Animation and Games

Animation and games are two of the most creatively demanding and technically sophisticated fields in the contemporary media landscape. Animation requires a deep understanding of movement, timing, character, and visual storytelling, whether you are working in 2D, 3D, stop motion, or motion graphics. Games development combines those visual skills with interactive design, asking you to create experiences that respond to player choices rather than simply unfold.

Together they represent some of the fastest-growing areas in the creative economy, with demand for skilled practitioners across entertainment, advertising, education, and interactive media.

At Arts University Plymouth, this four-year full-time programme allows students entering without formal qualifications or returning to education after a break to begin with an exploratory first year before committing to specialisation. This extended degree structure gives you the space to build skills and understanding before focusing on animation and games specifically. You will study character design, storyboarding, 3D modelling and rigging, animation principles, game engine work, and interactive narrative, developing both technical proficiency and creative vision.

A sandwich year places you in the industry for a sustained period, and work placement experience runs throughout the programme.

Graduates from animation and games programmes go on to work as animators, character artists, game designers, technical artists, visual effects artists, and motion graphics designers. The skills developed also translate into adjacent roles in film and television production, interactive media, user interface design, and educational content. The portfolio you build during your degree is central to how employers in the creative industries evaluate you, and both the sandwich year and the work placements are opportunities to develop work that demonstrates your capabilities to future employers.