Program Overview

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Animation - BDes (Hons)

Overview

Animation at Ulster is a studio-focused, highly creative course, specialising in computer animation for games, VFX, feature, and TV animation.

Summary

Animation has become an integral part of the film, television, games, and design industries. With new distribution methods and technologies, your work will have many paths to reach a worldwide audience.

During the course, you will study drawing, the principles of animation and design, storytelling and narrative, design, and the history, practice, and theory of screen production. You will gain an understanding of creative and technical processes using industry-standard software to create interactive designs and computer animations.

As animation is a highly collaborative environment, you will learn the principles and practices through teamwork, while developing your individual professional practice. The course enables you to enter the industry with a range of exciting and rapidly evolving platforms, as well as facilitating numerous opportunities for employment in a rapidly growing area at an international level.

Career Opportunities

Graduates with skills in computer animation have many well-paid career opportunities available to them. Students have secured positions in national and international studios, including Humain, Sixteen South, Paper Owl, Taunt, Jam Media, FlickerPix, Alt, Billygoat, MPC, Framestore, FeedMeLight, The Mill, and BlueZoo.

Graduate Employers

Graduates from this course are now working for:

• Jam Media
• Humain
• Enter Yes
• Paper Owl
• Sixtten South Production
• BillyGoat Entertainment
• Taunt

Job Roles

With this degree, you could become:

• Character Animator
• Concept Artist
• Modeller
• Storyboard Artist
• Technical Director
• Visual FX Artist
• 3D generalist

Course Structure

The course is divided into four years, with the following modules:

Year One

• The World of Animation
• Animation Studio
• 3D Digital Literacy
• Animated Narratives

Year Two

• Animation Discourse
• Animation Strategies
• Animation for the Creative Industries
• Character Creation

Year Three

• Placement (optional)
• International Academic Studies (optional)

Year Four

• Animation Dissertation/Report
• Creative Futures
• Major Project

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.

• A level: Grades BCC
• Applied General Qualifications: Award profile of DMM
• Irish Leaving Certificate: 104 UCAS tariff points
• Scottish Highers: Grades BCCCC
• Scottish Advanced Highers: Grades CDD
• International Baccalaureate: Overall profile is minimum 24 points
• Access to Higher Education (HE): Overall profile of 60%
• GCSE: Pass at Grade C/4 or above in English Language
• English Language Requirements: Academic IELTS 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5

Additional Entry Requirements

• Submission of a satisfactory portfolio

Fees and Funding

• 2026/27 Fees: Undergraduate fees are subject to annual review
• Scholarships, awards, and prizes: International Undergraduate Scholarship, Other awards and prizes

Sustainability at Ulster

Ulster continues to develop and support sustainability initiatives with our staff, students, and external partners across various aspects of teaching, research, professional services operations, and governance.

Terms and Conditions

The full Student Terms and Conditions 24/25 is now available.