Program Overview
The Sound Design at The University of Edinburgh is a MSc programme in Arts & Design over 12 months, delivered On-campus. This programme equips graduates with advanced knowledge and practical skills for professional and academic careers in the field.
Students gain a rigorous grounding in both the theoretical foundations and applied dimensions of arts & design. The programme combines coursework, research components, and practical projects that develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and specialist expertise relevant to industry and research needs.
Graduates of the Sound Design programme are well-prepared for careers in academia, industry, government, and the private sector across United Kingdom and internationally. The programme provides an internationally recognised qualification within the Bologna higher education framework.
Key Program Features
- Duration: 12 months
- Language of instruction: English
- Study mode: On-campus
- English requirement: IELTS 6.5
- Tuition: GBP 20,100 (Tuition (Year)) — International students; GBP 10,200 (Tuition (Year)) — EU/EEA students
- Location: Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Career Opportunities
Graduates of the Sound Design programme are prepared for diverse careers in arts & design:
- Creative Director
- Graphic / UX Designer
- Art Director
- Curator
- Visual Artist
- Media Producer
Program Curriculum
You will study a broad, flexible and integrated range of key and emerging sound design practices. The programme is designed to allow you to develop according to your skills and interests.
In the first semester, the programme focuses on:
- developing sound design skills
- exploring the potential for sound recording
- editing in the digital domain
- processing sound to create new sonic structures
- considering relationships between code and sound that allow sound designers and music makers to develop sound work that changes according to context.
In the second semester, you will consolidate your knowledge. You will work with game audio technologies and sound for screen to explore how sound can be used to tell stories, create spaces and support interactions. There will be opportunities to develop competency in programming creative audio applications.
Across the taught semesters you can tailor your studies to your interests by exploring suitable elective options.
The programme ends with a self-directed but supervised research-led sound design project over the summer period in an appropriate area of sound design.
Our overall objective across the year is to support the development of personal skills, insights and experience while encouraging a rounded, outlook that has a wide appreciation of the issues of sound design in a range of creative contexts.
Graduates of the programme will be armed with professional, practical, analytical and intellectual skills to take into sound-related industries or on towards further academic study, such as a PhD.
Find courses for this programme
Find out what courses you can study on this programme and how each of them are taught and assessed.
The courses on offer may change from year to year, but the course information will give you an idea of what to expect on this programme.
Full-time
Part-time
We link to the latest information available. This may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.
Admission Requirements
Academic Requirements
You need the following GPA score:
Applicants for graduate programs must have the equivalent of a bachelor\xe2\x80\x99s degree with a minimum GPA equivalent to Upper Second Class on the UK Honour scale. Admitted applicants typically have an undergraduate GPA of or better on the UK Honour scale. No exam grade should be lower than 4.5 (European grade scale) or D (American grade scale).
Your GPA (Grade Point Average) is calculated using the grades that you received in each course, and is determined by the points assigned to each grade (e.g. for the US grading scale from A-F).
Normally a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in a relevant subject.
If you do not meet the academic entry requirements or if you do not have a sound-related degree, we may still consider your application if you have significant industry experience supported by a portfolio. Your portfolio can range from an essay on sound to a small collection of sound recordings, performances or documentation of a sound-based project, such as an installation, film or animation.
English Proficiency: IELTS 6.5 or equivalent.
Tuition & Financial Information
Tuition Fee
GBP 20,100 (Tuition (Year)) — International students; GBP 10,200 (Tuition (Year)) — EU/EEA students
Tuition fees: GBP 20,100 (Tuition (Year)) — International students; GBP 10,200 (Tuition (Year)) — EU/EEA students
IELTS requirement: 6.5
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Contact The University of Edinburgh directly for scholarship, grant, and financial aid information for this programme. Many European universities offer merit-based and need-based funding for international and domestic students.
About The University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
University of Edinburgh (Universitas Academica Edinburgensis) is a historic and globally respected public research university in Edinburgh, Scotland, UK, founded in 1583, making it one of the...
University Profile- Application Deadline 15 December 2025
- Start Date 2017-09-18
- Language English
- Duration 12 months
