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Documentary and Creative Practices

MA

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Key information

Key information for 2027-28

Start date:
October 2027
Study route:

  • One year full-time, on campus

  • Two years part-time, on campus

Status:
Fully approved
Location:
Birkbeck Campus, Central London
Awarding body:
University of London
Study options:
Full-time | Part-time | On campus

Course overview

Birkbeck’s new MA Documentary and Creative Practices offers you a unique opportunity to study interdisciplinary documentary practice at an advanced level, with the flexibility to explore areas that align with your individual interests and professional goals.

  • Why choose this course?
    • This course is taught by world-leading academics and practitioners with expertise in researching and creating a range of documentary forms.
    • It is ideal if you are interested in learning about documentary as a cross-disciplinary set of practices, incorporating film, journalism, digital media, performance, literature and visual culture, while offering you the chance to specialise.
    • You will benefit from Birkbeck’s specialist facilities and research centres including the Derek Jarman Lab, Birkbeck Institute for the Moving Image, Vasari Centre for Research in Art and Technology, Birkbeck Centre for Contemporary Theatre, the Centre for New Writing, the Peltz Gallery, Birkbeck’s Immersive Learning Centre and Centre for Creative AI.

  • What will I learn?

    Documentary practices encompass a broad, interdisciplinary field that spans film, journalism, digital media, performance, literature, visual culture and archival work. In an era where facts and truths are increasingly threatened by political manipulation, media bias, data obfuscation and the distortions of emerging AI technologies, this course gives you the chance to examine how ‘documents’ – including words, images, bodies and objects – serve as contested yet powerful forms of evidence. It also provides you with valuable opportunities to use creative practice to capture and communicate stories via documentary forms.

    You will be introduced to a broad range of documentary histories, theories and practices, from documentary theatre, film and journalism to non-fiction writing, archival and curatorial practices, documentary as a form of activism/advocacy and documentary in the age of AI.

    You will then choose from a range of option modules that allow you to specialise in specific forms of documentary and creative practice, focusing on the areas that best match your interests or goals as a creative professional.

  • How will I learn?

    This course is available to study full- or part-time, with classes in the evening. Some option modules also include weekend intensive sessions.

    You will learn through lectures, seminars and practice-based sessions. You will also benefit from guest lectures and workshops with leading industry professionals, and you will have access to performances, readings, exhibitions, film screenings and symposia across Birkbeck.

  • How often will I attend classes?

    Full-time: One to two evenings a week, October to July

    Part-time: One evening a week, October to July

More highlights

  • You will be taught by specialists from our School of Creative Arts, Culture and Communication, a multidisciplinary centre of teaching and research excellence.
  • Birkbeck was ranked as one of the top four universities in the UK for its Art and Design research in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.
  • Located in central London, in the heart of historic Bloomsbury, Birkbeck is within easy reach of cinemas and galleries, as well as facilities such as the British Film Institute and the British Library.

Modules and Teaching

School of Creative Arts, Culture and Communication

The school's teaching and research is highly interdisciplinary, spanning cultures and periods. Academic and practice-based study will equip you for a career in the creative and cultural industries.

Visit the school

Entry requirements

Our standard entry requirements for postgraduate courses are a second-class honours degree (2:2), or equivalent, in any area of study.

We welcome applicants without traditional entry qualifications as we base decisions on our own assessment of qualifications, knowledge and previous work experience. We may waive formal entry requirements based on judgement of academic potential.

On your application form, please list all your relevant qualifications and experience, including those you expect to achieve.

Apply now to secure your place. The earlier you apply, the sooner your application can be considered, and you can enrol. You do not need to have completed your current qualification to start your application.

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Fees

MA: One year full-time or two years part-time, on campus, starting in October 2027

Academic year 2027-28

To be confirmed

Students are charged a tuition fee in each year of their course. Tuition fees for students continuing their course may be subject to annual inflationary increases. For more information, please see the Fees Policy.

Discover the financial support available to you to help with your studies at Birkbeck.

Birkbeck's campus is located in the historic and vibrant Bloomsbury area of central London - named one of the best places to live in London 2025 by The Times.

Careers and employability

On successful graduation from this MA Documentary and Creative Practices you will have gained an array of valuable transferable skills including:

  • enhanced communication skills through collaborative group work
  • the ability to present persuasive and compelling project pitches
  • the ability to manage project timelines with fluency and efficacy
  • the ability to develop original documentary projects of various lengths and in a diverse range of disciplines.

Graduates can pursue career paths in a variety of creative industries including:

  • film and television
  • museums and galleries
  • arts administration
  • education
  • publishing and film criticism
  • curating
  • theatre and performance.

Possible professions include:

  • documentary filmmaker
  • podcast producer
  • journalist
  • theatre maker
  • arts administrator
  • museum or gallery curator
  • communications officer
  • researcher
  • non-fiction writer
  • teacher
  • television/film/video producer or curator.

We offer a comprehensive careers service - Careers and Enterprise - your career partner during your time at Birkbeck and beyond. At every stage of your career journey, we empower you to take ownership of your future, helping you to make the connection between your experience, education and future ambitions.

Student support

Birkbeck offers study, learning and wellbeing support to undergraduate and postgraduate students to help them succeed.

Our Learning Development Service provides a lively programme of free weekly workshops building essential academic skills - from writing and critical thinking to maths and referencing - offering flexible sessions, practical tips, and online resources to boost your skills and confidence.

Our Disability and Mental Health Service can support you if you have disabilities, specific learning differences, mental health conditions or neurodivergence, by providing practical support to help you achieve your academic potential.

Our Counselling Service aims to support you with any emotional and psychological difficulties that are affecting your experience and engagement with your studies at university. It is a free, non-judgemental and confidential service which consists of a consultation process followed by time limited counselling contact.

Find out more about the full range of student services we offer at Birkbeck.

How to apply

You apply directly to Birkbeck for this course, using the online application link.

You will need to prove your identity when you apply. Find out more about how to apply.

  • When should I apply?

    You are strongly advised to apply now, to ensure there are still places left, and to give you enough time to complete the admissions process, to arrange funding and to enrol.

    You don't need to complete your current programme of study before you apply - Birkbeck can offer you a place that is conditional on your results.

Related courses

Study routes for Documentary and Creative Practices (MA)

There are currently no study routes available to apply for online. Please check back later or contact us for more information.