benefit from and contribute to the programme

HECoS Code(s)

(CAH24-01) media, journalism and communications