MA Wildlife Filmmaking

This postgraduate degree has been co-designed by UWE academics and producers, directors and production managers from the BBC's world renowned Natural History Unit (NHU).

Bristol is the global capital of natural history programme making and the natural place to study for an MA in Wildlife Filmmaking. On this highly popular Masters course you will learn how to develop and pitch ideas, tell great stories and make intelligent and surprising programmes to captivate and engage audiences.

Our partnership with the BBC Natural History Unit (NHU) means that, alongside your studies, you will have incredible opportunities to network with professional wildlife film makers, attend talks, film festivals and other events around the city.

Our MA students graduate with the skills, experience and knowledge needed for entry level jobs in all areas of production from online to broadcast. Graduates now work for the BBC, Icon Films, Discovery, Tigress and other top production companies in the UK and overseas.

Why study this course?

The course is based at Bower Ashton, part of the City Campus, in the creative heart of Bristol. Bower has exceptional facilities and resources which include a news studio, TV studio and post production areas which offer the latest technology.

Be inspired by watching some of the Wildlife Filmmaking videos created by students on our Vimeo site.

Alum, Lindsey Parietti, won a student BAFTA for her powerful nature documentary Blood Island, a film created for this course. In this video she talks about what compelled her to tell the story, and the success that followed.

Engaging, industry-led teaching

On this Masters course you will learn all you need to know via technical workshops, seminars, masterclasses and through experience and opportunities making films and digital content for clients.  We also help you develop skills in research, script writing, directing, producing, production management and the pitching and commissioning of ideas.

One of the unique aspects of this course  is that you will be matched with an industry mentor who, alongside your tutor, will guide you through the production of your final project. All students complete their Masters by writing, directing and producing a final project/film. These films are premiered each year and seen by an audience of invited film and television professionals from the BBC and independent sector.

International and EU applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5 with 5.5 in each component

Students have worked on BBC series, produced films for the Festival of Nature, The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust at Slimbridge, the RSPB and the Zoological Society of London - some of the UK's top wildlife and conservation organisations.

We also have an ongoing partnership with Wildscreen, the award-winning wildlife conservation charity and Encounters, the Bristol-based international short film festival. Students have been highly commended in the British Wildlife Photography Awards HD film category and were nominated in the Wildscreen Panda Awards. Graduates have also secured internships and employment with the BBC and other organisations such as Discovery, Icon Films, RDF and Tigress Productions.

Our award-winning careers service helps you develop your employment potential through career coaching, a vacancy service for internships, placements, jobs, global opportunities, volunteering and community activity plus support for entrepreneurial activity, and access to employer events.