Is the MA Media Production primarily about video or audio?

Both. The MA Media Production treats video, audio and digital long-form as complementary factual-production crafts. Your final production can be in any of these formats — most students pick video or audio long-form, with podcast becoming an increasingly common choice.

Can I take the MA Media Production part-time?

Yes. The MA can be taken over 24 months part-time. Online and distance routes are available for working professionals. The final production block typically requires concentrated time; admissions can plan it around your work commitments.

What kit will I have access to on the MA Media Production?

On-campus students have access to broadcast-grade cameras, audio kit and edit suites. Online and distance students supplement personal kit with software access and remote-supervised production blocks at LSJHML facilities.

Does the MA Media Production help me start an independent production company?

It builds many of the skills — editorial leadership, production management, the production economy — that founders of factual indies rely on. Several MA Media Production graduates have launched independent production companies in the years after the degree.

What sort of dissertation will I write on the MA Media Production?

A 10,000-to-12,000-word piece on a topic in media production research or practice — examples include studies of UK factual commissioning markets, analyses of editorial decisions in current-affairs production, and reflective pieces on the methodology of your own final production.

MA Media Production in London | LSJHML | Harold International College of London

Course Overview

The MA Media Production at the London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages (LSJHML) is a one-year UK postgraduate degree for graduates and working media professionals who want advanced production craft alongside editorial-leadership training and a substantial final production. The MA is built around current Society of Editors and Royal Television Society practice and the working ecology of London's broadcasting cluster.

You will produce a substantial final production (a 30-to-60-minute documentary, a podcast series, a longform digital video series or equivalent) and write a 10,000-to-12,000-word dissertation on a topic in media production. The MA Media Production takes practitioners into senior production and editorial-leadership roles.

Key Features

Advanced production craft modules across television, radio, podcast and digital long-form.
Editorial leadership module — running a small team, commissioning, output decisions.
Substantial final production with budget, schedule and edit review.
Industry-led masterclasses from senior producers, commissioning editors and broadcasters.
Festival and screening opportunities for selected final productions.
10,000–12,000 word dissertation alongside the final production.

What You Will Learn

The MA Media Production is structured around the working life of a senior producer or editorial leader. You graduate able to lead a small production team through a substantial project, defend creative and editorial decisions to a commissioner, and produce work at a standard ready for industry submission.

Advanced cinematography and field sound for factual production.
Advanced post-production — colour grade, sound mix, accessibility, delivery specifications.
Editorial leadership — running a small team, commissioning, output decisions.
Production management — budget, schedule, kit, contributor agreements, music clearance.
Documentary and longform craft at senior level.
Podcast and audio documentary craft at senior level.
Media law and ethics at senior production standard.
The production economy — broadcasters, indies, streamers, podcast networks, the funding landscape.

Who This MA Is For

BA Media Production graduates moving into senior production roles.
Working assistant producers and runners ready to step up to producer level.
Documentary makers, podcasters and longform video creators wanting a senior credential.
Career-changers from journalism or theatre moving into MA-level media production.

Career Pathways

Graduates of the MA Media Production move into senior production and editorial-leadership roles across broadcasters, independent production companies, podcast networks and digital long-form publishers. Typical post-MA destinations include:

Executive Producer (independent production company, broadcaster)
Newsroom Editor (broadcast operation, large digital publisher)
Production Manager (broadcaster, large indie)
Head of Output (broadcast newsroom)
Editorial Director (specialist publisher)
Senior Documentary Producer (factual indie, broadcaster)

The MA also serves as a launchpad for doctoral research in media production, or for independent production-company founder roles.

Entry Requirements

A UK 2:2 honours degree (or international equivalent) in a related subject, OR a 2:2 in any subject with two years of relevant professional experience.
IELTS 6.5 overall (no band below 6.0) for non-native English speakers.
Personal statement (max 1 page) outlining your motivation, relevant experience and intended specialism.
Two academic or professional references.
Applicants without a related undergraduate degree may be considered with significant industry experience and a portfolio.

Why Study at LSJHML

The London School of Journalism, Humanities & Modern Languages is a specialist higher-education provider based in central London. Our programmes are designed in dialogue with working professionals — journalists, translators, civil servants, academics, broadcasters, editors, publishers and policy researchers — so what you learn in seminar on Monday is what your future employer is using on Tuesday. We deliberately keep cohorts small, give every student named tutor support, and treat employability as a structural part of every programme rather than an optional add-on.

London is the work — politics, courts, capital markets, theatre, broadcasting, publishing, public service, the global press. Your studies are taught in the same square mile where the stories you read about happen. Whether you join us on-campus, online or by distance learning, the city is your classroom and our industry network is your launchpad.