Master of Fine Arts (Creative Practice)
Advance your film-making, music, design, or theatre performance and production skills to prepare for a rewarding career in the creative industries.
Find out what the MFA (CP) offers you in your fine arts discipline. Choose from the following subjects:
Design
Master the art of visual storytelling and explore the expressive possibilities of narrative through design. This is the only Master’s degree in New Zealand designed for those passionate about creating visual stories in all their forms, including comics, animation, graphic design, hybrid literature, games, illustration, concept art, production design, and live-action or tabletop roleplaying.
Craft powerful stories using images to convey emotions and complex ideas. Conjure new worlds through concept art, storyboarding, world-building, and production design.
You’ll gain skills in narrative techniques—from writing and drawing all the way through to experimenting with cutting-edge technologies. Carve your path through courses in creativity and arts management, preparing you for a dynamic practice as a visual storyteller.
Internships build experience and networks
Gain hands-on experience as an intern with one of our partners. The internship project will provide you with real-world insights into the creation and business of visual storytelling, funding opportunities, and commercial production.You’ll have the chance to build valuable industry contacts and gain practical experience. Work with publishers, producers, studios, and galleries to produce exciting work across a range of creative fields.
Learn from the best
You’ll learn from award-winning staff from the School of Design Innovation, as well as guest teaching and workshop sessions from inspiring creators and experienced professionals. Our faculty have extensive international networks and industry connections, ensuring you receive top-tier guidance and opportunities.Become a member of our Visual Narrative Lab research community, a gathering of practitioners and scholars in the narrative arts.
Creative project
Create a polished final work that aligns with your passions and career goals. You could team up on a project with other MFA (CP) students from Film, Music, or Theatre. Your project could involve creating a graphic novel, design, animation, short film, performance, or other creative work, depending on where your story takes you.Courses like Visual Development and Narrative Design will hone your skills in creating compelling work. Collaborate with other creative practitioners in the MFA or the MDT programme in Animation and Visual Effects.
Sharpen your skills and learn new technologies in our world class facilities at the Miramar Creative Center, Te Aro campus, and Te Auaha building, where we offer an array of facilities and tools to bring your visions to life.
Craft a powerful story, full of rich images and complex ideas. Conjure a new world of emotion using your command of visual language. Then bring it all together in a masterful final project with the help of award-winning staff from the Visual Narrative Lab. The MFA (Creative Practice) in Design is your portal to envisioning the stories of tomorrow.
Exploring visual narrative design in my postgraduate study has opened up so many doors for me. From research and reading to design and play-testing, being able to study tabletop role-playing games feels like a dream come true.
Emily Morris
Postgraduate Design student
Film
Get the skills you need to work in film, studying a programme specifically tailored to the needs of the New Zealand film industry.
If you are passionate about working in the film industry or being a film-maker and if you want to move into this exciting and dynamic industry, this degree is for you. Build expertise in film production and post-production, and learn the skills you need to manage yourself as a creative practitioner and independent contractor. You’ll get training on a wide range of professional-level digital cinema equipment and the opportunity to specialise in the production or post-production role that most interests you.
Internships build experience and networks
Get hands-on experience as an intern in the Wellington film industry. This is a chance to get real-world insights into film-making, the business of film, funding agencies, and commercial film production—and a chance to build valuable industry contacts.The internship allowed me to apply my training within the structure of a real company in a practical manner. I had the chance to work independently on projects and manage both time and resources, which was incredibly valuable in building my confidence and competence.
Shu Run Yap, MFA (CP) Film programme
Interned with Ray Gazley at Wrestler
The experience Shu Run has received in such a competitive industry sector will be invaluable. On average, Wrestler receives a CV or job application every other day—and experience is one of the top things we are interested in assessing.
Ray Gazley
Wrestler, video production company
Learn from the best
You’ll learn from award-winning film-making staff from the School of English, Film, Theatre, Media and Communication, and Art History and through regular guest teaching and workshop sessions from industry experts and highly experienced professionals.Creative project
Pick the creative project that works for you. Develop and produce a film project collaboratively with other MFA (CP) students—who could be from Film, Music, or Theatre disciplines. Your creative project might involve producing and directing a show reel work, or doing cinematography, sound design or art department work on several films, depending on what you want to get out of your studies.The full experience
In addition to your creative project, film internships, and the core courses in creativity and arts management and marketing, you’ll take two Film-specific courses.In Digital Cinema Production you’ll develop advanced film craft and crew skills while honing your understanding of visual storytelling and narrative film-making. Studying Commercial Film Production, you’ll learn about delivering video content for a client and working creatively to meet commercial goals.
Part of your week will be spent in seminars with MFA (CP) students across all disciplines. But you’ll also spend a lot of time working in the School’s studio space and editing suites.
Film industry partners
Develop professional networks and get real-world insights through our industry partners. These include:- Park Road Post Production
- Weta Workshop
- Awa Films
- Ocular
- Wrestler
- New Zealand on Screen
- Story Box
- Umi Films
- Useful Media
- Flinch Marketing
- UNESCO City of Film
- POZ Studios
- Transmit Media
- Goldfish Creative
- Screen Wellington.
Music/Sound (film scoring, audio post-production, orchestral studies)
Build expertise in film scoring, audio post-production, or orchestral studies with New Zealand’s first Master’s degree to specialise in these collaborative and creative areas.
Work with our partners in Wellington’s world-leading film industries—or, for the Orchestral Studies stream, with the players of the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Develop your skills in areas such as composing scores for film, recording foley, automated dialogue replacement (ADR), and instrumental ensembles, or performing with one of the world’s leading national orchestras.
Internships build industry connections
You’ll be mentored by New Zealand’s best as you build valuable networks with a three-month internship at potential industry partners such as:- New Zealand Symphony Orchestra
- Park Road Post Production
- POW Studios
- heADRoom (Chris Ward)
- Major Tom Productions
- Stephen Gallagher Music
- The Swearing Room (David Long).
Your internship might see you performing with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra on stage, working as an assistant to an award-winning recording engineer, or contributing to the orchestration of music by leading film composers. These networks will help set you up for a career in your selected discipline.
The internship side of the MFA has been a real game changer. I desperately wanted to be able to pursue music for a living—and because of the University's relationships, it's actually possible. You’re meeting people in the industry, which is invaluable.
Liam Reid, MFA (CP) Music programme
Interned with Tom McLeod, composer
Liam was thrown in at the deep end and really had to figure it out for himself. You can’t learn this sort of thing unless you’re actually there doing it.
Tom McLeod
Composer
Learn from the best
Learn from lecturers who are the leading exponents of their craft in the country and who have broad international experience.You’ll be primarily taught by the expert staff at the New Zealand School of Music and by artist teachers from the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. You’ll learn professional skills and techniques from New Zealand’s leading performers, film composers, and recording engineers.
Creative project
For your major creative project, you could compose a soundtrack, put on a substantial public concert, or engineer the audio post-production for a short film. There are many opportunities to collaborate with your fellow MFA (CP) students in Film and Theatre on this project—or you could work with your own contacts in the Wellington creative industries.It has been a great foundation in building a career as an orchestral musician. I’ve learnt so many skills, from arts management to the specific ensemble skills of playing in an orchestra through the internship with NZSO.
Amy Clough
MFA (CP) student in Orchestral Studies
The MFA Orchestral Studies course is a fantastic collaboration between the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra and the NZSM. I was compelled to sign up for this new programme because of the exciting opportunity to work with two pillars of musical artistry in Wellington.
Keeson Perkins-Treacher
MFA (CP) student in Orchestral Studies
Music graduates make their mark
The MFA (CP) gives you the chance to follow in the footsteps of New Zealand School of Music graduates who are now working as renowned practitioners in the areas of film scoring and sound design.These include film and TV composers such as William Philipson (composer for Shortland Street), Grayson Gilmour (winner of the APRA Best Original Music in a Feature Film award), and Tom McLeod (winner of the APRA Best Original Music in a Series award), sound designers such as Matt Lambourn of POW Studios (Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit), and music technologists such as Jason Wright (Muscle Mouth visual dance theatre company).
Theatre
Take your artistry to an expert level—build a strong foundation of knowledge and practical experiences in performance and production. You’ll graduate with the skills and confidence to pursue a career in the creative industries—on stage, behind-the-scenes, and beyond.
Internships
Take advantage of opportunities to build valuable contacts. As an MFA (CP) student, you’ll get hands-on experience as an intern in the Wellington performing arts industry. Your internship could lead to a role as an assistant director, stage manager for a professional production, or a key contributor to a publicity team.I’ve been introduced to a whole new group of practitioners—sound designers, production managers—who all do a magnificent job. They’re very good at what they do and it’s quite exciting just being around people of that calibre.
Kasey Collins
Interned with Eleanor Bishop
Assisting is a huge part of how theatre practitioners learn and grow. Kasey has been getting in there every day and working with us on the set, costumes, and media. This will help her in her own live projects—she’ll have an understanding of visual composition and how to run a room.
Eleanor Bishop
Writer and director
Learn from the best
Work collaboratively with the team at Te Whare Ngangahau—Theatre and Performance Studies, who combine critical thinking and industry expertise to guide you in your MFA (CP) journey. You will benefit from diverse expertise in performance practice, production and research, and forge valuable industry connections.Creative project
Define your creative philosophy and hone your artistic practice through imagining and realising a major creative research project. Working in consultation with a programme supervisor, you will create a project that culminates in a public performance or exhibition at our annual Six Degrees Festival, with our partners BATS Theatre.Explore the possibilities of collaborative leadership. Realise a transformative scenographic design. Push genre boundaries in crafting an original performance script. Create a solo multi-media performance piece.
The full experience
In addition to your creative project, theatre internship, and the core courses in creativity and arts marketing, you’ll participate in curated studio courses in Theatre.Part of your time will be spent in seminars with MFA (CP) students across all disciplines. But you’ll also spend a lot of time working in our fully equipped theatre, Studio 77, or one of several other rehearsal and performance spaces.
You’ll learn using state-of-the-art technology in lighting, projection, sound, and laser cutting, and you’ll be able to use a fully equipped workshop to design and create sets.
Learn from the industry and build networks through the University’s potential MFA (CP) programme partners. Some of our industry partners include:
- Taki Rua Productions
- Circa Theatre
- BATS Theatre
- Playmarket
- Trick of the Light
- NZ Fringe Festival
- Binge Culture Collective
- Tahi Festival of Solo Performance
- Indian Ink
- Red Leap
- Equity New Zealand
- PAYPA—Performing Arts and Young People Aotearoa.
Theatre graduates
Graduates from Te Whare Ngangahau forge remarkable careers in theatre, television, and film. They include acclaimed directors, actors, designers, and technicians, as well as Emmy and Oscar winners. Many of our alumni are celebrated for their contributions to the arts, with prestigious accolades such as the Queen’s Service Medal, the Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, and Arts Laureate awards.Beyond the stage and screen, our graduates make a significant impact in diverse and unexpected fields. They excel as school principals, teachers, lawyers, science communicators, and finance managers. Others thrive as IT developers, entrepreneurs, marketing executives, and leaders in health and business. Some work for global organisations, including the United Nations and prominent non-governmental organisations.
An MFA (CP) in Theatre prepares students to lead creatively across a wide range of industries, combining artistic expertise with the flexibility to innovate in any field.
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