Intro

Become a highly skilled animator ready for a rewarding creative career on this practice-based course.

You will learn screen-based 2D and 3D animation, as well as motion graphics, title sequences, narrative and video editing for promotional design, infographics and music promotion.

At Brighton, we place an emphasis on creative and imaginative outcomes and blur the boundaries between digital and analogue processes, embracing alternative and innovative approaches to narrative construction, visualisation and interaction.

You will be learning in a city with a thriving digital industry. Our connections with local media organisations provide opportunities for work experience, field trips, collaboration and live projects.

We integrate theory and practice so you graduate with a strong foundation in both fields. During your animation degree you will experience a wide range of design approaches, learn with industry professionals and use specialist software and equipment.

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Key facts

Location Brighton: City campus 

UCAS code W615

Full-time 3 years

Apply now with UCAS for 2023

Course content

Areas of study 

  • Animation fundamentals, experimental image making and visual effects.
  • Storytelling through a range of imaginative projects using linear and non-linear narratives.
  • Screen-based kinetic typography and its applications across a range of creative environments such as title sequences and music videos.
  • Exploration of animation in response to contemporary culture and society.
  • Applied animation for immersive technology including AR and VR.
  • Design for interactivity, tablets, apps, installations and expanded cinema.
  • Collaboration with other disciplines including music, sound art and design.

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Year 1 

In year 1, you will explore animation through a series of creative projects. These projects will develop your skills in storytelling through a variety of experimental artistic techniques. 

Your work will be nurtured and developed through both group and personal tutorials, and inspired by a series of lectures from visiting industry professionals.

Under the guidance of expert teaching staff, you will immerse yourself in an exciting programme of lectures and workshops, shaping your projects and building your portfolio as you progress through the year.

In year 1 you will work alongside Design for Digital Media and Games Art and Design students, sharing modules and collaborating on projects.

Modules

  • Animation Principles and Practice

    This module introduces students to the basic concepts, components and practices of animation focusing on practice that is underpinned by research and imaginative experimentation. You will investigate fundamental animation principles through projects that will explore and define working methods and studio practices. 

  • Sequence and Narrative

    This module introduces the basic concepts and components of sequence and narrative within illustration, graphic design animation and games art. Project briefs enable you to explore story telling, form, pacing, play, presentation and audience interaction. You'll also be introduced to basic working methods and studio practices whilst exploring emerging digital delivery formats.

  • Introduction to Animation

    This module introduces the core skills needed to plan and create simple animated sequences. You'll develop creative thinking skills and explore experimental and creative approaches to animation.

  • Historical and Critical Studies

    This module includes a broad history of visual communication. You'll focusing on new technologies and digital media, the impact the digital revolution has on the culture of graphic design, illustration, art, film, as well as the development of animation, games art, and social media.

Year 2 

In year 2, you will focus on developing your creative potential, building on knowledge gained during your first year.

The projects you will be set have strong links with industry, so that the skills you learn and practise reflect those that employers are looking for.

You will be encouraged to work collaboratively with your fellow students to develop ambitious projects within the local and wider professional community. Your research and analytical skills will be developed through group discussion and documentation of project outcomes.

Modules

  • Virtual Studio
  • Visual Language and Personal Voice
  • Advanced Animation
  • Historical and Critical Studies 2
  • Option module programme

*Option modules are indicative and may change, depending on timetabling and staff availability.

students working together around a computer

Final year 

In your final year, the knowledge and skills that you have developed so far come together as you work on a final personal project. You will also write a dissertation in conjunction with Historical and Critical Studies.

Final year lectures and tutorials are taught by teaching staff and by visiting industry professionals. They include practical information about professional development, preparing you for your professional or academic life after university, and one-to one personal tutorials offering in-depth, personalised support for your continued development.

Modules

  • Context and Consolidation
  • Virtual Studio – Animation
  • Professional Practice
  • Extended Research Project

Meet the team

Professionals from the animation world support the course, keeping the curriculum at the forefront of modern practice and ensuring you develop relevant technological, artistic and communication skills.

Ewan Kirkland, course leader

Ewan is a specialist in animation history and a videogame scholar focussing on horror gaming. He is the author of Children’s Media and Modernity exploring children’s film, television and videogames. He is a frequent guest speaker at fan conventions and the lead academic on Historical and Critical Studies and Extended Research Project.

Since joining the University in 2010, Ewan has taught extensively in film, media and cultural studies, including popular television, screen histories, new media, merchandising and fantasy cinema. In addition. Read Ewan's full profile.

Kate Jessop, senior lecturer

Kate Jessop is a multi-award-winning animation filmmaker who has had hundreds of international exhibits and has 5 international distribution deals including Shorts International and Amazon Prime.

She represented the UK in the Best of Women in Film and TV and was selected for the Berlinale Talent Lab both with her portfolio as a director and her comedy series chosen for development in the Project Lab. She enjoyed her first retrospective at the Gilbert Baker Film festival in USA 2019 and then in Anifilm in Czech Republic in 2021.

She has worked across narrative film, comedy, illustration, live visuals, music video and documentary and undertaken artist residencies in Berlin, Istanbul and Reykjavik.

She is also the director of the Brighton International Animation Festival and a regular speaker and jury member on international animation festivals. Read Kate's full profile.

Our latest news

Lecturers Domestic Academic Quilt project exhibits at Loughborough

Lecturers Domestic Academic Quilt project exhibits at Loughborough

A large quilt installation, the brainchild of Vanessa Marr, course leader of Design for Digital Media, with accompanying audio reflecting on women academics’ experiences during the Covid pandemic will be exhibited at Loughborough University this week.
Need to submit a portfolio for Clearing? Watch our film for tips and advice

Need to submit a portfolio for Clearing? Watch our film for tips and advice

University of Brighton staff explain what you should include in your portfolio for art and design courses when applying for uni – and students give TIPS on what they included in theirs.
Illustration legend and ex art school lecturer Raymond Briggs dies

Illustration legend and ex art school lecturer Raymond Briggs dies

Raymond Briggs, creator of masterpieces of illustration as diverse as The Snowman and When The Wind Blows, has passed away, aged 88.
Brighton students on work placements at one of UK’s leading animation studios

Brighton students on work placements at one of UK’s leading animation studios

Haniyyah Nauzeer, Vince Mosti and Lexie Rhys-Jones added to their Animation BA (Hons) studies with hands-on experience at PigBird studios, who specialise in stop motion animation.

Read more from our blog

Careers

Prepare for your career 

In your career you need a combination of knowledge, skills, personal qualities and relevant experiences – and you’ll get all of this from your degree.

  • We enable you to develop a tailored approach to your learning, you choose your own creative path through the degree.
  • You will develop the latest technological, artistic and communication skills relevant to current animation design.
  • You will have opportunities to get work experience, work on live projects and collaborate with fellow students.

Our media students have carried out placements in organisations including:

  • Ricochet
  • Creative Assembly
  • BBC Good Food and Olive Magazine
  • Absolute Radio
  • Brighton and Hove Green Party
  • Lowkey Films
  • Drop4Drop
  • Integrity Music Europe
  • YDN Radio
  • Life Water
  • Electric Square
  • ITV Potato
  • Renewable World
  • Deluxe
  • ILOVEDUST
  • Bauer Media
  • Brighton Dome
  • Brighton Fringe.

Showcasing your talent 

There are opportunities to exhibit work publicly throughout the course. At the end of the degree students exhibit their work in the university’s graduate show, a large-scale exhibition that is the culmination of the final year and a major event attended by the public.

students and art work at graduate show

Graduate destinations 

When you graduate from our animation degree you will be qualified to work in industries such as advertising, events, television, games, theatre and film in roles including:

  • animator
  • illustrator
  • motion graphics designer
  • creative media producer
  • content creator
  • digital artist
  • VFX artist.

Further study 

This animation degree also opens up postgraduate study options.

At Brighton, for example, you could progress on to our Sequential Design MA.

Brighton's digital economy 

Home to over 1,000 companies in the digital sector, Brighton is well established as one of the UK’s leading centres for creative media technology.

The university is the lead academic partner of the Digital Catapult Centre Brighton, which helps entrepreneurs and small businesses bring their digital services and products to market. Innovative projects developed by the centre include a national 5G testbed, backed by the University of Brighton, to help small businesses across the UK develop new products and services that can benefit from 5G technologies.

The testbed further enhances Brighton's growing international reputation for creativity and innovation, particularly in the digital sector which now contributes to over £1bn per year to its economy

As a student you can find internships and a doorway to job opportunities across the city through Wired Sussex, a local membership organisation for companies and individuals working in the digital sector.

Each year you’ll also get to enjoy the Brighton Digital Festival which brings together the city’s arts and digital cultures and communities. The festival welcomes around 47,000 visitors and features more than 150 events.

Professional advice and support 

Outside of your course, our Careers Service is here to support you as you discover (and re-discover) your strengths and what matters to you. We are here for you throughout your university journey as you work towards a fulfilling and rewarding career.

Connect with our careers team

  • Find part-time work that you can combine with your studies.
  • Find, or be, a mentor or get involved with our peer-to-peer support scheme.
  • Develop your business ideas through our entrepreneurial support network.
  • Get professional advice and support with career planning, CV writing and interview top tips.
  • Meet potential employers at our careers fairs.
  • Find rewarding volunteering opportunities to help you discover more about what makes you tick, and build your CV.

Whatever your career needs, we are here to help. And that's not just while you are a student, our support carries on after you've graduated.

Find out more...

Coloured background with the words Be More, Connected, Skilled, Emlployable

Employment demand for arts graduates

The British Academy has compiled a report (May 2020) quantifying the demand for arts, humanities and social science (AHSS) skills in the workplace. It helps to answer the legitimate question of what the economic return is on undertaking a degree, both in time and money. 

According to the report:

  • As arts, humanities and social science (AHSS) graduates progress through the first ten years of their career they are able make strong progress up the career ladder into roles attracting higher salaries
  • Arts, humanities and social science (AHSS) graduates are employed in some of the fastest growing sectors including financial services, education, social work, the media and creative industries
  • Of the ten fastest growing sectors, eight employ more graduates from AHSS than other disciplines

This makes AHSS graduates at the heart of some of the most exciting, productive, largest and fastest-growing sectors of the UK economy.

Future skills demand

According to the report:

  • With the challenges the world is facing – climate change, global pandemics, the growth of populism – the UK needs the insights of the arts, humanities and social sciences (AHSS) as much as those from science, technology and engineering (STEM)
  • Evidence within the report shows that Arts, humanities and social science (AHSS) graduates are central to these challenges and changes – they will be vital in giving us the tools to examine and explain human behaviour, understand how society functions, learn from the past and apply those lessons to the present, and analyse the drivers and implications of a changing world and how different countries, places and cultures interact.

Entry criteria

Flexible admissions

When you apply to Brighton we want to hear about who you are. Grades are never the whole picture; we're interested in things like creativity, resourcefulness, persistence and the capacity to think big and find new ways of doing things. And we recognise that not everyone has the same background. That's why we treat everyone who applies as an individual. We recognise many qualifications and we care about all of your achievements and the experiences you've had that set you apart.

Find out more

Graphic with the text 'Potential + possibility'

Entry requirements

Foundation diploma
A foundation diploma is not a requirement for entry – it is just one of a range of qualifications (for example, A-level, BTEC or Access diploma) that is accepted for admission to the course.

A-levels or BTEC
Entry requirements are in the range of A-level BBB–BCC (120–104 UCAS Tariff points), or BTEC Extended Diploma DDM–MMM. You will be considered if your predicted grades fall within this range, but any offer will be made based on assessment of your portfolio.

International Baccalaureate
30 points, with three subjects at Higher level.

Access to HE Diploma
Pass with 60 credits overall. At least 45 credits at level 3, with 24 credits at merit or above.

Foundation degree/HND
May enable you to start the course in year 2. Direct entry to year 3: foundation degree or DipHE in related subject, or practical experience.

Studied before or got relevant experience?
A qualification, HE credits or relevant experience may count towards your course at Brighton, and could mean that you do not have to take some elements of the course or can start in year 2 or 3. 

English language requirements
IELTS 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each element. Find out more about the other English qualifications that we accept.

International requirements and visas

International requirements by country
Country name
Albania
Algeria
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Belarus
Belgium
Bermuda
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burma (Myanmar)
Cameroon
Canada
Chile
China
Colombia
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Ecuador
Egypt
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Guyana
Hong Kong
Hungary
Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Jamaica
Japan
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kosovo
Kuwait
Latvia
Lebanon
Liechtenstein
Libya
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malaysia
Malawi
Malta
Mexico
Moldova
Montenegro
Morocco
Namibia
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nigeria
Norway
Oman
Pakistan
Palestinian National Authority
Philippines
Poland
Portugal
Qatar
Romania
Russian Federation
Saudi Arabia
Serbia
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Sri Lanka
Syria
Sweden
Switzerland
Taiwan
Tanzania
Thailand
Tunisia
Turkey
Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United States
Uzbekistan
Venezuela
Vietnam
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

We can help you meet our English language or academic entry requirements.

Visit our language centre

For English language preparation courses.

Visit our International College

For degree preparation courses.

Visas and immigration advice

Applying for a student visa

Check out our step-by-step guidance.

Portfolio advice 

Portfolio

This course requires you to submit an online portfolio. In this, we would like to see:

  • examples of work that demonstrates how you develop ideas. The work can be in any medium or combination of media, for example drawing, typography, collage, photography, animation or video
  • evidence of personal work including drawing, use of type, collage, photography, and other mediums. It would be great to see how this reflects your personal interests
  • your ability to develop an idea from concept through to a finished project
  • at least one sketchbook showing how you experiment and explore different techniques and media
  • any completed moving image, animation or interactive work (best shown on Vimeo)
  • several examples of your finished outcomes in either 2D design, illustration, animation or moving image if you have them
  • your potential to experiment and explore ideas, using different techniques and media
  • a passion for image-making and design.

We recommend using Flickr, Tumblr or making a pdf to create a simple portfolio and Vimeo or YouTube for embedding video. Please note that you do not need to show work that moves or interacts within a digital environment, as we will support you to develop that. At this stage we are looking for an exciting and creative portfolio and a genuine passion to learn.

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Find out more about how to create and submit your portfolio.

Fees

Course fees

UK (full-time) 9,250 GBP

International (full-time) 15,300 GBP

What's included

You may have to pay additional costs during your studies. The cost of optional activities is not included in your tuition fee and you will need to meet this cost in addition to your fees. A summary of the costs that you may be expected to pay, and what is included in your fees, while studying a course in the School of Art and Media in the 2022–23 academic year are listed here.

  • Typically, practice-based courses incur more costs than text-based subjects. For many courses you will need to budget for the cost of specialist materials, equipment and printing and are likely to spend between £50–£300 per year.
  • For some courses you may also need to budget up to £100 for specialist personal protective clothing which, with care, will last for the whole of your course and beyond.
  • For most courses you will have the opportunity to attend field trips and off-site visits, for example to galleries, exhibitions and studios both in the UK and overseas. These are optional and are not required to pass your course. The amount spent would be based on location and number of trips taken, and typically range between £100 and £700 across the duration of your course.
  • You will have access to computers and necessary software at City campus and Moulsecoomb campus and at other locations across the university. Specialist equipment is provided to cover essential learning. Students may choose to buy their own specialist equipment, these may include cameras, or computers and software, university/student discounts are available for some equipment and software. Budgets can range from £50–£2,000. Buying specialist equipment is best undertaken in consultation with our academic and technical staff. This expenditure is not essential to pass any of our courses.
  • For some courses you will need to budget up to £200 for printing and publishing. Photography courses may incur higher costs (£500–£2,000) when printing and framing images of professional standard for public presentation.
  • Course books, magazines and journals are available in the university libraries. You do not need to have your own copies, but if you wish to, you should budget up to £200 over your course to buy them.
  • For courses in which there is an optional placement year, you will need to budget for living costs (rent, food, travel etc) in that city/country, as if you were on site at the university.
  • For some courses you will need to budget up to £150 for stationery.
  • Final-year graduation shows are opportunities to present your final, independent project work to the public. Practice-based courses will typically incur higher costs. Depending on the specific nature of your final project you will need to budget between £20–£2,500.

You can chat with our enquiries team if you have a question or need more information. Or check our finance pages for advice about funding and scholarships as well as more information about fees and advice on international and island fee-paying status.

Info

The fees listed here are for full-time courses beginning in the academic year 2023–24.

Further tuition fees are payable for each subsequent year of study and are subject to an annual increase of no more than 5% or RPI (whichever is the greater). The annual increase for UK students, who are subject to regulated fees, will increase no more than the statutory maximum fee.

You can find out more about our fees in the university's student contract and tuition fee policy (pdf).

The tuition fee you have to pay depends on a number of factors including the kind of course you take, and whether you study full-time or part-time. If you are studying part-time you will normally be charged on a pro rata basis depending on the number of modules you take.

Location and student life

Campus where this course is taught

City campus

City campus is located at the heart of central Brighton.

The facilities for making and designing, the theatre, galleries, workshops, studios, archives and the independent arts organisations based on site provide a unique and inspiring environment where creativity thrives.

St Peter’s House library and Phoenix halls of residence are close to the exhibition and learning facilities in the Grand Parade main building where you will also find the student centre with careers, counselling, student advice service and disability and dyslexia support. Edward Street provides extensive teaching and gallery space for media, photography and film.

Also on site are Screen Archive South East and University of Brighton Design Archives.

Brighton Pavilion, Brighton Museum and Art Gallery, the iconic pier and beach are a very short walk away. The independent shops and businesses of the North Laine and Kemptown, and Brighton main line station, with frequent express services to London, are 10 minutes walk.

Grand Parade exhibition space

Accommodation

Brighton: City campus

We guarantee an offer of a place in halls of residence to all eligible students.

Halls of residence
We have halls of residence across Brighton in the city centre, Moulsecoomb, Varley Park and Falmer. All rooms are self-catered.

  • You'll be prioritised for accommodation in the halls that are linked to your teaching base, subject to availability.
  • City campus is linked to Phoenix halls, Mithras halls and Moulsecoomb Place.
    • Phoenix halls are a short walk from City campus in the centre of Brighton.
    • Mithras hall and Moulsecoomb Place are located on the Moulsecoomb campus, around two miles from City campus. Public transport in the city is excellent.

Want to live independently? We can help – find out more about private renting.

Phoenix Brewery Halls Accommodation

Accommodation for City campus is in the nearby Phoenix Halls

Student kitchen in Phoenix Halls

Student kitchen in Phoenix Halls

Relaxing in nearby Pavilion Gardens

Relaxing in nearby Pavilion Gardens

Local area

About Brighton

The University of Brighton is at the heart of our city’s reputation as a welcoming, forward-thinking place which leads the way when it comes to the arts, music, sustainability and creative technology. Brighton is home to a thriving creative community and a digital sector worth £1bn a year. Many of the work-based learning opportunities offered on our courses such as placements, live briefs and guest lectures are provided by businesses and organisations based in the city.

We provide support and venues for key events in the city’s arts calendar including the Brighton Festival, the Festival Fringe, the Great Escape, the Brighton Digital Festival, Brighton Photo Biennial and the CineCity Brighton Film Festival. Other annual highlights include Pride, the Brighton Marathon, and Burning the Clocks which marks the winter solstice. Our own Brighton Graduate Show transforms our campus into the largest exhibition space in the South East as we celebrate the outstanding talent and creativity of our students.

As a student you’ll get lots of opportunities to experience these events at first hand and to develop your skills through the volunteering and other opportunities they offer.

You'll find living in Brighton enriches your learning experience and by the end of your course you will still be finding new things to explore and inspire you.

It's only 50 minutes by train from Brighton to central London and less than 40 minutes to Eastbourne. There are also daily direct trains to Bristol, Bedford, Cambridge, Gatwick Airport, Portsmouth and Southampton.

Map showing distance to London from Brighton
Brighton Beach sunset

Maps

City campus map

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Support and wellbeing

Your course team

Your personal academic tutor, course leader and other tutors are all there to help you with your personal and academic progress. You'll also have a student support and guidance tutor (SSGT) who can help with everything from homesickness, managing stress or accommodation issues.

Your academic skills

Our Brighton Student Skills Hub gives you extra support and resources to develop the skills you'll need for university study, whatever your level of experience so far.

Your mental health and wellbeing

As well as being supported to succeed, we want you to feel good too. You'll be part of a community that builds you up, with lots of ways to connect with one another, as well having access to dedicated experts if you need them. Find out more.

Students talking in a social area

Sport at Brighton

Sport Brighton

Sport Brighton brings together our sport and recreation services. As a Brighton student you'll have use of sport and fitness facilities across all our campuses and there are opportunities to play for fun, fitness or take part in serious competition. 

Find out more about Sport Brighton.

Sports scholarships

Our sports scholarship scheme is designed to help students develop their full sporting potential to train and compete at the highest level. We offer scholarships for elite athletes, elite disabled athletes and talented sports performers.

Find out more about sport scholarships.

Students playing frisbee

Stay in touch

See our upcoming events

Ask a question about this course

If you have a question about this course, our enquiries team will be happy to help.

01273 644644

Find out about news and events: subscribe to our art, design architecture and media blog.

Statistics

Find out more about how the academic year and degree courses are organised, and about learning and assessment activities you might get to grips with at Brighton. More specific information about this course is detailed in the programme specification (linked below). You can find out also about the support we offer to help you adjust to university life.

Course and module descriptions on this page were accurate when first published and are the basis of the course. Detailed information on any changes we make to modules and learning and assessment activities will be sent to all students by email before enrolment, so that you have all the information before you come to Brighton.

Discover Uni

Discover Uni enables you to compare information when choosing a UK university course. All UK universities publish Discover Uni data on their website.

Programme specification

The programme specification is the approved description of each course. They give a detailed breakdown of the content and structure of the course, and are updated following course changes.

Programme specification

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