Course details

Summary

Advance your design, film-making, music or theatre skills to prepare for a rewarding career in the creative industries.

Hone your collaborative, creative and business skills as a practising artist over an intensive 12-month programme. Victoria’s Master of Fine Arts (Creative Practice) is an industry-focused, practical degree that will help you build new contacts and networks in Wellington’s creative industries.

You'll take advantage of our capital city location and study at Victoria’s Kelburn campus plus our film and music programmes get to use a new purpose-refitted facility at the Miramar Creative Centre.

Practice opportunities

The MFA (CP) includes a creative project in which you'll be mentored to complete work that showcases your abilities and encourages you to push boundaries in your field.

As part of the programme you'll also do an internship with an arts organisation. This will give you valuable work experience and provide you with all-important connections in your industry.

Broad approach

While your studies will be centred around your specialty area of design, film, music or theatre, you'll have opportunities to take an interdisciplinary approach to your work. If you're a Design, Music or Theatre student, you may also be able to take a complementary course from another fine arts discipline.

And, because all artists need some business knowledge, you'll complete a course in arts management and marketing as part of the programme.

Creative capital

Be part of Wellington's thriving and internationally recognised creative scene. During your studies you'll have opportunities to collaborate with your artistic peers and many of New Zealand's top arts professionals.

Find out what the MFA (CP) offers you in your fine arts discipline.

• Design
• Film
• Music (film scoring, sound design, game audio)
• Theatre

Design

Take your creative abilities to an expert level. Hone your skills as an artist-designer and learn what it takes to pursue a professional career in the world of design and media arts. You’ll graduate with the experience and confidence to get a job in the cultural sector or to build your own business.

Film

Get the skills you need to work in film, studying a programme specifically tailored to the needs of the New Zealand film industry.

If you are passionate about being a film-maker and want to work in this exciting and dynamic industry, this degree is for you. Build expertise in film production and post-production, and learn the skills you need to manage yourself as an independent contractor. You’ll get training on a wide range of professional-level digital cinema equipment and the opportunity to specialise in the production or post-production role that most interests you.

Music (film scoring, sound design, game audio)

Build expertise in film scoring, sound design/audio post-production or game audio with New Zealand’s first Master’s degree to specialise in these collaborative and creative areas.

Work with our partners in Wellington’s world-leading IT and film industries while developing your skills in areas such as composing orchestral or electronic scores for film, coding for interactive games and apps, recording foley, ADR and instrumental ensembles, and using advanced digital signal processing to create new worlds of sound.

Theatre

Take your skills to an expert level hone your theatrical craft and learn about working in the professional world of the theatre. You’ll graduate with the skills and confidence to get a job in the industry or to create your own company.

Entry criteria

Bachelor's degree in a relevant subject or extensive experience.

Other English Language requirements:

• IELTS overall band of 6.5, no sub-score below 6.0; or
• TOEFL 90 on the internet-based test with at least 20 in writing; or
• A minimum of two ratings of 5 and two ratings of 4 in the Victoria University English Proficiency Programme test
• Pearson Test of English: A score of 65 (with a ‘Communicative’ score of not less than 58).