BA Hons Animation

Program Overview

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Animation BA (Hons)

Master the magic of bringing characters and stories to life through a range of animation techniques.

Key information

• Course duration: 3 or 4 year options
• Course options: Integrated Foundation Year, Diploma Year
• Typical offer: 104-120 UCAS Tariff Points
• Annual fees:
  • Home (full-time): £9,535
  • Overseas (full-time): £18,500
• UCAS code: W615 (3 Year), W616 (4 Year)
• Institution code: N39
• Course start: September 2025

Course overview

BA (Hons) Animation will inspire and capture your imagination, balancing the fundamental principles of animation and design with cutting-edge processes. We embrace creativity in all aspects of the course, exploring innovative methods of moving image creation using artistry and storytelling to attract new audiences.

Why study with us

• Explore core animation and compositing techniques in Year One, then begin to specialize in Years Two and Three within digital 2D and stop motion with potential to utilize digital 3D.
• Gain understanding of the principles of animation: dynamics; character design; storyboarding; animatic production; animation production; sound design; skills of observation and life drawing; acting for animators; editing; compositing; and showreel and portfolio design.
• Develop an understanding of visual/film language components such as character analysis, narrative structure, design, color, and composition.
• Work in relation to sustainability, diversity, and global contexts; question how the work you create, and the methods you use, can be used to make a difference to others.
• Explore your chosen areas of specialization and develop your skills, with the potential to combine techniques alongside opportunities to collaborate within the course and beyond.
• Engage with industry professionals through portfolio reviews, set briefs, studio visits, and our contemporary industry lecture series. You’ll also hear from recent graduates sharing their inspiring early-career journeys.
• Develop critical creative thinking skills through your course practice and expanded opportunities to engage with thought-provoking lectures (VC talks), cross-university activities (Interchange), and specialism-linked essay tasks.

Course details

Integrated Foundation Year (optional)

Our Integrated Foundation Year is designed to equip students with the necessary skills, knowledge, and confidence to thrive in their chosen degree subject. The course provides a comprehensive introduction to various disciplines, blending critical thinking and creative problem-solving with practical hands-on experience. This year serves as a bridge to undergraduate studies, allowing students to explore their interests within a supportive and inspiring environment, while familiarizing themselves with the campus, workshops, and tutors.

Year 1

Core Units

• Creative Learning (40 credits)
  • This unit will introduce you to the fundamentals that underpin all areas of animation and visual effects. You’ll work in 2D drawn animation, 3D computer animation, and visual effects. Through hands-on projects, you will cover a range of key production areas, including the principles of animation, ideation and concept development, drawing fundamentals, and image manipulation. You’ll attend sessions on character design, film language, and storytelling, the principles of animation, and an introduction to digital imaging and compositing software.
• Explore and Experiment (80 credits)
  • In this unit, you will explore and experiment with techniques, materials, and media. You’ll build your knowledge of the animation pipeline and explore underpinning skills in drawing, design, and techniques of film language, narrative structures, and visual storytelling. You’ll consider the practical, conceptual, and theoretical pathways open to you as an animator and learn to use industry-standard software to support all areas of your work. You will bring animated characters and scenes to life, working from initial concept to final outcome, exploring skills in 2D, CG, and stop motion character animation, CG modeling, and digital compositing.

Year 2

Core Units

• Global Contexts (80 credits)
  • This unit will enable you to expand your specialist knowledge and skills, taking you to the next level in your creative development. You will have the opportunity to improve your skills through software workshops, story art, and sound design. This will be done through project briefs that emulate a professional studio environment and challenge your visual language, narrative, evaluation, and problem-solving knowledge. You’ll explore materials and processes, including advanced character design workshops in puppet making, 2D puppet animation, and CG modeling and rigging. You’ll be encouraged to consider various contexts and audiences for your work, with sessions on pitching, personal branding, and marketing strategies.
• Collaboration (40 credits)
  • This unit focuses on how you work with your peers, or for a real-world client, to take ideas from concept to final presentation through stages of an industry-style production pipeline. This collaborative learning experience will expose you to a range of new processes and approaches that will develop your creative thinking. As the unit progresses, you will cover production pipeline processes, scheduling, casting, and the management of contracts, clearances, and crediting work. Focusing on work-based learning, this unit will help you to consider your future career goals and the steps you need to take to achieve them. You’ll also be introduced to essential tools for professional presentations through tutorials and workshops.

Diploma Year (optional)

• Level 5 Diploma (120 credits)
  • Students have the opportunity to spend a year after the second of their degree (or the third year if studying for a degree with an Integrated Foundation Year) enhancing their employability options through a Level 5 Diploma. They can choose from courses designed to provide:
    • Opportunities to gain industry insight, developing employability skills through a series of supported experiences, expanding professional networks, and building confidence in the workplace, or
    • An introduction to creative computing, building an understanding of how coding skills can be used to advance and complement creative practice.

Final year

Core Units

• Research and Preparation (40 credits)
  • This unit aims to enhance your animation skills by integrating practical and theoretical components, preparing you for the industry. Weekly briefings and meetings with tutors provide guidance and progress check-ups, while creative workshops cover narrative building, performance animation, and fabrication tools. You will explore specific job roles in the industry and engage with sessions on how to present yourself professionally, such as CVs and personal websites. You’ll gain hands-on experience that lets you connect with people in the animation industry and other creative fields, setting you up for success in your future career.
• Resolution and Career Development (80 credits)
  • Your final unit allows you to research, conceptualize, and create a self-initiated final-year project(s), building on the skills, knowledge, and understanding you have gathered throughout the program. This gives you a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in an aspect of animation you are most passionate about and enthuse others with your expert knowledge, skills, and perspective. You will focus on your creative ambitions and develop a strategy for becoming a professional creative. You’ll be able to participate in competitions, attend conferences, and meet visiting professionals. You will focus on building a unique portfolio that reflects the skills you have to offer, setting you up for a successful career in the industry.

Learning and teaching

This course is taught through a mixture of learning and teaching methods, including:

• Group briefings
• Academic tutorials
• Group tutorials
• Workshops
• Critiques (crits)
• Seminars
• Lectures

Assessment

Assessment for this course is entirely coursework-based, meaning there are no exams. Your progress will be evaluated through the projects and assignments you complete for each unit. Throughout the year, you’ll receive ongoing feedback to help you refine your work and develop your skills. To support your learning and ensure you achieve the course outcomes, we use a variety of assessment methods, including:

• Finished pieces of work
• Presentations
• Written work
• Your research
• A reflective journal

Entry requirements

• Home:
  • A/AS Levels (GCE): 3 A-level qualifications at grades BCC (104 UCAS Tariff points) or above.
  • BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF or RQF): Distinction, Merit, Merit in an art, design, or media-related subject.
  • T Levels: A T Level in any subject with overall grade A* to C (Pass).
  • UAL Extended Diploma: Merit.
  • UAL Level 3 Foundation Diploma in Art and Design: Pass.
  • UAL Level 4 Foundation Diploma in Art and Design: Pass.
  • Foundation Diploma in Art and Design: Pass.
  • Access to Higher Education Diploma (Art and Design): Pass.
  • International Baccalaureate Diploma: A minimum of 26 points.
• International:
  • We accept qualifications from all over the world. To find our entry requirements from a specific country, please check our dedicated international pages.
  • English language qualifications: Most international students are required to hold an English language qualification. Applicants are required to have a minimum UKVI approved IELTS exam score of 6.0 overall, with a minimum of 5.5 in each section. Equivalent English language qualifications are acceptable such as, IB English language syllabus A or B/English Literature (Grade 4).

Fees and funding

• Home:
  • Tuition fees for the 2025/26 academic year: £9,535 per year.
  • Fees for subsequent years: Tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with inflation, subject to government regulations.
  • Funding your study: Depending on your circumstances, you may qualify for a bursary, scholarship, or loan to help fund your study and enhance your learning experience.
• International:
  • Tuition fees for the 2025/26 academic year: £18,500 per year.
  • Fees for subsequent years: For Overseas students starting in 2025, inflation will be applied to your fees in later years. We will confirm this in advance to you of each academic year, and we will limit the increase to no more than the Office for Students’ recommended inflationary measure.
  • Funding your study: Please take a look at our International students page for information about fees, scholarships for international students, visas, and much more.

How to apply

• Home:
  • All applications for undergraduate courses will need to be made via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).
  • You’ll need our university UCAS code (N39) as well as your course code which you’ll find on your course page.
  • When you register with UCAS, you will need to include your previous and current qualifications information, personal statement, and reference.
• International:
  • Full-time Undergraduate International applicants can either apply via UCAS or directly by completing the online application form below or emailing the downloadable form to [insert email].
  • Online Application Form: [insert link]
  • Undergraduate Application Form: [insert link]
  • Apply via UCAS: [insert link]

Portfolio Advice and Guidance

• Portfolios should show examples of your work — both finished and work in progress — that demonstrate your interests and skills.
• Your portfolio should be made up of work that reflects your creativity, personal interests, and influences, as well as demonstrating your technical skills and ability.
• It doesn’t have to be perfect as we can assess your potential from your work in progress.
• Your portfolio should be relevant to this course, but you can include a wide range of work that shows your creativity, technical competence, and understanding of storytelling.
• Get more advice on presentation formats, layouts, and when to submit your portfolio in the application process.

Facilities

• 2D / 3D Animation Studio
• Media Resource Centre
• 3D Workshop
• Sound Studios
• Media Labs
• Make Space
• Munnings Drawing Studio

Careers

• Animator
• Storyboard Artist
• Producer
• Production Designer
• Concept Artist
• Motion Artist
• Editor
• Art Director
• Director of Photography
• Compositor
• Character Designer
• Layout Artist
• Prop Designer
• Set Designer
• Modeller
• Illustrator

Related courses

• Animation and Visual Effects BA (Hons)
• Games Art and Design BA (Hons)
• Illustration BA (Hons)
• Fine Art BA (Hons)
• Graphic Communication BA (Hons)