What You'll Study
Year One – Develop a comprehensive understanding of the principles of animation, from idea generation to end production processes. Exploration of the animation cycle covers narrative development, worldbuilding, character design, storyboarding, background/layout, and innovative media and animation techniques. Learn skills across 2D, 3D computer-generated, and stop motion animation. You’ll consider the practical, conceptual, and theoretical pathways open to you as an animator.
Year Two – Collaborate with others to develop your own specialist practice using briefs and self-identified projects. You will focus on pre-production, animation, or post-production techniques as you progress. This enables you to further understand job roles and your interests within the animation production pipeline. Competitions, live briefs, and teamwork teaches you essential social, communication, professional, and entrepreneurial skills.
Year Three – Using your new knowledge, you will focus on your own creative ambitions and develop a strategy for becoming a professional animator. You’ll negotiate your own projects, participate in competitions, attend conferences, and meet visiting professionals. Year three focusses on building a striking and unique portfolio that reflects the skills you have to offer any future employer or client, setting you up for a successful career in the industry.
Work Experience
Work experience covers a broad range of activities and students are encouraged to undertake work placements during their time at university. As well as guidance from the course team our Careers, Employability and Enterprise team offer support that enhances employability skills and supports engagement with industry. In the past our students have made links with companies such as Kilogramme, Mackinnon and Saunders, Brown Bag Animation, Beryl Productions, Framestore, Disney Europe, Factory Create, Turner Broadcasting and BlueZoo.
Accolades
Recent student successes include:
-
Kodak/Nahemi Student Commercial Award – Craft Award for Animation 2021
-
Nahemi – Official Selection National Student Film Awards 2021
-
Royal Television Society - Student Award for Best Animation 2020
-
International Animation Challenge Winners 2020
-
Dogs of the Future – Winner of Andromeda Film Festival 2020 and selected Flickfair 2020
-
After Lives documentary animation selected for Encounters, Anim!Arte and Lift Off Film festivals in 2019
Course Specification
Contact Hours and Teaching/Learning Methods
Undergraduate degree courses at Leeds Arts University are delivered and supported through a range of teaching and learning strategies. Courses are made up of modules, these are elements of study that are taught and assessed separately. Each module carries a clearly identified credit value, the accumulation of which will allow you to progress to the next level of the course. Around 100 hours of learning are expected for every ten credits of the course. Each level (year) of the course is made up of 120 credits and therefore requires 1200 hours of learning. Teaching is split over 2 semesters; each semester has 13 weeks of teaching and 2 weeks of assessment.
For further information visit Undergraduate teaching & learning at Leeds Arts University.
Destination Careers
Our graduates work as industry professionals within animation companies and across the broader related industries. Graduate jobs include concept artist, character designer, production assistant, storyboard artist, animator, model maker, set designer, environment artist, 3D artist, CG, and visual effects designer. Graduates may also continue to postgraduate study.
Entry Requirements
We’re looking for students with the best potential to succeed - irrespective of their background. That’s why we welcome a wide range of qualifications and experience.
Click here to view our entry requirements
Tuition Fees and Other Costs
Tuition Fees
Our current fees are listed here
Other Costs
Further costs of study are related largely to the costs of materials and depend very much on how individual students choose to respond to University briefs.
The costs below are the result of asking our students to state how much they spend during the year and creating an average, as such they are indicative only.
Equipment and Materials
- Level 4 (First Year)
Materials £50-£150
- Level 5 (Second Year)
Materials £100-£250
- Level 6 (Third Year)
Materials £150-£400
The University pays a contribution to the costs of materials each year of study along with a further payment at Level 6 to help prepare your portfolio and/or promote your work professionally.
Computers and Digital Equipment
Teaching and learning are supported through access to some online events and learning materials. This might include visiting speakers or the chance to review lectures that have been recorded. The University also uses a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) to support learning. There are a range of computer facilities across the University available to access Monday to Saturday including weekday evenings. If you are intending to buy a computer we suggest you wait until you start your course. You will quickly find out what you do and don’t need. The Course Team will be able to offer you advice on what to buy and where to purchase it from, based on your creative needs and budget.
Books, Online Subscriptions and Competitions
There is an extensive range of books, text and online resources available through our library. There will also be opportunities to submit to national and international com-petitions and live projects as part of your course. These resources are directly re-lated to your studies and highlighted in modules as you progress through the course. Throughout your time on the course you may choose to purchase your own copies of key texts, subscribe to online networks, software subscriptions and enter non-compulsory competitions.
Educational Visits and Off-Site Activities
Educational visits to enhance your experience may take place throughout the course and can range from a visit to a UK conference, exhibition or gallery, to a European or international study trip. All trips requiring a student financial contribution are optional and costs will always be kept as affordable as possible. We do not guarantee that we will run international visits. The decision is made annually based on availability, cost and the number of students required to make the trip viable.
We provide support for undergraduate students dependent upon their financial circumstances. Visit Undergraduate Finance for further information.
Terms & Conditions and Key Information
International Opportunities / Visiting and exchange students
We are delighted to welcome undergraduate visiting and exchange students from Europe and around the world who would like to spend a semester or a full academic year taking credits from our exciting range of courses. You will be fully integrated into the academic and social life of the University during a period of full-time supervised study and your credits transferred back to your home institution.
You can join us through programmes such as Erasmus+, individual university partnerships or as an independent applicant. Please see here for more information and how to apply.
Leeds Arts University students interested in spending some time overseas can find information on the international opportunities available during your course here.
Questions? Contact international@leeds-art.ac.uk
@lauanimation
