Animation

Entry requirements

Applicants should hold a 2:2 degree or equivalent professional experience or learning in a related field.

Applications from candidates will be considered on their merits in the light of the nature and scope of the programme.

IELTS: Score of 6.5 or above.

A high level of achievement in undergraduate studies at a university elsewhere such as North America: Minimum overall GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale.

All applicants are requested to submit digital supporting material and where possible will be invited to attend an interview with a portfolio of recent work.

Months of entry

September

Course content

Our MA Animation course will enable you to enhance your animation skills under the supervision of industry professionals. Whether you’re looking to create brilliant character animation, an outstanding animated film, or develop amazing sound design skills, we’ll help you to master your craft.

The animation industry is expanding. Animation is used in games design, advertising, special effects or to simply tell a story or a joke. It can be seen online, in a TV series, in a feature film or as part of a documentary.

Throughout this course you’ll be encouraged to unleash your creativity as you develop advanced practical skills and technical expertise in the areas you’re most interested in – from stop motion to 2D animation and 3D digital animation. You’ll work alongside industry professionals who will guide you towards creating a professional-standard body of work that will show off your skills and prepare you for a thriving career in the animation industry.

The design activities and tutorials you undertake will be geared towards identifying an area of interest that you’d like to explore in depth for the duration of the course – so you could opt to specialise in character design, digital animation, storyboarding, sound design or other areas. The area you choose to specialise in will form the backbone of the rest of the course.

Why study with us

• Opportunities to work on ‘live’ projects with industry connections and build up an impressive portfolio of professional-standard work.
• You’ll have access to extensive studio, workshop and computer facilities equipped with the very latest specialist software.
• Key facilities include stop motion studios with lighting rigs, computer suites, rostrum suites for traditional animation and stop motion, a recording studio, and 3D printing and scanning.

What you’ll do

• You’ll get the chance to take part in our unique cJAM employability event, where you can pitch to industry professionals offering placements and work opportunities.
• Regular visiting industry professionals and trips to animation festivals will help and encourage you to network with the animation industry and are a key part of this course.

Learning and assessment

The aim of this course is to guide and empower you to find the role you wish to undertake in the industry and take the first steps towards a successful career.

Our MA Animation course offers you the opportunity to explore the broad subject of animation within a professional framework. It is mainly a practical course where you may specialise in one area of animation such as modelling, special effects, writing or sound design, or you may choose to make a film in the style and methods of your own choice.

You are able to choose to work on live briefs throughout your MA under the guidance and advice of your course tutor to gain industry experience.

Research modules underpin practice and help to guide you with insight and understanding of the professional world of animation – which in turn helps you to forge the career path of your choice.

You’ll spend much of your time developing your skills in our workshops under the guidance of your tutors. You’ll also be expected to carry out independent study.

Your tutors will assess your progress through a range of project work. The nature of this work will depend upon the area you choose to specialise in.

Information for international students

Visit our website for further information.