Animation MA

Program Overview

---

Animation - MA

Overview

Storytelling and skills building through animation production.

Summary

Northern Ireland’s vibrant animation industry and community make it a highly desirable destination for study, networking and career advancement. This programme focuses on the three core components of animated production: Narrative, Character and Performance. Students will develop their skills in narrative construction, character development, animation and advanced production techniques, allowing them to explore the unique opportunities and challenges computer animation bring to storytelling.

About this course

About

Please note this programme is currently undergoing revalidation

Building on the success of the BDes Hons Animation programme, which is already impacting local and global industry with graduates being honoured at the Prime Time Emmy Awards for their “Contribution to the Emmy Award winning achievement—Outstanding Special Visual Effects” on the HBO series “Game of Thrones”, the MA Animation programme aims to further establish Ulster University’s Belfast School of Art as the regional, national and international centre of excellence in CGI (Computer Generated Imagery), Animation for education, research and industry.

Attendance

Attendance is available in part-time and full-time modes. Please contact us for more information.

Start dates

• September 2025

Teaching, Learning and Assessment

Attendance and Independent Study

As part of your course induction, you will be provided with details of the organisation and management of the course, including attendance and assessment requirements - usually in the form of a timetable. For full-time courses, the precise timetable for each semester is not confirmed until close to the start date and may be subject to some change in the early weeks as all courses settle into their planned patterns. For part-time courses which require attendance on particular days and times, an expectation of the days and periods of attendance will be included in the letter of offer. A course handbook is also made available.

Courses comprise modules for which the notional effort involved is indicated by its credit rating. Each credit point represents 10 hours of student effort. Undergraduate courses typically contain 10, 20, or 40 credit modules (more usually 20) and postgraduate courses typically 15 or 30 credit modules.

The normal study load expectation for an undergraduate full-time course of study in the standard academic year is 120 credit points. This amounts to around 36-42 hours of expected teaching and learning per week, inclusive of attendance requirements for lectures, seminars, tutorials, practical work, fieldwork or other scheduled classes, private study, and assessment. Teaching and learning activities will be in-person and/or online depending on the nature of the course. Part-time study load is the same as full-time pro-rata, with each credit point representing 10 hours of student effort.

Postgraduate Master’s courses typically comprise 180 credits, taken in three semesters when studied full-time. A Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) comprises 60 credits and can usually be completed on a part-time basis in one year. A 120-credit Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip) can usually be completed on a part-time basis in two years.

Class contact times vary by course and type of module. Typically, for a module predominantly delivered through lectures you can expect at least 3 contact hours per week (lectures/seminars/tutorials). Laboratory classes often require a greater intensity of attendance in blocks. Some modules may combine lecture and laboratory. The precise model will depend on the course you apply for and may be subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. Prospective students will be consulted about any significant changes.

Assessment

Assessment methods vary and are defined explicitly in each module. Assessment can be a combination of examination and coursework but may also be only one of these methods. Assessment is designed to assess your achievement of the module’s stated learning outcomes. You can expect to receive timely feedback on all coursework assessments. This feedback may be issued individually and/or issued to the group and you will be encouraged to act on this feedback for your own development.

Coursework can take many forms, for example: essay, report, seminar paper, test, presentation, dissertation, design, artefacts, portfolio, journal, group work. The precise form and combination of assessment will depend on the course you apply for and the module. Details will be made available in advance through induction, the course handbook, the module specification, the assessment timetable and the assessment brief. The details are subject to change from year to year for quality or enhancement reasons. You will be consulted about any significant changes.

Normally, a module will have 4 learning outcomes, and no more than 2 items of assessment. An item of assessment can comprise more than one task. The notional workload and the equivalence across types of assessment is standardised. The module pass mark for undergraduate courses is 40%. The module pass mark for postgraduate courses is 50%.

Calculation of the Final Award

The class of Honours awarded in Bachelor’s degrees is usually determined by calculation of an aggregate mark based on performance across the modules at Levels 5 and 6, (which correspond to the second and third year of full-time attendance).

Level 6 modules contribute 70% of the aggregate mark and Level 5 contributes 30% to the calculation of the class of the award. Classification of integrated Master’s degrees with Honours include a Level 7 component. The calculation in this case is: 50% Level 7, 30% Level 6, 20% Level 5. At least half the Level 5 modules must be studied at the University for Level 5 to be included in the calculation of the class.

All other qualifications have an overall grade determined by results in modules from the final level of study.

In Masters degrees of more than 200 credit points the final 120 points usually determine the overall grading.

Figures from the academic year .

Academic profile

The University employs over 1,000 suitably qualified and experienced academic staff - 60% have PhDs in their subject field and many have professional body recognition.

Courses are taught by staff who are Professors (19%), Readers, Senior Lecturers (22%) or Lecturers (57%).

We require most academic staff to be qualified to teach in higher education: 82% hold either Postgraduate Certificates in Higher Education Practice or higher. Most academic and learning support staff (85%) are recognised as fellows of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) by Advance HE - the university sector professional body for teaching and learning. Many academic and technical staff hold other professional body designations related to their subject or scholarly practice.

The profiles of many academic staff can be found on the University’s departmental websites and give a detailed insight into the range of staffing and expertise. The precise staffing for a course will depend on the department(s) involved and the availability and management of staff. This is subject to change annually and is confirmed in the timetable issued at the start of the course.

Occasionally, teaching may be supplemented by suitably qualified part-time staff (usually qualified researchers) and specialist guest lecturers. In these cases, all staff are inducted, mostly through our staff development programme ‘First Steps to Teaching’. In some cases, usually for provision in one of our out-centres, Recognised University Teachers are involved, supported by the University in suitable professional development for teaching.

Figures from the academic year .

Modules

Here is a guide to the subjects studied on this course.

Courses are continually reviewed to take advantage of new teaching approaches and developments in research, industry and the professions. Please be aware that modules may change for your year of entry. The exact modules available and their order may vary depending on course updates, staff availability, timetabling and student demand. Please contact the course team for the most up to date module list.

Year one

Timing for Animation

Year: 1

Status: C

Since the MA Animation course will be accepting students both with and without prior animation experience, this first module will be flexible enough either to provide an initial framework from which an understanding of animation fundamentals will be developed, or to provide the space to revise, build and develop specialization. The content is therefore designed to contain a basic introduction to the essential elements of animated movement and studio production practices, which can be attempted either at a basic, intermediate or advanced level.

Design Research and Development

Year: 1

Status: C

Students complete this module having obtained a clear understanding of how to conduct a post-graduate level research. By introducing them different research methods relevant to their topic and research inquire, students will expand their knowledge in specialised areas through their self-directed research project.

Year two

Animation Production

Year: 2

Status: C

This module will enable students to consolidate their animation skills in a semi-professional context. The presence of external agents creates a situation where students act as creative content providers for a client's brief. The students will experience and develop the ability to work in a team towards a creative goal. The students will also complete an individual development project demonstrating their understanding of animation practice, production and pipelines. This module gives students a targeted insight to the needs of the animation industry.

Portfolio Project

Year: 2

Status: C

The purpose of this module is to enable the student to consolidate and demonstrate the knowledge and skills that have been acquired through the master's programme. It is therefore an open brief which will allow each student to prepare for the world of work. There will be significant time dedicated to seminars and tutorials to allow the student to get targeted feedback and develop their practice. Students will present their work throughout the module and should demonstrate a professional understanding of the animation industry and employment requirements.

Experimental Design

Year: 2

Status: C

This module considers the importance of the pre-visualisation stage of the pipeline and provide the students the opportunities and space to experiment, test, and develop the required skills and knowledge to build the foundations of their projects. Students will be encouraged to explore different possible pathways and design strategies to problem solve and translate abstract concepts into a visual medium that defines the feasibility of a project, its timeline, as well as its art style.

Standard entry conditions

We recognise a range of qualifications for admission to our courses. In addition to the specific entry conditions for this course you must also meet the University’s General Entrance Requirements.

Entry Requirements

Applicants must hold a degree (with at least 2:2 Honours standard) or equivalent or demonstrate their ability to undertake the course through the accreditation of prior learning.

The specific requirements for admission are detailed below:

i) Applicants should normally hold a good honours degree in any Animation, Computer Science, Engineering, Design practice, Visual Arts or cognate subject from a University of the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, from the Council of National Academic Awards, the Higher Education and Training Awards Council or from an institution of another country which is recognised as being of an equivalent standard.

ii) Applicants may be interviewed along with the presentation of a body of work that can take the form of, but is not limited to, a portfolio and/or showreel and proposal. Applicants must be able to satisfy the panel at interview that their work is of a standard that will allow them to deal with the intellectual and practical rigours of the programme.

iii) Applications are welcomed from diverse backgrounds however where there is a discipline shift the applicant must represent a coherent rationale for this shift and evidence prerequisite knowledge, skills and experience.

The programme is devised specifically to support continuing lifelong learning for professions in a rapidly changing field. Therefore APL (Accreditation for Prior Learning) will be considered as evidence of exceptional ability appropriate to recruitment to the programme. Applications from professionals with extensive professional, industrial and/or commercial experience but lacking recent or higher level academic qualifications will be encouraged. APL (Advanced Prior Learning) will be considered as evidence of exceptional ability appropriate to the course.

English Language Requirements

English language requirements for international applicants
The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement for Tier 4 visa purposes.

Ulster recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores.

• English language requirements
• Your country

Careers & opportunities

Career options

This programme is designed to prepare students for a career in a range of animation related fields such as TV & Feature film animation and games animation. Recent graduates have found employment with animation studios such as Sixteen South, Paper Owl Films and Jam Media.

Fees and funding

10% Alumni Discount

Are you a graduate of Ulster University? Did you know you could be eligible for a 10% fees discount.

Tuition Fee Loans Available

Students domiciled in Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and UK students can apply to Student Finance NI for a Tuition Fee loan of up to £6,500 (subject to eligibility).

The price of your overall programme will be determined by the number of credit points that you initiate in the relevant academic year.

For modules commenced in the academic year 2025/26, the following fees apply:

Fees Credit Points| NI/ROI/GB Cost| International Cost*
---|---|---
5 | £201.10| £494.70
10 | £402.20| £989.40
15 | £603.30| £1,484.10
20 | £804.40| £1,978.80
30 | £1,206.60| £2,968.20
60 | £2,413.20| £5,936.40
120 | £4,826.40| £11,872.80
180 | £7,239.60| £17,809.20
240| £9,652.80| £23,745.60

*International student access to courses is subject to meeting visa requirements. More information can be found in the Visas and Immigration section.

Annual Increase Disclaimer

Important Notice: Annual Fees Increase

Fees illustrated are based on academic year 25/26 entry and are subject to an annual increase.

If your study continues into future academic years your fees are subject to an annual increase. Please take this into consideration when you estimate your total fees for a degree.

Additional mandatory costs are highlighted where they are known in advance. There are other costs associated with university study.

Visit our Fees pages for full details of fees.

Correct at the time of publishing. Terms and conditions apply.

Additional mandatory costs

Students should be aware that as the work is self-directed costs may and are likely to be incurred due to the specific material or research needs of that student’s development.

Field trips may incur additional costs.

It is important to remember that costs associated with accommodation, travel (including car parking charges) and normal living will need to be covered in addition to tuition fees.

Where a course has additional mandatory expenses (in addition to tuition fees) we make every effort to highlight them above. We aim to provide students with the learning materials needed to support their studies. Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books and journals, as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. Computer suites and free Wi-Fi are also available on each of the campuses.

There are additional fees for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.

Students choosing a period of paid work placement or study abroad as a part of their course should be aware that there may be additional travel and living costs, as well as tuition fees.

See the tuition fees on our student guide for most up to date costs.