

MA Sound Design & Production
Award:
MA Sound Design & Production
Awarding body:
University of South Wales
Location of study:
Cardiff (RWCMD, Llanishen Studios and Old Library)
Start date:
21 September 2025
Duration:
Two years full time
Course code:
RW09 – UCAS Conservatoires
Introduction
Develop a wide range of advanced sound design techniques for both stage and screen in our training that combines expert tuition with recording facilities, editing suites and performance spaces.
Course overview
Led by practitioners at the forefront of the industry, this course will equip you with the skills you need to create sound experiences that really resonate with audiences.
You’ll be pushed to explore the stylistic boundaries of contemporary sound design. You’ll develop advanced skills and approaches in recording, mixing and special effects that you can apply to any visual media.
Collaboration is at the heart of this course. You’ll spend a lot of your time working with students from both the BA and MA Stage Management technical cohorts. In your RWCMD placements or on those with our industry partners, you’ll get to learn about different creative disciplines and get a real feel for what it’s like to be a member of a production support team – all in readiness for life after graduation.
The course ends with a public exhibition of your cohort’s work, which will be seen by visitors to the College and by invited audiences of potential employers.
Why study this course?
In this course with hands-on training at its core, you’ll develop and apply your existing knowledge and skills to an advanced specialist field of study at a professional level.
You’ll gain, through the breadth of projects and classwork, a comprehensive understanding of the theoretical and practical principles of designing sound for the entertainment industry – making you highly desirable to employers.
Our full-time staff and the visiting lecturers are all practitioners still working in industry, with both national and international profiles. They bring the most current best practices to your training.
As part of our in-house theatre company, you can gain real-world experience throughout this course and get a deep understanding of what working in a live performance environment is really like. Depending on your specialism, you’ll have the chance to design sound for a self-directed performance or installation, or work as a sound designer/assistant on a College or external production.
You’ll also have the opportunity to secure placements with some of the leading production companies, including Stage Sound Services, Theatre Cymru or Sherman Theatre in Cardiff, or elsewhere with other leading theatre and production companies across the UK.
We’re leading the way in state-of-the-art theatre technology, and you’ll have access to all of our facilities, such as our designated recording studios, and our CAD, design and editing suites.
The small cohort size and high level of staff support means that you’re learning in a nurturing and safe working environment.
Masterclass presentations run throughout the course, delivered by leading international practitioners. Designed to complement individual specialist study needs, these classes allow you to develop a comprehensive appreciation of excellence, multidisciplinary practice and performance collaboration.
You’ll take part in scheduled visits to local theatre companies, offering additional insight into the industry at work. When major productions visit Cardiff, we’ll try to arrange visits and organise a tour or talk for your cohort.
Other course information
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