BA (Hons) Animation

UCAS code: W615

Start date: September

Course length: full time: three years, or four years with Year Zero, part time: available by negotiation.

Campus: Markeaton Street site, Derby Campus

This course is available to international students

The explosion of animation, moving image, and film surrounds us. We are entertained on mobile devices, television, on the web, and on big screens in public areas. Film, advertising and creative messages are part of our daily lives and this profession requires fresh thinking creative people to challenge and develop this media. This course reflects the endlessly changing animation market and puts you at the centre of this exciting field. It explores animation, with particular emphasis on the developments in technology that enable you to produce broadcast quality animations for the commercial world, or to communicate your own personal ideas.

You will explore sequential and interactive image making, 2D and 3D animation, character development, narrative, timing, creative storytelling, the web, scripting, sound, and the historical and contemporary context of your work. You will gain professional knowledge and skills in the creative application of digital software for animation, experimenting with state-of-the-art equipment and resources that are constantly updated. Look at student work.

You could also go on to study our postgraduate course -  MA Visual Communication.

You'll study a total of 120 credits per year. This will be made up of single or double modules.

Stage one

Studio briefs and workshops will encourage you to define your creativity, animation approach, software knowledge and drawing, while your lectures and seminars will focus on the culture, history and context of your subject.

You'll study modules such as:

• Visual Problem Solving
• Visual Exploration
• Animation Practice
• Visual Culture: History

Stage two

Your second year will focus on skills in a project based environment, exploring ways of thinking to excel in animation. You will become increasingly confident with professional approaches and terminology, making links with animation practitioners, global and national competitions and agencies.

You'll study modules such as:

• Directed Projects in Animation
• Digital Moving Images (Specialist Animation option)
• Design Strategies (Specialist Graphic design option)
• Sequential Illustration (Specialist Illustration option)
• Professional Practice

Stage three

The focus of your final year will be on building original, distinctive animations based on strong ideas and technical skills through development of a range of projects, in particular your own final major project.

You'll study modules such as:

• Negotiated Study in Animation
• Destinations
• Specialist Practice in Animation
• Visual Culture: Extended Essay

Our entry requirements are usually 260 UCAS points, of which at least 220 will be from your core A2s (full A levels) or equivalent qualifications such as BTEC Diploma, International Baccalaureate, Scottish Highers etc.

We'll accept up to 40 points towards the total from level 3 qualifications such as AS levels (where those AS levels are not taken on to A2 level), the Extended Project or Music qualifications.

We don't accept points from Key Skills Level 3. If you have any questions about what is or isn't accepted, please contact our Admissions team.

We also accept the Access to HE Diploma.

Your points at level 3 will be in addition to 5 GCSEs at grade C or equivalent level 2 qualifications.

The UCAS tariff points are a guide - we'll also consider all the information that you've included in your application, your portfolio, and how you've done in your interview. We'll also want to see that you're enthusiastic and motivated to take this course and that you have the potential to benefit from coming to university.

General undergraduate entry requirements

Fees for 2013/14

This is a resource intensive course.

UK/EU students

• Full time: £8,250 (each year)
• £1,030 per module (you usually take 18 of these modules in total)

International students

• Full time: £10,225 (per year)

*These fees apply if you're starting this course between September 2013 and August 2014. We recommend you check fee details with us though, as they can change. Costs can increase each year.

You'll be taught through a range of teaching and learning methods throughout the programme in keeping with the aims and emphasis of particular modules. This includes: project work, workshop practice, lectures, demonstrations, seminars, groups critiques, work checks, individual tutorials, field study, cultural visits, reports, and assignments.

The main vehicle for teaching and learning throughout the programme is practical project work, which integrates technical, analytical, intellectual and organisational considerations of practice.

Full time students will be expected to attend on a daily basis according to the schedule of sessions given to you by the module leader, with periods of time allocated to self directed study.

As the course progresses you're expected to take more responsibility for the Independent Study module in the final stage.

After graduation your career options will include animation for advertising, film, television and TV titles, games design, animation for web design, as a designer in a creative studio, in educational animation or as a freelance animator.

We also provide support for graduates starting out in the creative industries, through our incubation unit - Banks Mill.  It offers studio workspace and business development activities, in a vibrant and thriving community of artists, designers and makers.

"I chose the course because not only did it have an interesting module content but the tutors were welcoming and the University felt relaxed and cool!"
Cara Arpino

The thing that attracted me to this course was the open plan of the studio and also the bright atmosphere."
Tony Tansley

"There were loads of opportunities to enter competitions, do work experience and research future career paths."
Mair Perkins