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
This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.
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
UCAS Tariff - 112 - 120 points
A level - BBC
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016) - DMM
Access to HE Diploma
Scottish Higher
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma - DMM
T Level - Pass (C and above)
Additional entry requirements
Interview
Portfolio
All applicants are individually assessed via interview with portfolio.
Student Outcomes
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
Provider information
University of Staffordshire
College Road
Stoke on Trent
ST4 2DE