Bachelor of Design (Illustration and Animation)

You will also become skilled in free-hand drawing, develop knowledge of digital software for moving and static pictures, and work in on-campus workshops that are fitted out with state-of-the-art equipment. During your final year you will be given the opportunity to practice your skills when you undertake an industry internship, mentorship, collaborative project or free elective. 

Degree overview

• Study the only degree of its kind in Australia - UniSA is the only university to offer a degree specifically in illustration and animation.
• Gain the technical and theoretical skills required to be a visual storyteller.
• Study drawing, software and studio practices throughout your studies.
• Learn in our custom-built on-campus workshops.
• Work on real-life projects, gaining valuable practical experience.
• Benefit from our networks and relationships with the design and animation industries – locally, nationally and internationally. 
• Study a unique, industry-led, stop motion model making course with leading animation company Anifex.
• Learn from teachers who are practising professionals with strong links to industry.
• Be taught by world-class leaders in research – UniSA's research in illustration and animation is ranked world class2.
• Study at a university that developed the first Bachelor of Design degree in the world.
• UniSA is an unstoppable university for unstoppable people. As one of the World’s Top Young Universities3, we’ll ensure you get the experience your future profession demands so it’ll feel like you’re studying one minute and in a career the next.

Snapshot
This unique degree will equip you with the skills needed to kick-start your rewarding career in the creative and innovative world of illustration and animation.

You will learn a broad range of techniques needed to produce industry-standard pictures for industries such as:

• Book and comic publishing
• Gaming
• Movies
• Advertising
• 2D, 3D and Stop Motion animation
• Animation
• Design

What you'll learn
Explore everything from the history of hand-drawn narrative to digital technologies that are now pivotal to this creative industry.

You will cover topics such as:

• Drawing
• Painting
• Illustration design and production
• Digital compositing
• Animation design
• Visual effects
• Communication design
• Computer graphics and imaging
• Maquette and scene building
• Storyboarding

Study hours

• For each course you study, you will need to allocate time for various classes such as lectures, tutorials, workshops, seminars and practicals. Plus you will need additional hours to study in your own time to complete assignments, readings and projects, as well as to contribute to online discussion forums (independent study). So as a general rule, if you are studying full-time you would need to allocate 12–26 hours of study when at university and 14–28 hours of independent study per week.

Why Bachelor of Design (Illustration and Animation)

• If you have a passion for picture-making and the process of creating visual stories using static or moving images, this unique degree is a great choice.

You will complete much of your learning in our fully-equipped workshops and studios that are located on-campus. These world-class facilities boast digital fabrication equipment such as:

• Industry standard digital software for making and producing illustrations and animation
• Industry standard 3D modelling and visual effects software
• Industry-standard motion-capture and virtual reality systems
• CNC routers
• 3D printers
• Large format digital printers
• Green screen studio
• Industry-standard software in dedicated computer labs

Real-world connections

• There is the opportunity for you to undertake a mentorship or project engagement with a range of industry partners such as world-renowned visual effects studios Rising Sun Pictures. Rising Sun Pictures’ Adelaide-based studio has created thousands of visual effects for over 100 motion pictures, including Thor: Love and Thunder, Elvis, Hawkeye and the Harry Potter series.
• You may choose to complete an industry placement, mentorship or collaboration with another creative organisation, or to complete an industry project during your third year of study.

Your career

• Our students are passionate about the visual storytelling for children’s books, graphic novels, comics, editorial illustration, 2D, 3D and stop motion animation, concept design for film, game and digital production industries. 

Careers to consider:

• Animator: use 2D and 3D software, drawing, painting and models to produce moving pictures
• Illustrator: develop and produce pictures for a broad range of creative industry sectors, for example, publishing, design, advertising, visual art, motion film, advertising, gaming and software development
• Technical illustrator: design and create visual representations for use in technical publications and manuals
• Graphic designer: create visual concepts and graphics; you may work in advertising, publishing, public relations or manufacturing
• Additionally, this degree opens career pathways into other fields such as broadcasting and motion film, visual effects and animation, educational and science-based media, streaming web content provision, design agencies, product production (fashion, toys, giftware), evolving communication technologies such as mobile technology and virtual reality, and as independent artists developing original content, advertising and publishing.