Course overview

Learn the skills to bring new worlds and experiences to life through the power of technology on our MA Virtual and Immersive Reality course at UCA Farnham.

The growing demand for virtual and immersive reality - in fields such as architecture, transport, entertainment, healthcare and education - has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and it's predicted the UK virtual reality industry will grow to around £294m in just two years' time. 

Whether for virtual tours of global museums, galleries and iconic cultural and historical sites, fashion shows, travel experiences or games, designing spaces or remotely training healthcare students, more and more companies and organisations are turning to virtual and immersive reality to add to their appeal and overall effectiveness. 

Through this course, you'll collaborate with students and staff across different subject areas - from film and fine art to games and digital media - to gain the skills and insight to create these experiences using the very latest software.

Please note, this course is subject to validation and the MA course will be available for September 2024 entry, the Integrated International Pre-Masters course will be available for September 2023 entry.  

Course entry options

Select from the options below to find out more about the different study options available for this course:

What you'll study

What you'll
study

The content of the course may be subject to change. Curriculum content is provided as a guide.

For our students coming from a non-UK educational background, UCA has launched an Integrated International Pre-Masters year. On this course you’ll prepare for postgraduate study with a mix of online and face-to-face learning that will give you the study skills required to complete a Master’s, and you’ll also improve your English for academic study.

Fees & financial support

Fees &
financial support

Tuition fees - 2023 entry

UK students:

  • Integrated Pre-Masters course - £10,500
  • MA course - £10,500

EU students:

  • Integrated International Pre-Masters course - £10,500 (see fee discount information)
  • MA course - £10,500 (see fee discount information)

International students:

  • Integrated International Pre-Masters course (30 weeks) - £17,500
  • Integrated International Pre-Masters course (15 weeks) - £8,750
  • MA course - £17,500

Further information
For more detailed information about our course fees and any financial support you may be entitled to please see our fees and finance pages.

The fees listed here are correct for the stated academic year only. Costs may increase each year during a student’s period of continued registration on course in line with inflation (subject to any maximum regulated tuition fee limit). Any adjustment for continuing students will be at or below the RPI-X forecast rate.

Financial support

There are lots of ways you can access additional financial support to help you fund your studies - both from UCA and from external sources.

Discover what support you might qualify for please see our financial support information

UCA scholarships and fee discounts

At UCA we have a number of scholarships and fee discounts available to assist you with the cost of your studies.

You'll find everything you need to know for your level of study on our scholarships page.

Additional course costs

In addition to the tuition fees there may be other costs for your course. The things that you are likely to need to budget for to get the most out of a creative arts education will include books, printing costs, occasional or optional study trips and/or project materials.

These costs will vary according to the nature of your project work and the individual choices that you make. 

Facilities

This course has studios containing high-end PCs with Alienware Aurora towers and the latest RTX 2080 graphics cards, 4k dual screen monitors and Wacom Cintiq graphics tablets, running software including Unity and Unreal games engines. There is also a VR development studio and a dedicated Games Incubator Studio for graduate entrepreneurs looking to set up their own companies or to release games to market. In addition, our Farnham campus has sound production and Foley studios, pro tools and a specialist library.

View 360 virtual tour

VR motion capture film studio, UCA Farnham

VR motion capture film studio, UCA Farnham

Games studio, UCA Farnham

Library, UCA Farnham

Career opportunities

Career
opportunities

The growing demand for virtual and immersive reality within a plethora of different industries means that graduates might develop their career within a variety of different roles. These might include:

  • Producer
  • Instructional designer
  • WebAR developer
  • Software developer
  • Design/Graphics engineer
  • AR/VR maintenance support
  • XR gameplay and tools engineer

You may want to undertake further study or a research degree to specialise even more.

Entry & portfolio requirements

Entry & portfolio
requirements

MA course

  • A good honours degree or equivalent qualification in a related discipline

and/or

  • Relevant work experience, demonstrating your ability to study at postgraduate level.

Consideration will also be given to applicants who can make a strong case for admission in relation to a particular project and can demonstrate their potential to satisfactorily complete the course.

Portfolio requirements

For this course we will need to see your written or visual portfolio for review. We’ll invite you to attend an Applicant Day so you can have your portfolio review in person, meet the course team and learn more about your course. Further information will be provided once you have applied. 

MA course

The entry requirements will depend on the country your qualifications are from, please check the equivalent qualifications for your country:

Any additional entry requirements listed in the UK requirements section, e.g., subject requirements, work experience or professional qualifications, also apply to international applicants applying with equivalent qualifications.

Portfolio requirements

For this course we will need to see your written or visual portfolio for review. We’ll invite you to attend an Applicant Day so you can have your portfolio review in person, meet the course team and learn more about your course. Further information will be provided once you have applied.


MA course with Integrated International Pre-Masters course

  • A recognised bachelor degree or 3 year diploma with a strong portfolio in a relevant subject.

Any additional entry requirements listed in the UK requirements section, e.g., subject requirements, work experience or professional qualifications, also apply to international applicants applying with equivalent qualifications.

Portfolio requirements

For this course we will need to see your written or visual portfolio for review. We’ll invite you to attend an Applicant Day so you can have your portfolio review in person, meet the course team and learn more about your course. Further information will be provided once you have applied.


English language requirements

To study at UCA, you'll need to have a certain level of English language skill. And so, to make sure you meet the requirements of your course, we ask for evidence of your English language ability, please chcek the level of English language required:

Don't meet the international entry requirements or English language requirements?

You may be able to enter the course through the following entry pathways:

Apply now

Please use the following fields to help select the right application link for you:

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