Type of qualification
Level of study
Once you’ve graduated with a bachelor’s degree – or have equal experience – you can study at the postgraduate level. Doctoral qualifications require additional entry requirements.
Our courses follow the New Zealand Qualification Framework (NZQF) levels.
Time to complete
Where you can study
International students
International students are not New Zealand citizens or residents.
Study a Master of Screen Arts – MSA
The Master of Screen Arts is strongly industry aligned, and will support connections and partnerships with industry, sector and communities to enable research pathways and externally funded projects. Our qualifications are grounded within Aotearoa and connected with global discourses and fields of enquiry.
You will be guided and supported towards developing increasingly complex and multi-disciplinary projects within the scope of your studies. These will reflect current and anticipated conditions within the wider screen sector, where technological convergence and the proliferation of platforms increases the need for skilled graduates.
For a broad range of screen arts practitioners and producers.
We have students whose undergraduate training spans a broad range of screen arts media and contexts. Our students frequently draw on and are guided through a breadth of knowledge systems including Indigenous perspectives and research methods.
Excellent faculty and visiting practitioners
We have highly experienced and strongly industry engaged staff, across postgraduate supervision and technical facilities staff. These include people who write, direct and produce short and feature length film (across scripted and factual production), design games, work with immersive technologies in both digital and spatial realms, innovate in areas of virtual production facilities, and research screen arts culture and industry systems. We also have a strong commitment to supporting Indigenous creative practice, and researching and instigating industry and systems change to better serve diverse communities of creatives and audiences.
Facilities
Students within the MSA will have access to state-of-the-art facilities including a large-scale virtual production volume, a range of industry standard cameras and production equipment, immersive media labs, a newly installed cinema with Dolby Atmos, post-production facilities and much more.
A MSA is a good fit if you:
- Are looking to develop your as a screen artist using world class facilities and studios
- Seek greater conceptual depth, nuanced skills, and transformation in your creative practice
- Thrive in an independent, self-motivated, experimental, research and process driven environment, and can work individually and as part of a team.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
Admission to Massey
All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.
Specific requirements
This is a selected entry qualification. This means there are a number of extra requirements you must meet.
To enter the Master of Screen Arts (180 credit qualification) you will:
- Meet the University admission requirements as specified, and:
- Have been awarded or qualified for a relevant Bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification with a minimum grade average of at least B; or
- Have been awarded or qualified for the Bachelor of Screen Arts (Honours) with a grade of at least B across the 700-800 level courses, or equivalent, or
- have been awarded or qualified for the Postgraduate Diploma in Screen Arts with a grade average of at least B, or equivalent; or
- Have been granted admission under the Admission with Equivalent Status regulations and demonstrate practical, professional and scholarly experience at an appropriate level;
- And will have been selected into the qualification on the basis of an interview and assessment of a portfolio of relevant work prepared by the candidate.
You will also need to:
- Provide a Research Statement prior to interview
- Provide copies of all official academic transcripts for studies taken at universities other than Massey University.
- If English is not your first language (or the language of tuition of your prior degree), supply a current IELTS (or equivalent) score.
If you have previously completed a relevant Bachelor Honours, or Postgraduate Diploma qualification with a grade of at least a B across the 700-800 level courses, it may be possible to apply for accelerated entry into the 120 Thesis component of the degree. The selected entry criteria below remain consistent, but we will require a Research Proposal rather than a Research Statement.
Portfolio and Research Statement/Research Proposal requirements
For more information about portfolio and Research Statement/Research Proposal requirements, see the College of Creative Arts' postgraduate applications page.
Application closing date
Applications close 30 November (for a Semester 1 start in late February) and 15 May for a Semester Two start in mid-July.
English language requirements
To study this qualification you must meet Massey University's English language standards.
Time limits for Honours, Distinction and Merit
Where your qualification is completed within the stated time limit and to a high standard, you may be able to graduate with Distinction or Merit.
- Look for information under ‘Student Progression’ in the General Regulations for Postgraduate Degrees, Postgraduate Diplomas and Postgraduate Certificates.
- Contact us through the Get advice button on this page if you have any questions.
Prior learning, credit and exemptions
For information on prior learning, exemptions and transfer of credit or other questions:
- review the Recognition of Prior Learning regulations
- contact us through the Get advice button on this page.
English language skills
If you need help with your English language skills before you start university, see our English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses.
Maximum time limits for completion
There are maximum time limits to complete postgraduate qualifications. If you do not complete within the maximum time, you may be required to re-apply for the qualification if you wish to continue your studies.
Official regulations
To understand what you need to study and must complete to graduate read the official rules and regulations for this qualification.
You should read these together with all other relevant Statutes and Regulations of the University including the General Regulations for Postgraduate Degrees, Postgraduate Diplomas, and Postgraduate Certificates.
Returning students
For returning students, there may be changes to the majors and minors available and the courses you need to take. Go to the section called ‘Transitional Provisions’ in the Regulations to find out more.
In some cases the qualification or specialisation you enrolled in may no longer be taking new enrolments, so may not appear on these web pages. To find information on the regulations for these qualifications go to the Massey University Calendar.
Please contact us through the Get advice button on this page if you have any questions.
Courses and specialisations
Courses and specialisations
Key terms
- Courses
- Each qualification has its own specific set of courses. Some universities call these papers. You enrol in courses after you get accepted into Massey.
- Course code
- Each course is numbered using 6 digits. The fourth number shows the level of the course. For example, in course 219206, the fourth number is a 2, so it is a 200-level course (usually studied in the second year of full-time study).
- Credits
- Each course is worth a number of credits. You combine courses (credits) to meet the total number of credits needed for your qualification.
- Specialisations
- Some qualifications let you choose what subject you'd like to specialise in. Your major or endorsement is what you will take the majority of your courses in.
Credit summary
180 credits
- Part One research methods and project development courses – 60 credits
- Part Two thesis – 120 credits
This is a parts-based qualification. This means there are regulations around your completion of Part One before progressing to Part Two.
Course planning key
- Prerequisites
- Courses that need to be completed before moving onto a course at the next level. For example, a lot of 200-level courses have 100-level prerequisite courses.
- Corequisites
- Courses that must be completed at the same time as another course are known as corequisite courses.
- Restrictions
- Some courses are restricted against each other because their content is similar. This means you can only choose one of the offered courses to study and credit to your qualification.
Part 1 (Choose 60 credits from)
Research Methods (Choose 15 credits from)
Course code: 293731 Contextualising Creative Enterprise Practice Part 1 15 credits
An exploration of advanced critical and enterprise frameworks, and ways they may be applied to creative practice. Students work towards a proposal of a plan to take their Major Project to market, along with a text through which their Major Project is critically framed.
View full course detailsCourse code: 293732 Creative Practice Research Methods 15 credits
Students will advance their understanding of approaches to creative practice research, methods and theory in relation to their specific practice orientation.
View full course detailsCourse code: 298730 Māori Research Methodologies for Creative Practice 15 credits
Students will consider tikanga and methodologies relevant to their own creative practice, which may incorporate the use of customary and/or new technologies, innovations, and knowledge. This will include developing an understanding of tikanga, ethics and accountabilities around the use of mātauranga toi Māori, mātauranga-ā-iwi, mātauranga-ā-hapū and mātauranga-a-whānau in the development of their own creative outputs. Students will be supported to locate and articulate their own creative practice in a continuum of mātauranga toi Māori.
View full course detailsProject Development (Choose 30 credits from)
Course code: 289701 Production Planning and Development 30 credits
Students gain a professional knowledge and develop expertise in a range of creative research practices, tools and techniques for organising large scale productions. Students will apply these skills toward planning and communicating an Advanced Production Project.
View full course detailsAny 400-level or 700-level elective course from the College of Creative Arts (Prefixes: 133, 197, 198, 212, 213, 221, 222, 223, 224, 237, 289, 293, 296, 298) (Choose at least 15 credits from)
Part 2 (Choose 120 credits from)
Course code: 289811 Screen Arts 120 credit Thesis Part 1 60 credits
Preparation of a thesis consisting of an advanced Screen Arts-led research project and an exegetical component to satisfy the requirements of the Master of Screen Arts qualification.
View full course detailsCourse code: 289812 Screen Arts 120 credit Thesis Part 2 60 credits
Continuing preparation of a thesis consisting of an advanced Screen Arts-led research project and an exegetical component to satisfy the requirements of the Master of Screen Arts qualification.
View full course detailsFees and scholarships
Fees and scholarships
Fees, student loans and free fees scheme
Your tuition fees may be different depending on the courses you choose. Your exact fees will show once you have chosen your courses.
There will also be some compulsory non-tuition fees and for some courses, there may also be charges for things such as study resources, software, trips and contact workshops.
- Get an estimate of the tuition fees for your qualification
- View a list of non-tuition fees that may be payable
Already know which courses you're going to choose?
You can view fees for the courses that make up your qualification on the course details pages.
Student loans (StudyLink) and Fees Free scheme
You may be eligible for a student loan to help towards paying your fees.
The New Zealand Government offers fees-free tertiary study for eligible domestic students. Find out more about the scheme, including how much could be covered and your eligibility on the Fees Free website.
Scholarship and award opportunities
Search our scholarships and awardsFees disclaimer
This information is for estimation purposes only. Actual fees payable will be finalised on confirmation of enrolment. Unless otherwise stated, all fees shown are quoted in New Zealand dollars and include Goods and Services Tax, if any. Before relying on any information on these pages you should also read the University's Disclaimer Notice.
Careers and job opportunities
Careers and job opportunities
Beyond the screen
Employment pathways include:
- film and television
- game design and development
- animation and visual effects
The growth of new sectors in immersive and interactive production means graduates of the MSA will be valuable contributors to a range of storytelling practices as well as to diverse fields and in service to their communities.
Related study options
Bachelor of Māori Visual Arts – BMVA
Unique to Massey University, the Bachelor of Māori Visual Arts encompasses contemporary Māori art, Māori language, Māori culture, and tikanga.
Graduate Diploma in Design – GDipDes
Develop your technical skills and learn to think like a designer.
Graduate Diploma in Screen Arts – GradDipSCA
Develop your technical skills and learn to think like a professional in the screen arts sector.
Master of Design – MDes
Go in depth with an advanced design research qualification. You’ll develop a creative outcome, often of direct application to design industry or community. We will help you make strong connections with the business, public or non-profit sector.
Master of Māori Visual Arts – MMVA
Challenge your own toi Māori practice, and learn from and be inspired by leading artists.
Photography – Bachelor of Design with Honours
Great photographers shake us, shift our perceptions and entice us to see things differently. Learn from leading photographers and develop your technical skills with our professional cameras and specialist studios and labs.
Photography – Bachelor of Design
Great photographers shake us, shift our perceptions and entice us to see things differently. Learn from leading photographers and develop your technical skills with our professional cameras and specialist studios and labs.
Postgraduate Diploma in Design – PGDipDes
Go beyond your bachelor’s degree and advance your design thinking with a Postgraduate Diploma in Design.
Postgraduate Diploma in Māori Visual Arts – PGDipMVA
Toioho ki Āpiti (the Māori visual arts qualification at Massey) welcomes all indigenous and Pākehā artists.
Postgraduate Diploma in Screen Arts – PGDipScreenArts
Useful planning information
Key information for students
Compare qualifications and academic information across different New Zealand institutions. Learn more on careers.govt.nz