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Audio Storytelling for Radio and Podcast MA

London, Stratford (UCL East)

This practice-based MA focuses on the art of audio storytelling and the crafted audio feature, drawing on resources from the global audio community in many parts of the world. Students have in depth contact with leading practitioners throughout, culminating in a graduate project mentored by industry professionals.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2026/27)
£16,800
£8,400
Overseas tuition fees (2026/27)
£39,200
£19,600
Duration
1 academic year
2 academic years
Programme starts
September 2026
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 20 Oct 2025 – 26 Jun 2026
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 20 Oct 2025 – 28 Aug 2026
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

We seek students who can show evidence of active engagement with visual or audio storytelling in previous work or study experience. We require a portfolio of work to support all applications. This should consist of one piece of creative work including (but not limited to) audio production/ filmmaking / installation of no more than 20 minutes duration, writing, painting, photography, music composition, or theatre. For those with a performing arts background, evidence of productions such as photos or reviews can be submitted in place of portfolio works.

We normally require an upper second-class Bachelor's degree from a UK university or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard. Applicants with lower second class degrees (i.e. UK 2:2 or the overseas equivalent) may be considered if their application is supported strongly by relevant experience. In exceptional circumstances, we will also consider applicants without higher education qualifications provided they demonstrate a significant track record in this or a related field.

The English language level for this course is: Level 2

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

Designed to meet the demands of a new and growing market for audio, the Audio Storytelling for Radio and Podcast MA will train you in the craft and techniques of audio storytelling, drawing inspiration from the global audio industry and equipping you to join and shape it. 

You will study in a warm and welcoming department that is also one of the largest and broadest anthropology departments in the UK, which researches and teaches across five sub-sections, and which continually works to expand and reshape the discipline. This programme offers many benefits and opportunities:

  • You will learn to produce short and feature-length creative audio works for radio, podcast and other audio platforms, and graduate trained to produce your ideas to a professional standard, with the latest knowledge and insights in the field.
  • You will experiment and take risks to develop your own creative voice, drawing on foundational audio storytelling techniques to deliver compelling stories in this evolving and thriving landscape.
  • You will be supported by industry-leading mentors with a proven track record in developing award-winning audio storytellers, with two Audio Storytelling for Radio and Podcast MA students awarded the prestigious Charles Parker Prize 2024, and a further student's documentary commissioned by BBC Radio 4.
  • You will study at the top university in London, and 4th in the world, for Anthropology (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025).

From documentary filmmaking to experimental cinema, you will specialise in the elements of public anthropology that interest you most, choosing from a range of optional modules to enrich your appreciation and understanding of factual storytelling in different contexts.

Who this course is for

The Audio Storytelling for Radio and Podcast MA is best suited to students looking to start or expand their audio storytelling practice in a professional framework, guided by leading industry figures and informed by innovative approaches to audio storytelling.

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

You will receive advanced training in the core aspects of audio production and delivery, including independent research design and implementation, ethics, pitching, production, editing and delivery and entry-level distribution.

You will also develop demonstrable competencies transferable to a range of professions, including complex problem solving through creative initiative, effective and succinct oral and written communication, including the ability to interpret and present complex data to diverse audiences, strong independent and team working, leadership and time and project management skills.

A number of students undertaking this course have gone on to win various awards and prizes, including the prestigious Charles Parker Prize with their work featuring on BBC Radio 4 as part of the award.

Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme

The foundation of your career

You will graduate with significant practical audio production and delivery experience, fully equipped to pursue a successful career in radio, audio or podcasting. The rigours of rapid turn-around audio production and delivery also provides a general training for any profession requiring strong project management, problem-solving and communication skills.

Graduates of the Audio Storytelling for Radio and Podcast MA will be equipped to pursue a range of careers, including broadcasting, journalism, podcasting, sound design, communications and marketing and advertising.

Employability

The programme is designed to enhance career prospects by giving students transferable skills attractive to employers in a wide range of businesses and sectors, such as:

  • Theoretical and critical analysis
  • Excellent oral and written communication
  • Practical audio production skills

You will also learn to solve problems and issues and to build positive working relationships. 

Networking

You will become part of the department's Public Anthropology section, learning from and networking with leading internal and external industry practitioners and a series of masterclasses.

Students are also encouraged to attend the following events:

  • Departmental seminars given by active researchers in anthropology and digital culture throughout your studies
  • Reading and Research Group (RRG), which are open spaces to exchange ideas on themes of mutual interest and welcome staff and student participation from across UCL and our neighbouring institutions
  • Events hosted by the broader audio and factual storytelling communities at UCL, our neighbouring institutions and across London more widely, including attending and participating in seminars, conferences, exhibitions and research partnership opportunities to help you establish industry connections and extend your professional networks
  • The department’s active careers support activities and initiatives, which include regular career development seminars and networking events.

You will be supported by an industry mentor while planning and producing your final project, who will also help you gain an understanding of professional media organisations. The department's London location also presents a range of opportunities to work, volunteer and carry out fieldwork in major organisations.

You will benefit from cultural and educational connections with our East Bank partners, including the V&A and BBC.

We also house London's global non-fiction festival, Open City Documentary Festival, which all students are invited to volunteer to support to network with industry leading professionals.

Teaching and learning

You will learn through lectures, interactive seminars involving critical discussion, fast-turnaround practical exercises, personal listening and independent directed and self-directed reading.

Across the programme, you will spend a minimum of six hours every week completing recording and editing exercises, building up a portfolio of work.

While planning and producing your final project, you will benefit from one-to-one academic supervision and mentorship from an industry professional.

Assessment method will depend on the module, and may include practical exercises, coursework and critical evaluations. All students on this course will also be assessed through an independent piece of research via the Advanced Audio Storytelling Practice for Radio and Podcast (ANTH0234) module.

In Terms 1 and 2, full-time students can typically expect between 10 and 15 contact hours per teaching week through a mixture of lectures, seminars, workshops, crits and tutorials. In Term 3 and over the summer period, students will be completing their graduation project which will be overseen by their graduation project mentors. Students will also display a level of self-directed study (25-30 hours per week), for example, by engaging with key topics and required readings, and completing assignments.

Modules

The programme comprises three compulsory modules and three optional modules chosen from a list of options offered in the department.

The compulsory Introduction to the Practice of Audio Storytelling module will give you the comprehensive technical and creative skillset to produce high-level professional short-form creative audio works. Through lectures, seminars, practical exercises and critical analysis, you will develop a solid foundation in audio storytelling.

The compulsory International Audio Criticism and Analysis module will give you an understanding of different historical and cultural audio production styles from around the world.

For the compulsory Advanced Audio Storytelling Practice module, you will create a feature-length audio work guided by a leading industry mentor. Designed to equip you for entry into high level audio work, alongside advanced work in pitching, project planning, music, editing, copyright and ethics, you will attend a series of lectures and masterclasses focussed on bridging the path into professional work.

As a part-time student, you will take the compulsory Introduction to the Practice of Audio Storytelling and International Audio Criticism and Analysis modules, as well as one or two optional modules, in the first year. In the second year, you will take the Advanced Audio Storytelling module and the remainder of your optional modules.

Compulsory modules





Optional modules












Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits. Upon successful completion of 180 credits, you will be awarded an MA in Audio Storytelling for Radio and Podcast.

Fieldwork

You will spend the summer term researching and producing your final project, a single documentary episode or podcast series between 45-60 minutes in duration, with many students choosing to undertake self-funded fieldwork-based projects in the UK or abroad.

The scope and nature of fieldwork is formulated in discussion with your appointed supervisor, and subject to departmental approval.

Placement

There is no formal placement programme in place, though many students choose to undertake freelance or part-time audio work in addition to their studies.

Accessibility

The department will endeavour to make reasonable adjustments for students with disabilities, including those with long-term health conditions, neurodivergence, learning differences and mental health conditions. This list is not exhaustive. If you're unsure of your eligibility for reasonable adjustments at UCL, please contact Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

Reasonable adjustments are implemented on a case-by-case basis. With the student's consent, reasonable adjustments are considered by UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services, and where required, in collaboration with the respective department.

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information about support available can be obtained from UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services.

For more information about the department and accessibility arrangements for your course, please contact the department.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time Part-time
Tuition fees (2026/27) £16,800 £8,400
Tuition fees (2026/27) £39,200 £19,600

Additional costs

For full-time and part-time offer holders with a fee status classification of UK, a fee deposit will be charged at 2.5% of the first year fee.

For full-time and part-time offer holders with a fee status classification of Overseas, a fee deposit will be charged at 10% of the first year fee.

Further information can be found in the Tuition fee deposits section on this page: Tuition fees.

Students are free to choose the topic and recording location of their final project, provided the project receives approval through the ethics and risk assessment process. Please note that travel and other costs associated with the production of the final project, such as accommodation and living expenses, are funded by students. These costs can vary greatly depending on location and duration of the production. 

All students will be provided with audio editing software. We encourage and expect students to complete their coursework on campus as the computers on site are equipped to support audio editing. User licenses will allow students to work from home but we can’t support students to upgrade or purchase personal devices.

As this programme is based at the UCL East campus in Stratford, students choosing to take an optional module only available at the Bloomsbury campus will need to fund their own travel between campuses. Tickets from zone 2 to zone 1 costs £8.50 for students or a travel card zone 1-4 for £15.90. Optional networking opportunities within London will incur similar travel costs. If students choose to attend networking conferences or other events outside of London, the costs will vary and will need to be covered by the student.

For in-person teaching, UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £119.90. This price was published by TfL in 2025. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies

UCL East Scholarship

The scholarship works to support the ambitions of east Londoners by funding the fees and living costs of eligible Master's programmes including this MA at UCL. For further details, please visit: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/scholarships/ucl-east-london-scholarship.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Aziz Foundation Scholarships in Social and Historical Sciences

Value: Full tuition fees (equivalent to 1yr full-time) (1 year)
Criteria Based on financial need
Eligibility: UK

UCL East London Scholarship

CLOSED FOR 25/26 ENTRY
Value: Tuition fees plus £16,000 stipend ()
Criteria Based on financial need
Eligibility: UK

Next steps

There is an application processing fee for this course of £90 for online applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

When we assess your application, we would like to learn:

  • why you want to study audio storytelling at graduate level
  • why you want to study audio storytelling at UCL
  • how your personal, academic and professional skills and experience inform your interest in, and will enable you to succeed on, this MA programme
  • where you would like to go professionally with your degree.

Please also include a portfolio of work evidencing active engagement with visual or audio storytelling. This should consist of one piece of creative work including (but not limited to) audio production, film or installation (up to 20 minutes), writing, painting, photography, music composition or theatre. For those with a performing arts background, evidence of productions e.g. photos and reviews can be submitted in place of a portfolio of work.

Please submit your portfolio by including a link to an external site of your choice at the end of your personal statement, or your photos and reviews by attaching a PDF to your application.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate courses (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2026-2027

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

Anthropology
Anthropology

public.anthro@ucl.ac.uk

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