MSc Virtual Production
A pioneering course designed to equip students with the creative and technical expertise to lead innovation across film, TV, immersive media and live event industries.
MSc Virtual Production is one of the only postgraduate degrees of its kind in the country. It equips students with the creative, technical and professional skills necessary to be innovators at the cutting edge of contemporary virtual production. This evolving industry has a wide range of applications across diverse and exciting specialisms, from film and TV productions, immersive experiences, and virtual conferences to corporate events, music videos, and much more.
Why choose
this course?
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Access world-class facilities at the £7m+ XPLOR Centre for Virtual Production and the North’s leading XR studio - equipped for real-time production, immersive technologies, and innovation using tools like Unreal, Disguise, and Notch.
Specialise in key areas from in-camera VFX, real-time systems and motion capture technology to interactive and immersive tech, cinematography, pre-visualisation and modelling. Building advanced expertise aligned with your creative or career goals.
Engage with live briefs and collaborative projects directly linked to leading creative businesses on campus at Production Park, offering real-world experience and career-ready skills.
Be part of shaping the future of virtual production. Explore emerging technologies through hands-on experimentation, critical research, and collaboration with global industry innovators.
Course content
How learning is assessed on MSc Virtual Production
We provide students with a supportive and inclusive environment where students are challenged through praxis – applying critical thinking to practical, hands-on experimentation and reflection. Teaching uses blended learning, combining practical work with online and face-to-face lectures, seminars, tutorials, discussions, guest speakers, and masterclasses. Module assessments typically involve written coursework, project work, oral assessments, presentations and portfolios.
A significant amount of personal study time is expected to be undertaken by students, comprising, for example, background reading, online activities, assessment work and preparation for sessions.
Students are encouraged to use their continuing professional practice as part of their research process and build on our close relationships with the industry. Developing plans for new creative projects is coupled with a higher level of academic study and learning. Our approach to blended learning supports working professionals to engage flexibly with studies.
Term dates
Please see our 2025/26 academic year term dates for this postgraduate course.
Interested in MSc Virtual Production?
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Career Opportunities
Studying MSc Virtual Production can lead you to careers in:
- Virtual Production Supervisor/Director
- Virtual World Supervisor
- Unreal Engine Stage Operator
- Technical Producer/Director/Operator
- Creative Production Supervisor
- Virtual Reality Video Creator
Course outcomes
This is a career-focused postgraduate degree that will support you to develop advanced knowledge and skills. The skills training is combined with project-oriented creative education and will enable you to adapt and develop your practice throughout your future career.
We’ll guide you to make clear plans as to how you will use your expertise to progress your career during the course. As a graduate of this MSc, you will be well prepared to seek employment, promotion, or become self-employed using the professional skills you’ve developed as part of the course. This qualification also forms the basis for doctoral studies if you wish to pursue a career in academia or research and development.
The programme will equip you with a range of transferable, interpersonal, and technical skills, allowing you to capitalise on career opportunities that exist in a huge range of sectors. These include live music, performing arts, multi-media sectors, gaming, TV, film, e-Sports, corporate events, and many other creative areas.
The course allowed me to jump-start my career in the film and virtual production industry. The industry-standard facilities and superb staff have provided bespoke guidance for my projects, enabling me to explore different aspects of virtual production, creating things that I never thought I would be able to.
Meet Eduardo - How studying a master's transformed my career path
MA Live Event Design alumni, Eduardo Bernal Perez, Eduardo discusses his transition from the world of construction into the live events industry.
Facilities
Our Production Park campus offers a range of learning spaces, including pre-visualisation studios, computer labs, classrooms, lecture theatres and breakout spaces, giving you dedicated space to learn the theory before bringing it to life with hands-on, practical experience in our industry-standard dedicated teaching studios.
Filming in the Virtual Production studio
Filming in the Virtual Production studio
Testing backgrounds
Testing backgrounds
Filming in the virtual production studio
Filming in the virtual production studio
Undertaking project work in the virtual production studio
Undertaking project work in the virtual production studio
Virtual production set up
Virtual production set up
Filming in the Virtual Production studio
Filming in the Virtual Production studio
Testing backgrounds
Testing backgrounds
Filming in the virtual production studio
Filming in the virtual production studio
Undertaking project work in the virtual production studio
Undertaking project work in the virtual production studio
Virtual production set up
Virtual production set up
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