BA (Hons) Animation

What you will study

Your studies will see you gain experience in digital skills and techniques used to bring your imagination from ideas to screen through, various animation techniques, depending on which you choose to specialise in.

YEAR 1 (LEVEL 4) 

MODULES

• Visual Communication: Through this starting module, you will begin to understand the language of shapes, lines, and colour alongside practicing with multiple materials. This initial experimentation assists your development in animation pre-production, as you begin to develop skills in layout and character design.
• History and Context: This module introduces you to academic research, where you will look to the past and find a greater understanding of your subject specialty. This research will then be combined with your initial design knowledge and demonstrate to you how information can be displayed in an appealing fashion.
• Interactive Design: With interactive technology constantly on the rise, this module will introduce you to the world and ethos of UX design. You will also begin to combine this with early animation understanding to create interactive elements/characters with a lively presence and accessible design.
• Digital Communication: Animation is an applicable tool not only in cartoons or films, but also commercial assets. This module teaches you how this application takes place, providing you with tools to read industry briefs, understand client demands, and design for a target audience and market.
• Storytelling: Theory and Practice: Animation as a medium is a brilliant tool for telling engaging stories. In this module, you will be introduced to story structure, cinematography, and scripting. You will also learn the basics of storyboarding, a crucial step in planning and staging animated shorts and feature films.
• Social Design: We are all individuals from many different walks of life, and this module brings that notion front and centre. Here you will learn how to flex your artistic talent, and experiment further in character design by drawing a diverse range of forms and figures, both from inspiration and direct reference material.

YEAR 2 (LEVEL 5) 

MODULES

• Motion Design: This module introduces you to the synergy of graphic design and animation through the field of Motion Design. Here you will learn how to animate text and graphical works in exciting projects such as lyric videos and explainer animations.
• Print and Production: Prop design is an integral part of film production. This can be anything from designing posters to sweet boxes to electric sci-fi billboards. In this module, you will learn how to design assets for a script and discover how your animations can be utilised in a film set.
• Critical Thinking: Critical analysis of both your own work and the works of others is imperative to improving your own skills and understanding of an art form. In this module, you will learn key research methodologies, such as comparative and contextual analysis, to form well-educated arguments and evaluations. This all in turn builds your confidence in your subject area and builds you into a cultured practitioner of the arts.
• Design Project: Animation: Applying your gathered skills from the previous modules, you will now create your first animated short, based on a short story or concept of your own creation. You will operate in all the different stages of producing a final output, from initial scripts and storyboarding to editing and sound design.
• Creating Futures: Making a Living: The industry beyond your degree holds a level of expectation in both communication and demands. This module starts to make this next step more apparent, and helps you understand how you can use your talent to support yourself financially, be it through freelancing or salary occupations.

YEAR 3 (LEVEL 6) 

MODULES

• Specialist Project: Animation: In this module, you combine academic research alongside your animation skills to create an animated short based on a refined concept. This in turn enhances your ability in discovery and storytelling within complex themes or ideas.
• Research Project: This module furthers your academic research skills, challenging you to dive deeper into the big questions of animation as an art and entertainment form. Much like previous research-based modules, you’ll face the task again of compiling this information into a presentable format that is both professional, appealing, and complimentary to your design skills.
• Live Brief: In the industry, there are plenty of examples of animations created to meet client demands. In this module, you will create an animation based on an externally set brief made to imitate both client and industry standards. Through this practice, you will further your skills in analysing briefs, time-management, and managing both audience and client expectations.
• Creative Futures: Professional Practice: With the final year of the degree comes the question of “What next?”. This module grants you a peek into your potential future career in the form of guest speaker events with experts from the industry. These sessions are also accompanied by weekly group design challenges, which the experts also monitor and attend, allowing them to offer you valuable insight and feedback.

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

UCAS code: 259B

The academic requirements for the course are 96-112 UCAS tariff points at GCE A-level or equivalent. Appropriate AS-Level and Level 3 Key Skills qualifications will also be taken into account.

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.

Progression from HND / FdA

Applicants with relevant HND qualifications, or a foundation degree in a relevant Art and Design subject area may progress onto Level 6 of a BA or MDes programme subject to Wrexham University’s RP(E)L procedures.

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 assignments and modules are completed.

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.

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 cross disciplinary manner with Illustration, Comics and Graphic Design, 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.

Teaching and Learning

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

Our Careers & 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.

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.

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.

For international students looking to study this course please see our international fees.

Programme specification

Accommodation

At Wrexham University, we offer on-campus en-suite rooms within our Wrexham Student Village. These private, fully furnished spaces are conveniently located, providing easy access to campus facilities, study areas, and social spaces. Plus, you’re just a 10-minute walk from the city centre!

With all bills included, free Wi-Fi, 24/7 security, and large social areas, you’ll find everything you need for a great student experience.

Explore our student accommodation options to find your perfect home away from home.

International

This course is open to international students, for information about the university’s entry requirements for EU/international students, please visit our international section.