

Master the magic of bringing characters and stories to life through a range of animation techniques.
Our BA (Hons) Animation degree course will encourage your individual creative exploration and development helping you choose which specialism to focus on.
Watch our BA Animation video playlist
You will master the magic of bringing characters and stories to life through a range of animation techniques at Norwich University of the Arts – from 2D, 3D CG to stop motion.
Interactive lectures and practical workshops will help you explore character design and sculpting.
You will learn the fundamentals of animated storytelling through workshops and masterclasses in dynamics, storyboarding and character creation.
What you will learn
- Explore the three major animation techniques: hand drawn and digital 2D, stop motion and digital 3D
- Gain understanding of the principles of animation: dynamics; character design; storyboarding; animatic production; animation production; sound design; skills of observation and life drawing; acting for animators; editing; compositing and show reel design
- Explore theory in character analysis and narrative structures
- Develop an understanding of media roles and practices
- Work collaboratively through a series of projects designed to allow you to establish a good practice, essential for the animation industry
- Explore your chosen areas of specialisation and develop your skills, with the potential to combine techniques
- Develop an understanding of audience, context, film language, and the elements of compelling storytelling
- Bring together all your learning and experiences to create a personal portfolio with a great showreel
- Engage with a collaborative project with either your peers or external collaborators, allowing your creative skills to be tested in an industry-standard practice
- Produce a personal showcase of your specialist skills and an original, animated short film
Creative storytelling
We believe that creating the illusion of life through observation and design underpins all great animation.
Interactive lectures and practical workshops will help you explore character design and sculpting – and even explore acting for animation to help you better understand movement, performance and character psychology.
And you will learn the language of film and skills such as sound design and production – setting you apart from other graduates in the field.
Skills for animation careers
You will pitch your responses to live briefs, or your personal and collaborative projects to guest speakers from companies like the BBC, Screen South and the BAFTA award-winning Blue Zoo.
Graduates have gone on to secure internships at Oscar-winning studios like Aardman Animations or work on blockbuster animated movies like Pokémon Detective Pikachu. Norwich graduates have also gone onto work in a range of studios including Lupus Films, Blue Zoo, Meantime Media, Cartoon Saloon and more.
Course information
All courses run as a blend of on-campus and digital teaching and learning, and follow current UK government safety advice. Applicants and students will be notified directly if any changes need to be made.
Graduates work in a broad range of careers including:
- Animator
- Producer
- SFX Designer
- Editor
- Art Director
- Director of Photography
- Compositor
- Character Designer
- Background Artist
- Layout Artist
- Prop Designer
- Set Designer
- Modeller
- Storyboard Artist
- Illustrator
- Colour Co-ordinator
- Lighting Supervisor
You’ll also get specialist creative careers advice from our Business and Employability Team to help support you as you plan your career.
Course Information
Institution Code: N39Course 3 Year UCAS code: W615 Course 4 Year UCAS code: W616Course length: 3 or 4 year optionsSandwich courses: Creative Professional Development (1 year, Level 5 diploma), or Creative Computing (1 year, Level 5 diploma), available between years 2 & 3
Mask – Ade Mayr
Typical UK offers
A / AS Levels – GCE
GCE A/AS Levels 3 A-level qualifications at grades BBB. Where candidates are not taking 3 A-levels, Norwich University of the Arts will consider combinations of A-level/AS-level and other Level 3 qualifications.
BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF or RQF)
Distinction, Merit, Merit in an art, design or media related subject
BTEC Diploma (QCF or RQF)
Distinction*, Distinction* in an art, design or media related subject
T Levels
A T Level in any subject with overall grade Merit or above
UAL Extended Diploma
Merit
UAL Level 3 Foundation Diploma in Art and Design
Merit
UAL Level 4 Foundation Diploma in Art and Design
Pass
Foundation Diploma in Art and Design
Merit
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Art and Design)
Pass
International Baccalaureate Diploma
A minimum of 27 points
Norwich University of the Arts welcomes applicants of all ages from all backgrounds. Your application will be primarily assessed through your portfolio, responses to questions asked and personal statement, so even if you have no formal qualifications or do not meet our typical offers it can still be worth applying.
If you are studying at the time of your application and your application is successful it is likely that you will receive a conditional offer.
If the qualification that you are studying is not shown, do not worry as we are able to accept other pre-entry qualifications as well as combinations of different qualifications. Please do contact our Student Recruitment Team if you have any queries.
International applications
We accept qualifications from all over the world. To find our entry requirements from a specific country, please check our dedicated international pages.
Most international students are required to hold an English language qualification. Applicants are required to have a minimum UKVI approved IELTS exam score of 6.0 overall, with a minimum of 5.5 in each section. Equivalent English language qualifications are acceptable such as, IB English language syllabus A or B/English Literature (Grade 4).
We also accept some alternative English qualifications. Learn more about our English entry requirements.
You can email us on international@norwichuni.ac.uk if you’d like to discuss your application individually.
BA (Hons) Animation degree portfolio guidance
We are calling the traditional portfolio a ‘development portfolio’. This is to emphasise that what we would like to see is where you are now in your creative journey. You don’t need to spend a long time making the perfect work, as we can assess your potential from your work in progress. Your development is the most important part of your learning.
Your development portfolio should be relevant to this course, but you can include a wide range of work that shows your creativity, technical competence and understanding of storytelling.
You may wish to include some of the following:
- A showreel of animation or film work
- Drawings, paintings or illustrations that demonstrate your skills, including life drawings, still life, images from observation (people and landscapes) or concept designs of characters and backdrops
- Use of digital software, which may include Flash, After Effects, Adobe Creative Suite, Coral Painter, ZBrush, Maya or Mudbox
- Scripts or short stories
- Story boards
- Models and/or sculptural works in any medium
- Experimentation in a range of styles and approaches in addition to your own style
Further portfolio advice and tips
Get more advice on presentation formats, layouts and when to submit your development portfolio in the application process.
2023/24 University fees for new entrants
Norwich University of the Arts will assess students’ tuition fee status using the guidance provided by the UK Council for International Student Affairs
Students from the UK or Ireland and EU students with ‘Settled’ or ‘Pre-Settled’ status will be charged ‘Home’ fees if they meet the relevant residency requirements. They will usually be eligible for a tuition fee loan from the UK government, meaning that they won’t have to pay Norwich’s tuition fees upfront.
Students who do not meet the necessary residency requirements will usually be charged ‘Overseas’ fees and will not be eligible for the UK government tuition fee loan. Since 2021/22, this includes new entrants from the EU, EEA, and Switzerland who do not have ‘Settled’ or ‘Pre-Settled’ status, because the UK has now formally left the EU.
Fee status | Course | Annual fee |
---|---|---|
Home | Undergraduate degree (full-time three and four year degree) | £9,250 |
Overseas | Undergraduate degree (full-time three and four year degree) | £18,000 |
For Home undergraduate students starting in 2023, inflation may be applied to your fees in later years, if the UK government were to increase the fee cap beyond the current limit of £9,250 per year. If such an increase were to apply, we would confirm this in advance to you of each academic year, and we would limit the increase to the maximum allowed by the Office for Students.
For Overseas undergraduate students starting in 2023, inflation will be applied to your fees in later years. We will confirm this in advance to you of each academic year, and we will limit the increase to no more than the Office for Students’ recommended inflationary measure, which is RPI-X. RPI-X is calculated by the Office for Budget Responsibility. In setting fees for the following year, we will use the Office for Budget Responsibility’s RPI-X forecast for quarter 3 of the relevant year.
See our Fees and Funding page for further information which is also available in a downloadable format.
Financial support for UK students in 2023
Tuition fee loans and loans for living costs are usually available to UK and some EU students, as well as non-repayable Norwich University of the Arts bursaries based on family income. Find out more about applying for funding.
Four year degree – BA (Hons) Animation
Four year degrees offer students a chance to build on their experience within their undergraduate course of choice.
Year 0 will help to build confidence and develop subject specific practical, creative and conceptual skills – making full use of University studios and workshops.
Typical UK offers and entry requirements for Year 0 entry
GCE A/AS Levels
2 A-level qualifications at grades CC or higher.
BTEC Extended Diploma (QCF or RQF)
Merit, Merit, Pass in an art, design or media related subject
BTEC Diploma (QCF or RQF)
Distinction, Merit in an art, design or media related subject
T Levels
Pass (D or E on the core)
UAL Extended Diploma
An overall Pass
UAL Level 3 Foundation Diploma in Art and Design
An overall Pass
Foundation Diploma in Art and Design
Pass
Access to Higher Education Diploma (Art and Design)
Pass
International Baccalaureate Diploma
A minimum of 24 points
Norwich University of the Arts welcomes applicants of all ages from all backgrounds. Your application will be primarily assessed through your portfolio, responses to questions asked and personal statement, so even if you have no formal qualifications or do not meet our typical offers it can still be worth applying.
If you are studying at the time of your application and your application is successful it is likely that you will receive a conditional offer.
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