BA (Hons) Animation and Illustration
Are you interested in exploring animation and illustration for the creative industries? The University of Bolton's dynamic BA (Hons) Animation and Illustration undergraduate degree involves a range of challenging practical assignments, supporting you to develop the wide range of skills and knowledge you'll need for your chosen career in television and film, the web, publishing and advertising, video games or animated special effects.
BA (Hons) Animation and Illustration
Award
BA (Hons)
Start Date
To be confirmed
Duration
3 years
Mode
Full-time
Location
University of Greater Manchester
UCAS Code
WW26
Are you interested in exploring animation and illustration for the creative industries? The University of Bolton's dynamic BA (Hons) Animation and Illustration undergraduate degree involves a range of challenging practical assignments, supporting you to develop the wide range of skills and knowledge you'll need for your chosen career in television and film, the web, publishing and advertising, video games or animated special effects.
Course Overview
At the University of Bolton's School of the Arts, we offer creative, student-focused courses that employers value, underpinned by the knowledge and industry experience of our high-quality staff. We update our programmes frequently to ensure they keep up with new and emerging trends and provide the tools and techniques you'll need to progress into your chosen area of employment. By studying for your BA (Hons) Animation and Illustration with us, you can develop commercial understanding and high-level technical skills and knowledge while experiencing life at our supportive, student-focused, multicultural campus in the heart of the North West of England.Throughout the course, our dedicated team will guide and encourage you to work to professional standards in the creative use of a wide range of illustration, animation, and digital software programmes. Our diverse team is highly experienced, possessing both professional and academic qualifications. They have extensive experience in the animation and illustration industry and have worked for several broadcasting companies, including the BBC and Granada Television. They bring this creative professional experience to their teaching, so you benefit from their wide-ranging expertise in the field.
Building on an introduction to the basics of animation and illustration, the second half of the course offers you increasing levels of choice to specialise in either area, exploring digital and experimental means of image making. We'll also support you in gaining lifelong learning skills, which will help you take ownership of your professional development for the future and maximise your potential for success.
Highlights
- You'll have the opportunity to work on a major personal project and present it to industry as part of the Bolton School of the Arts final-year Creative Show.
- We'll support you to specialise in pursuit of a specific career destination, such as digital animation or children's book illustration if you wish.
- We'll encourage you to enter national and international competitions, such as the Penguin Cover Design Award and The Macmillan Prize for Illustration.
- We'll invite you to participate in study visits to animation festivals, galleries, museums, exhibitions and conferences. In the past, these have included The Bradford Animation Festival, Thought Bubble, Alice in Wonderland at the Portico Library, Manchester Art Gallery and Tate Liverpool, and the Manchester Animation Festival.
- Students have also benefited from trips abroad and have visited, in previous years, Barcelona, Berlin, New York, Paris and Tokyo. There is also an opportunity for a limited number of exceptional graduates to exhibit at Design and Art Direction in London.
Key Features
- You'll have access to industry-standard equipment in our five dedicated studio spaces equipped with Apple Mac computers and scanners. Much of the coursework involves the creative use of animation, illustration and graphics software.
- The course covers a broad base. You'll explore character design, storyboarding and narrative techniques with traditional and digital animation and illustration for screen and print.
- Our visiting speaker programme allows you to benefit from discussions with industry professionals in the sector.
- We'll also support you in developing transferrable skills for the workplace, such as problem-solving, teamwork and interpersonal skills.
- In addition to the taught modules, which are mostly simulated live briefs, we offer you opportunities to work on live projects for clients from inside and outside the University.
- By choosing to study with us, you'll have the chance to enjoy Bolton's many shops, bars, restaurants and leisure facilities. Manchester, one of the UK's most multicultural and lively cities, is less than 20 minutes away by train. Not forgetting, the North West of England is renowned for its beautiful countryside, coastline and heritage. This makes Bolton an ideal base from which to explore some of the best cultural and outdoor activities the UK offers.
Entry Requirements
- Any subjects are acceptable at Level 3. Relevant creative subjects are strongly preferred.
- You should also have five GCSEs at grade C or above or grade 4 to 9 (or equivalent), including English.
- You'll be required to attend an interview and provide a portfolio of appropriate work. Your portfolio should demonstrate your skills in a range of relevant creative media and styles.
- The quality of the portfolio/interview is the primary basis on which applicants are selected; therefore, special consideration will be given to applicants without the above qualifications who have a strong portfolio. Relevant work or voluntary experience will also be considered. In these cases, we may ask applicants to undertake additional assessments to determine their suitability for the course.
- If English isn’t your first language, you’ll also need IELTS 6.0 with no less than 5.5 in any band (or equivalent). We also accept a range of other English language qualifications – please visit our English Language Requirements web page for more details.
Where changes are made to material information contained in this course description or a decision is taken to suspend a course between the offer of admissions and enrolment, we will inform applicants at the earliest possible opportunity and will outline the various options available to the applicant.
Career Opportunities
The University of Bolton's BA (Hons) in Animation and Illustration offers a practical and critical exploration of these interrelated, dynamic and exciting disciplines. Our animation modules aim to develop your visual voice and technical knowledge, communication and storytelling skills, and ability to work with others and take instruction. In addition, you can increase your networking skills and flexibility by working on several projects simultaneously.
Our illustration modules aim to make the most of your imagination and enable you to develop your knowledge of computer-aided design techniques and printing processes, including computer graphics and screen printing. You'll also have opportunities to increase your research skills and develop the ability to market your skills to potential employers.
What can I do with this qualification?
Other common career paths include graphic design, video editing, and web design. As a graduate, you can work freelance for magazines, newspapers, publishers, and TV production companies or seek employment in games, multimedia, special effects, or design.
Postgraduate opportunities are available in areas such as illustration, advertising, fine art, furniture design and museum studies. Alternatively, you might pursue a teaching qualification.
Alternative career options
Graduates can also use the qualification as a stepping-stone into a range of other careers. Some of these roles may require relevant experience and/or postgraduate study. Possible fields include:
- Exhibition design
- Produce design
- Animated commercials
- Poster production
- Greeting card design
- Music promotion
- Advertising and marketing
- Studio management
- Arts administration
- Fashion design
- Education and teaching
Fees & Funding
Home/EU Fees
No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Greater Manchester’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@greatermanchester.ac.uk for more information.
International Fees
No fee information is currently available, please contact the University of Greater Manchester’s Academic Fees team by emailing AcademicFees@greatermanchester.ac.uk for more information.
Bursaries
Important note regarding tuition fees: EU nationals who meet residency requirements (have settled or pre-settled status) may be eligible for 'Home' fee status. If you do not meet these residency requirements, overseas fees will apply. Irish citizens living in the UK or Ireland will be eligible for 'Home' fee status under the Common Travel Area arrangement. Please read the student finance for EU students web page on www.gov.uk for information.
Home Undergraduate Tuition Fee Adjustment
The tuition fee applicable to the first year of your programme of study is confirmed in your offer letter. The tuition fee set is based on the regulations and guidance in force at the time of offer but remains subject to adjustment in accordance with any government-approved inflationary increase. The University reserves the right to amend tuition fees for all years of study, including the first year, by no more than the maximum increase permitted under legislation and regulatory guidance issued by the UK Government and the Office for Students.
Where such increases are approved, they will not exceed the rate of inflation, as measured by an appropriate index such as the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), or any successor measure specified by government. The University will apply any adjustment consistently across affected student cohorts and will give reasonable notice to students of any confirmed change to the published fee before the start of the relevant academic year.
This approach ensures that tuition fees remain compliant with applicable legislation, proportionate to inflationary changes, and consistent with government policy linking permitted fee uplifts to the maintenance of high-quality education and outcomes. For more information, please refer to the government guidance at: gov.uk – Universities to deliver better outcomes in return for full fees.
Postgraduate and International Tuition Fee Adjustment
The tuition fee applicable to the first year of your programme of study is confirmed in your offer letter. The University reserves the right to amend tuition fees for subsequent years of study in accordance with its Course Fees Policy. Where such increases are approved, they will not exceed the rate of inflation, as measured by an appropriate index such as the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), or any successor measure specified by government. The University will apply any adjustment consistently across affected student cohorts and will give reasonable notice to students of any confirmed change to the published fee before the start of the relevant academic year.
How to apply
Teaching & Assessment
We use a blended learning and teaching style, so you'll have face-to-face sessions as well as take part in online learning. We promote active learning through seminars, lectures and tutorials, practical workshop demonstrations, our visiting speaker programme, critiques, study visits, self-directed study, IT sessions, library and guided study, and online learning.
The University's virtual learning environment, Moodle, supports online learning. Moodle allows you to access learning materials and study aids on and off campus so you can undertake self-directed study at a time and place convenient to you.
Module-based design briefs offer insight into the professional environment. We use simulated design briefs, client-led live briefs, and competition briefs to achieve this. Group tutorials and critiques, one-to-one tutor feedback, and regular feedback from clients and collaborators will support your learning throughout the course.
We aim to fully engage you in the teaching and learning process. Our methods are designed to help you gain maximum benefit from your studies and fully achieve your goals.
Modules
The modules listed below may be a mixture of compulsory and optional. You may not have the opportunity to study all the modules shown as part of the course.
- Creative Industries Contexts
- Introduction to Design Practice
- Creative Methodologies in Animation and Illustration
- Experiments in Animation for Commercial Application
- Character and Environment
- Creative Careers
- Production for Print
- Pre-Production and Storytelling in Animation
- Commercial Illustration
- Production for Animation
- Innovate
- Professional Practice and Self Promotion
- Major Project A
- Professional Engagement in Animation and Illustration
Assessment methods
| Level | Assessment method |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Coursework 65% Practical exams 35% |
| Level 2 | Coursework 58% Practical exams 42% |
| Level 3 | Coursework 70% Practical exams 30% |
Learning Activities
| Level | Activity |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Guided independent study 66% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 34% |
| Level 2 | Guided independent study 66% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 34% |
| Level 3 | Guided independent study 68% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 32% |
The university will use all reasonable endeavours to deliver your course as described in its published material and the programme specification for the academic year in which you begin your course. The university considers changes to courses very carefully and the university will minimise any changes. Please be aware that our courses are subject to review on an ongoing basis and changes may be necessary due to legitimate staffing, financial, regulatory and academic reasons. The content of course modules and mode of associated assessments may be updated on an annual basis. This is to ensure that all modules are up-to-date and responsive to employment and sector needs. The published course material and the programme specification contain indicative ‘optional modules’ that may be subject to change due to circumstances outside of our control. For this reason, we cannot guarantee to run any specific optional module.
Related Courses
BA (Hons) Animation and Illustration with foundation year Full-time
University of Greater Manchester
4 Years
BA (Hons) Commercial Surface Design for Fashion, Interiors, and Textiles Full-time
University of Greater Manchester
3 Years
Postgraduate Options
PGCE M 14+ Arts and Creative Practice - Postgraduate Level at the University of Bolton Full-time
University of Greater Manchester
12 Months
Programme Contacts
Disclaimer: The “Greater Manchester Way” represents our preferred teaching and learning approach; however, not all courses follow a block-teaching model. While course structures and delivery patterns may vary to meet Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body (PSRB) requirements, all courses benefit from the GM Way approach to curriculum design and assessment. Applicants and students should refer to individual course specifications for the most accurate and up-to-date information.
