BA (Hons) Animation
Course overview
Start date
September 2020
Subject area
Digital Media
Attendance
Full-time
Part-time
Learning
On campus
Course summary
On our much-admired Animation course we’ll give you both the guidance and the independence you need to express your artistic vision with confidence and quality.
We combine the best of digital with the best of handmade animation, ensuring that you’ll leave the course with an excellent portfolio that demonstrates the widest range of skills.
Your portfolio will feature your own animated short film, your responses to commercial briefs, character and concept designs, storyboards and illustration work.
Each year, you’ll learn skills that build on your previous learning, with a course structure that encourages your artistic independence while covering the broadest range of animation techniques.
You’ll develop a visual language through illustration workshops and apply this to your animation work, finding your own balance between the two complementary disciplines.
Everything will be geared for you to produce the quality and originality of work to mark you out in a crowded and vibrant industry.
If you would benefit from an extra year of study or if you don’t have the entry requirements for the BA course, you can study this course as an ‘extended’, four-year programme. In your first year, you’ll take a foundation year that prepares you for a successful transition to the BA degree.
Hands-on approach
You'll get the chance to make your own animations and to find your own independent voice as an animator/illustrator.
In-depth learning
You’ll develop a detailed understanding of the full range of production techniques, learning to mix traditional with high-end digital skills.
Industry experts
Our academic team are professionals in the industry, including published authors and illustrators and prize-winning animators.
Patrick O’Mahony,
Animation and Illustration, BA (Hons), undergraduate
Along with dedicated teachers, the visits from animation and illustration professionals such as RatherGood, Aardman, Robbie Porter and many other guest lecturers has motivated and inspired me to do the very best I can in what I hope will be an enjoyable and long-lasting career.
Fees and funding
Tuition Fee Loan
You can apply for a loan to cover the cost of your tuition fees, which will be paid directly to UEL. There are no up-front fees required. Repayment only starts after you finish your course and are earning over £25,000. If you haven’t finished repaying your loan after 30 years it will be automatically cancelled.
To apply visit gov.uk/student-finance
Maintenance Loan
You can apply for a loan to help with living costs such as food, travel and accommodation. How much you can borrow depends on where you live and study, and whether you are currently on welfare benefits. The maximum loan you can apply for is £12,729.
To apply visit gov.uk/student-finance
Supplementary Grants
The government also offer the following additional support:
- Parents' Learning Allowance
- Adult Dependants' Grant
- Childcare Grant
- Disabled Students’ Allowance
- All nursing and many allied health students on courses from September 2020 will receive a payment of at least £5,000 a year from the government.
For further information visit gov.uk/student-finance or contact Student Finance England.
All students will receive:
Bursaries Schemes for which you can apply
- Care Leaver and Foyer Bursary - up to £1,500
- Progression Bursary - up to £2,000
- Engagement Bursary - up to £2,000
- Hardship Bursary - up to £2,000
- Helena Kennedy Foundation - £1,500
- Going Global – awards range from £300 - £700
Scholarships Schemes for which you can apply
- Vice Chancellor Scholarship - up to £27,750 over three years
- Dean Scholarship - up to £13,500 over three years
- Civic Engagement Scholarship - £1,000
- EU Scholarship (EU Only) - £1,000
- ELSEF Scholarship - £1,000
- UTC Scholarship - £1,500
- Sports Scholarships - up to £6,000
There are a number of external organisations that offer financial help to
students. Please see the list below list to view additional support options.
Alternatively, you can visit the Scholarship Search website.
Please note that the University of East London is not responsible for
the content of these external sites and is not associated in any way
with the funding schemes and their application processes.
The Student Money Advice and Rights Team (SMART) are here to help you navigate your finances while you are a student at the University of East London.
We can give you advice, information and guidance on government and university funds so that you receive your full funding entitlement.
Email: study@uel.ac.uk
Phone: 020 8223 4444
Tuition Fee Loan
You can apply for a loan to cover the cost of your tuition fees, which will be paid directly to UEL. There are no up-front fees required. Repayment only starts after you finish your course and are earning over £25,000. If you haven’t finished repaying your loan after 30 years it will automatically be cancelled.
For information visit gov.uk/student-finance
Please note EU students can only apply for their funding using a paper application form.
To download a form visit www.gov.uk/student-finance-forms
All students will receive:
Bursaries Schemes for which you can apply
- Care Leaver and Foyer Bursary - up to £1,500
- Progression Bursary - up to £2,000
- Engagement Bursary - up to £2,000
- Hardship Bursary - up to £2,000
- Helena Kennedy Foundation - £1,500
- Going Global – awards range from £300 - £700
Scholarships Schemes for which you can apply
- Vice Chancellor Scholarship - up to £27,750 over three years
- Dean Scholarship - up to £13,500 over three years
- Civic Engagement Scholarship - £1,000
- EU Scholarship (EU Only) - £1,000
- ELSEF Scholarship - £1,000
- UTC Scholarship - £1,500
- Sports Scholarships - up to £6,000
There are a number of external organisations that offer financial help to
students. Please see the list below list to view additional support options.
Alternatively, you can visit the Scholarship Search website.
Please note that the University of East London is not responsible for
the content of these external sites and is not associated in any way
with the funding schemes and their application processes.
The Student Money Advice and Rights Team (SMART) are here to help you navigate your finances while you are a student at the University of East London.
We can give you advice, information and guidance on government and university funds so that you receive your full funding entitlement.
Email: study@uel.ac.uk
Phone: 020 8223 4444
At UEL, we understand that studying in another country is a big financial commitment. If you apply early for an undergraduate, you may be entitled to a scholarship of up to £3,000.You can find out more about the international scholarships here.
The Student Money Advice and Rights Team (SMART) also run an Emergency International Fund to assist international students in hardship.
You can contact our SMART team on 02082233333 or study@uel.ac.uk
As part of the Tier 4 student visa requirements, UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) estimate that you will need £1,265* per month to cover your living costs. It includes expenses for accommodation, food and drink, travel within London, text books, entertainment, clothing, toiletries and laundry. Most Tier 4 students are required to show they have sufficient funds to cover the first nine months of the course before they start- a total of £11,385- in addition to the tuition fees. You can find more information about the specific requirements of the Tier 4 student visa here. The amount that you will spend can vary depending on your lifestyle. The UKCISA International Student Calculator can help you plan and manage your money. Please make sure you also factor in the fees for the visa application and immigration health surcharge when budgeting.
* Please note the Immigration Rules are subject to change and this figure is likely to be increased by UKVI year on year. Please therefore check our ISA pages for more information at the time of preparing your visa application.
Deposits and paying by instalments
International students are required to pay a deposit prior to being issued a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS).
Your remaining balance will be paid in five monthly instalments over your first term. The first of these instalments must be paid when completing your enrolment on arrival at UEL. Please follow the payment instructions here.
After the required payment has been made, you will be asked to complete the online International Student Reply Form to confirm your acceptance of our offer and of our terms of admittance and fees policy.
Our International team at UEL are available for advice and guidance on studying in London, fees, scholarships and visa requirements.
Email: international@uel.ac.uk
Entry requirements
- September 2020
-
Degree
112
New UCAS Points
Access to HE Diploma (QAA approved) with 60 credits overall and 45 credits at Level 3
We will also consider the UEL New Beginnings pre-entry course
The portfolio should show evidence of observational drawing, the development of an idea through to a completed illustration, and techniques and processes that you have worked with. We are particularly interested in seeing your sketchbooks / journals to see how you develop your ideas.
At interview you should be prepared to discuss your work, ideas and ambitions. You should also be able to discuss graphic artists, illustrators or animators who influence you.
Overall IELTS score of 5.5 with a minimum of 5.5 in Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking (or recognised equivalent).
If you do not meet the academic English language requirements for your course, you may be eligible to enrol onto a pre-sessional English programme. The length of the course will depend on your current level of English and the requirements for your degree programme. We offer a 5-week and an 11-week pre-sessional course. Find out more here.
Level 2 equivalences such as Level 2 Functional Skills in English / Maths, Level 2 Key Skills in Communication / Application of Number and Level 2 Adult Literacy / Adult Numeracy
Please note that some courses require applicants to meet the entry requirements outlined on the course page. Our pre-entry Information Advice and Guidance Team are able to provide further advice on entry requirements and suitability for study.
What you'll learn
With the broad range of core skills we teach, we believe you’ll have the confidence and self-assurance to express your own vision in an outstanding way.
In the first year, you’ll explore drawing and printmaking techniques and learn the fundamentals of animated movement, with the help of life drawing classes, to make your animations full of life. You’ll put all this together to create a single showcase animation.
In year two, you’ll start developing your professional practice by responding as a team to a client brief, and you’ll develop your independence with an experimental project – maybe an art film or music video.
Your final-year major project will be your choice, using your methods. It could be, say, your own animated short or a film with accompanying illustrated book. It will be your calling card, telling the world who you are and what you do.
So you’ll follow a professional workflow as animator/writer/director with your tutors acting as your producer to ensure your film has a professional finish and is as individual as you are.
What you'll study and when
We consistently review our courses to ensure we are up-to-date with industry changes and requirements from our graduates. As a result, our modules are subject to change.
- Professional Life (Mental Wealth)
- Art & Design Workshops, Processes & Skills
- Art & Design Studio Practice & Portfolio
- Art & Design Specialist Workshops, Processes & Skills
- Art & Design Specialist Studio Practice & Portfolio
- Art & Design Contextual Studies
- Agency 1 (Mental Wealth)
- Experimentation and Application 1A
- Narrative 1: Narrative fiction
- Documentary 1: Documentary and Representation
- Aesthetics and Technologies:
- Practice as research
- Experimentation and Application 1B
- Agency 2 (Mental Wealth)
- Advanced Experimentation and Application
- Narrative 2: Advanced narrative TBC
- Documentary 2: Experimental Documentary TBC
- Animated Short Film
- Advanced Practice
- Agency 3 (Mental Wealth)
- Aesthetics and technologies: professional practices
- Final Project: Development
- Final Project: Completion
- Animation Final Major Project: Pre-production
- Animation FMP
How you'll be assessed
How you'll learn
Our course is a practical one, located in the visual language of graphic arts practice. You’ll learn to mix animators’ traditional skills such as 2D drawn, stop motion, paint-on-glass, cut-out and sand with digital techniques in Photoshop, After Effects, Flash and Maya.
The academic team who’ll teach you these skills are approachable, knowledgeable leaders in their field. As industry professionals, they know what works in practice. With an excellent staff-to-student ratio and a personal tutor, you’ll receive the attention your efforts deserve.
Our teaching team is led by Will Bishop-Stephens. His lovingly hand-crafted film, ‘Two Films About Loneliness’, was one of just 60, from a pool of more than 8,000, chosen to be screened at the prestigious Robert Redford-founded Sundance Festival in Utah in early 2015.
Our visiting lecturers this academic year include BAFTA-winning Mikey Please and the animation legend, Aardman’s Richard 'Golly' Starzak.
You’ll study in a dynamic creative environment, using an impressive range of equipment and software including rostrum cameras, shoot studios and animation rostrums.
Our professional practice modules will give you the confidence to present your blossoming work in showcases, screenings and exhibitions beyond UEL. We’re confident it will be worth seeing.
“We’ve set up a course at UEL that can respond to students’ interests,” says Will Bishop-Stephens. “It equips them with the tools to express their character so they stand out as unique, skilled professionals in a crowded field. The work we’re seeing from students validates the trust we place in them.”
Your future career
Animation and Illustration is a rapidly growing, ever-expanding field. The skills we teach at the University of East London mean you’ll be able to adapt to any of the creative opportunities it offers.
In recent years, the role of the illustrator and the animator has converged with the development of digital books and online networks. So the abilities and techniques that you’ll develop on this course are increasingly valued and sought after in the professional world.
Our course is very new but already its reputation has soared, with our students enjoying work placements at major studios such as Framestore and Lionsgate.
Graduates who have studied our animation and illustration modules have gone on to enjoy success in various fields.
Some of our students set up a university society that grew into a business, Backwards Burd, and which now showcases the work of new illustrators and artists. Others work in animation and motion graphics studios while some run animation workshops.
Opportunities abound. It’s a course that would suit anyone considering a career in independent filmmaking. Or it could be ideal for a start in the graphics industry, producing animated content for advertising, web applications, games design, animated storybooks, apps and music videos.
Explore the different career options you can pursue with this degree and see the median salaries of the sector on our Career Coach portal.
