Programme
About this course
Full course overview from official programme data.
The MA Wildlife Filmmaking at Bristol, UWE is a postgraduate programme designed for postgraduate students passionate about expressing creativity and innovation. Based in Bristol, England, this programme combines theoretical knowledge with practical application, with a 1-year full-time structure. UWE Bristol's MA Wildlife Filmmaking is ideal if you want to learn how to tell intelligent, engaging stories about natural history. This world-leading course has been co-designed with producers, directors and production managers from the BBC's renowned Natural History Unit. Why study this course? Study a uniquely designed industry-led curriculum alongside a purposefully small group of peers. A minimum ielts score of 6.5 is required for admission. Graduates from this programme benefit from strong career prospects, with a median graduate salary of £18,500 within three years, and 87% of graduates in employment or further study.
UWE Bristol's MA Wildlife Filmmaking is ideal if you want to learn how to tell intelligent, engaging stories about natural history. This world-leading course has been co-designed with producers, directors and production managers from the BBC's renowned Natural History Unit.
Why study this course?
Study a uniquely designed industry-led curriculum alongside a purposefully small group of peers. You'll enjoy hands-on experience of professional film equipment, develop high-level production management skills, and gain contemporary insight into crafting natural history narratives.
In our collaborative culture, you'll develop communication and production skills to engage diverse audiences and have access to talks and events from across the creative industries. You'll be encouraged to develop a distinctive, personal approach to documentary, with students in the past pursuing diverse genres - from observational and behavioural to expedition and experimental films.
Why UWE Bristol?
As a creative student you'll be perfectly placed studying in Bristol, an UNESCO City of Film, widely recognised as the global capital of natural history production. Our academic partnership with the BBC's Natural History Unit means you'll have opportunities to frequently meet with professional programme makers, giving you industry insight and knowledge.
We've established ourselves as part of the city's thriving production community. Where possible you'll receive direct editorial input on your filmmaking from an industry-based mentor, alongside expert input from our sector-leading academics and technical staff.
Where can it take me?
You'll graduate with a globally recognised qualification and have a broad range of career options available to you regionally, nationally and internationally.
Equipped with essential skills and specialized knowledge, our graduates are well-prepared for entry-level roles in the wildlife production industry. Most find positions with the BBC or independent production companies in Bristol, across the UK, and internationally. Some graduates also pursue independent funding to create their own future productions.
Our students have been nominated, and won, major emerging talent awards including at BAFTA, Wildscreen, Royal Television Society, Jackson Hole and the International Wildlife Film Festival. Graduation films have been included in BBC broadcasts and in commercial distribution, selling to broadcasters globally.
Our students won the BAFTA Student Award for Best Documentary in two consecutive years. In 2025, Nikki Dodd won for her film, 'One Last Farm', which documents Bristol's last working farm and its fight to survive. BAFTA Student award winner and alum, Nyal Mueenuddin's film, 'When the Floods Come', won in 2024 and documents the stories of people affected by flooding near the River Indus in Pakistan.
To see examples of work produced by our recent MA Wildlife Filmmaking graduates, visit our UWE Showcase site.
At a glance
Key details
Duration
1 years
Study mode
Full-time
Campus
City Campus, Bristol
Intl tuition
GBP16,250/yr
Curriculum
Modules & structure
8 modules in this programme.
- 1
Advanced Natural History Narrative
- 2
Professional Wildlife Cinematography
- 3
Production Management and Scheduling
- 4
Observational Documentary Techniques
- 5
Multiplatform Storytelling for Audiences
- 6
Sound Design for Natural History
- 7
Research Methods in Documentary Practice
- 8
Major Project: Wildlife Documentary
Investment
Tuition fees
Home students
GBP9,900
per academic year
International students
GBP16,250
per academic year
Fees Full time courseFeesAmount (£)Home Award Fee14000Home Module Fee (15 Credit)1167International Award Fee17500International Module Fee (15 Credit)1458 Supplementary fee information The additional costs listed are those that students could reasonably expect to incur during their studies and are for items not covered by the standard tuition fee. These could be materials, text books, travel, clothing, software or printing.Students will need a laptop and external hard drives during the course to
Admissions
Entry requirements
Academic
Postgraduate requirement
2:2
English language — IELTS
Overall
6.5
Reading
5.5
Writing
5.5
Speaking
5.5
Listening
5.5
PTE Academic minimum
62
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Intake dates
Sep 2026 intake
Start your application
Careers
Graduate outcomes
Employment rate
100%
Salary (15 mo)
£24,000
Salary (3 yr)
£24,000
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