Animation (BA Honours)

Throughout the course, there are opportunities for you to take part in national and international competitions and film festivals. Our course is delivered by a large team of experienced animation practitioners, staff and industry visitors, and you’ll work in dedicated specialist animation studios with facilities for blue screen, rostrum animation, cgi, drawing, stop-frame, film, photography, set building, sound and video. 

Successful animators need to be flexible and able to adapt to changing cultures and new initiatives, and our course seeks to reflect this fluidity. You’ll rapidly develop your own practice in animation, and will be encouraged to work on shared initiatives. Based at our Harrow Campus – home to the Westminster School of Arts and the Westminster School of Media and Communications – you’ll work alongside students from film, photography, music, fashion and journalism, in a unique creative hothouse. 

Course summary

• Our exciting specialist course will enable you to develop your imaginative and creative skills, while giving you a sound knowledge and understanding of animation processes, techniques and critical theory.
• Commercial animation is a rapidly growing and vibrant industry, encompassing a broad range of rewarding and fascinating creative job opportunities. Our strong emphasis on creative practice will help you to develop your skills in drawing and design, along with the imaginative development and innovation of ideas expressed sequentially. These skills, together with the professional practice aspects of the course, will ensure that you have the confidence and expertise to succeed in industry, whether as a producer, technician, designer or manager. You’ll also develop the transferable and cognitive skills necessary for lifelong personal and professional development.

Top reasons to study with us

Westminster is ranked top 20 among UK institutions for Communication and Media Studies in the QS World University Rankings 2024. The University is also ranked in the top 15 in the Complete University Guide 2024 for 'Student Satisfaction' in Communication and Media Studies

• Master multiple animation methods – You’ll have the chance to master a wide range of animation methods, both traditional and cutting-edge
• Learn from expert tutors – In-depth subject-specific support is provided by our large team of animation tutors, each with their own areas of expertise
• Showcase your animation – Your work will be shown at our Regent Street Cinema – the birthplace of British cinema
• Study in a creative environment – Our Harrow Campus offers opportunities for collaboration with artists, musicians, filmmakers and designers from around the world

Course structure

• You'll learn through high-level, tutor-guided studio practice, and by doing – we actively promote experimentation, reflection and the sharing of enthusiasms and influences.
• The unique integrated theoretical elements of the course provide a critical framework within which you can examine animation and related time-based practices, and will significantly support and inform your own practice.
• All modules are assessed through coursework, and we offer a range of methods including crits, submitted work, research plans and seminar presentations.
• The following subjects are indicative of what you will study on this course.

Year 1
You are introduced to a broad range of concepts in animation and visual design, and you will work both independently and collaboratively. The practice and integrated theory modules are project-led, and all involve elements of research, problem solving and experimentation with processes and ideas.

Core modules include:

• 2D Computer Animation
• Animation Principles
• Animation Contexts and Approaches
• Animation: Storytelling and Narrative
• Creative Technology and Design

Option modules include: 

• Drawing Explorations
• 2D Game Development 
• Typography
• Credit Level 4

Year 2
You are encouraged to take more individual responsibility for developing your ideas and approaches to animation, and to enter your work for external competitions and film festivals. You will begin to develop your own individual approaches to animation production, so practical work has a higher conceptual demand, and you are encouraged to be innovative and experimental.

Core modules include:

• 3D Computer Animation
• Documentary Animation
• Collaborative Practice
• VFX for Film and Games

Option modules include: 

• Brands
• Extended Reality for Creatives
• UX/UI Design
• Concepting for Games
• Stop-Motion Animation
• Visual Storytelling
• Web Design
• Credit Level 5

Placement Year

• Between Years 2 and 3, you’ll have the option to spend a year abroad at a partner institution or in employment to progress your career.
• Find out more about the costs involved in taking a study abroad or placement year.

Year 3
You will work on self-directed projects within both theory and practice elements of the course, enabling you to intensively focus on personal development, whether you plan to work as an independent animator or within a growing commercial context such as advertising, the animation games industry or interactive design. Integrated 'theory of practice' modules will ensure that you develop the skills and confidence required to operate effectively in a range of professional situations.

The work produced at this level can be used as evidence in support of application to further study or professional commissions and employment.

Core modules include:

• Professional Practice 
• Animation: Innovation & Creativity
• Major Project (Animation)

Option modules include: 

• Contextual Research Project
• Digital Arts Experimentation
• Entrepreneurship for Creatives
• Designing Narrative Experiences
• Stop-Motion Animation
• Credit Level 6

Programme recognition

• This course is delivered through a partnership with BAFTA albert Education, which provides staff and graduates with the tools and techniques needed to learn about environmentally responsible working practices and their professional relevance. The partnership will help students develop knowledge about sustainability, carbon footprinting and planet placement in programmes.
• This course is also delivered in collaboration with our industry partner, Aardman Animations, the UK’s leading animation production house. Aardman Animations is responsible for creating some of the world's best-loved animation films such as Wallace and Gromit. The partnership will allow students to have access to Aardman’s training materials and masterclasses organised by their staff members.

Careers

• Commercial animation is a rapidly growing and vibrant industry, encompassing a broad range of rewarding and fascinating creative job opportunities. 
• Career development is embedded in the course. Students can work part-time, on placements and enjoy work-related learning across all three years of study.
• Our Careers and Employability Service is here to support you to achieve your full potential, and has built up a network of over 3,000 employers around the world, helping all our students explore and connect with exciting opportunities and careers.
• Student satisfaction- 100% of our Animation BA students were satisfied with the quality of the course. (Source: Discover Uni - site accessed in November 2020)
• Become multi-skilled- You’ll have the chance to master multiple animation methods, both traditional and cutting-edge, opening you up to more career opportunities. 
• Graduates in work and/or further study- 90% of our Animation BA graduates are in work and/or further study 15 months after graduation. 

Industry links
We have links with the Royal Television Society and the British Animation Awards.

Recent guests have included:

• Michael Rosen
• Michaël Dudok de Wit
• Caroline Leaf
• Jelly London (agency)

Work experience

• Our students have had regular work experience opportunities at the Royal College of Art and National Film and Television School, and in the past, we've organised an annual masterclass for our animation students at the Aardman Academy.

Job roles 
This course will prepare you for a range of roles, including:

• Animator
• Art Director
• Character Designer
• Director
• Editor

Graduate employers
Graduates from this course have found employment at organisations including:

• Entertainment One
• Lupus Films
• One of Us
• Weta Digital
• WildBrain

International Opportunities

• Many of our courses offer international study and work experiences, and the University provides other global opportunities that all students can apply for - so whatever you're studying, you'll have the chance to go abroad.

Opportunities could include:

• Taking part in semester or year-long exchanges at institutions around the world
• Attending an international summer school or field trip
• Developing your CV through volunteering or work placements abroad
• International experience broadens horizons, boosts self-confidence, and improves global understanding, alongside being fantastic for your career.