The aim of the degree is to provide students with:

1. good theoretical and general knowledge of as well as artistic and practical expertise in their field of study as well as a general knowledge of the field of arts;
2. knowledge and skills needed for independent and demanding artistic work and for multidisciplinary collaboration as well as knowledge and skills needed to apply scientific knowledge and scientific methods;
3. knowledge and skills to perform, both independently and collaboratively, demanding expert, development and management duties of the field, and to cooperate internationally;
4. knowledge and skills needed for education leading to a Doctor of Arts (Art and Design) degree and for lifelong learning;
5. good language and communication skills for work in the field of arts and for international operations and cooperation.

The education shall be based on scientific research and artistic activity and professional practices in the field.

Learning Outcomes of the Master's Programme in Film and Television

A graduate of the Master’s Degree Programme in Film and Television:

• Is able to work as the artistically responsible person in his/her competence area (Head of Department) in a feature-length fictional or documentary film or television
• Knows how to use traditional and modern storytelling techniques and  how to use  dramaturgical tools for story development.
• Can master broad artistic and production concepts.
• Is able to apply previously acquired knowledge and skills.
• Can assess and question the traditions in film and television.
• Is able to apply storytelling skills in new areas and  platforms of audiovisual storytelling
• Can develop new working methods and processes, for example by using research and/or experimental approaches.
• Is able to identify and develop his/her artistic strengths and characteristics and  build an artistic identity.
• Can take initiative and work as an active co-operator in  the production’s artistic working group.
• Can expand his/her professional skills by further developing personal competences and thinking.
• Can work independently and contribute to renewing the field.
• Can function in an international working group.
• Can continue his/her education by applying for continuing or doctoral studies.

Education Content

A quarter of the MA-studies in Film and Television consists of jointly taught studies within the Department. These studies cover areas such as Arts and Theory, Working Life Skills and Industry Practices, and Film History and Analysis.

The Master's Degree Programme in Film and Television provides the students with advanced level artistic and vocational skills. The student’s skills are developed both in the areas of independent work and group work.  Students are encouraged to find a research perspective on their own area of specialisation. Student can also choose to specialise in an applied area in the audiovisual and media industry.

Code:
Credits: N ECTS cr
Responsible teacher: Professor Arturo Delgado Pereira

Learning Outcomes

The goal of the major in Documentary Film in the Master’s Degree Programme in Film and Television is to train visionary documentary film directors who create the future of the field.  In Master’s degree studies, the students deepen their vision regarding theory, history and contemporary expression in the genre, and develop their competence in relation to the changing professional field of documentary film.

A broader understanding of development in the field and its future possibilities is built on the foundation of the director’s competence in his/her professional role. Direction of the MA diploma film is an important framework within which students strengthen their specialisation in the professional field of the genre and take part in developing a tradition of expression.

A graduate with a major in Documentary Film (Master’s degree programme in Film and Television) is able to:

• work as an independent documentary film director, teacher, instructor or be employed in applied professional tasks in the documentary film profession (such as festivals, financing, distribution, production, production of commissioned films)
• identify his/her style as a director
• question and develop practices in the field
• question and reflect on the traditions in his/her field and apply for doctoral film studies.

Education Content

In the major in Documentary Film a student deepens his/her vision of directing a documentary film. The teaching consists of workshops and lecture modules built around different varying themes, where progressing in the diploma film process is integrated with advanced studies in various approaches to the genre and styles, traditions and history, new forms of the modern documentary and the theory of the genre. Directing the diploma film and the related written diploma work are the essential framework of the Master’s degree programme studies, a process that is supported by the other studies.

Teaching is offered in workshop format and as lecture courses, Master courses held by visiting teachers and independent project work.  The students familiarise themselves with the history of film and especially that of documentaries, and are comprehensively introduced to the new forms of modern documentaries. Film analysis, reflecting on the conditions of one’s own medium, writing and thinking are important forms of teaching that support practical activities. Knowledge of other arts and experimental and fictional film as well as familiarising oneself with documentary expression in the fields of new media, visual arts and other media is vital. The students' ability to observe and interpret reality, their readiness to encounter people, critical thinking, willingness to experiment and ability to work in a team are developed through the above-mentioned teaching methods.

Courses

Major Studies 90 ECTS

Code:
Credits: N ECTS cr
Responsible teacher: Professor Pietari Koskinen

Learning Outcomes

Master’s studies in the major in Film Sound Design train artists and professionals to work as sound designers and sound recordists in all areas of film production. The aim of master’s studies is to improve the student’s skills, especially in the area of sound design. The student gains a greater understanding and mastery of the artistic, production and technical content of their professional area by means of course modules and exercises that steadily increase in their level of difficulty. 

A sound designer and sound recordist gains a comprehensive knowledge of the practices, means of artistic expression, technical equipment and theoretical concepts in their own field. A key goal of the education is to further develop the student’s talents and personality, impart additional technical, working life and artistic skills as well as advanced knowledge of the field and its history, and develop management and research skills.

Essential skills to be learned are dramaturgical and content thinking in cinematic expression, the ability to perceive sound and space, management, working life, communication and cooperation skills, managing sound design and the dramaturgical concept and technical realisation process of a feature-length film, a deeper knowledge of the traditions and modern trends of their field, and the ability to think critically and analytically.

After graduating from the master’s programme, a sound designer has a mastery of the overall artistic and technical process of sound design – from pre-production to post-production and the finished film. During the studies, the student becomes familiar with all phases of sound recording, sound post-production and sound design in film in addition to artistic and production cooperation in film and television productions.

The goal of the education is to impart a capacity to pursue doctoral studies.

Education Content

A quarter of the MA-studies in Film Sound Design consists of jointly taught studies within the Department. These studies cover areas such as Arts and Theory, Working Life Skills and Industry Practices, and Film History and Analysis.

The emphasis of master’s studies in the major in Film Sound Design is in advanced studies in the area of film sound theories, music, production, studio and sound effects recording and in seminars and workshops investigating special features of film sound.

Students learn about the professions of sound designer and sound recordist by means of increasingly demanding exercises. The aim of teaching is to support the student in developing their personal strengths and artistic vision.

The education may contain studies with students from other fields of art. Film exercises provide the opportunity to study sound design and recording practices and improve group work and management skills.

Major Studies 90 ECTS

Code:
Credits: N ECTS cr
Responsible teacher: Professor Raija Talvio

Learning Outcomes

Master's students in Screenwriting develop their ability to produce high-quality and artistically significant work and are able to apply this ability in the artistic production process and related group work.  Master’s students become familiar with the central theoretical questions in the field and acquire the skills needed for research activities.

The educational goal in the field of screenwriting for film and television is for graduates to be able to work professionally in the field and to research and renew the current realm of human experience, in which life is more planned, produced, and recorded in writing than ever before. The master's degree programme directs students to engage in the deeper intellectual and societal structures associated with modes of artistic expression, with special focus on the use of animation in screenwriting, during the study process, and in research.

Education Content

The core content in the master's degree programme consists of structured project work in which the students work individually to produce a piece of art and develop their specialist expertise in dynamic multi-disciplinary groups.

As a master’s thesis, the student produces a competitive script of high artistic and production quality and the related research section, in which he/she addresses an issue in the screenwriting field that is meaningful both personally and to the screenwriting community.

The master’s student also becomes familiar with the practice, theory, and research history of screenwriting as well as with recent achievements and new applications in the field. The student is able to assess the importance and feasibility of their own screenwriting, film and television series projects, and those of fellow students. The skills needed for various duties and job descriptions are strengthened through personal projects, group work, international studies, and joint projects with other artistic practitioners and producers in the field. Minor study modules (such as Film Directing, Film and Television Producing, Film Editing or other university-level studies) allow the student to understand the comprehensive and organic nature of film and television and related fields. Seminars, variable study modules, international workshops, and educational projects help students identify their personal strengths and network in a meaningful manner.

Major Studies 90 ECTS

^{* ) Students have the right to be credited with components of courses from courses over 12 ECTS.}

Code:
Credits: N ECTS cr
Responsible teacher: Professor Miia Haavisto

Learning Outcomes

The goal of the master’s level major in Film and Television Producing is to deepen the student’s skills towards independent audiovisual entrepreneurship, a research or development project in the film producing field or a deeper understanding of artistic leadership.

After the studies, the student possesses the skills needed to realise and lead high-quality film and television productions and has acquired special competence in his/her personal area of specialisation that makes possible work in a changing profession and visionary development of operating methods in the field.

Education Content

In the major in Film and Television Producing the student deepens his / her vision of audiovisual productions and activities. The student develops his / her own artistic thinking and film vision as well as an understanding of business and management. Master’s students become familiar with the history of the film and the current trends in audiovisual narrative. The aim of the education is to support the student as a creative producer. The education strengthens student's research capabilities and ability to think critically.

Student's deepen their artistic thinking and expertise in leadership and entrepreneurship, international co-productions and distribution and dramaturgy in accordance to their personal study plan. The study modules include theoretical studies as well as workshop courses or a combination of these.

Major Studies 90 ECTS

Code:
Credits: N ECTS cr
Responsible teacher: Professor Anne Lakanen

Learning Outcomes

At the master’s level, the major in Film Editing is a continuation of the bachelor’s studies in film editing. Bachelor’s studies in this major provide an outstanding foundation for master’s studies. 

The technical, expression-related and vocational foundation for film editing has been laid in the BA studies. The aim of the MA degree is to develop the student into an expert of viewing and seeing, a storyteller and an artist. Mastering the structure and expression of a feature-length documentary and a feature fiction film are at the core of the teaching. The MA degree also provides the opportunity to specialise in digital post-production, animation and experimental film. The goal of the education is to impart a capacity for pursuing doctoral studies.

The aim of master’s studies is that the student discovers his/her own way of working and is able to plan time use appropriately during the editing process in a large production. In film editing studies, the student learns to master the artistic, production-related and technical entity of his/her professional field through course teaching and exercises that gradually become more demanding. The goal of teaching is to strengthen the student’s skills and development and critical thinking in accordance with artistic vision.

Graduates with a major in Film Editing can process the structure of a full-length film and manage large amounts of material, schedule their own work in relation to the demands of production. He/she understands the requirements for making visual effects and can proportion digital post-production to his/her work. On the other hand, he/she has the possibility to specialise in digital post-production and as a visual effects designer, technician and expert. Film Editing studies provide the student with a good foundation for becoming an independent artist who has the skills to renew cinematic expression and specialise in film expression research or use his/her visual dramaturgy skills in other areas of narration and communications.

Education Content

A student working towards a master’s degree with a major in Film Editing deepens his/her skills and vision in dramaturgy and film editing. The teaching consists of workshops and lecture modules built around various changing themes, and advanced studies in the theory of this work.

The major provides deeper knowledge of film structures and film editing theories. The student has the possibility to expand his/her cinematic knowledge in the direction of filming and sound design and select studies to support their own area of specialisation from the cooperation platform of Aalto University and the University of the Arts. Etude productions focus on the editor’s vocational practices in the areas of fictional, documentary and animation film.

The education is mainly based on practical learning by doing, personal work and direction and dialogue-based interaction. The student deepens his/her knowledge of traditions and modern trends in the field.

The task of a film editor is to assess the functioning of the screenplay, find the final form of the film in the recorded material and produce the intended emotional impact in the viewer. A film editor needs the ability to be empathic as well as to understand interpersonal interactive relations and the wider and deeper meanings of the narration. The film editor needs to have a good idea of film history and the expressive means of various genres. Good image reading ability, a sense of rhythm and the ability to perceive structures provide the boldness needed to produce new solutions during the editing process. Communication skills and the ability to cooperate are the basic requirements for progressing in the profession.  The main focus of master’ studies are placed on managing large entities and the long format.

A personal study plan is drawn up separately for each student according to his/her interests. For example, he/she can specialise in actual film editing, post-production, digital effects or move in the research direction.

Major Studies 90 ECTS

^{* ) Students have the right to be credited with components of courses from courses over 12 ECTS.}

Code:
Credits: N ECTS cr
Resposible teacher: Professor Saara Saarela

Learning Outcomes

Master’s studies with a major in Film Directing strengthen the student director’s idea generation skills, idea development, storybuilding and narration skills in addition to developing the director’s personal cinematic style.

Master’s studies in Film Directing deepen the student’s visual and dramaturgical abilities, provides competence in production and directing actors as well as enforces the student’s ability to lead a creative process in collaboration with other artistic leads. The goal of the education is to provide the necessary skills to direct a feature-length film and a fiction tv-series.

Education Content

In master’s studies in Film Directing, the student develops his/her own artistic thinking and cinematic vision. The studies are built around the Master’s Thesis combining both artistic and research elements.  The studies consist of joint compulsory content for all majors in Film, which develop the student’s skills in research and professionalism, and of specific study modules only for students majoring in Film Directing. These courses comprise thematic study modules with changing content and are a combination of theory, individual research and practical workshops. Some modules concentrate on working with actors for better understanding the different acting and directing methods. Other modules are laboratories built around a single central theme and realized in conjunction with one or more majors.

During the master’s courses, the student challenges his/her artistic thinking, studies the conventions and new forms of film and TV drama, their dramaturgical structure and examines the starting points of his/her personal artistic work in more detail. The studies enforce the director’s role and defines the responsibilities during the whole production line. The student also learns to understand the importance of resourcing when planning and realizing a film or a tv-series. According to the study plan drawn up in the personal study plan discussion, the director additionally deepens his/her competence in scriptwriting, visual narration or sound narration.

Major Studies 90 ECTS

Code:
Credits: N ECTS cr
Responsible teacher: Professor Rauno Ronkainen

Learning Outcomes

In master’s studies in Cinematography, the student deepens his/her vocational competence to achieve a greater mastery of the overall artistic, production and technical entity of his/her professional area in various film, TV and advertising productions. A student of cinematography has a wide-ranging mastery of artistic means of expression, cinematography methods and challenging technical concepts, equipment and work methods.

The goal of education is to reinforce the student’s personal strengths and development in line with personal artistic vision, deepen cooperation skills with others responsible for artistic film work, and provide the skills needed for independent research work.

Education Content

During the education, the student’s personal vision is strengthened with a focus on artistic-technical cinematography competence and cooperation skills.

The job description of a cinematographer is reinforced and deepened in extensive master’s study modules and workshop exercises, both in Finland and internationally and by means of courses on vocational technology and artistic expression. The education is mainly based on practical learning by doing, work in small groups, personal guidance and dialogue-based interaction. During the studies, the student is introduced to all phases of preliminary planning in cinematography and artistic and production cooperation in film and television productions.

Courses

Major Studies 90 ECTS

^{* ) Students have the right to be credited with components of courses from courses over 12 ECTS.}

To graduate, students must meet the aims set for the thesis. The aim of the master's thesis is that:

• Students demonstrate command of the field of the master's programme and ability to apply the knowledge and skills acquired in the programme independently;
• Students demonstrate ability for research-oriented work on an artistic, theoretical or applied research topic and demonstrate ability to use data and source material for research purposes;
• Students demonstrate good communication skills for work in the field of study.

The thesis may be a piece of theoretical, artistic or applied research, a work of art or a combination of these; it may also include a production component. The production component may be, depending on the field, for instance, a design, a work of art, an exhibition, or project. Theses always include a written component. If the thesis consists of a design or other production component and a written component, the student must specify the emphasis to be given to the different components in the evaluation. However, the thesis is always evalu-ated as a whole, with all the components of the thesis included in the evaluation.

The recommended extent of the written component of the thesis is 25–70 pages (approx. 50 000–140 000 characters) depending on the extent of the possible production component.

For more information on completing your thesis see: Completing your master's thesis

All master’s degrees at Aalto ARTS include 30 ECTS of elective studies. As elective studies, students can for example complete courses at Aalto University or other Finnish universities or participate in an international student exchange programme.

All master’s degrees at Aalto ARTS include 30 ECTS of elective studies. As elective studies, students can for example complete courses at Aalto University or other Finnish universities or participate in an international student exchange programme.

All master’s degrees at Aalto ARTS include 30 ECTS of elective studies. As elective studies, students can for example complete courses at Aalto University or other Finnish universities or participate in an international student exchange programme. The major in Film and Television Producing also offers a selection of courses which students can freely include in their elective studies.

All master’s degrees at Aalto ARTS include 30 ECTS of elective studies. As elective studies, students can for example complete courses at the school’s other programmes and majors, elsewhere at Aalto University or at other Finnish universities or participate in an international student exchange programme.  Elective studies as well as other studies offered by the major can also be freely included in elective studies.

All master’s degrees at Aalto ARTS include 30 ECTS of elective studies. As elective studies, students can for example complete courses at Aalto University or other Finnish universities or participate in an international student exchange programme.

All master’s degrees at Aalto ARTS include 30 ECTS of elective studies. As elective studies, students can for example complete courses at Aalto University or other Finnish universities or participate in an international student exchange programme. The major in Cinematography also offers a selection of courses which students can freely include in their elective studies.

^{* ) Students have the right to be credited with components of courses from courses over 12 ECTS.}

All master’s degrees at Aalto ARTS include 30 ECTS of elective studies. As elective studies, students can for example complete courses at Aalto University or other Finnish universities or participate in an international student exchange programme. The major in Film Sound Design also offers a selection of courses which students can freely include in their elective studies.

^{* ) Students have the right to be credited with components of courses from courses over 12 ECTS.}