Animation (MA)

Our MA Animation is your platform to create your own path, and develop your expertise through a range of experimental and traditional techniques. Grounded in professional application and influenced by real-world business, our course will develop your existing knowledge of creative media, and push your boundaries in quality and applied animation, putting you in the best position to succeed in a competitive industry. 

• Explore the theoretical and practical applications of animation across a wide range of media and discover the opportunities and developments in the 21st century creative ecosystem on our postgraduate course.
• Whether you choose to study full-time or part-time, the course pathways are negotiated by you. At Staffordshire University, we have expertise in the areas of 2D Digital, 3D Digital, Stop Motion and Games Animation, which gives you the opportunity to develop a masters level expertise in a variety of, or specialised field of study. What’s more, you will have the opportunity to bring in aspects and relevant influences from your current career, or tailor your studies to your aspiring future in the animation field using University connections from the likes of Aardman, Carse & Waterman, Pixar, Walt Disney and more.
• Whether you are creating worlds, characters or commercial pieces with our postgraduate course, you will actively seek to promote emerging perspectives, technologies, and methodologies to push the animation form forward through research and live practice in our state-of-the-art animation studios.

On successful completion of study, we will issue the following award: MA Animation

Course content

• MA Animation is is designed to develop individual knowledge and skills and to provide the framework and structure that encourages independent thinking. Split into seven areas over your chosen duration of study, the course is designed to take you through a negotiated journey, influenced by your aspirations or career interests.
• The first area of study is our Animation Cultures and Critiques, where you will explore contemporary debates and develop contextualisation for original work in relation to your aspirations and interests within the animation world. You will also develop your existing knowledge of animated storytelling into an expertise of narrative, character, sequence and movement relationships in Animation Story and Performance. While developing your knowledge, you will move towards practical development in Animation Design and Technologies, where you will further your experimental skills and techniques in relation to your career interests.
• Moving forward, you will build on your practical skills with knowledge of professional animation settings in Animation Industries and Ecosystems, which is heavily influenced by guest lecturers and industry-active academics, who will work to build your networks while you study. At this point you will also begin to heavily tailor your course, negotiating individual objectives with a supervisor for a focused animation investigation in Animation Production Proofs and Solutions.
• The final segment of your course will see you develop and showcase your practical skills over two modules. Animation Production Consolidation will focus your energy and resource on a production, such as a short film or showreel to a professional quality standard, and Animation Post-production and Presentation will see you mastering and finishing practical works, and showcasing to live audiences for feedback.

Modules

• The tables provide an indicative list of the modules that make up the course for the current academic year. Each module is worth a specified number of credits. Our teaching is informed by research, and modules change periodically to reflect developments in the discipline. We aim to ensure that all modules run as scheduled. If for any reason a module cannot be run we will advise you as soon as possible and will provide guidance on selecting an appropriate alternative module.

Year 1 compulsory modules

• Animation Culture And Critique 20 credits
• Animation Design And Technology 20 credits
• Animation Industries And Ecosystems 20 credits
• Animation Presentation 20 credits
• Animation Production Consolidation 40 credits
• Animation Production Proofs And Solutions 40 credits
• Animation Story And Performance 20 credits

Careers

• Careers in animation typically depend on your areas of interest or expertise, and past graduates from our animation courses have gone on to establish professional networks, working for the likes of Double Negative, Cinesite, Boulder Media, and Brown Bag Films.

Whether you are currently in the industry, or you are looking to break into a new career, there are many sectors you could enter at midweight, or even senior level, including:

• Production management
• Creative development
• Pre-production
• Production
• Distribution

What’s more, if you wish to develop your expertise and education further, completion of the MA Animation will set you up for further study at PhD level.

Teaching

• Teaching opportunities will take place via the following: Staff Lectures, Guest Speakers, Performance Workshops, Technical instruction, 1-2-1 supervision, seminars, participation in research. We have a forward thinking and technology driven approach to student engagement and ongoing formative feedback and assessment utilising VL environments, Interactive forum spaces, and cross level knowledge sharing and collaborative activity.

Assessment

• This course is 100% course work based with each module requiring a number of elements of practical and reflective work for submission.

Learning support
Your course tutors will provide lots of support. But you can also take advantage of our Academic Skills team, who can help you with:

• Study skills (including reading, note-taking and presentation skills)
• Written English (including punctuation, grammar)
• Academic writing (including how to reference)
• Research skills
• Critical thinking
• Revision, assessment and exam skills (including time management)

Additional support

• If you have additional needs like dyslexia or a sensory impairment, then our Student Inclusion Services are here to help make sure nothing stands in your way.

Feedback

• Throughout their studies student will have regular opportunities for feedback and guidance through seminars, one-to-one supervision, collaboration and network knowledge exchange and discussion.