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Animation

BA (Hons)

Typical offer for 2025
Duration
UCAS code
Start date
Location

Suitable for applications.

Overview

This degree in Animation is designed to equip you with the knowledge, skills and vocational experience needed to enter this dynamic and rapidly growing industry.

With access to high-tech facilities such as our six camera Motion Capture Studio, you’ll use innovative techniques and practices to create professional standard digital animations, and develop a strong foundation of knowledge in areas such as:

  • classical animation techniques
  • storytelling
  • still and moving image capture/manipulation
  • design, cinematography, modelling and animation
  • concept art
  • digital sculpting and compositing
  • CGI lighting

This comprehensive programme is part of Screen Yorkshire’s prestigious Connected Campus initiative and carefully blends creativity and conceptual development with technical theory to produce talented multi-skilled graduates who are primed to embark on exciting and stimulating careers within the world of animation.

With opportunities to collaborate with partners in Qingdao (China), attend workshops and talks by award-winning professionals like James Butler (Animator, Peppa Pig), Iki Ikram (VFX Artist, Last of Us, Uncharted) and Ben Smith (Director, StarDog and TurboCat), as well as the chance to work on a bespoke studio project in your final year, you’ll develop into a competent and confident professional all set to enjoy a fulfilling career in animation.

Bradford was a major platform for me to grow...I'll never regret the times I spent there nurturing my learning and making great friends. The facilities at the University of Bradford labs and the library were indispensable for my own research, and the teachers always supported us no matter what we chose to do.

Ravi, Senior Animator at Dreamworks Animation, BSc (Hons) graduate

Entry requirements

Typical offer - 112 UCAS tariff points.

 

A levels

BBC - there are no subject specific requirements.

T levels

Merit - there are no specific subject requirements.

BTEC Extended Diploma

DMM — there are no specific subject requirements.

Applicants on Access Programmes

Meet UCAS tariff of 112 points. There are no specific subject requirements.

International Baccalaureate Requirements

112 UCAS tariff points to include at least 80 points from 2 HL subjects.

Plus HL 3 or SL 4 in Maths and English Language and Literature A or English B.

Plus minimum of

GCSE English and Mathematics at grade C or 4 (equivalents accepted).

English language requirements

Minimum IELTS at 6.0 or the equivalent.

Foundation Year entry

If you are a UK student and do not meet the entry requirements for this course, you may be nominated on our Foundation Year in Clinical Sciences and Medicine programme.

This foundation programme is currently under review. Module information and progression requirements for 2025 entry will be available soon.

If you are an international student and do not meet the entry requirements for direct entry onto this course, you may be interested in our International College.

Transferring from another university

If you are currently studying at another university and would like to transfer to the University of Bradford, this course accepts students into the second or third year. This is called advanced entry.

Applications for advanced entry will be considered on a case-by-case basis and must include an official transcript (not a screenshot of a portal), all module descriptors, and relevant qualifications. Module descriptors must include learning outcomes.

Applications must be submitted through UCAS and the required documents emailed along with your UCAS Personal ID no later than 31 August prior to the course starting in September. Relevant documents should be emailed to [email protected]

Placement Year

 

 

Teaching, learning and assessment

Learning takes place in a wide variety of formats. Some days you will be in lectures and seminars, others you will be having personal tutorials, having a casual chat in a group project, or even having a transatlantic discussion with an industry professional.

All modules require you to undertake independent study, supported through distance learning technologies such as our Virtual Learning Environment.

Reading lists and suggested resources for independent study provide further direction, and regular contact hours and informal feedback throughout the course provides you with ongoing guidance and support. Assessments for modules mostly take the form of practical coursework, lab tests and written exams.

Our facilities

Access state-of-the-art motion capture equipment - using Vicon motion capture cameras, you can record the movement information of human actors which can be fed into specialist software, manipulated, and transferred to models.

Fees, finance and scholarships

Tuition fee 2025

  • UK: £9,535

  • International: £24,456

Additional costs

There may be additional costs that you may incur as a student. Though these are not essential to your programme of study you need to be aware of them as a student of the University. A list of the sort of costs you might expect can be found on our fees and finance section.

Financial support

See our fees and financial support section.

Postgraduate Master's Loan

If you live in England you may be able to apply for a special Government-funded Master's Loan to help pay your tuition fees and living costs.
You don't have to pay the loan back until you're earning a certain amount of money.

Scholarships

Every year we award numerous non-repayable scholarships to UK, EU and international students on the basis of academic excellence, personal circumstances or economic hardship. For full details, visit our scholarships section.

Career prospects

This course will prepare you for a successful career in computer animation. We are very proud of our graduates: they have gone on to work in the UK and overseas for organisations including the BBC, Warner Brothers, Vicon, MGM, Industrial Light and Magic, Disney, Universal, Weta Digital, Pixamundo, Dreamworks, Andy Serkis’ Imaginarium and many others.

Our graduates have worked on blockbuster movies including Avatar, Hugo, Gravity, Inception, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Warhorse, The Dark Knight trilogy and all of the Harry Potter films as well as numerous games.

Career support

The programme has been designed to meet the needs of industry.

We have regular industry student engagement, and as many of our staff still work on their own projects and commercial work they are best placed to offer advice on the best way to approach industry to secure employment.

The University is committed to helping students develop and enhance employability and this is an integral part of many programmes.

Specialist support is available throughout the course from Career and Employability Services including help to find part-time work while studying, placements, vacation work and graduate vacancies. Students are encouraged to access this support at an early stage and to use the extensive resources on the Careers website. Discussing options with specialist advisers helps to clarify plans through exploring options and refining skills of job-hunting.

In most of our programmes there is direct input by Career Development Advisers into the curriculum or through specially arranged workshops.

Student with back towards the camera, arms spread, overlooking a sea. The student is wearing a shirt saying 'See the world'.

Study abroad

A study abroad year is a fantastic opportunity to broaden your horizons, build connections with people from different backgrounds and cultures, and strengthen your skills and experience to make you stand out in the job market.

We have opportunities for students to study, work or volunteer in more than 150 countries across the world and will support you every step of the way.

Study support

A comprehensive support network is here for you to ensure you reach your academic potential and go on to further success in the future.

You’ll benefit from a range of support services, including:

  • Personal Academic Tutor
  • student support / administration team
  • Academic Skills Advice service
  • Career and Employability Services
  • Disability Service
  • well-stocked libraries and excellent IT facilities

Our academic team is friendly and easy to access. We always answer communication promptly and all have regular office hours to provide advice and support.

Research

Terms and conditions of study

The University has a set of terms and conditions for all students accepting an offer to study on a course here at Bradford. This is called The Student Contract. This document sets out the Terms and Conditions which apply when you accept an offer of a place on a programme of study at the University of Bradford.

View our Student Contract for further details.

Transparency statement

Information about this programme and its modules has been published in advance of the academic year to which it applies. Every effort has been made to ensure that the information is accurate at the time of publication, but changes may occur given the interval between publishing and commencement of teaching. Any change which impacts the terms and conditions of an applicant’s offer will be communicated to them.