BA (Hons) Animation and Illustration
Course Overview
At our 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.The University of Bolton's BA (Hons) Animation and Illustration degree offers commercial understanding and supports you in developing high-level technical skills and knowledge. Our expert 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.
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, maximising your potential for success.
Our diverse team are highly experienced, with 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.
Highlights
- By studying for your honours degree with us, you can develop your understanding and skills in animation and illustration while experiencing life at our supportive, student-focused, multicultural campus in the heart of the North West of England.
- 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.
- We'll guide and encourage you to create a portfolio of work and offer you the opportunity to present your work to the public as part of the Bolton School of the Arts final-year Creative Show.
- 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
- 96 UCAS points. We accept a full range of qualifications that carry UCAS points, including A-levels, BTECs and T-levels. Please see our guide to the UCAS Tariff for examples of how to achieve these points. For most courses, we are also able to consider non-tariffable qualifications.
- Any subjects are acceptable at Level 3. Relevant creative and art and design-related subjects are preferred.
- You should also have five GCSEs at grade C or above or grade 4 to 9 (or equivalent), including English and Mathematics.
- You'll be required to attend an interview and provide a portfolio of appropriate work.
- 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.
- 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?
Some 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
| Year of study | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Year | 2024/25 | 2025/26 | 2026/27 | 2027/28 | |
| 2024-25 | £9,250 | £9,250 | £9,250 | - | £27,750 |
| 2025-26 | - | ||||
International Fees
| Year of study | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry Year | 2024/25 | 2025/26 | 2026/27 | 2027/28 | |
| 2024-25 | £15,950 | £15,950 | £15,950 | - | £47,850 |
| 2025-26 | - | ||||
Bursaries
Important note regarding tuition fees for the 2024-25 academic year: 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.
The fees for a student's course of study will be set for the normal duration of that course subject only to inflationary increases – measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) recorded in March each year to take effect for subsequent start dates.
How to apply
Home Applicants
If you wish to apply to multiple institutions or courses for September, then apply through UCAS
You can apply for up to 5 courses through UCAS (at the same or different institutions) for a fee of £27. Alternatively, if you only wish to apply for a single course at a single institution then a reduced applicant's fee of £22.50 is applicable.
The online application form and guidance notes are available on the UCAS website.
You will need the following information to complete your UCAS application form:
Institution Code Name: BOLTN
Institution Code Number: B44
Tel: 0870 1122211
Web: www.ucas.com
International Applicants
The University welcomes applications from international students from all over the world. We try to make the application process as simple and as fast as possible for our international applicants.
This course is not currently accepting international online applications.
Please contact Admissions by telephone on 01204 903903 or email enquiries@bolton.ac.uk
Admissions
University of Bolton
Deane Road
Bolton, BL3 5AB
United Kingdom
Tel: 01204 903903
Email: enquiries@bolton.ac.uk
Partner Organisation Applicants
Please contact Admissions by telephone on 01204 903903 or email enquiries@bolton.ac.uk
Admissions
University of Bolton
Deane Road
Bolton, BL3 5AB
United Kingdom
Tel: 01204 903903
Email: enquiries@bolton.ac.uk
Teaching & Assessment
We use a blended style of learning and teaching, 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.
Online learning is supported by the University's virtual learning environment, Moodle. Moodle allows you to access learning materials and study aids on and off campus, so you can undertake your self-directed study at a time and place convenient to you.
Module-based design briefs offer you an insight into the professional environment; this is achieved by using simulated design briefs, client-led live briefs, and competition briefs. Group tutorials and critiques, one-to-one tutor feedback, and regular feedback from clients and collaborators will support your learning throughout the course.
Our aim is 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.
- Methods of Realisation
- Critical, Cultural and Contextual Studies
- Experiments in Animation
- Experiments in Illustration
- Character and World Creation
- Illustration Style and Substance
- Animation Production
- Theory into Practice
- Comics and Sequential Art
- Advanced Studio Practice in Animation and Illustration
- Research into Practice
- Animation and Illustration: Business and Brand
- Major Project
Assessment methods
| Level | Assessment method |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | Coursework 100% |
| Level 2 | Coursework 93% Practical exams 7% |
| Level 3 | Coursework 83% Practical exams 17% |
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 66% Scheduled learning and teaching activities 34% |
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.
