This course is now full for September 2024 entry. You may still apply, but your application will be held on a waiting list and you will be informed if a space becomes available on the course and if your application can be considered.
Discover our other animation courses with vacancies
. Last updated: 04.07.2024
Why study MA 3D Computer Animation at BU?
Develop the skills to work in a number of areas where computer animation is applied, including films, animated features, computer games, television production, commercials, illustration, scientific visualisation, flight simulation, virtual environments, architectural visualisations and interactive media
Collaborate with students from across the NCCA Master’s courses providing a realistic setting to discover what it’s like working with other creative and technical people
Attend regular masterclasses and our visiting practitioners lecture series where you’ll learn about the 2D and 3D industry from practising artists and companies, including BU alumni
Undertake a Masters project with dedicated production time to create a substantial and original project in preparation for the degree show attended by top industry recruiters
Study in a professional studio environment, facilities include a full suite of industry-standard 2D and 3D software, a motion capture studio, green screen studio and animation labs.
Find out more about the content of this course
.
Study at the National Centre for Computer Animation (NCCA)
The
NCCA
is one of the most established and highly regarded centres for computer graphics and animation education and research. As one of very few research-intensive animation centres in the UK, our expertise not only ensures our courses remain at the forefront of education, but also helps to define new industry practices.
The NCCA is ranked as the UK’s top animation school, third in Europe and fourth internationally (Animation Career Review 2024 International Animation School Rankings).
This course is industry-recognised by ScreenSkills, the industry-led skills body for the UK’s screen-based industries, and carries the ScreenSkills Select quality-mark which indicates courses best suited to prepare students for a career in the screen industries.
Watch our playlist of students’ work to see what you could be creating on this course.
Duration:
1 year full-time including an optional 3-month placement during the Master's Portfolio unit
Accreditations:
ScreenSkills
Entry requirements:
A Bachelors Honours degree with 2:2 in any subject.
A portfolio is also required in support of your application
. For more information see our
full entry requirements
.
International entry requirements:
If English is not your first language IELTS (Academic) 6.5 with a minimum of 6.0 in each component of writing, speaking, listening and reading. For more information see our
full entry requirements
.
Scholarships
Scholarships rewarding academic achievement available from
£2,000
.
Find out more
.
Eligible for a BAFTA Scholarship, more details
here
.
Disney Animation Studios - Moana, Big Hero Six, Frozen
Pixar - Monsters University, Toy Story
Framestore - Gravity, Guardians of the Galaxy 2
MPC - Alien: Covenant, Maleficent, The Jungle Book
Iloura - Mad Max: Fury Road
Animal Logic - The Lego Movie, Ninjango
Double Negative - Ex-Machina, Interstellar, Inception, Godzilla
The Mill - Chemical Brothers/Beck Music video, Cif advert
Illumination Mac Guff - Despicable Me, Minions
Frontier Development - Elite: Dangerous
Foundry 42/Cloud Imperium Games
Creative Assembly
Random 42
Blue Zoo
Microsoft
Glassworks
DreamWorks
Playground Games - Forza Horizons
Next Limit,
Golaem
Epic Games - Creators of the Unreal Game Engine
Chaos Group - V-Ray
Realise Studios
Sony Computer Entertainment Europe
Blue Sky Studios
Karrot Entertainment
Dave McKean - illustrator for Batman: Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth
The Foundry
Media Molecule
Nvizible
Super Super Films
Amuzo
Axis Animation
Industrial Light & Magic - Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Course details
On this course you will be taught by a range of staff with relevant expertise and knowledge appropriate to the content of the unit. This will include senior academic staff, qualified professional practitioners, demonstrators, technicians and research students. You will also benefit from
regular guest lectures from industry.
The course is split into four terms, each lasting ten weeks. The first three terms are the Postgraduate Diploma (PGDip), and the final term is the Master’s term.
Contact hours and assessment
Details of the assessment methods and contact hours for each unit of the course can be found in the programme specification.
Download the programme specification (pdf 449kb)
Core Production Principles:
This unit is the first practical unit on the course and establishes the core skills in computer animation tools that you’ll rely upon through the rest of the course.
Core Production Techniques:
In this unit you’ll build upon the skills developed in Core Production Principles to expand your knowledge of animation techniques and add further depth to your computer animation practice.
Visual & Critical Studies:
This unit provides the wider theoretical and critical context for your studies. It will introduce you to a range of conceptual tools and theoretical themes in moving image, to encourage debate and critical thinking in the field of computer animation. You will consider how to theoretically underpin your own creative practice within a contemporary context.
Group Project
: Working with students from the other NCCA Masters courses, you’ll conceptualise, design and execute a short, animated project, in a manner which is aligned with industry practice.
Research & Development:
This unit aims to assist you in developing an understanding of different research methodologies and their connections to creative practices in computer animation, visual effects and expanded fields of CGI. You will review three modes of research, i) research by publication, ii) research by practice, and iii) industry led research. You should then be able to identify a relevant topic of inquiry and apply one of these modes in self-directed research.
Production Development
: During this unit you’ll develop your skills and knowledge in originating computer animation assets and content. With guidance from tutors, you’ll undertake conceptualisation, design and development of your own production project.
Master's Portfolio
: The focus of the third semester is completing the Master's component of your education. This project can be a standalone project or a continuation of the group project unit. In either case you can work alone or with other students.
You have the option to undertake a three-month placement during the Master’s Portfolio unit, providing an opportunity to apply your acquired knowledge and skills in the workplace. You are required to find your own placement; however, our Careers & Employability Service and your faculty placements officer are on hand to support you.
Find out more
Access to Green Screen facility
Access to Mocap facility
Programme-specific Software: Maya, Mari, Z-Brush, Nuke, Adobe Creative Suite, Substance Painter, Marvellous Designer, Unreal Game Engine, Unity Game Engine, Advanced Skeleton, Ziva, Mudbox, Motionbuilder, V-Ray, Maxwell Renderer, Shotgun, RealFlow, Houdini Engine plus a host of plugins to aid production.
Cameras, lenses, tripods, sound recording devices and other resources associated with production.
Departmental Software: RC++, OpenGL, Qt, Maya, Houdini, Renderman plus many more.
Bournemouth University is one of a small number of institutions from around the world who have been granted Houdini Certified School status by Side Effects Software.
Programme specifications provide definitive records of the University's taught degrees in line with Quality Assurance Agency requirements. Every taught course leading to a BU Award has a programme specification which describes its aims, structure, content and learning outcomes, plus the teaching, learning and assessment methods used.
Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the programme specification, the information is liable to change to take advantage of exciting new approaches to teaching and learning as well as developments in industry. If you have been unable to locate the programme specification for the course you are interested in, it will be available as soon as the latest version is ready. Alternatively please
contact us
for assistance.
Your application
This Masters in 3D Computer Animation programme has been specifically designed for students who wish to pursue a career in the field of computer animation, and is the perfect launch-pad for a career in a wide range of disciplines, including concept design, character and creature animation, shader development, groom, modelling, lighting, rigging, texturing, creature FX, real-time visualisation, rendering, look development, compositing and simulation.
Our graduates work in a wide range of 3D fields, we place particular emphasis on future employability for film, games, television and visualisation. Applicants should be passionate about art, design and technology, whilst remain grounded, personable and determined to learn as much as they can whilst with us.
The admissions team will look at your online application including your qualifications, personal statement and any work experience, as well as your portfolio. Please make sure your application stands out from the crowd and leaves us in no doubt that you want to study at Bournemouth University.
MA 3D Computer Animation is one of four Master's degree pathways created by the
National Centre for Computer Animation (NCCA)
. All pathways share a great deal of core teaching, but also have specific pathway teaching. If your primary area of interest is mostly digital effects and moving image theory, then our
Digital Effects
programme may be a better choice for you. If your skills are mostly technical or programming-based without much in the way of original artwork, then our
Computer Animation & Visual Effects
programme may be the better choice. Newly created by the NCCA is
MSc Artificial Intelligence for Media
, a pathway enabling you to develop transferable technical and programming skills, this is a technology centred degree where you'll be encouraged to develop AI tools supporting the production of animation and games.
Our assessment panels will automatically pass applications deemed better suited to another pathway onto them, so it is a good idea to familiarise yourself with all our Master’s pathways to help ensure 3D Computer Animtion is the right programme for you
Our students come from a broad background and age group. Applicants in the past have studied or worked in the field of fine art, illustration, painting, sculpture, graphic design, architecture, traditional animation, 3D visualisation, scriptwriting, performance arts and photography. This is by no means an exhaustive list but should provide an idea of the creative disciplines successful applicants have originated from.
Computer knowledge is not a prerequisite, neither is having worked in 3D before. We are more concerned with your aesthetic and/or technical abilities, as well as a passion for study this area.
You will be asked to submit a portfolio in support of your application. Your portfolio should contain a full range of visual material which illustrates your talents and working methods. It is not essential to include 3D work; we are more interested in your aptitude as an artist or designer.
The portfolio only needs to contain your strongest work; pieces which you are comfortable discussing with your peers. Sketch books and notebooks are also advantageous as we are interested in how you generate ideas, your observational skills and their aesthetic appeal. Works in progress are also fine.
Your portfolio will be reviewed by one of the tutors on the course and you may be invited to attend an online interview to discuss your application further.
Please see our
website
for the application deadlines. You should apply as early as possible to be considered for your course of choice. If you require a student visa, apply for the visa as soon as you have an unconditional offer and receive your CAS. There may be delays in visa processing in your country and you need to be in Bournemouth ready to study for the start of term.
Click the green ‘Apply now’ button to submit your application free of charge online through myHub, our application portal. You will create your own myHub account so that you can track the progress of your application. Don’t forget to save your application as you go; you can return to it at as many times as you want before you submit it. For more information visit our
How to apply section
The normal requirements for embarking upon a postgraduate taught degree are:
A Bachelors Honours degree with 2:2 in any subject
A professional qualification or diploma recognised to be equivalent to an honours degree
Industrial experience deemed to be equivalent to an honours degree
Applicants are also required to submit a portfolio in support of their application for this course.
If you lack the formal academic qualifications needed to enter a postgraduate or post-experience degree, there are several alternative routes to follow - some based on experience. Contact the
Future Students Enquiry Team
for more information.
You can find details of the international qualifications we accept, and what level of study they apply to, on our
entry requirements for non-UK students' page
.
Please see below some examples of the qualifications for entry:
India: Bachelor’s degree (4 years) from a recognised HE institution with a minimum overall result of 55%
Nigeria: Bachelor's degree from a recognised institution with a minimum classification of 2:2
China: Chinese Bachelor's (Honours) degree from a recognised higher education institution with 65% or above
Turkey: Bachelor’s degree (Lisans Diplomasi - four years) with a minimum overall GPA of 2.3/4.0
Vietnam: Bachelor's degree/Bang tot nghiep dai hoc with an average score of 6.5/10, or 2.25/4, or a Master’s degree/Thac si.
All applications will be subject to a minimum grade and your degree may need to be in a relevant subject area.
English language requirements
If English is not your first language, you will need to provide evidence that you understand English to a satisfactory level. English language requirements for this course are normally:
IELTS (Academic) 6.5 with minimum 6.0 in writing, speaking, listening and reading
or equivalent
.
View
further information about our English language requirements
.
Bournemouth University International College
offers a number of
pre-sessional English
and
preparatory programmes
to prepare international students for postgraduate study at BU. Admission to the degree is guaranteed on successful completion of your course to the required level.
Careers
Graduates from our computer animation courses are highly sought after within the industry. Our alumni have worked on many high-profile projects, including movies such as Venom, Paddington 2, Avatar, Star Wars, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, King Kong, Shrek, Guardians of Ga'hoole, the Harry Potter series, Sucker Punch, Happy Feet, Monsters vs Aliens, James Bond and Judge Dredd, among many others.
They have also been involved with the animation for a range of computer games, such as Grand Theft Auto, Crysis 2 and Fable II. Our graduates have worked for a number of the world's top VFX and computer games studios, including Pixar, DreamWorks, EA Games and Sony Picture Image Works.
All information shown has been taken from Destination of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) or BU institutional data unless otherwise stated.
In 2016, we had two graduates collect awards for their work:
Mark Ardington won an Oscar for his work on ‘
Ex Machina
’
A BAFTA went to Paul Kavanagh and the ILM Team who created the effects for ‘
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
’.
In February 2011 and 2015, NCCA graduate
Andy Lockley
was awarded an Oscar for his role as Visual Effects Supervisor on the Christopher Nolan film 'Inception' and ‘Interstellar’ respectfully; whilst a number of our graduates who also worked on the film shared in the celebrations.
*All information shown has been taken from Destination of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) or BU institutional data unless otherwise stated.
Costs and fees
You can find full information about the deposits required and how to pay your fees in our postgraduate
fees and funding
section, including details of the Postgraduate Loan (subject to fee status).
All fees are quoted in pounds sterling and are per annum. Fees quoted are for tuition only unless stated otherwise. Your tuition fees will be the same for each year of your course.
Find out more about living expenses for postgraduate students
What’s included in your tuition fee?
Your tuition fee covers expenses associated with your course including tuition materials, access to facilities, mandatory field trips and the following:
Materials for laboratory and field-based teaching activity
Support for finding
placements
(UK or abroad) and fieldwork, and non-financial support whilst on placement if this is part of your course of study.
A range of
student services
– advisors, help desks, counsellors, placement support and careers service.
The
Library
– access to a wide range of electronic resources (databases, e-journals and e-books), print and multimedia collections, subject librarians and study spaces.
Access to Brightspace, our virtual learning environment, which offers a responsive and personalised learning experience with powerful learning analytics capabilities, integrated social media and advanced video features.
IT labs (some open 24/7), wireless network, AV equipment to borrow
Disability and additional learning support
, according to individual circumstances.
The BU
Language Centre
to help you develop/improve foreign or English language skills
24 hours a day, 365 days a year security team.
Additional costs
We are committed to offering you value for money and ensuring there are no hidden costs while you are studying with us, therefore we have listed below any additional costs you may incur that are not covered by your tuition fee:
Laptops, tablets and mobile devices and any software used on personal devices. Access to a personal computer is strongly recommended for your study. If you are experiencing financial difficulty, visit our website for information regarding hardship funds
Textbooks, general stationery and other supplies. Our award-winning library is stocked with a large range of textbooks and online resources, free of charge. The Students’ Union shops stock a wide range of stationery supplies on both campuses..
Accommodation and
living costs
. Please visit our
website
for more information.
Travel costs for optional field trips, outdoor wear and footwear for mandatory and optional field trips (if applicable).
Travel costs to and from the University campus. An annual bus pass can be purchased alongside your rent if you are living in halls of residence/Unilet accommodation or may be purchased separately.
Travel costs to and from your placement (both in the UK and overseas) if this is part of your course of study. Placement year funding information can be found on our website.
Clothing or equipment costs required for your placement if this is part of your course of study.
SportBU membership
.
While all aspects of the programme, including required field trips, are included in the fee, additional, optional or extra curricula activities may be available for which a student contribution is required.
International (not Rep. of Ireland) students need to pay a non-refundable deposit to secure their place on a postgraduate course. For September 2024 and January 2025 entry, a £5,000 deposit is required. You will need to pay your deposit by the date stated in your offer letter. The remainder of your fee will be payable on registration/enrolment. There are two exceptions to the non-refundable rule on the deposit:
You fail to meet the academic or English requirements of your offer
You are refused a visa to enter the UK, provided the reason for the refusal is not a fraudulent application.
Our staff
On this course you will be taught by staff with relevant expertise and knowledge appropriate to the content of the unit. This could include senior academic staff, qualified professional practitioners and research students, many of whom are actively engaged in research and/or professional practice which is integrated into the teaching of this course. You may also benefit from guest lectures from industry, including our alumni. Please note that teaching staff can change.
Paula Callus is the Programme Leader for MA 3D Computer Animation and a senior lecturer at the National Centre of Computer Animation at Bournemouth University. She holds a PHD in "Sub-Saharan African Animation" from The School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, and has published on animation from this region. Previous experience includes educational consultancy and training for UNESCO's “Africa Animated” projects and compiling animation programs for various festivals such as Africa in Motion (Edinburgh), Cambridge African Film Festival, Meknes Animation Festival (Morroco), Africa at the Pictures (London).
View Paula Callus' staff profile
Adam runs the National Centre for Computer Animation’s (NCCA) MA programme in 3D computer animation where he teaches fundamentals of design, modelling techniques for production, human anatomy, Maya and ZBrush. Specialising as a 3D modeller, Adam’s production credits include the Xbox 360 game Disneyland Adventures and the Games Workshop graphic novel Macragge’s Honour.
He is part of the team behind the BFX Festival and is currently researching the development of British comics. Adam has been interviewed for various news outlets discussing animated films, UK film and television production, education in animation, tax breaks for the games industry, and the BFX Festival.
