Documentary has had a renaissance during the past few years, which has manifested in its box-office success at the cinema and the expanding ways in which it is being developed for a variety of media and platforms. This course responds to these changes by offering a creative and experimental approach to documentary that goes beyond the traditional. 

No longer just the domain of television and cinema, the documentary form has also become integral to internet content, advertising and art installations, all of which have radically changed the boundaries that define the genre. It has also opened up exciting new vocations for independent practitioners, as well as those who want employment in a wide range of media and creative organisations.

The School of Digital Arts (SODA) MA Documentary offers you the opportunity to develop your thoughts, ideas and creative practice about things that matter to you in the world. Documentary is ideally suited to be incorporated into evolving technologies such as AR, VR and interactive and immersive narrative forms. Not only does it consolidate many of the different interests which exist at the heart of SODA, it lends itself to the potentials of interdisciplinary research, so you will benefit from the broad range of academic and cultural activities across the university and its creative partners. 

As a documentary student you will be part of SODA. You will study in an environment that is purpose-built for today’s fast-moving creative and digital sectors – offering boundary-breaking and cross-disciplinary learning that reflects modern project-based working practices. You will be based within a cutting edge building, equipped with the latest emerging technologies, to enable you to develop industry-standard skills for creating and researching content across the latest digital platforms. It is a place that offers the opportunity to collaborate within our dynamic creative community of sound designers, photographers, filmmakers, games developers and more. 

During the course you will also develop professional links with the creative community and industries both locally, nationally and internationally. For students and creative media professionals alike, SODA is well positioned - Manchester is a great place for building a network and developing your research and practice in the media, games and digital tech industries. SODA is home to staff from a wide range of creative disciplines, who are research active and experts in their chosen areas. They also enjoy well-established links to the wider creative media, arts and digital tech industries. 

SODA has formed a strong portfolio of partners and advisors within Manchester and beyond, which will offer our graduates a foundation of contacts with potential employers and commissioners, which they will also be encouraged to build on. Given the growing interest in documentary stories and the accessibility of the technologies required to tell them, this is an expanding area of study.

You will be in a strong position to not only seek a career in television and cinema production, but also making internet content, developing your practice as a fine artist, or finding employment in wide range of media and creative organisations. The MA Documentary is also an excellent step towards a PhD by Practice and a career in education.