Animation MA
Subject to validation.
Course start date 2025.
Length:
Full-time 1 year, part-time 2 years
Extend your creative vision and shape the future of animated storytelling through innovative animation practices and critical engagement.
Our innovative MA in Animation is designed to develop your visual style to convey complex ideas clearly using a range of media. The course encourages you to explore fresh perspectives on storytelling and narrative, focusing on future-oriented outcomes. The course emphasises the integration of new technologies with established practices, supporting your growth through a variety of projects that enhance both conceptual and practical skills. Supported by a team of professional animators and academics, you will explore new techniques, develop your interests, and exchange and discuss ideas.
You’ll explore media processes with students from other media disciplines, gaining access to state-of-the-art resources and workshops. By the end of the course, you’ll have an extended portfolio and a deep understanding of both independent and collaborative practices, effectively positioning you within the contemporary animation field. You’ll be encouraged to push boundaries and experiment to find your unique creative voice. You’ll explore meaningful themes and learn how to engage audiences through multidisciplinary approaches, addressing contemporary, social, cultural, and environmental issues. Join us at Norwich and be part of an animation community that drives creative boundaries, embraces innovation, and impacts the world.
Why study with us
- Advanced technical skills: Master a wide range of media and techniques, creating impactful animations that reflect your artistic vision.
- Interdisciplinary approach: Collaborate with postgraduate courses in media and visual communication, enriching your educational experience through multidisciplinary engagement.
- Professional-level resources: Access cutting-edge facilities, including animation labs, design studios, and licensed software to bring your creative ideas to life.
- Ethical and inclusive research: Commit to ethical practices that prioritise accessibility, diversity, equality, and sustainability in animation.
- Professional portfolio development: Create a strong portfolio that showcases your interests and prepares you for a successful career in animation.
- Innovative problem-solving: Tackle complex visual and narrative challenges through project-based learning, encouraging original and inventive approaches to animation.
Course structure
This course is part of our suite of Master’s in Visual Communication, offering a collaborative framework across various specialisations, including MA Animation, MA Advertising, and MA Illustration. This provides students with opportunities to engage with peers from different disciplines while working on individual assignments. Such collaboration mirrors the professional dynamics in the creative industries today, allowing students to gain valuable experience in interdisciplinary teamwork and real-world problem-solving.
This programme is a one-year course including 30 weeks of direct teaching time and a 15-week final project. You will need to complete five units and one 60-credit major project (180 credits in total). All units on the course are compulsory and must be passed in order to complete the award. If you study part-time your modules will be split across two years. Full course details, including aims and assessment criteria, will be provided in the course specification upon validation.
Course content
This unit launches your master’s study experience at Norwich, immersing you in leading practices and emerging research within animation to enhance your understanding and knowledge in animation methodologies. You’ll develop skills in visual communication, personal approaches to narrative and storytelling, and using animation to convey complex ideas and messages. The unit covers narrative environments, animatics, character development, film language, motion graphics, emerging technologies (AR/VR), and time-based media. You’ll deepen your understanding of established and innovative techniques through research-led projects, promoting iterative experimentation and critical reflection. This process will strengthen your working methods and knowledge, situating your practice within broader conceptual and ethical frameworks.
This unit focuses on the advanced technical skills essential for idea generation, problem-solving and practical development in animation practice. You will experiment with various media and processes (2D and 3D), enhancing your narrative and storytelling skills. Both individual projects and group collaborations will be explored, emphasising the importance of technical expertise and conceptual alignment. A research-led approach will introduce you to both established and emerging techniques. Through project work and briefs, you’ll explore innovative technical processes to enhance problem-solving capabilities and create advanced creative solutions. Content covers narrative development, character realisation, storyboarding, motion capture, and emerging technologies (AR/VR/AI). Through continuous technical experimentation and critical reflection, you will enhance your skills and working methods, incorporating social, political, and cultural perspectives to embrace animation as an experimental visual practice.
This unit is designed to encourage your exploration of leading practices and emerging research within animation through reflective analysis and interactive discussions. You will develop a critical understanding of your discipline within socio-economic, political, ethical, and cultural contexts, exploring the critical frameworks that underpin visual design practices. Key research themes include design history and theory, identity and representation, visual language, semiotics, aesthetics, and media theory. You will be supported in developing diverse research approaches, utilising discursive interaction to inform your inquiry methods, prompting you to interrogate the boundaries between animation and other communication disciplines.
This unit encourages your exploration with a range of professional-level technical skills essential for idea generation, problem-solving, and practical development in animation practice. You will experiment across a range of media, building on the skills and techniques covered in the ‘advanced technical skills’ unit. Through individual and group projects, you’ll refine technical processes and explore innovative solutions to enhance your creative capabilities. Unit briefs may include tasks focused on specific projects or collaborative work, emphasising the importance of technical expertise in supporting the theoretical and conceptual aspects of animation. Indicative content includes narrative development, character design, storyboarding, motion capture, 2D & 3D animation, sound design, and emerging technologies (AR/VR/AI). Individual and group projects will help you to use established and contemporary techniques to extend and explore your chosen area of expertise.
This unit deepens your understanding of leading practices and emerging research within and around animation. By developing effective research and reflective strategies, you will enhance your critical understanding of key methodologies and gain insights into creative communication within socio-economic, political, ethical, and cultural contexts. Engaging in rigorous analysis and interaction will strengthen your grasp of critical frameworks underpinning your discipline. Building on the ‘dialogue, debate, and domain knowledge’ unit, you will explore themes such as animation history, identity and representation, visual language, design psychology, semiotics, aesthetics, globalisation, and media theory. Research-led projects will help you to develop your overall creative persona and assist in developing strategies for conceptual and practical problem-solving, positioning yourself as a critically engaged and reflective practitioner.
This unit represents the culmination of your master’s study, where you will design, develop, and execute an individual or collaborative major project in animation. This process will consolidate your specialist knowledge and advanced communication skills, allowing you to plan and organise activities, time, and resources, while exploring innovative concepts with feedback from tutors and industry professionals. You will identify a research question and create a viable project to test your hypotheses, aiming for original outcomes. You will deepen your understanding of historical, theoretical, cultural, technical, and economic contexts, addressing social and environmental sustainability challenges. Identifying relevant industries, audiences, and stakeholders, you will situate your practice within regional, national, and international contexts. This project enables you to showcase your voice, demonstrate creativity, and develop technical skills that reflect your chosen pathway and express an original, personal and professional identity.
Careers Information
Graduates of our MA Animation are equipped to navigate the increasingly technology-driven and interdisciplinary design landscape. Whatever your goals, this course will support your individual interests and specialisms and open more career opportunities in the dynamic fields of animation, film, and digital media. The skills and experience you gain will prepare you to excel across a range of creative industries.
This course prepares you for a career in a variety of disciplines related to animation, including:
Career opportunities
- Stop motion animator
- 2D animator
- Set designer
- Puppet builder
- Lighting technician
- Compositor
- Producer
- Editor
- Storyboard artist
- Character designer
You’ll also get specialist creative careers advice from our Business and Employability Team to help support you as you plan your career.
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Entry Requirements
To apply for the MA Animation, you typically need an honours degree of 2:1 or higher. An applicant will normally be considered for admission if they have achieved an educational level equivalent to an honour’s degree in either animation, illustration, visual communication, graphic design (or closely related subject), and present a portfolio of moving-image work.
Those with industry experience or relevant skills from non-traditional backgrounds are encouraged to apply, including individuals currently employed. If you’re unsure about your eligibility, please contact us for guidance before applying.
Language requirement (International/EU)
If English is not your first language, IELTS 6.5 (or equivalent) is required, with a minimum of 5.5 in reading, writing, listening, and speaking.
Portfolio requirement
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.
2024/25 university fees
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.
Home/UK
- Postgraduate degree (full-time) £10,600
- Postgraduate degree (part-time, over 2 years) £6,625
For home postgraduate degree students starting in 2024, fees will remain the same for each year of your course.
For 2024, UK nationals and EU nationals who have ‘Settled’ or ‘Pre-Settled’ status may be eligible for a government loan towards course fees or living costs. Both full-time and part-time master’s degree students can apply for the master’s loan. Find out more about postgraduate master’s loans.
Alumni discount
Home Norwich alumni can benefit from a £1,000 discount on Norwich postgraduate degree fees.
Staff and teacher discount
All Norwich staff and art teachers at high schools or sixth form colleges can benefit from £1,000 discount on Norwich postgraduate degree fees.
International
- Postgraduate degree (full-time) £24,000
For international postgraduate degree students starting in 2024, fees will remain the same for each year of your course.
If you are a resident outside the UK and the Republic of Ireland, you will need to pay a deposit of £2,500 to secure your place. This will be subtracted from your total tuition fee.
International scholarships and bursaries
We offer a range of scholarships and bursaries for international students. To find out more and see if you’re eligible, please visit the scholarships for international students page.
Additional costs
Your tuition fee covers the full cost of tuition. Accommodation, cost of materials, and living costs, such as travel and food, are not included in your tuition fees.
Learning and teaching
The course is delivered through a variety of engaging learning and teaching methods. Lectures will introduce you to core topics, provide contextual understanding, and clarify the objectives of assigned tasks. You will participate in creative workshops, technical labs, and seminars, and receive individual mentorship. Throughout these sessions, you will have opportunities to work independently, and collaboratively in groups, engaging in practical and creative exercises designed to enhance your knowledge and skills.
Assessment
Our assessment methods will vary based on the unit you choose and provide a comprehensive measure of your learning and progress. These methods may include:
- Course work
- Presentations
- Learning journal
- Reflective evaluation
- Body of creative work
- Reflective research report
- Team project evaluation
- Major project
- Supporting documentation
- Critically reflective essay
How to apply
Home Students
Applications to our postgraduate courses should be made directly to Norwich University of the Arts using a Postgraduate Application Form.
Postgraduate Application form 2023-24 – Word format
Applications should be returned to admissions@norwichuni.ac.uk
International Students
Postgraduate applicants can only apply directly by completing the below online application form or emailing the downloadable form to ioadmissions@norwichuni.ac.uk
International students requiring a visa should apply as soon as possible in the year they wish to start. Email our International Team for more information.
When should I apply for an MA course?
There is no official deadline for applying for a postgraduate course. We would recommend you apply by 25 August (at the very latest) of the autumn you wish to start. This will allow time for your interview to take place and the necessary paperwork to be processed if you are successful in achieving a place.
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