Animation

Animation is a discipline that combines artistic vision with technical rigour, using digital tools to create the illusion of movement and bring characters, worlds, and ideas to life on screen. Its applications range from feature films and television to video games, virtual reality experiences, interactive media, e-learning, and visualisation for science and engineering. Computer-generated animation and visual effects have transformed both entertainment and communication, and the skills to create compelling digital content are in demand across a growing range of industries.

This four-year full-time degree at the University of Bedfordshire includes a foundation year, giving you time to build the creative and technical foundations you will need before moving into the degree proper.

You will develop proficiency with industry-standard tools and software used in professional animation and visual effects production, learning to apply them within a creative practice grounded in an understanding of visual storytelling, character design, motion principles, and composition. The programme explores emerging applications including virtual reality and mixed reality, ensuring you engage with the directions in which the field is moving as well as its established traditions. The foundation year is designed to develop your creative confidence and core skills, preparing you to make the most of the degree years that follow.

An entry tariff of 88 points makes the programme accessible to students who demonstrate genuine creative ability and motivation regardless of their prior formal qualifications. Graduates from animation programmes move into careers in film and television production, video game development, interactive media, advertising and marketing, educational content production, and digital arts. Many graduates work as freelance practitioners, building varied portfolios that span multiple sectors.

Others continue to postgraduate study in animation, visual effects, or related digital arts disciplines.