Skip navigation
Animation at University of Staffordshire - UCAS

Course summary

From Wallace and Gromit through to The Lion King and Kung Fu Panda, animation has been the creative force behind countless hit movies. Now you can pursue your own career as a character animator by taking our BA (Hons) in Animation. It’s an ideal platform for working in feature or short film production, games, VFX, advertising or other creative industries. Our focus on employability skills means you’ll develop a professional showreel. We’ll also give you lots of other opportunities, such as entering competitions like the RTS Awards and British Animation Awards, attending public screening events, and visiting studios and galleries. We also work with animation festivals, giving you the chance to exhibit your projects. During the first year, you will cover a wide range of animation techniques, including 2D digital, 3D digital, stop motion, motion capture and the growing trend for hybrid animation. You can then specialise as you progress through the course. Drawing skills are at the heart of animation and are highly sought after by industry. We’ll get you involved in lots of observational drawing to help you understand depth, pose and other artistic concepts. We’ll also cover life sculptures so you can develop a character from clay through to CGI. Other skills include 3D modelling, compositing, keyframe animation, character design and environmental design. For stop motion, you’ll learn all about casting, armature building and fabricating puppets. And you’ll explore animation rigging, which involves constructing digital skeletons of characters to introduce movement, performance and the ability to talk realistically. You could be collaborating with students from across the Media, Performance and Communication department, including sound designers, musicians, actors and visual effects specialists. Our collaborative work involves industry as well. We have global connections with brands like Aardman, Pixar, Walt Disney, Nickelodeon, Blue Zoo and Carse & Waterman. Guest speakers have included voice artist Marc Silk, who has worked on Star Wars films and voiced Johnny Bravo for the Cartoon Network; BAFTA and Emmy award-winning animator and director Joanna Quin; and Tab Murphy, screenwriter of Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame and Atlantis: The Lost Empire. The degree also delves into the history of animation and how it has evolved over time. This will help deepen your appreciation for animation’s impact and significance in the world of performance and storytelling. Throughout your studies, you’ll have access to industry-standard software, including Maya, Toon Boom Harmony, Adobe Animate and Dragonframe. Our well-equipped studios feature Cintiq suites for 2D and 3D digital content, a 4K editing suite, sound recording booths and VR suites. We also have a motion capture studio, virtual studio, high-definition cameras and LED lighting, stop motion rooms and a dedicated life drawing room. And you’ll benefit from the extensive expertise of our academic staff, who have worked in CGI, stop motion and the commercial sector. We also have a technician who offers valuable assistance in sessions and is your go-to person if you need support with practical work or software-based projects. With so much support, you’ll be industry-ready by the time you graduate. On successful completion of study, we will issue the following award: BA (Hons) Animation with the option of achieving a specialism in 2D Digital Animation, 3D Digital Animation, Computer Games Animation or Stop Motion Animation.

Modules

Year 1 Compulsory Modules: Animation Principles; Animation World; Character Creation; Human Anatomy and Movement. Year 2 Compulsory Modules: Animated Stories; Animation Experts; Team Animation. Year 3 Compulsory Modules: Animation Passion Project; Animation Pipeline; Animation Pitch. Year 3 Optional Modules: Animator Profile and Portfolio; Future Self: Professional Work Experience.


How to apply

Application codes

Course code:
W616
Institution code:
S72
Campus name:
Staffordshire University (Stoke Campus)
Campus code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements

Additional entry requirements

Interview

Portfolio

All applicants are individually assessed via interview with portfolio.


Student Outcomes

Operated by the Office for Students
71%
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
87%
Go onto work and study

The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

England £9250 Year 1
Northern Ireland £9250 Year 1
Scotland £9250 Year 1
Wales £9250 Year 1
Channel Islands £9250 Year 1
EU £16750 Year 1
International £16750 Year 1

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .

Additional fee information

For further details of what is and is not included in your tuition fees please visit www.staffs.ac.uk/undergraduate/fees/
Animation at University of Staffordshire - UCAS