Science Media Production
Develop the expertise required to work in broadcast media television or radio.
Prepare for a science communication career in broadcast media with a focus on audio-visual production
Produce thought-provoking documentary film and audio to a professional standard
Gain hands-on experience through a work placement with a broadcaster or television production company
Course key facts
Qualification
MSc
Duration
1 year
Start date
September 2026
Study mode
Full-time
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Fees
£13,800 Home
£31,200 Overseas
Delivered by
Location
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South Kensington
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Course overview
Develop the expertise required to work in broadcast media television or radio on this one-year course.
This degree is designed to enhance your creative and intellectual abilities as a reflexive practitioner. You'll discover how to produce documentary film and audio to a professional standard.
This course also examines the relationship between science and society, and the challenges faced by the modern-day documentary maker.
Sharpen your technical skills through a series of intensive practical workshops, carried out in our in-house TV and radio facilities.
Apply this knowledge to the production of a final documentary over the summer.
You'll also gain hands-on media industry experience on a work placement with a broadcaster or television production company.
If you would prefer a course with a broader choice of study, we also offer an MSc in Science Communication.
Virtual open day January 2026
Our next Open Day event will be held online from 15.00 to 17.00 UK time on Friday 16 January 2026. If you would like to attend, please email liam.watson@imperial.ac.uk for joining instructions.
Structure
This page is updated regularly to reflect the latest version of the curriculum. However, this information is subject to change.
Find out more about potential course changes.
Please note: it may not always be possible to take specific combinations of modules due to timetabling conflicts. For confirmation, please check with the relevant department.
You'll complete five academic modules and one practical module.
Core modules
Explore contemporary debates surrounding science and its place in the world, and consider how scientific expertise in the public domain becomes controversial and contested.
Become familiar with different models of film form and narrative and explore foundational ideas of film theory.
Engage with seminal works in the history of the documentary film and develop a critical eye to recent developments in factual TV.
Examine key concepts from narrative theory to inform your narrative writing and consider important theoretical issues from a range of genres and media.
Consider influential works of radio documentary and drama to examine how audio media create visual images in listeners’ minds and the implications this has for the truth-telling power of the medium.
Build your practical skills in media production by carrying out two pieces of project work – a factual audio production and a short film.
Gain hands-on experience in a media production setting on an internship or work placement.
The work placement allows you to develop the skills and knowledge gained on the course in the real world of broadcast science communication.
Placements are set up through the College, although you may also undertake your own initiatives in consultation with the College.
You’ll also research and produce your own programme based on your ideas for a short television documentary or a radio show.
Teaching and assessment
Teaching and learning methods
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Lectures
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Supervised workshops
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Seminars
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Online reading
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Virtual learning environment
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Supervised projects
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Supervised work placements
Assessment methods
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Essays
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Practical coursework projects and group projects
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Final project
Entry requirements
We consider all applicants on an individual basis, welcoming students from all over the world.
How to apply
Apply online
You can submit one application form per year of entry. You can choose up to two courses.
Application deadlines – Applications for this course close at 23:59 on Friday 20 February 2026.
There is no application fee for Postgraduate Certificates, Postgraduate Diplomas, or courses such as PhDs and EngDs.
If you are applying for a Master’s course, you will need to pay an application fee before submitting your application.
The fee applies per application and not per course.
The application fees for postgraduate courses are:
- £90 for all Master's applications, excluding those to Imperial Business School
- £125 for MSc applications to Imperial Business School
- £150 for MBA applications to Imperial Business School
If you are facing financial hardship and are unable to pay the application fee, we encourage you to apply for our application fee waiver.
When you apply online to this course, you must complete an aptitude assignment for your chosen course.
This should be attached along with your personal statement, under the 'personal statement' section of the online application form.
Read about the compulsory aptitude assignment on the Science Communication Unit web pages.
Find out more about how to apply for a Master's course, including references and personal statements.
After you apply you may be invited for an interview with members of our staff.
We interview all shortlisted applicants, these interviews will be held online.
An ATAS certificate is not required for students applying for this course.
Fees and funding
Home fee
2026 entry
£13,800
You should expect and budget for your fees to increase each year.
Your fee is based on the year you enter the university, not your year of study. This means that if you repeat a year or resume your studies after an interruption, your fees will only increase by the amount linked to inflation.
Find out more about our tuition fees payment terms, including how inflationary increases are applied to your tuition fees in subsequent years of study.
Whether you pay the Home or Overseas fee depends on your fee status. This is assessed based on UK Government legislation and includes things like where you live and your nationality or residency status. Find out how we assess your fee status.
If you're a UK national, or EU national with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you may be able to apply for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan from the UK government, if you meet certain criteria.
The maximum value of the loan is £12,858 for courses starting on or after 1 August 2025.
The loan is not means-tested and you can choose whether to put it towards your tuition fees or living costs.
Please note:
- The loan is only available if you’re studying a full Master’s course from the start.
- If you start on a Postgraduate Certificate (PG Cert) or Postgraduate Diploma (PG Dip) and later move on to the Master’s, you won’t be eligible for this loan.
Overseas fee
2026 entry
£31,200
You should expect and budget for your fees to increase each year.
Your fee is based on the year you enter the university, not your year of study. This means that if you repeat a year or resume your studies after an interruption, your fees will only increase by the amount linked to inflation.
Find out more about our tuition fees payment terms, including how inflationary increases are applied to your tuition fees in subsequent years of study.
Whether you pay the Home or Overseas fee depends on your fee status. This is assessed based on UK Government legislation and includes things like where you live and your nationality or residency status. Find out how we assess your fee status.
If you're a UK national, or EU national with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you may be able to apply for a Postgraduate Master’s Loan from the UK government, if you meet certain criteria.
The maximum value of the loan is £12,858 for courses starting on or after 1 August 2025.
The loan is not means-tested and you can choose whether to put it towards your tuition fees or living costs.
Please note:
- The loan is only available if you’re studying a full Master’s course from the start.
- If you start on a Postgraduate Certificate (PG Cert) or Postgraduate Diploma (PG Dip) and later move on to the Master’s, you won’t be eligible for this loan.
How will studying at Imperial help my career?
Learn the skills necessary to work in broadcast media, film, and a variety of communication fields.
Previous graduates from the Science Communication Unit have progressed to careers in TV, film and radio production.
Other potential career paths include presenting, journalism, and PR/comms.
Further links
Contact the department
- Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7594 8753
- Email: liam.watson@imperial.ac.uk
Visit the Science Communication Unit website.
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Terms and conditions
There are some important pieces of information you should be aware of when applying to Imperial. These include key information about your tuition fees, funding, visas, accommodation and more.
You can find further information about your course, including degree classifications, regulations, progression and awards in the programme specification for your course.
Programme specifications