Animation with Foundation Year

Program Overview

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BA (Honours) Animation with Foundation Year

Course summary

Create meaning through movement in ways only animation can, learning to navigate your personal, creative and professional journey one frame at a time.

How you learn

On this course you’ll be based in our bespoke studios, workshops and digital spaces, joining a dynamic and collaborative learning community. With their support you’ll undertake creative adventures, explore possibilities and challenge conventions.

Through our teaching, we’ll unfold your potential to contribute as a creative thinker and doer and apply your knowledge to industry, culture, society and life systems. The course covers a wide range of topics related to 2D, stop motion and 3D animation – from storyboarding and animatics to concept art, writing, direction, character animation and performance. You’ll explore model making, set building, art direction, rigging and professional distribution methods – as well as sustainable and ethical animation practices.

You learn through:

• studio practice
• workshops
• technical demonstrations
• group and individual tutorials
• reviews
• lectures
• guest lectures
• external visits and field trips
• film screenings

Key themes

Your first year introduces you to the world of professional animation practice. You’ll explore the skills required to develop your own original animated projects and respond to live client briefs.

The second year builds on this learning, focusing on professional portfolio development and the curation of your industry presence – through practice, research, industry interaction and cross-discipline projects.

You can then choose to enter the industry during an optional placement year, working in studios and agencies, or setting up a business of your own.

In your final year you’ll lead industry-focused animated projects, focusing on sustainable production practices and the importance of getting your work seen in festivals and exhibition spaces.

Course support

We take the time to get to know you, with a holistic and person-centred approach to assessment that supports your creative growth while respecting the diverse ways people learn. We’re a dedicated, qualified and highly experienced team of teaching staff – with world-leading research and recognised professional creative reputations.

We strive for an inclusive and equitable studio environment where divergent ideas, histories and practices are encouraged to thrive.

You’ll also be supported in your learning journey towards highly skilled, graduate-level employment through a number of key areas. These include:

• access to three student support advisers to help with your personal, academic and career development
• access to our Skills Centre with one-to-ones, webinars and online resources, where you can get help with planning and structuring your assignments
• industry-specific employability activities such as live projects, learning in simulated environments and networking opportunities

Applied learning

We’ve designed the course to embrace real-world challenges and provide you with the practical skills and knowledge to be successful. You’ll develop your expertise in collaboration with various industry, commercial and creative practitioners, clients and organisations.

Work Placements

Through a series of work experience opportunities, you’ll gain knowledge, skills and professional behaviours to help you reflect on your goals, and future career paths. You’ll become more confident, resilient and practised in professional interactions, preparing you to succeed when you graduate.

You’re encouraged and supported to undertake a full-time work placement between your second and third year of the course. Sandwich placements give you valuable additional work experience to help prepare you for your future career. They can have a transformative impact on your personal and professional development, which you can enhance further by completing Sheffield Hallam’s Applied Professional Diploma.

Previous students have gained work experience at local animation studios and thrived as freelance artists – both alongside their studies and through the dedicated placement year. Work experience and placements particularly enhance your final-year student experience, underpinning independent practice with real-world experience.

Live Projects

Live projects are embedded in our curriculum from the first year, providing you with an early chance to develop your portfolio and gain vital client communication skills. Then in larger, independently-led projects in your second and final year, you’ll begin to form your own industry connections.

Network Opportunities

You’ll have opportunities to network through industry talks. Previous speakers have included Mikey Please (co-director of Robin Robin) and Barry Purves (director and animator). We also have a cross-discipline lecture series and regular attendance at the regional Royal Television Awards.

Field Trips

Trips are offered as part of the first and final years of study – previously they’ve included visits to the Manchester Animation Festival and Aardman Animations. Optional international trips are often offered too (at a cost to students), to locations such as Bilbao and Paris.

Modules

Year 1

Compulsory modules

• Foundation Projects — Developing Creative Practice (60 credits)
  • Module Aim: This module aims to further your disciplinary knowledge and experience. Through a series of workshops and the development of a creative project, you will build on the basic practical skills you acquired in the Foundation Skills & Methods.
  • Module Content: Projects are set by staff but grounded in self-directed study and research; these form the basis of your practice work. Practical skills will be delivered in seminars and workshops. Workshop activities will compliment your practice. You will take part in peer review and crit sessions. During these crit sessions you will discuss your work and that of others. Complimenting the group crit sessions there will be a number of tutorials where you receive feedback, advice and guidance on the development of your practice at a more individual level. Projects are supported by your tutors while at the same time this module encourages increased independence and self-directed study and research.
• Foundation Skills & Methods (60 credits)
  • Module Aim: This module introduces you to Art & Design practices alongside the core skills and techniques needed to develop your portfolio. The module promotes an experimental, risk-taking and creative outlook on project work to build your confidence about learning in Higher Education whilst introducing you to study resources and support available at university.
  • Module Content: Creative core skills: studio practice, observational drawing, effective sketching, technical/perspective drawing, print, photography, laser cutting, sewing, collage, digital image capture & manipulation. Group projects: to open your curiosity and develop your ability to experiment and take risks, whilst fostering strong working relationships with your peers. Creative methodologies: generating ideas: mind maps, (responding to creative research techniques). A range of study skills: to support your practice such as planning and managing your time, effective writing & communication, and understanding the value of constructive criticism, working independently and in groups. Using the Learning Centre, your SHU email account and the virtual learning environment (Blackboard). How to access the range of student support services offered by the university.

Year 2

Compulsory modules

• Directing Story: Engaging Audiences (60 credits)
  • Module Aims: In this module, you will be introduced to core concepts of narrative and communication for animation practice and explore animated narrative in an exciting range of contexts. You will learn to harness the power of animation by understanding your responsibility as an artist and becoming considerate of client and audience requirements. Continuing your personal and professional development journey in animation, you will become conscious of how to accurately reflect and evaluate your increasing desire to engage with others in positive ways.
  • Module Content: Creation of meaning (implicit and explicit). Visual communication. Idea generation & concept development. Narrative. Drawing theory and practice. Storyboard & animatic production. Pitching ideas. Ethical production & research processes.
• Doing Moving: Animation Principles In Motion (60 credits)
  • Module Aims: In this module, you will experience animation through hands-on 2D, stop motion and 3D practice, with awareness of their histories, and unique potential. Equip yourself with new and transferable skills that will enable you to find your own authentic talent.
  • Module Content: Animation principles. Industry software and equipment. Animation production methods. Identifying and applying movement. History of animation practices. Pose-to-pose animation production. Straight ahead animation production. Practice-relevant time management skills.

Year 3

Compulsory modules

• Animator Elevator: Careers In Animation (40 credits)
  • Module Aims: In this module, you will explore the ever-evolving landscape of animation-related practice. You will identify and research animation careers and global industries with guided reflection and supported evaluation of your strengths, interests, and individual practice. Focus on and research an area of the industry that you identify with. Utilising existing work, learn to curate a professional and unique portfolio coupled with a targeted online presence which reflects both what you and industry are looking for. This heightened and informed awareness guided by creative professional feed forward will provide a solid foundation for an anticipated career path within animation.
  • Module Content: Exploring Independent filmmaker and studio routes. Industry networking. Industry talks and visits. Creative CVs. Portfolio curation. Showreel production. Freelance and agency work. Industry portfolio reviews.
• Future Now: Collaboration In Action (20 credits)
  • Module Aim: This project-based module will facilitate you to collaborate with others to tackle sustainable development challenges creatively. With the support of academics and external stakeholders, you will develop your collaborative, creative, communication, and presentation skills. Through multi-disciplinary project work, you will develop an informed and imaginative response to local and global sustainable development challenges.
  • Module Content: Study and consideration of Sustainable Development. Exploration and utilisation of collaborative skills. Exploration and utilisation of design thinking and creative thinking tools. Project management. Creative research methods. Understanding audiences. Communication and presentation skills. Working with others, building relationship including with external stakeholders. Critical thinking and reflection.
• Re-Animator: Character In Motion (60 credits)
  • Module Aims: In this module, you will apply your foundational understanding to industry-level, character-based animation projects and experience the thrill of realising the power of acting and performance in your work. It’s time to start independent problem-solving as you move through collaborative animation production that will push your time management skills into overdrive. Sustainable practices and values underpin your creative decision-making and prepare you for future challenges.
  • Module Content: Performance and acting for character animation. Industry-specific roles for character-based animation production. Advanced production preparation. Independent problem solving. Team collaboration and appreciation. Sustainable practices relating to time-based media production.

Year 4

Optional modules

• Placement Year (no credits)
  • Module Aim: The aim of this module is to enhance students’ professional development through the completion of and reflection on meaningful work placement(s).
  • Module Content: In this module students undertake a sandwich placement (min 24 weeks / min 21 hours per week) which is integrated, assessed and aligned to their studies. Their personal Placement Academic Supervisor (PAS) will be their key point of contact during their placement and will encourage and support students to reflect on their experience, learning and contribution to the organisation they work for. To demonstrate gains in professional development, students will be required to share their progress, learning and achievements with their Placement Academic Supervisor and reflect on these for the summative piece of work.

Final year

Compulsory modules

• Beyond Imagination: Professional Animation Production (60 credits)
  • Module Aims: In this module you will create work that showcases your unique voice and talent. Take your animation concept pitch from idea to reality and exhibit systematic knowledge of your practice in challenging and unpredictable environments. Prepare to distribute your work globally through film festival submission and/or online distribution strategies. You will reflect on your personal and professional development in relation to your anticipated career path.
  • Module Content: Professional animation production. Detailed project planning & scheduling. Professional delivery outputs. Electronic press kit and film festival submission strategies. Purposeful application of sound design. Independent production management. Industry-level production quality control. Critical project evaluation.
• Pure Imagination: Professional Concept Development (60 credits)
  • Module Aims: In this module, you will demonstrate your understanding of animation by researching and developing an original animation concept. You have the choice and independence to explore the methods and aspects of animation that matter to you. You will identify a subject, audience, and context (i.e. commercial/social/discursive/experimental) while considering ethically sustainable practice. By the end of this module, you will have created a fully developed pre-production package approved for production.
  • Module Content: Researching an independent/self-initiated subject to develop into an animation concept relating to a short, animated piece idea. Developing animation discipline-specific Pre-production artefacts for animation production including sound design. Research ethics considerations for a potential professional production. Culminating pre-production work into a project pitch presentation with professional animatic production. Project scheduling your potential short, animated piece plus Carbon calculation for production. Generating style sheets and test animations that prove planned production methods. Pitching short sideline climate awareness projects. Pitching your developed short animation idea for professional feedback.

Future careers

This course prepares you for a career in:

• 2D animation
• 3D CGI animation
• animation production and supervision
• asset design for 2D and 3D production
• character design
• concept art
• direction
• illustration
• graphic design
• motion design
• project management
• prop construction
• stop motion animation
• storyboarding
• studio coordination
• VFX compositing
• VFX matte painting

Previous graduates of this course have gone on to work for:

• A Productions
• Blinkink
• Bluedog
• Blue Strawberry Elephant
• CBBC
• Collingwood Learning
• Doodledo
• EC 3D
• Ed Lounge
• Epic Games
• Finger Industries
• Flix Facilities
• Flycheese Studios
• Framestore
• Grizzle
• Growing Me
• Hogarth
• iHasco
• Jellyfish Pictures
• Kerrupt Animation
• Place
• Playforce
• Revolver
• Spokes Education
• The Animation Guys
• Twinkle
• Ubisoft

Equipment and facilities

You'll have access to a wide variety of facilities across the university campuses – including a 24-hour learning centre, Students’ Union, cafes and eateries, lecture theatres, exhibition spaces and more.

You'll be based in a fully equipped and purpose-designed studio, with state-of-the-art facilities including:

• an industry-replicated 2D animation studio and software
• an industry-replicated stop motion studio and software
• industry-standard 3D computer hardware and animation software
• extensive workshops for crafting and rapid prototyping
• pro level camera, lighting and sound recording equipment
• print, wood, plastics, metal, mixed media, casting and ceramic workshops
• CNC equipment including laser cutters and CNC routers (2D and 3D)
• an electronics and coding lab
• 3D printing (including SLA, FDM, SLS, Polymer and metal 3DP)
• 3D digital tools (3D CAD, FEA) and 3D scanning (Artec Leo)
• an industry-grade spray painting and colour matching facility

Where will I study?

You study at City Campus through a structured mix of lectures, seminars and practical sessions as well as access to digital and online resources to support your learning.

City Campus

City Campus is located in the heart of Sheffield, within minutes of the train and bus stations.

Adsetts library

Adsetts Library is located on our City Campus. It's open 24 hours a day, every day.

Entry requirements

All students

UCAS points

• 80

With at least 32 points from one A level or equivalent BTEC National qualifications. For example:

• CDD at A Level.
• MMP in BTEC Extended Diploma.
• Pass overall from a T level qualification with C from core.
• A combination of qualifications which must include an A level grade C or BTEC grade M.

GCSE

• English Language or Literature at grade C or 4 or equivalents

You can find information on UCAS tariff points here and use the UCAS tariff calculator to work out your points.

• An Access to HE Diploma with at least 45 credits at level 3 and 15 credits at level 2. At least 15 level 3 credits must be at merit grade or above from a QAA-recognised Access to HE course, or an equivalent Access to HE certificate.

We may also accept you, if you have limited qualifications but can show evidence of ability and a genuine commitment to studying Media Arts and Communication.

We treat the foundation year as part of the Media Arts and Communication degree programme. Offers made to students will be for four years of study (or five years of study including a placement). This is made up of the foundation year plus one of our Media Arts and Communication degrees.

Some applicants may be invited to attend an informal interview with the course leader to ensure that the programme is suitable for themselves and their aspirations.

If English is not your first language, you will need an IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in all skills, or equivalent. If your English language skill is currently below IELTS 6.0 we recommend you consider a Sheffield Hallam University Pre-sessional English course which will enable you to achieve an equivalent English score.

Additional information for EU/International students

If you are an International or non-UK European student, you can find out more about the country specific qualifications we accept on our international qualifications page.

For details of English language entry requirements (IELTS), please see the information for 'All students'.

Fees and funding

Home students

Our tuition fee for UK students on full-time undergraduate degree courses in 2025/26 is £9,535 per year (capped at a maximum of 20% of this during your placement year). These fees are regulated by the UK government and therefore subject to change in future years.

If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.

International students

Our tuition fee for International/EU students starting full-time study in 2025/26 is £17,155 per year (capped at a maximum of 20% of this during your placement year)

Financial support for home/EU students

How tuition fees work, student loans and other financial support available.

Additional course costs

The links below allow you to view estimated general course additional costs, as well as costs associated with key activities on specific courses. These are estimates and are intended only as an indication of potential additional expenses. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.

General course additional costs

Additional costs for Sheffield Creative Industries Institute (PDF, 268.6KB)

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