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Computer Animation and Visual Effects

Entry requirements


A level

B,B,B-B,B,C

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

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)

DDM-DMM

112-120 Tariff points to include a minimum of 2 Advanced Highers.

Acceptable when combined with other qualifications.

T Level

M

UCAS Tariff

112-120

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.

About this course


This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.

Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Other options

4 years | Sandwich | 2024

Subject

Computer animation and visual effects

**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**
Ready to make your mark on the computer animation and visual effects industry and get stuck into a career packed with creative potential?

On this professionally accredited BSc (Hons) Computer Animation and Visual Effects degree course, you'll use our fantastic animation and VFX facilities to unleash your ideas. You’ll build a portfolio of work to showcase your abilities and learn how to get it in front of potential employers.

The course sets you up for an exciting career in areas such as 3D animation, visual effects (VFX) for film and TV, and the computer games industry.

**Accreditations**
This course is professionally accredited by JAMES (Joint Audio Media Education Support).

JAMES is 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 industry when you graduate. JAMES reviews our accreditation every 3 years to make sure the course content remains up-to-date with industry trends and developments. So you’ll always be learning the most relevant skills.

We also work with VFX studios, game developers and professional bodies such as TIGA to make sure the course stays up-to-date with industry trends.

**What you'll experience**
On this Computer Animation and Visual Effects degree course you’ll:
- Learn from professionals who are currently working in the animation and visual effects (VFX) industry

- Build your skills in key areas such as concept drawing, 3D animation, physics-based simulation and compositing

- Get your hands on professional software that’s used in the industry, including NUKEX, Maya, 3DS Max, ZBrush, Houdini, Katana and Mari

- Put our motion capture facilities to use and learn in our virtual reality lab

- Get the chance to be involved with the University’s computer-generated imagery (CGI) film, Stina and the Wolf

- Develop games and get involved in Gamejams with fellow students

- Make the most of our industry links, including guest speakers, work placements and sponsored prizes for your final year project

- Tailor your studies to match your interests and ambitions

**Careers and opportunities**
This course mirrors many industrial processes and creative practices, setting you up for some of the most exciting jobs in today’s media industries.

Potential employers include computer animation and visual effects companies for film and TV, computer games and visualisation industries.

Modules

Year 1
Core modules in this year include:
- Computer Animation and Vfx Research
- Introduction to Compositing
- Introduction to Real-Time 3D
- Modelling for Animation & Vfx
- Skills and Principles for Animation
- Visual Communication

There are no optional units in this year.

Year 2
Core modules in this year include:
- CGI Lighting and Look Development
- Project Initiation and Career Management
- Real-Time Animation and VFX Project

Optional modules in this year currently include:
- Commercial Asset Production for Real Time
- Creative Technologies Study Exchange
- Design and Visual Research for Cinema and Game
- Designing for Animation
- Engaged Citizenship Through Interdisciplinary Practice
- Modern Foreign Language
- Professional Experience
- Sculpting and Rigging for Film
- 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:
- Creative Group Project
- Creative Professional Development
- Final Year Project

Optional modules in this year currently include:
- Advanced Creature Fx and Rigging
- Advanced Programming for Animation and Vfx
- Advanced Visual Effects
- Animation and Setup for Computer Animation
- Create Worlds
- Intermediate Visual Effects
- Motion Capture Applications
- Real-Time Interactive Group Project: Stage One
- Real-Time Interactive Group Project: Stage Two

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 practical projects, work portfolios, academic and evaluative essays, multiple choice tests, oral presentations, examinations and case studies.

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.

Tuition fees

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

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£9,250
per year
International
£17,900
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

The Uni


Course location:

University of Portsmouth

Department:

Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industries

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.

68%
Computer animation and visual effects

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.

Computer games and animation

Teaching and learning

81%
Staff make the subject interesting
85%
Staff are good at explaining things
82%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
91%
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

74%
Library resources
63%
IT resources
77%
Course specific equipment and facilities
60%
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?

79%
UK students
21%
International students
77%
Male students
23%
Female students
83%
2:1 or above
9%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

D
D
C

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.

Computer games and animation

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.

£23,000
med
Average annual salary
96%
med
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

44%
Information technology and telecommunications professionals
14%
Artistic, literary and media occupations
7%
Information technology technicians

This is a newly-classified subject area for this kind of data, so we don’t currently have very much information to display or analyse yet. Over time we can expect more students to study them — there could be opportunities that open up for graduates in these subjects as the economy develops over the next few years. But at the moment this looks to be a good degree if you want to work on the technical side of film and TV and this is the most common industry for new graduates.

What about your long term prospects?

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

Computer games and animation

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

£22k

£22k

£27k

£27k

£31k

£31k

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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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