Code

005S111

Start

September 2026

Fees

£13,700 (UK) £20,100 (INT)

Duration

1 year full-time, 2 years part-time

Location

Hendon campus

Why study Virtual Production MA at Middlesex University?

The MA Virtual Production combines creative vision with technical mastery. You’ll explore how hybrid sets, real-time engines, and virtual environments reshape modern filmmaking. Through studio-based projects and collaborative production, you’ll learn to design, prototype, and deliver virtual environments for diverse media contexts. Ethical, sustainable, and inclusive practice underpins every stage of your development.

Cutting-edge practice: Gain advanced skills in virtual production workflows, from real-time environments to hybrid film sets used across global film and TV.
Industry-connected learning: Study in London’s creative hub, close to leading studios and post-production houses driving innovation in virtual filmmaking.
AI and digital innovation: Learn to integrate AI tools, motion capture, and Unreal Engine pipelines to create immersive virtual worlds.
Sustainable and ethical production: Explore sustainable production methods and responsible creative practices for the future of digital storytelling.
Employability and placements: Develop your portfolio through work-based learning, live briefs, and industry collaborations that enhance your employability.
Expert teaching: Learn from experienced filmmakers, technologists, and VFX specialists who bring current industry expertise into the classroom.
Join an interdisciplinary community of digital creatives studying together in our state-of-the-art facilities at MDX Studios. Facilities include media labs with high-end hardware for high graphic processing (NVIDIA) and a wealth of industry software including Unreal Engine, Blender and Houdini. Our Motion Capture studio utilises a 25-camera OptiTrack motion capture system and a Vanishing Point Viper to enable the creation of industry-level VFX and VP in a sound-proofed green-screen environment. Additionally, we have studios for film production, animation and sound recording studios as well as suites for editing and colour grading. We offer AVID Media Composer and Pro Tools certification.
The Kit Hub has a vast collection of high-end creative tech to support student projects including professional cameras, sound recording kit and VR headsets. With strong relationships with industry partners, Canon, Sony and AVID, Kit Hub is vital resource for our creative community to keep up to date with the latest tech.

This course is new for entry year 2026 and is subject to validation

While this course undergoes our approval process, please fill in our form to register your interest.

Fly through Middlesex Uni: The Grove building for Arts and Creative courses

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Next-generation filmmaking

Master the latest digital and AI tools and workflows that define virtual production worldwide.

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London industry access

Connect with the UK’s creative industries through our in-house expertise, community of creative screen practitioners, professional networks.

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Career-ready experience

Build your showreel through industry-led briefs and competitions, and work experience that showcase your creativity and technical innovation skills.

Placements in virtual production

MDX Studios is a vibrant, industry-connected hub for hands-on learning, research, and innovation — where university meets the real world. We offer a unique environment where students collaborate with external partners to develop cutting-edge skills and an entrepreneurial mindset.

Through our partnership with Screen London, MA Virtual Production students benefit from opportunities to learn by working alongside virtual production supervisors, technical directors, VFX artists and others on real-world film, TV and VFX projects.

At MDX Studios, you won’t just study — you’ll work. Our MA programmes feature one and two-year options with embedded, credit-bearing work placements on live industry projects. Placements can be long or short, and if a suitable opportunity is not available with an industry partner, we will create professional settings for you to work on university-led projects. You’ll build your CV while gaining experience in professional contexts, from independent content creation to working on productions in our state-of-the-art facilities.

Discover more about placements

Modules

Here is an overview of the modules you will study.

Develop advanced narrative and visual storytelling skills to conceptualise believable hybrid worlds for virtual production.

Examine how artificial intelligence shapes creative workflows across film, VFX, and virtual production. Develop a practice-led ethical and sustainable approach to AI integration.

Gain entrepreneurial and project management skills essential for freelancers and studio professionals in the creative industries.

Learn to integrate real and digital cinematography techniques for dynamic virtual set environments. Gain practical experience with camera tracking, lighting, and compositing.

Sketch, develop, and build immersive environments that connect gameplay with spatial storytelling.

Discover how to design, optimize, and manage digital assets across production pipelines, ensuring efficiency and creative control.

Investigate the intersection of AI and visual effects, experimenting with generative tools for previsualization and real-time rendering.

Gain sound recording experience across film, television, games, podcast and related media.

Develop advanced storytelling techniques in podcasting, harnessing narrative construction, editorial decision-making, and the creative use of sound design, to produce original and engaging audio stories.

Apply your skills in professional settings through structured placements and live projects with industry partners.

Bring together your creative, technical, and research skills in a final self-directed project that demonstrates your mastery of virtual production.

This course is subject to validation. We will publish a full programme specification here when it is validated.

Register your interest

Teaching

You'll be taught by an experienced teaching team with a wide range of expertise and professional experience.

You’ll learn through a mix of lectures, workshops, hands-on studio practice, collaborative group projects, and guest industry talks. Access to motion capture and virtual production facilities allows you to apply your skills in professional environments.

Your timetable will be built around on campus sessions using our professional facilities, with online sessions for some activities where we know being virtual will add value. We’ll use technology to enhance all your learning and give you access to online resources to use in your own time. Project information, recorded presentations, and assessment criteria will be provided through our online module page.

The table below gives you an idea of what learning looks like across a typical week. Some weeks are different due to how we schedule classes and arrange on-campus sessions.

Learning structure	Typical hourly breakdown
Live in-person on campus learning	Contact hours per week, per level: 10 hours
Tutor set learning activities	Average hours per week, per level: 2 hours

Outside of these hours, you’ll be expected to do independent study where you read, listen and reflect on other learning activities. This can include preparation for future classes. In a year, you’ll typically be expected to commit 1,200 hours to your course across all styles of learning. If you are taking a placement, you might have some additional hours.

You’ll have access to personalised academic and technical support, from 1:1 tutorials to research guidance. Additional resources include Careers and Futures employability support, high-end industry-standard video and audio equipment available to borrow from our Kit Hub loan service, library and digital learning tools, laptop loans, and free access to professional software.

Assessment includes project work, portfolios, technical documentation, and reflective writing. Feedback is continuous and developmental, supporting your creative and professional growth.

Student support

We offer lots of support to help you while you're studying including financial advice, wellbeing, mental health, and disability support.

Additional needs

We'll support you if you have additional needs such as sensory impairment or dyslexia. And if you want to find out whether Middlesex is the right place for you before you apply, get in touch with our Disability and Dyslexia team.

Wellness

Our specialist teams will support your mental health. We have free individual counselling sessions, workshops, support groups and useful guides.

Work while you study

Our Middlesex Unitemps branch will help you find work that fits around uni and your other commitments. We have hundreds of student jobs on campus that pay the London Living Wage and above. Visit the Middlesex Unitemps page.

Careers

How can the Virtual Production MA support your career?

Graduates from this MA are equipped for roles in film and television, VFX, real-time production, and immersive media. Possible job titles include virtual production supervisor, technical director, cinematographer, VFX artist, and creative technologist. You’ll also develop the entrepreneurial mindset to pursue freelance or startup opportunities in the expanding virtual production industry.

Entry requirements

Qualifications

We normally require a 2:2 degree or above, or equivalent qualification, in a related discipline, or equivalent professional experience.

We also consider candidates with other relevant qualifications or equivalent professional experience.

Portfolio

If you don’t hold a degree in a relevant field, you’ll need to submit a portfolio as part of your application. This is your chance to show us your creative ability, enthusiasm, and potential to succeed on the course. For more information please see the Portfolio tab.

We welcome students from the UK and all over the world. Join students from over 122 countries and discover why so many international students call our campus home:

Quality teaching with top facilities plus flexible online learning
Welcoming north London campus that's only 30 minutes from central London
Work placements and networking with top London employers
Award-winning career support to get you where you want to go after university.

Qualifications

We accept a wide range of international qualifications. Find out more about the accepted qualifications on your country's support page. If you are unsure of the suitability of your qualifications or would like help with your application, please contact your nearest international office.

English language

You will need to meet our English language requirements. And, don’t worry If you don't meet our minimum English language requirements, as we offer a Pre-sessional English course.

Visas

To study with us in the UK, you might need a Student visa. Please check to see if this applies to you.

Portfolio review

We’ve put together some simple notes to help you prepare:

Be selective about the work you show while continuing to show a range of skills and ability;
Show mostly recent work that you are most proud of;
Consider how to present your work and the impression the overall look of your portfolio will have on the viewer.

After you have applied, we will send you a link for you to submit your portfolio online via the applicant portal.

We welcome portfolios in any digital format. Please share your work in whatever way best represents your creativity and skills.

If you are having difficulty with the file format, please contact ACIPortfolios@mdx.ac.uk who can help you submit.

Applications for postgraduate study should be made directly to the university.

Please visit our postgraduate application page for further information and to apply.

Entry onto this course may require a portfolio review.

Fees and funding

The fees below are for the 2026/2027 academic year.

UK students¹

Full-time students: £13,700
Part-time students: £90 per credit
Part-time students: £45 per dissertation credit

If you were to study over two years part-time, you would usually pay £5,400 for the first year of study, and £8,100 in the second.

International students²

Full-time students: £20,100
Part-time students: £134 per credit
Part-time students: £67 per dissertation credit

If you were to study over two years part-time, you would usually pay £8,040 for the first year of study, and £12,060 in the second.

Additional costs

Additional costs may include field trips, specialist software, or equipment related to individual projects.

Financial support

We offer lots of support to help you with fees and living costs. Check out our guide to student life on a budget and find out more about postgraduate funding.

Postgraduate scholarships

You may be eligible for one of our scholarships including:

The Alumni Postgraduate Award – for all UK/EU Middlesex alumni a 20% fee reduction
The Commonwealth Scholarship – full course fees, airfares and a living allowance
The Chevening Scholarship – full course fees
The European Academic Awards – £1000 to £7000 for students showing academic excellence
Regional or International Merit Award –up to £2,000 towards course fees

For international students, we also have a limited number of other awards specific to certain regions, and work in partnership with funding providers in your country to help support you financially with your study.

Find out more about our postgraduate scholarships.

Help from your employer

Your employer can contribute towards the cost of your postgraduate study as part of their staff development programme.

Work while you study

If you are not currently working, we can help you find work that fits around uni and your other commitments. We have hundreds of student jobs on campus that pay the London Living Wage and above.

Fees disclaimers

UK fees: The university reserves the right to increase postgraduate tuition fees in line with changes to legislation, regulation and any government guidance or decisions. The tuition fees for part-time UK study are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.
International fees: Tuition fees are subject to annual review and we reserve the right to increase the fees each academic year by no more than the level of inflation.

Any annual increase in tuition fees as provided for above will be notified to students at the earliest opportunity in advance of the academic year to which any applicable inflationary rise may apply.

North London campus

Our north London campus is just 20 minutes from central London, giving you easy access to everything this vibrant city has to offer. Make the most of incredible professional opportunities, cultural experiences, and more affordable living, all within a supportive and close-knit campus community.

Learn about campus life

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Next steps

We’ll carefully manage any future changes to courses, or the support and other services available to you, if these are necessary because of things like changes to government health and safety advice, or any changes to the law.

Any decisions will be taken in line with both external advice and the University’s Regulations which include information on this.

Our priority will always be to maintain academic standards and quality so that your learning outcomes are not affected by any adjustments that we may have to make.