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Animation and Visual Effects

Entry requirements


A level

B,C,C-B,B,B

Access to HE Diploma

D:21,M:24,P:0

60 credits with 45 at level 3

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DMM

Scottish Higher

B,B,B,C-A,A,B,B

T Level

M

UCAS Tariff

104-120

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subjects

Animation

Computer animation and visual effects

Animation and visual effects (VFX) is a constantly evolving industry at the forefront of media output in the UK in film, television, and games industries.

This degree is built around core principles of inclusivity, storytelling and studio practice to enable engagement with an exciting, dynamic industry. With a vocational focus, our course is centred around developing industry skill set and technique, exploring research-informed creative industry practice, critical thinking, and graduate employability.

**COURSE OVERVIEW**
You will gain practical experience of industrial workflows and methodologies as they relate to animation and visual effects. You will be shown the skills required to undertake self-directed research for the continued development of animation skills and for life-long learning should you choose to pursue postgraduate study after your degree.

Designed to build competency in the first level, specialisation in the second, and independence in the third, this animation and visual effects course will enable you to gain a job in animation or progress to further study.

The programme ensures you are fully prepared for the rapidly changing social and technological contexts in which you will work. A vital part of this is to equip you to make informed choices in your creative use of digital technology, in your professional practice, eventual careers in animation and VFX, and as lifelong, independent and interdependent learners.

**ON THIS COURSE YOU WILL**
- Gain knowledge and understanding of current professional production practices and technologies in the animation and visual effects industry, and a critical perspective that puts you in a position to shape the future of the creative industries.

- Develop nascent interests, technical knowledge and skill set in animation and VFX, to a level that is consistent with a graduate profile of an emerging professional in the creative industries, or that will facilitate postgraduate study.

- Leave with a portfolio of work from your VFX course, demonstrating technical proficiency, specialism, and skill set in computer animation and visual effects.

- Have access to workshop and studio spaces for traditional animation production and physical, on-set and location production that require specific resources such as rostra and lighting.

- Benefit from guest speakers and workshops, which offer added value to your learning experience, where you can share your work with professionals through workshop activities and screenings.

- Gain experience in live brief and external work – engagement with enhanced professional experiences sometimes external to course and module delivery.

**WHAT YOU'LL LEARN**
You'll be encouraged to engage and respond to assessment briefs and other tasks, at every step of your academic journey, both critically and creatively.

At Level 4, the focus is on personal development skills, knowledge, and understanding. Level 5 has a focus on professional development skills, building confidence in practice, in line with industry and employer expectations. At Level 6 there is an increasingly tailored and personalised approach to learning, with a focus on employability and enterprise and graduate goals.

The course develops high-level, visual effects artists who have analytical, interpretative, written, and oral communication skills, and will embed project-management, research skills, team-working, leadership, and independent working, into a professional portfolio that you will be proud of.

**Year 1**
- Animation and VFX Piplines

- Digital Narrative and Concept

- Virtual Stagecraft

- Cultural Contexts

- Collaborative Practice

**Year 2**
- Script, Storyboard & Previs

- Experimental Narrative & Concept

- Animation and VFX Cinematography

- Shot to Screen

- Professional Development

**Year 3**
- Research Brief

- Production Review

- Professional Studio Project

- Festivals & Exhibition

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

England
£9,250
per year
EU
£13,250
per year
International
£13,250
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

Carlisle - Brampton Road

Department:

Institute of the Arts

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

74%
Animation

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Cinematics and photography

Teaching and learning

78%
Staff make the subject interesting
88%
Staff are good at explaining things
74%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
70%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

85%
Library resources
77%
IT resources
89%
Course specific equipment and facilities
56%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

98%
UK students
2%
International students
56%
Male students
44%
Female students
68%
2:1 or above
11%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A
D
C

Computer animation and visual effects

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Cinematics and photography

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£15,600
low
Average annual salary
97%
high
Employed or in further education
22%
low
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

22%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
17%
Other elementary services occupations
15%
Artistic, literary and media occupations

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Cinematics and photography

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£13k

£13k

£16k

£16k

£19k

£19k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Sorry, no information to show

This is usually because there were too few respondents in the data we receive to be able to provide results about the subject at this university.

Explore these similar courses...

Nearby University
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BA (Hons) 4 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 104-152
Higher entry requirements
University of Dundee | Dundee
Animation
BA (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 96-128

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here