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The University of Edinburgh: Sound Design
| Institution | The University of Edinburgh View institution profile |
|---|---|
| Department | Edinburgh College of Art |
| Web | https://www.ed.ac.uk/studying |
MSc
Summary
If you've studied sound or music technology at university, been working in sound professionally, or if you've been experimenting with sound as a composer, designer, sound artist or engineer and are looking for a way to develop your voice, this programme may be for you.
We offer an interdisciplinary taught masters programme at the forefront of the University of Edinburgh’s rich expertise in the creative arts, music and digital media design. This programme will provide you with knowledge, skill and understanding to enable you to thrive in a range of sound design situations, both commercial and experimental.
Our programme assumes you have some aptitude for and experience of working with sound in creative ways and are prepared to advance quickly. Our students are curious, open-minded, adaptable and highly creative individuals who are keen to acquire new skills and consolidate their existing knowledge across all areas of sound design.
You may have experience of sound production for film and want to unlock those skills for game sound design, or you might be making music through creative coding and want to explore more acoustic and physical aspects of sound.
This programme will help you learn a great deal more about the craft of sound design and to expand your potential as a creative sound professional. We balance challenging practical project work with theoretical study which creates an inspiring, lively and motivating work environment.
Our programme is practice-led and strongly interdisciplinary and you will learn to create innovative and expressive sound media including the study of:
-
film sound
-
interactive game-audio design
-
sound installation and sonic art
-
sound software design
-
creative music and compositional practices
| Study type | Taught |
|---|---|
| Level | SCQF Level 11 |
| Entry requirements | Entry requirements for individual programmes vary, so please check the details for the specific programme you wish to apply for on our website. You will also need to meet the University’s language requirements. |
| Location | Edinburgh College of Art Lauriston Place Edinburgh EH3 9DF |
Summary
If you've studied sound or music technology at university, been working in sound professionally, or if you've been experimenting with sound as a composer, designer, sound artist or engineer and are looking for a way to develop your voice, this programme may be for you.
We offer an interdisciplinary taught masters programme at the forefront of the University of Edinburgh’s rich expertise in the creative arts, music and digital media design. This programme will provide you with knowledge, skill and understanding to enable you to thrive in a range of sound design situations, both commercial and experimental.
Our programme assumes you have some aptitude for and experience of working with sound in creative ways and are prepared to advance quickly. Our students are curious, open-minded, adaptable and highly creative individuals who are keen to acquire new skills and consolidate their existing knowledge across all areas of sound design.
You may have experience of sound production for film and want to unlock those skills for game sound design, or you might be making music through creative coding and want to explore more acoustic and physical aspects of sound.
This programme will help you learn a great deal more about the craft of sound design and to expand your potential as a creative sound professional. We balance challenging practical project work with theoretical study which creates an inspiring, lively and motivating work environment.
Our programme is practice-led and strongly interdisciplinary and you will learn to create innovative and expressive sound media including the study of:
-
film sound
-
interactive game-audio design
-
sound installation and sonic art
-
sound software design
-
creative music and compositional practices
| Study type | Taught |
|---|---|
| Level | SCQF Level 11 |
| Entry requirements | Entry requirements for individual programmes vary, so please check the details for the specific programme you wish to apply for on our website. You will also need to meet the University’s language requirements. |
| Location | Edinburgh College of Art Lauriston Place Edinburgh EH3 9DF |
MSc (Res)
Summary
This programme is aimed at those with existing creative and/or professional experience of sonic art, electronic composition or sound design and who wish to pursue further study by researching a particular area of one of these fields.
If you’re looking to redefine your career, open up a new area of creative activity for yourself, or to research and develop ways of thinking about the crafts and theories behind excellent sound design, digital music or sonic art, this course is for you.
Your research practice with us may lead to a portfolio of creative work (such as an album of music, a series of well-documented sound installations, work on a film, or experimental game audio). Alternatively, the portfolio could consist of a series of sonic experiments that are well-documented and explained through text.
The programme offers structured teaching learning opportunities that enable you to hone aspects of your craft, open up new areas or consolidate skills. In addition, we support you to use these tools in a detailed piece of research work where you demonstrate innovate use of them.
Students can engage deeply and creatively with the social, cultural, technical and theoretical aspects of one or more of the following:
-
sound design
-
sonic art
-
digital composition and performance
-
digital audio and media technology
-
creative coding for sound
-
film, TV, radio or linear sound
-
sound and music philosophy
The programme is especially good preparation for PhD study in a sound related area, via our PhD in Creative Music Practice, or a foundation for taking your career along a new path.
| Study type | Research |
|---|---|
| Level | SCQF Level 11 |
| Entry requirements | Entry requirements for individual programmes vary, so please check the details for the specific programme you wish to apply for on our website. You will also need to meet the University’s language requirements. |
| Location | Central area campus George Square Edinburgh EH8 9JZ |
Summary
This programme is aimed at those with existing creative and/or professional experience of sonic art, electronic composition or sound design and who wish to pursue further study by researching a particular area of one of these fields.
If you’re looking to redefine your career, open up a new area of creative activity for yourself, or to research and develop ways of thinking about the crafts and theories behind excellent sound design, digital music or sonic art, this course is for you.
Your research practice with us may lead to a portfolio of creative work (such as an album of music, a series of well-documented sound installations, work on a film, or experimental game audio). Alternatively, the portfolio could consist of a series of sonic experiments that are well-documented and explained through text.
The programme offers structured teaching learning opportunities that enable you to hone aspects of your craft, open up new areas or consolidate skills. In addition, we support you to use these tools in a detailed piece of research work where you demonstrate innovate use of them.
Students can engage deeply and creatively with the social, cultural, technical and theoretical aspects of one or more of the following:
-
sound design
-
sonic art
-
digital composition and performance
-
digital audio and media technology
-
creative coding for sound
-
film, TV, radio or linear sound
-
sound and music philosophy
The programme is especially good preparation for PhD study in a sound related area, via our PhD in Creative Music Practice, or a foundation for taking your career along a new path.
| Study type | Research |
|---|---|
| Level | SCQF Level 11 |
| Entry requirements | Entry requirements for individual programmes vary, so please check the details for the specific programme you wish to apply for on our website. You will also need to meet the University’s language requirements. |
| Location | Central area campus George Square Edinburgh EH8 9JZ |
Edinburgh. Extraordinary futures await.
The University of Edinburgh is one of the world's top universities, consistently ranked in the world top 50, and placed 34th in the QS World University Rankings 2026.
Our position as one of Britain’s leading research universities was reaffirmed by the results of the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF). The University of Edinburgh is one of the world’s top research-intensive universities, ranked 4th in the UK for research power (Times Higher Education, Overall Ranking of Institutions), with 90% of our research activity classified as world leading or internationally excellent in the 2021 Research …
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