Course details
UCAS Code
259D
Year of entry
2025
Duration
4 YRS (FT)
UCAS Tariff
48-72
Institution Code
G53
Location
Wrexham
Course Highlights
Designed
and developed based on industry requirements with emphasis on employability
Opportunities
to enter competitions and build a professional portfolio
Cross-disciplinary
approach to course delivery, simulating professional studio practice
Why choose this course?
The Animation degree offers practical study, enabling you to bring characters to life. This specialised Animation programme will transform you into a versatile creative in the art of the moving image. Designed and developed from the ground up with employability at the core, you will develop skills in animation, motion graphics and design.
You will finish your studies with the professional skills and creative thinking strategies to pursue a career within animation studios, work as a freelance artist, or start your own studio.
You will:
- Learn the principles of visual communication and drawing and apply them to character design, background design, storyboarding and scene layout.
- Explore the principles of animation and develop a solid foundation for your future career.
- Develop ideas and work towards creating a short film to be submitted to film festivals, both nationally and internationally.
- Explore animation techniques to build up a professional show reel.
- Specialise and develop a final degree project that will push on the boundaries of your skills to ensure you stand out from the crowd in the job market.
You can also choose to study this course as a three year degree (without the foundation year) BA (Hons) Animation. UCAS code: 259B.
Art and Designat Wrexham University
Key course features
- If you have been out of education for a while or looking for a career change and undecided as to which discipline to choose, a foundation year is an opportunity to explore and develop core skills in art and design.
- Exceptional facilities, including a stop-motion studio equipped with Dragonframe software, professional camera equipment, and pre-rigged stages with grips, stands, and lights.
- Access to computer suites featuring the latest Adobe, Toon Boom, and Maya CG software.
- A free subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud for the duration of your study.
- Continued support, drawing upon our extensive knowledge, experience, and industry connections to provide you with everything necessary to evolve into an innovative storyteller and artist.
- Intimate and exclusive class sizes, frequent 1-2-1 contact, an open studio policy and flexible workspaces.
- Strong regional and national commercial links, opportunities for work experience, and regular industry interactions and are affiliated to Design bodies, for example D&AD, IOA, Manchester Animation Festival with an emphasis on competition briefs and collaboration.
- The conclusion of the course involves a formally curated gallery exhibition of your final project.
What you will study
YEAR 1 (FOUNDATION YEAR)
The foundation year will introduce you to the key elements of art and design, including graphic design, animation, illustration, photography, and film, applied and fine art. You will explore the creative thought process relating to various art and design disciplines, developing your ability to put ideas down on paper quickly. There will be a range of practice assignments that will increase your recognition of strong ideas and original concepts.
MODULES
- Visual Investigation
- Materials and Methods
- Creative Processes
- Progression Project
- The Skills You Need
- Contextual Studies
YEAR 2 (LEVEL 4) - Core skills
MODULES
Semester 1
- History & Context
- Visual Communication
- Digital Communication
Semester 2
- Social Design
- Story Telling: Theory and Practice
- Interactive Design
YEAR 3 (LEVEL 5) - Advanced skills
MODULES
Semester 1
- Motion Design
- Print and Production
- Critical thinking
Semester 2
- Creative Futures: Making a Living
- Design Project: Animation
YEAR 4 (LEVEL 6) - Specialism
MODULES
Semester 1
- Specialist Project: Animation
Semester 2
- Creative Futures: Professional Practice
- Live Brief
The information listed in this section is an overview of the academic content of the programme that will take the form of either core or option modules. Modules are designated as core or option in accordance with professional body requirements and internal academic framework review, so may be subject to change.
Entry requirements & applying
Our general entry requirement for the foundation year is 48-72 UCAS tariff points but all applications are considered individually and we consider work experience, vocational training/qualifications as well as motivation and potential to succeed.
The programme welcomes applications from anyone who can demonstrate a commitment to the subject and the potential to complete their chosen programme successfully. This can be established by showing appropriate academic achievements or by demonstrating that they possess the knowledge and ability equivalent to the academic qualifications.
Candidates may be interviewed and asked to display a portfolio of their work. Experience may also be taken into consideration depending on the extent and depth of such subject knowledge. Students from overseas, or who are unable to attend an interview, are asked to send their portfolio of work digitally for consideration.
An admissions tutor considers each application individually. Different qualifications are considered, including Scottish Higher, Irish Leaving Certificate, the Welsh Baccalaureate, the International Baccalaureate, Access courses, BTEC, VCE, GNVQ, A and AS levels as well as other overseas qualifications.
Teaching & Assessment
There are no set exams. Assessment is continuous and relates to all aspects of the programme, providing more carefully defined emphasis on formative assessment and feedback on your coursework throughout the academic year. We will advise you on your level of attainment and direct you towards a strategy for further progression as you complete assignments and modules.
There are varied formats of assessment to encourage your learning through group seminars, critiques and tutorials. This can be through group interaction with critical analysis where you will submit a range of work including sketchbooks, design sheets, finished artwork, screen-based work, technical/ production files, journals, essays and audio-visual presentations. There are reviews of work at key points before Christmas and before Easter and this provides time for you to reflect on your progress prior to a final or summative year end assessment.
TEACHING AND LEARNING
On this course teaching and learning is designed to support students from a variety of backgrounds with diverse needs and to promote the supportive learning environment and pastoral care the School of Art and Design provides. Timetabling is developed to help learning teaching and assessment methodologies and provide clear and effective feedback to students. Contact hours are 16 per week in year 1, 14 per week in year 2 and 12 per week in year 3.
The programme is structured to enable you to work in a multidisciplinary manner, to be flexible and enable you to develop individually. This is supported by a personal tutor / tutorials system that provides you with guidance throughout all aspects of the programme.
Wrexham University is committed to supporting our students to maximise their academic potential.
We offer workshops and support sessions in areas such as academic writing, effective note-making and preparing for assignments. Students can book appointments with academic skills tutors dedicated to helping deal with the practicalities of university work. Our student support section has more information on the help available.
In terms of particular needs, the University’s Inclusion Services can provide appropriate guidance and support should any students require reasonable adjustments to be made because of a recognised prevailing disability, medical condition, or specific learning difference.
Career prospects
Emphasis is placed on your personal and professional development, communication and entrepreneurial skills, so that you are well equipped to enter a diverse and rapidly changing industry. Our graduates have gone on to work for companies like the BBC, Channel 4, S4C, and Disney, working on titles such as A Bug’s Life, The Corpse Bride, Frankenweenie and the Harry Potter series games.
Career opportunities exist in all areas of animation, including:
- Senior designers
- VFX artist/animators
- Concept artists
- Storyboard artists
- Assistant animators
- Freelance animators
- Character designers
- Game artists
- Interactive developers
- Environment and background artists
- Freelance visualisers
- Model making
- Set design
- Digital media texture art
- Digital painting
- Compositing
- Lighting, rigging, visual effects and post-production
This degree also allows you to gain a range of transferable skills that can lead to a variety of employment opportunities. Further study opportunities are also available at MDes / MA or PGCE level.
Our Careers and Employability service is there to help you make decisions and plan the next steps towards a bright future. From finding work or further study to working out your interests, skills and aspirations, they can provide you with the expert information, advice and guidance you need.
Fees & funding
You do not have to pay your tuition fees upfront.
The fees you pay and the support available will depend on a number of different factors. Full information can be found on our fees & finance pages. You will also find information about what your fees include in the fee FAQs.
All fees are subject to any changes in government policy, view our undergraduate fees.
Programme specification
You can see the full programme specification here.
Accommodation
If you’re looking for a place to stay while you study then take a look at our accommodation pages to get more information on your options, including our on-campus halls of residence Wrexham Village.
