Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Animation

at Norwich University of the Arts United Kingdom

Our BA (Hons) course has a global reputation for producing graduates who are creative thinkers with accomplished technical skills and a strong grasp of the latest technology.

The course benefits from close links to some of the leading names in the design industry.

You’ll follow a proven path that has led to NUA graduates securing roles at some of the UK’s leading design studios, branding and advertising agencies.

Design ideas that work

Our course has a strong emphasis on commercial work and you’ll be challenged to generate high quality creative solutions, including:

• Visual identities
• Packaging
• Websites
• Cross-platform advertising campaigns.

Briefs are designed to inspire you to generate original, innovative and – crucially – effective design solutions.

You’ll learn how to question a brief using research techniques that will help you develop a thorough understanding of each client, their challenges and target market.

A supportive environment that encourages artistic innovation, exploration and debate awaits you on our MA Fine Art Masters degree course.

As a postgraduate student at NUA you’ll accelerate your artistic practice, exploring the role of the artist in society and testing your ideas against contemporary issues and critical debates.

Master your skills in a stimulating environment

You may choose to specialise in – or combine – areas including painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, spatial and time based practice. You’ll master skills relevant to your artistic interests and you’ll be supported in the development of wider expertise, from exhibition and presentation to ethics and audience awareness.

Working alongside students from other postgraduate degree courses at NUA, you’ll be part of a community of artists, makers and visiting artists that forms a stimulating and active research environment.

Our BA (Hons) Animation degree course will encourage your individual creative exploration and development helping you choose which specialism to focus on.

You will master the magic of bringing characters and stories to life through a range of animation techniques at NUA – 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.

Develop your signature style and explore the conceptual contexts of your work on our MA Fashion Masters degree course.

If you’re ready to test the boundaries of what fashion means in the 21st century and push your personal and professional philosophy to new limits, this postgraduate fashion course will provide the ideal platform.

Develop your unique voice

Your compelling creative voice will emerge as you work with different materials and processes.

Your practice will embrace digital, technological and cultural innovation as you develop a clear understanding of how to use promotion and platforms to showcase your work.

Expert studio technicians will support your exploration of bespoke tailoring; experimental cutting and draping methods; the traditions and craft of haute couture; hand and machine finishing techniques; and the use of contemporary technologies.

Taking Year 0 at the beginning of your degree course will get your studies at Norwich University of the Arts off to a flying start. The extra year of study will help you explore creative ideas and begin to develop the practical skills, research techniques and ways of thinking that are essential to undergraduate success.

Your passion for exploring visual ideas and brand communication across all platforms will be at the heart of your time at NUA studying on our award-winning Graphic Communication course.

Our BA (Hons) Graphic Communication degree is closely aligned to industry and you will work on a wide variety of briefs set by staff, professional design agencies and external competitions.

You will engage in work that explores traditional formats as well as emerging digital technologies such as augmented and virtual reality. Your knowledge and skills will grow in branding, identity, advertising, motion graphics, interaction/UX design, whilst developing strong skills in creative thinking and ideas-led communication solutions.

Design solutions to real world problems

You’ll be challenged to engage with real-world problems, controversies and commercial briefs through research, design and technology.

Your original ideas are as likely to play out through an app, website or augmented reality experience as a printed poster, pamphlet or journal.

As you grow your expertise in critical aspects of communication design you’ll have the chance to explore areas including graphic design, graphic communication, illustration, information design, interactive communication, multimedia and typography.

Refine your communication design skills
From moving image and sound to questions of brand management and publishing, you’ll stretch your skills and ambition as a postgraduate student at NUA. As you develop your own voice and practice through experimentation, you’ll also have the chance to critically examine key design and communication issues such as sustainability, new technology, new audiences and markets, inclusivity and ethics.

You have the opportunity to study architecture in an art school environment at NUA, developing professional skills in a creative community where improving the world around us through innovative and responsible design is our primary focus.

A distinctive combination of imagination and exploration, research and critical evaluation will be at the centre of your approach to the built environment.

You will acquire skills in technical aspects of spatial design using a variety of traditional and contemporary techniques, from drawing and model-making to 3D digital design.

Taking Year 0 at the beginning of your degree course will get your studies at Norwich University of the Arts off to a flying start. The extra year of study will help you explore creative ideas and begin to develop the practical skills, research techniques and ways of thinking that are essential to undergraduate success.

Our new BA (Hons) Fashion Marketing and Business degree course will offer you an insight into the commercial fundamentals, marketing strategies and core brand development techniques that are used to run the fashion industry today.

You’ll create dynamic marketing campaigns, retail concepts, buying proposals and business plans that will allow you fully understand and operate within successful fashion businesses.

As you build your knowledge of fashion marketing, you will develop skills that are sought after by employers, including:

• Marketing and Promotional strategies
• International Fashion Branding
• Fashion Retail and Visual Merchandising
• Fashion Buying and Merchandising

And you will follow in the path of graduates from our sister course, Fashion Communication and Promotion, who are set-up for successful careers after work experience and internships at brands such as Vivienne Westwood, Jimmy Choo, Net A Porter and Adidas.

Our BA (Hons) Games Art and Design degree has an international reputation for producing graduates who excel in a constantly evolving industry. The Rookies ranked NUA in the global top 16 for Concept Art and Illustration and in the top 50 in its world rankings — thanks to the reputation of the Games course.

The course is a member of the Sony PlayStation First Academic Partnership Programme and is accredited by ScreenSkills and the games industry body TIGA, which also crowned NUA the best educational institution in 2017.

Taking Year 0 at the beginning of your degree course will get your studies at Norwich University of the Arts off to a flying start. The extra year of study will help you explore creative ideas and begin to develop the practical skills, research techniques and ways of thinking that are essential to undergraduate success.

Our BA (Hons) Fashion Communication and Promotion degree will offer you insight into the technical expertise and creative strategies that successful fashion businesses use to grab attention.

As you build your knowledge of fashion marketing, you will develop skills that will make you attractive to employers, including:

• Market segmentation
• Branding and brand development
• Promotional strategies
• Competitor analysis and more!

And you will follow in the path of graduates who are set up for successful fashion media and marketing careers after work experience, live projects and internships with brands like Adidas, Vivienne Westwood and Vogue.