UC Master Degree Project
The 4th semester of DocNomads is entirely dedicated to the research, development and production of the students’ individual thesis documentary film and its corresponding academic essay and professional dossier. This is the final requirement of the degree program.
The class is divided in to three proportional groups, each assigned to one of the schools in the consortium. The individual graduation projects must be carried out in the assigned country, whether that is Portugal, Hungary or Belgium.
The curriculum of the final semester is organised in two course units, which make up the components of the Master Degree Project (MDP), namely:
1. Project Development:
- Research and Production Process (3 ECTS)
- Pitch and Production File (3 ECTS)
- Research Essay Paper (8 ECTS)
2. Graduation Film (16 ECTS)
The semester does not comprise of regular classes, but is subject to systematic curricular phases along the consecutive steps of the work-in-progress within the objectives of the MDP. The main events and mandatory deadlines follow the same official schedule in the three schools, whereas the program specifics of the local activities and mentorship sessions are organised independently by each school.
Each student is assigned a mentor that follows the progress of his/her project throughout the entire term, in regular personalised consultations. Other guest advisors and professional experts may be invited to join the core team of mentors in specific periods of the projects' development and/or production.
The production crew is organised autonomously by each student for his/her film. A small contribution in cash for production expenses is provided to each individual project, upon approval of the corresponding planning for the film’s implementation.
In all schools students have access to the available filming equipment and technical facilities for editing and post-production. The completion of the sound mixing and colour correction of the graduation films is performed by professional technicians as part of the local university support.
The completed graduation films are presented during a three-day examination that takes place in Brussels, in late June / early July. Each student has a designated time slot to present his/her MDP to the appointed jury, which includes two external examiners. Subsequently the jury will deliberate on the assessment and final grading of the MDP, prior to the proclamation ceremony, which is also held in Brussels.
