Animation
Entry requirements
A level
112-120 points to include a minimum of 2 A levels.
112-122 Tariff points from the Access to HE Diploma.
Cambridge Pre-U score of 46-50.
GCSE/National 4/National 5
3 GCSEs at grade C or above to include English and Mathematics/3 GCSEs at grade 4 or above to include English and Mathematics.
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
25 points from the IB Diploma, to include 3 Higher Level subjects.
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
H3,H3,H3,H3,H4-H3,H3,H3,H3,H3
Acceptable when combined with other qualifications.
Acceptable when combined with other qualifications.
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
112-120 Tariff points to include a minimum of 2 Advanced Highers.
Acceptable when combined with other qualifications.
T Level
UCAS Tariff
112-120 points to include a minimum of 2 A levels, or equivalent.
112-120 points from the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate including 1 A level, plus the Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate.
You may also need to…
Present a portfolio
About this course
This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.
**This is a Connected Degree**
Portsmouth is the only University in the UK with the flexibility to choose when to do an optional paid placement or self-employed year. Either take a placement in your third year, or finish your studies first and complete a placement in your fourth year. You can decide if and when to take a placement after you've started your course.
**Overview**
With our Animation degree course, you'll gain the sought-after technical skills, artistic insight, and platform diversity to apply your talent to any form of visual arts, media, or communication. You'll develop advanced abilities in character animation, visual storytelling, compositing and editing, and learn from active industry professionals who’ve directed animations for Disney, Warner Bros., and Cartoon Network, and produced special effects for prominent film franchises like Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and Chronicles of Narnia.
At the end of the course, you’ll be primed for a successful career in 2D or 3D animation across multiple industries.
**Course highlights**
- Practise the techniques that animators use in the film industry, such as the performance capture process used in the film Avatar
- Learn industry-standard software and production methods and use professional animation equipment including Adobe Creative Cloud, Autodesk Maya, TV Paint, and Wacom Cintiq digital drawing displays
- Meet prospective employers and industry contacts by showcasing your work at our student screening in London
- Gain valuable industry experience and knowledge by taking an optional placement year – either with a company or as self-employed
- Demonstrate your technical proficiency to industry peers by earning Adobe Certified Associate (ACA) accreditation
- Impress the public and potential employers by showcasing your final-year work at our annual Graduate Shows
- Put your artistry and skills to prize-winning test by taking part in our annual University GameJam
**Accreditation**
This Animation degree course is accredited by JAMES (Joint Audio Media Education Services), a group of industry professionals and employers.
The JAMES accreditation lets potential employers know that this course gives you the relevant skills and abilities you need to work in the animation industry when you graduate. This gives you an edge over students who didn’t do an accredited course when you’re applying for jobs.
JAMES reviews our accreditation every 3 years to make sure the Animation course content remains up-to-date with industry trends and developments. So you’ll always be learning skills relevant to your career.
**Careers and opportunities**
The UK’s animation industry creates pioneering content and visual effects worldwide for commercials, websites, games, and interactive technologies. With the rapid development of future technologies such as virtual, mixed, and augmented reality, animation continues to be a growing sector of the global media and entertainment market.
Upon completing our Animation degree course, you can be part of this vital industry that transcends all sectors.
Graduate roles
Our graduates have worked in a wide range of artistic roles, including:
- animators
- concept artists
- directors
- compositors
- creative directors
- art directors
- modellers
- user interface (UI) designers
- post-production technical directors
Graduate destinations
Our graduates have worked at renowned companies such as:
- Climax
- Framestore
- The Mill
- Sony Pictures Animation
- Kuju Games
- Centroid 3d in Pinewood Studios
- Cartoon Network
Graduate productions
Some of our alumni have worked on high-profile feature films and cartoons, including:
- Avatar
- Life of Pi
- Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland
- The Amazing World of Gumball
After you graduate, you can get help, advice and support for up to 5 years from our Careers and Employability service as you advance in your career.
Modules
Year 1
Core modules in this year include:
- Introduction to 2D Animation
- Introduction to 3D Animation
- Introduction to Visual Research for Animation
- Modelling for Animation & Vfx
- Narrative
- Signs and Meaning in Animation
Year 2
Core modules in this year include:
- Animation Group Project: Introduction
- Animation Group Project: Production
- Experimental Animation
- History and Theory of Animation
Optional modules in this year include:
- Creative Technologies Study Exchange
- Engaged Citizenship Through Interdisciplinary Practice
- Intermediate 2D Animation
- Intermediate 3D Animation
- Modern Foreign Language
- Professional Experience
- Real-Time Animation and Vfx Project
- Sound and Visualisation
- Student Enterprise
- Visual Effects
Placement year (optional):
On this course, you can do an optional work placement year between your 2nd and 3rd years to get valuable experience working in industry. We’ll help you secure a work placement that fits your situation and ambitions. You’ll get mentoring and support throughout the year.
Year 3
Core modules in this year include:
- Employment Preparation
- Major Project: Part 1
- Major Project: Part 2
- Written Project
Optional modules in this year include:
- Advanced 2D Animation
- Advanced 3D Animation
- Advanced Pre-Production Methods
- Advanced Visual Effects
- Intermediate Visual Effects
- Motion Capture Applications
We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.
Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry and some optional modules may not run every year. If a module doesn’t run, we’ll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.
Assessment methods
You’ll be assessed through animation design projects, a showreel and portfolio, written coursework (one module per year) and a dissertation. You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark. You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future. The way you’re assessed may depend on the modules you select. As a guide, students on this course last year were typically assessed as follows: [Year 1 students]: 100% by coursework; [Year 2 students]: 17% by practical exams and 83% by coursework; [Year 3 students]: 17% by practical exams and 83% by coursework.
Tuition fees
Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:
The Uni
University of Portsmouth
Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industries
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.
How do students rate their degree experience?
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Cinematics and photography
Teaching and learning
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
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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.
Top job areas of graduates
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.
£16k
£21k
£22k
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.
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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?
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