Animation at UCA

We have a long and illustrious history of animation education at UCA Farnham - all started by Henry's Cat creator Bob Godfrey. Follow in the footsteps of the greats on our MA Animation degree.

During your time here, you'll take an interdisciplinary approach to the animated form, and we'll encourage you to experiment and speculate when you're making your work.

This course attracts students from around the world and has a rich cultural mix. You will come to the programme as an established animator but will be encouraged to take risks, explore new techniques, develop your interests and exchange, debate and discuss ideas.

Along the way, you'll be expected to produce original, high-quality and exciting films, and explore the wide range of creative possibilities of frame-by-frame filmmaking – all with the support of internationally renowned staff.

Our course is proud to have no house style and offers a wide range of technical resources covering the whole spectrum of contemporary animation. 

 

Course entry options

Select from the following options to find out more about the different study options available for this course:

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Campus
UCA Farnham
Start date(s)
September 2024, September 2025
Duration
1 year full-time
Entry requirements

Honours degree (or equivalent qualification) in the subject/related discipline
and/or
Relevant work experience

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Campus
UCA Farnham
Start date(s)
September 2024, September 2025, January 2025
Duration
2 years full-time
Entry requirements

A recognised bachelor degree or 3 year diploma with a strong portfolio in a relevant subject

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Entry requirements
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Accreditations, partners and industry connections

British Film Institute (BFI) logo

British Film Institute (BFI)

The BFI is a charity and the UK’s leading organisation for film and moving image. It promotes and supports British film from newcomers to established makers, and cares for the BFI National Archive, the world’s largest film and television archive.

ARRI logo

ARRI

ARRI is a leading designer and manufacturer of camera and lighting systems for the film, broadcast, and media industries. The ARRI Certified Film School accreditation is awarded to institutions that meet rigorous standards of technical excellence, creative education, and professional development.

What you'll study

What you'll
study

The content of the course may be subject to change. Curriculum content is provided as a guide.

For our students coming from a non-UK educational background, UCA has launched an Integrated International Pre-Masters year.

On this course you’ll prepare for postgraduate study with a mix of online and face-to-face learning that will give you the study skills required to complete a Master’s, and you’ll also improve your English for academic study.

Animation Studio 1
In this unit, you will consolidate and extend your animation skills, employing industry standard techniques of pre-production, production and post-production to develop an original idea into a completed animation with sound. Typically, this will comprise a one-minute short film.

The brief allows for you to explore the potential in animation for communication and connection with your audience, and to extend and explore your chosen area of expertise. 

Animation Research & Professional Contexts 1 
Exploring practical processes, techniques and technologies, you will develop your own methods to create a series of test animations, forming a showreel. You will explore the different modes of research related to the creative process, through critical and practical study. You will develop your analytical skills and establish the links between theoretical and creative practice.  Research workshops will provide the basis for your independent critical study, and you will write a critical reflection as a component of this unit.

Animation Studio 2 
Building on the pre-production techniques established in Animation Studio 1, you will research and develop an idea and a methodology for your Animation Major Project, a substantial personal project which you will undertake in your next unit.

Animation Research and Professional Contexts 2 
In this unit, you will have the opportunity to work on industry briefs from external organisations such as companies, cultural institutions, community groups, NGOs, or charities, and/or collaborate with musicians or other independent creatives. Working on short projects, you may work in small production teams to reflect usual industry working practices or work individually with a client. If working in a group, you will explore both individual roles and responsibilities whilst maintaining a wider role within the team and the project. 

Animation Major Project 
You will bring together the knowledge, skills and experience gained on the course to produce a self-directed project and associated critical investigation/portfolio of work. 

The project can be self-initiated or in collaboration with a client, but the project will be negotiated in collaboration with the course team and should use the language and medium of animation to communicate and create meaning. 

You will be required to situate your practice in a professional context of animation production, exhibition, and distribution, both in the UK and internationally and to develop a plan for the exhibition and distribution of your own project work. 

You will be required to write a critical evaluation of your completed project work which situates your practice in a theoretical context. 

Course specifications

Please note, syllabus content indicated is provided as a guide. The content of the course may be subject to change in line with our Student Terms and Conditions for example, as required by external professional bodies or to improve the quality of the course.

Fees & funding

Fees & financial support

Tuition fees

  • 2024/25 entry: £10,500

Tuition fees

Tuition fees

  • 2024/25 entry (MA): £18,000
  • 2024/25 entry (Integrated International Pre-Masters course - Sept & Jan): £17,500
  • 2024/25 entry (Integrated International Pre-Masters course - May): £8,750

Please note: the fees listed here are correct for the stated academic year only. For more detailed information about our course fees please see our fees and finance pages

UCA scholarships and fee discounts

At UCA we have a number of scholarships and fee discounts available to assist you with the cost of your studies.

Current UCA students and alumni may be eligible for a tuition fee discount.

Financial support

There are lots of ways you can access additional financial support to help you fund your studies - both from UCA and from external sources. Discover what support you might qualify for please see our financial support information.

Additional course costs

In addition to the tuition fees there may be other costs for your course. The things that you are likely to need to budget for to get the most out of a creative arts education will include books, printing costs, occasional or optional study trips and/or project materials.

These costs will vary according to the nature of your project work and the individual choices that you make. Please see the Additional Course Costs section of your Course Information for details of the costs you may incur.

Explore our gradshow

Each year, we’re privileged to be able to share our graduates’ incredible work with the world. And now’s your chance to take a look.

Visit the online showcase

Facilities

Animation facilities include stop motion studio with Dragonframe capture software, Canon DSLRs and professional camera stands, and stages pre-rigged with grips, stands and lights. Studios feature individual workstations, light boxes, Wacom tablets, line testers and batch scanners. Macs have the full Adobe Creative Suite as well as Toon Boom and Maya CG software, while there’s also sound and editing suites on campus.

View 360 virtual tour

Animation studio, UCA Farnham

Animation studio, UCA Farnham

Animation studio, UCA Farnham

Sound and editing suite, UCA Farnham

Career opportunities

As a long-established degree course, we’ve built an extensive network of industry connections, giving us access to high-profile visiting lecturers, and to commissions, competitions and exciting work-placement opportunities. Our industry links include:

  • Aardman Animation
  • Studio AKA
  • Cinesite
  • The Mill
  • Create and Make
  • Agile Films
  • Blackdog Films Limited
  • HSI Film
  • Blink Productions
  • The Film Club
  • National Film and TV School
  • Passion Pictures (one of the leading studios in Europe)
  • Nexus
  • Moth Collective
  • UsTwo
  • Beakus
  • Fudge Animation

An enormous range of career opportunities exist in animation, and typical careers in the industry include:

  • Directors
  • Producers
  • Animators (in commercials, films, broadcast, online media and games)
  • Editors
  • Character designers
  • Production designers
  • Pre-vis artists
  • Compositors
  • Storyboard artists
  • Post-production.

As one of the pre-eminent animation courses in the world, our sought-after alumni have landed many exciting, high profile roles across the industry. These include:

  • Animators
  • CG animators
  • CG riggers
  • Designers
  • Directors
  • Model makers
  • Producers
  • Storyboard artists.

Many well-known studios have been set up by our alumni, including:

  • Animade
  • Astley Baker Davies (makers of Peppa Pig)
  • Film Fabrik
  • Honeycomb Animation (makers of Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids)
  • Mackinnon & Saunders
  • Moth Collective
  • Slurpy Studios
  • Tandem Pictures.

This gives our course very solid links to a vibrant industry, and we enjoy connections with a range of creative talent, studios and potential employers.

You may want to undertake further study or research to specialise even further.

Marina Koleva

"I learned a lot during my MA course at UCA Farnham. The emphasis was on our artistic development and forging our own path in the animation industry. I am now looking forward to putting my skills and knowledge into practice."

Marina Koleva

Entry & portfolio requirements

MA Animation is designed for candidates with previous animation experience. Our course encourages you to refine your practice, rather than introduce you to the principles of animation.

For this course we will need to see your portfolio for review. You can either submit a digital portfolio or request an in-person portfolio review with the course team. Further information will be provided once you have applied. View portfolio advice

 

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