Why study this course?
The Illustration and Animation (including foundation year) BA (Hons) degree is a four-year degree with an in-built foundation year that will provide you with the opportunity to explore a range of creative directions before embarking on more focused study in your subsequent three years of studying illustration and animation.
This course is an excellent choice if you don’t have the necessary qualifications to apply for our a traditional three-year degree in illustration and animation.
More about this course
In your foundation year you’ll undertake a wide range of projects to help you develop the skills, techniques and work ethic you’ll need to study illustration and animation at undergraduate level. During this year you will work alongside students on our other foundation year degrees, giving you a broad range of knowledge across multiple specialisms from drawing and painting to making, performance, textiles and more.
Your tutors will encourage you to be open-minded in your approach to each of your projects in order to help you establish a strong sense of direction for your work. You will then be able to explore what you’ve learnt through longer projects towards the end of the year.
You’ll also attend lectures and seminars that look at artistic practice in historical, contemporary, conceptual and cultural contexts.
You’ll have several opportunities to present and exhibit your work throughout the course. In order to gain feedback and receive guidance in your creative approach, you’ll regularly be encouraged to talk about your work in front of your classmates and lecturers. Following your foundation year you will study the same course content as those who study our Illustration and Animation BA (Hons) degree.
Accreditation of Prior Learning
Any university-level qualifications or relevant experience you gain prior to starting university could count towards your course.
Modular structure
The modules listed below are for the academic year 2022/23 and represent the course modules at this time. Modules and module details (including, but not limited to, location and time) are subject to change over time.
Year 0 modules include:
Critical & Contextual Studies: Foundation (core, 30 credits)
Formats (core, 30 credits)
Project (core, 30 credits)
Techniques (core, 30 credits)
Year 1 modules include:
Critical and Contextual Studies 1 (Visual Communication) (core, 30 credits)
Design Principles (core, 30 credits)
Graphic Authorship (core, 30 credits)
Visual Research and Communication (core, 30 credits)
Year 2 modules include:
Critical and Contextual Studies 2 (Visual Communication) (core, 30 credits)
Exploring Design Practice (core, 30 credits)
Narrative (core, 30 credits)
Work Ready 1 (core, 30 credits)
Year 3 modules include:
Critical and Contextual Studies 3: Dissertation (Visual Communication) (core, 30 credits)
Final Project Realisation: Illustration and Animation (core, 30 credits)
Project Design and Development (core, 30 credits)
Work Ready 2 (core, 30 credits)
Where this course can take you
This course will prepare you for a successful career in the creative industries. As an illustration and animation graduate, you’ll have opened up opportunities not only as an illustrator or animator but also in a wide range of creative roles in areas such as digital marketing, web design and more.
You will also have gained a broad range of transferable skills that you can take with you into any career.
What Is A Degree With A Foundation Year At The School Of Art, Architecture And Design?
This is a four-year degree course with a built-in foundation year (Year 0). A foundation year in our School of Art, Architecture and Design is the starting point for many of our art, architecture and design students and acts as an introduction to the wide range of creative practices explored within the University. You may join us with a clear idea of the subject you intend to study or you may use it as an opportunity to explore a number of different directions or experiment with your creativity. A foundation year degree is also a great choice if you don’t meet the necessary entry requirements for the standard undergraduate degree. You’ll graduate with a full undergraduate degree with the same title and award as those who studied the three-year course.
