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Which UK Colleges Offer Animation PhD Programs? ACR Takes a Look.

What are the Top Schools in the UK for Animation PhD Programs?

If you’re looking for a top Animation MFA program in the U.S., you won’t have any trouble finding a variety of options. UCLA, SCAD, and RIT are just a few. If you’re interested in Animation PhD programs? Well, let’s just say your search will be a bit more challenging. True, USC’s School of Cinematic Arts offers an excellent option—the PhD in Cinematic Arts. But if you want to earn a PhD that focuses on animation, you’ll have to find a school that is willing to customize its PhD program in art, design or other similar area to suit your goals. If you can’t find a suitable option, that’s OK. America’s strongest ally has you covered. Just head to the UK! 

The UK is one of the easiest and most popular places to study abroad today. American students don’t have to worry about learning another language, and travel within the UK and to neighboring countries is affordable and convenient. The UK and the U.S. have many cultural similarities as well, so students can enjoy the same types of entertainment, recreation, and social institutions there as they do back home. 

Students will also find that the educational institutions in the UK have more similarities than differences to those in the U.S. A few examples include teaching styles, internship opportunities, and the types of on-campus organizations and clubs. One welcome difference, however, is the cost. Though the cost of postsecondary education in both countries is far from cheap, tuition costs in the U.S. are generally higher. 

Find a school

So, if you want to earn a PhD in Animation and the UK sounds like a great place to do it, take a look at our list of 10 popular options below and what they have to offer. Please note that the schools are not ranked. 

1. Arts University of Bournemouth, Poole, Dorset, UK  

Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) is a specialist institution offering degrees in the areas of art, design, media, and performance. Home to more than 3,000 students, AUB is one of a small number of UK colleges dedicated solely to the study of art, design, media and performance.

Students seeking the highest degree levels in animation have two options—the MPhil or PhD. The programs consist of the following unique research groups: Animation, Creative Pedagogies, Fashion and Textiles, and Plastics in Art and Design. AUB research degrees are awarded through a partnership with the University of the Arts London. 

Note that for the 2013-2014 school year, at 97.4 percent, AUB had the highest percentage of graduates entering employment and/or further study within six months of graduation out of all universities in the UK. 

2. Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK  

Loughborough University is home to some 17,600 students from over 100 different countries. The school houses the School of the Arts, English and Drama, which offers Fine Art, English, Drama, Graphic Communication & Illustration, Publishing, and Textiles programs at all degree levels. The MPhil/PhD program is home to the Animation Academy—a “center for animation research, scholarship, practice and exhibition, embracing tradition and progress, education and industry, art and commerce; and dedicated to excellence at a national and international level in all its activities.” Students in the program may choose to study with one of the following research groups: Animation Academy, Drawing and Visualization, or Digital Humanities. 

Film, Photography and Digital Media are other options. Programs lead to an MPhil or PhD in Art and Design. 

3. Royal College of Art, London, UK  

The Royal College of Art (RCA) is the “world's only wholly postgraduate art and design school.” The school, which is home to around 800 students from over 60 countries, offers 24 programs through six integral schools. The six schools focus on architecture, design, fine art, humanities, communication and material. Graduates of these schools (more than 93 percent) are professionally active in art and design five years after graduation. 

Per the School of Communication, “the Animation, Information Experience Design and Visual Communication programs welcome applications for research degrees study in relevant areas of communication research.” Students in all research areas have full access to the School’s specialist workshops (digital print, animation, moving image, sound, letterpress) and labs (information experience design, animation, visual communication) to produce and present their practical work. The programs lead to an MPhil or PhD. 

4. University of the Arts London, London, UK  

University of the Arts London (UAL) is made up of six colleges including Camberwell College of Arts, Central Saint Martins, Chelsea College of Arts, London College of Communication, London College of Fashion, and Wimbledon College of Arts. Across all six schools, UAL offers the MPhil or PhD with the option to conduct research in subject areas in art, design, and communication. A few current subjects include Animation, Interactive, Film and Sound, Theater, Screen, and Performance Design, Fine Art, and Communication and Graphic Design. Specific research degrees have been awarded in Animation and Moving Image and Interactive and Sound Arts.  

5. University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, UK  

The University of Kent is home to more than 20,000 students from 148 nationalities. The school has seven locations including Canterbury, (main campus), Medway, and Tonbridge, UK; Brussels, Belgium; Paris, France; Athens, Greece, and Rome, Italy. Three faculties (Humanities, Sciences, and Social Sciences) comprise 18 academic schools and three academic centers. The School of Engineering and Digital Arts is home to the Digital Media Group. 

Per the School, in the area of time-based media, the Group has substantial interest in “digital film capture and editing and manipulation on to fully animated 3D modelling techniques” such as those used “in games and feature films.” Research Themes include Computer Animation and Digital Visual Effects, Digital Arts, Human Computer Interaction (HCI) and Social Computing, Mobile Application Design and Development, E-Learning Technology, and Medical Multimedia Applications and Telemedicine. The program is available at the Canterbury campus. 

6. Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK  

Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) consists four main campuses including Cambridge, Chelmsford, London, and Peterborough, UK. With 35,000 students, the school is one of the largest universities in the East of England. ARU offers hundreds of programs in areas from art and design to social sciences and humanities. Programs are offered at all degree levels.  

Advanced animation students typically choose the MPhil or PhD in Computer Science, which covers animation, image manipulation, video systems, virtual worlds, gaming, 2D and 3D modelling, cloud computing, AI, audio applications, satellite technology, internet technologies and mobile media technology. The program is available at the school’s campus in Cambridge, “one of the UK’s premier science and technology cities.” 

7. University College of London, London, UK  

In 1826, University College of London (UCL) became the first university in England to welcome students of any class or religion, and the first to welcome women on equal terms with men. Today, the school is home to 38,000 students from 150 different countries. UCL offers programs in all subject areas leading to a BA, BSc, LLB, MEng, MA, MSc, PGCE, MPhil or PhD. 

Animators who would like to earn one of the highest degrees in the field choose the MPhil or PhD in Culture, Communication and Media. Past research areas have included Young People’s Production of Digital Animation, Film and Computer Games, Virtual Worlds, Moving Image and Video Games, Online Communities, and Play and Film, to name a few.  

8. Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK  

Goldsmiths, University of London offers programs in the arts, humanities, social sciences, cultural studies, computing, business and management, across 20 academic departments. Home to more than 8,500 students, the school offers the MPhil and PhD in Media Communications (MC). Students are encouraged to submit a proposal for Animation Research or other related area. The MC Department consists of a team of industry professionals active in Animation, TV, Film, Journalism, and Radio. 

Students will research individually or under supervision. Related degree options include the MPhil or PhD in Arts & Computational Technology and Intelligent Games & Game Intelligence. 

9. Falmouth University, Falmouth and Penryn, Cornwall, England UK  

According to the Falmouth University website, this art and design school has been the UK’s number one arts university for three years. In addition, the school says that 97 percent of graduates are working or involved in further study just six months after graduating. 

Falmouth U consists of 10 schools ranging from Architecture, Design & Interiors to the Games Academy. The School of Film & Television is home to the Animation Program. Advanced animation students seeking the highest degree typically choose the MPhil or PhD Research Program. The programs accept applications for interdisciplinary research in any art, design, media, performing arts or writing subject areas. 

10. Birmingham City University, Birmingham, England, UK  

Birmingham City University (BCU) is home to the Birmingham School of Art, which invites applicants to submit proposals for Art and Design PhD research within areas such as Art History, Education and Design Practice; Research in Art, Dissemination, Impact; Speculative Topologies of Art-design Practices, Radical Matter in Art & Philosophy, Center for Chinese Visual Arts, and others. Once accepted, students will become members of the research culture in Art and Design at BCU that includes CFAR (Centre for Fine Art Research) at the Birmingham School of Art, the Typographic Hub, Design Business Innovation Lab, Zero Carbon Lab, the Fashion & Textiles Research Group, and others. 

Per BCU, students will “attend regular research seminars, conferences and symposia and will receive a dedicated workspace that acts as the hub of their PhD research activity.” They may also strengthen their PhD research and professional/personal development by “participating in wider international research communities and conferences, and by helping to teach degree modules to undergraduate students.” 

For more information about study abroad opportunities, take a look at The Benefits of Animation Study Abroad Programs or Best Overseas Locations for Animation Internships: London, UK . 

• Sarasota, Florida
• BFA Computer Animation
• BFA Game Art
• BFA Graphic Design
• BFA Illustration
• BFA Entertainment Design
• BFA Virtual Reality Development
• BFA Motion Design
• Top 50 Nationally for Animation (#3) - 2024
• Top 50 Nationally for Game Design (#22) - 2024
• Top 50 Nationally for Graphic Design (#9) - 2023
• Top 50 Nationally for Illustration (#4) - 2024

• Winter Park, FL & Online
• Computer Animation - Online
• Computer Animation - Florida Campus
• Game Design - Online
• Game Design - Florida Campus
• Graphic Design & Digital Arts - Online
• Graphic Design - Florida Campus
• Simulation & Visualization - Campus
• User Experience – Online
• Artificial Intelligence - Online
• Top 50 Nationally for Animation (#14) - 2024
• Top 50 Nationally for Game Design (#12) - 2024
• Top 50 Nationally for Graphic Design (#28) - 2023

• BA in Game Art & Development
• BS in Game Programming & Development
• BA in Graphic Design
• BA in Graphic Design & Web Design
• Top 50 Private Graphic Design Schools in the US (#36) - 2023

• 2D Animation
• 3D Animation
• 3D Modeling
• Concept Art
• Digital Illustration
• Game Art & Animation
• Game Design
• Game Programming
• VFX Compositing and FX
• Real-time 3D & Virtual Production
• Game Development - Programming, Design, Game Art & Animation, Real-time 3D & Virtual Production
• Top 25 International Animation Training Programs (#18) - 2024

• Buenos Aires, Argentina & Online
• Desarrollo de Videojuegos (Tecnicaturas Superiores)
• Producción y Game Design (Tecnicaturas Superiores)
• Arte y Animación para Videojuegos (Tecnicaturas Superiores)
• Producción y Animación 3D (Tecnicaturas Superiores)
• Realización Integral de Dibujos Animados (Tecnicaturas Superiores)
• Tecnicatura Superior en Animación 3D para Videojuegos (Tecnicaturas Superiores) - NUEVA - ONLINE
• Programación de Videojuegos con Unreal, Unity y Godot (Tecnicaturas Superiores) - NUEVA - ONLINE
• Unreal Connectors (Programas Profesionales - 100% Online en Vivo)
• Virtual Production (Programas Profesionales - 100% Online en Vivo)
• Introducción a Unreal Engine (Programas Profesionales - 100% Online en Vivo)
• Diseño de Interacción 3D en Realidad Virtual con Unreal Engine (Programas Profesionales - 100% Online en Vivo)
• Realidad Aumentada con Unity (Programas Profesionales - 100% Online en Vivo)
• Realidad Virtual para Arquitectura (Programas Profesionales - 100% Online en Vivo)
• Audio Inmersivo (Programas Profesionales - 100% Online en Vivo)
• Animación Profesional 3D (Programas Profesionales - 100% Online en Vivo)
• Modelado Profesional 3D (Programas Profesionales - 100% Online en Vivo)
• Visualización Arquitectónica (Programas Profesionales - 100% Online en Vivo)
• Motion Graphics (Programas Profesionales - 100% Online en Vivo)
• VFX (Programas Profesionales - 100% Online en Vivo)
• Environments para Videojuegos con Unreal Engine (Programas Profesionales - 100% Online en Vivo)
• Desarrollo de Videojuegos con Unity (Programas Profesionales - 100% Online en Vivo)
• Game Design (Programas Profesionales - 100% Online en Vivo)
• Concept Art (Programas Profesionales - 100% Online en Vivo)
• Game Art (Programas Profesionales - 100% Online en Vivo)
• Game Audio (Programas Profesionales - 100% Online en Vivo)
• Game Quality Analyst (Programas Profesionales - 100% Online en Vivo)
• Top 25 International Animation Schools - 2024 (#23)

"19 Institutions Offering Postgraduate Animation Courses in the UK." Hotcourses International . Hotcourses LTD, 2017. Web. 19 May 2017. 

PhDPortal . StudyPortals B.V., 2007-2017. Web. 19 May 2017. 

"Places of Interest in Great Britain." Study Abroad UK . StudyAbroadUK, 2017. Web. 19 May 2017.

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PhD Digital Media Arts

At Surrey, creativity and technology collide. Your skills and talents as a media practitioner, alongside intellectual curiosity, collaborative spirit, technical proficiency and sense of adventure, all come into play as you make use of the state-of-the-art facilities, great workspaces and dedicated multi-disciplinary supervision.

Key course information

October 2024 - full-time, october 2024 - part-time, january 2025 - full-time, january 2025 - part-time, april 2025 - full-time, april 2025 - part-time, july 2025 - full-time, july 2025 - part-time, why choose this programme.

• Our vibrant and expanding Digital Media Arts PhD programme spans film animation, visual effects and computational arts, immersive media, digital acting, motion graphics and movement interfaces, as well as performance capture, machine vision and interactive cinema.
• You'll benefit from our extensive connections to the creative industries through our partnerships with film production companies, animation houses, the VFX community and their facilities and studios, plus industry networks such as BAFTA and the British Film Institute.
• Our Guildford location is a short train journey from central London, and a town which is home to some of the most well-regarded games developers, immersive media producers and web design agencies, including Supermassive, Electronic Arts and Criterion.
• On campus, we share a building and collaborate on a daily basis with the prestigious Guildford School of Acting . We also work closely with colleagues from Surrey’s engineering programmes and have found touchpoints in nearly every other discipline Surrey has to offer.
• We belong to TECHNE , an  Arts and Humanities Research Council  (AHRC)-funded doctoral training partnership, which provides access to comprehensive academic and professional training programmes, as well as the possibility of funding for your studies. 
• Surrey’s multi-disciplinary Doctoral College will cater to your academic and institutional needs and is a great way of linking you with fellow postgraduate researchers from Surrey’s wide variety of other disciplines.

Fantastic graduate prospects

100% of our Music and Media postgraduate students go on to employment or further study (Graduate Outcomes 2023, HESA)

Research excellence

We are ranked in the top 20 for the quality of our research outputs - Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021

Programme details Open

What you will study.

This is a programme which will take you beyond the bounds of mere study. You will develop your own ground-breaking artistic practice into exciting and emerging fields such as virtual production, digital performance, pervasive filmmaking, contemporary animation, immersive audio-visual, experiential installation, digital art, creative computing and AI-based media production.

We will also help you deepen your contextual and theoretical knowledge in these and related fields. As a contemporary media practitioner and theorist, you will be fully encouraged to engage with topical research on current artistic and media practices, diversity, accessibility and cultural impacts.

We will also facilitate training in the latest tools and technologies to assist your creative development and enable you to create profound outputs that have impact.

If you have a proposal which you feel may match our supervision capabilities and expertise, or you are interested in the general areas we cover, please get in touch with us for an informal discussion by contacting  [email protected]  in the first instance.

Your final assessment will be based on the presentation of your research in a written thesis, which will be discussed in a viva examination with at least two examiners. You have the option of preparing your thesis as a monograph (one large volume in chapter form) or in publication format (including chapters written for publication), subject to the approval of your supervisors.

Stag Hill is the University's main campus and where the majority of our courses are taught. 

Research areas Open

Research themes.

• Emerging media
• Practice research
• Creative production
• Art, science and technology interactions
• Virtual reality, augmented reality, and mixed reality
• New immersive experiences
• Visualisation and serious games
• Interactive storytelling
• Virtual cinematography
• Spectatorship, participation and play
• Interactive cinema
• Digital poetry
• Narrative and character portrayal in video games and interactive media
• Acting and performance for animation, games and film
• Embodied media
• Digital aesthetics
• Post-narrative theory
• Media psychology
• Generativity.

Discover more about our music and media research .

Research centres

• Digital World Research Centre

Academic staff Open

Jon Weinbren

Programme Director for Film, Animation and Digital Arts

Dr Andrew Gilbert

Associate Professor in Computer Vision and Machine Learning

Dr Maria Poulaki

Lecturer in Film and Digital Media Arts

Professor David Frohlich

Emeritus Professor of Interaction Design

Support and facilities Open

Research support.

The professional development of postgraduate researchers is supported by the Doctoral College , which provides training in essential skills through its Researcher Development Programme of workshops, mentoring and coaching. A dedicated postgraduate careers and employability team will help you prepare for a successful career after the completion of your PhD.

As a Digital Media Arts PhD student, you’ll gain access to a wide range of professional film, audio, video, and interactive production facilities , including:

• High-performance GPU-based computing facilities
• Fibre connected film and television studios
• Motion/performance capture
• 4K cine cameras and lenses
• Lighting, sound and grip equipment
• Set-building facilities
• Photogrammetry
• Film and sound editing
• State of the art production software
• Extensive fast media storage
• VR/AR/MR/XR head mounted displays
• Multiple GPU compute.

We have doubled the facilities space for music and media. Our Performing Arts Technology Studios have been upgraded and complemented by a £1.7m investment in state-of-the-art production and media suites.

All studios, edit rooms and acoustic rooms in the new space are linked by a new Dante digital audio network, providing audio interconnection between each room, plus video interconnects for flexible configurations of the recording spaces and studios.

Entry requirements Open

Uk qualifications.

Applicants are expected to hold a minimum of upper second-class (2:1) UK degree and usually an MA in a relevant arts subject or appropriate professional experience.

Candidates submitting proposals that include practice-based research will be required to provide evidence of appropriate experience and expertise.

Country-specific qualifications

International students in the united kingdom, english language requirements.

IELTS Academic: 6.5 or above (or equivalent) with 6.0 in each individual category.

These are the English language qualifications and levels that we can accept. 

If you do not currently meet the level required for your programme, we offer intensive pre-sessional English language courses , designed to take you to the level of English ability and skill required for your studies here.

Selection process

Selection is based on applicants:

• Meeting the expected entry requirements
• Being shortlisted through the application screening process
• Completing a successful interview
• Providing suitable references.

Fees and funding Open

Fees per year.

Explore  UKCISA’s website for more information if you are unsure whether you are a UK or overseas student. View the  list of fees for all postgraduate research courses.

• Annual fees will increase by 4% for each year of study, rounded up to the nearest £100 (subject to legal requirements).
• Any start date other than September will attract a pro-rata fee for that year of entry (75 per cent for January, 50 per cent for April and 25 per cent for July).

Additional costs

There are additional costs that you can expect to incur when studying at Surrey.

A Postgraduate Doctoral Loan can help with course fees and living costs while you study a postgraduate doctoral course.

Application process

Applicants are advised to contact potential supervisors before they submit an application via the website. Please refer to section two of our  application guidance .

After registration

Students are initially registered for a PhD with probationary status and, subject to satisfactory progress, subsequently confirmed as having PhD status.

Apply online

To apply online first select the course you'd like to apply for then log in.

Select your course

Choose the course option you wish to apply for.

Create an account and sign into our application portal.

Digital Media Arts PhD

Full-time, October 2024

Part-time, October 2024

Full-time, January 2025

Part-time, January 2025

Full-time, April 2025

Part-time, April 2025

Full-time, July 2025

Part-time, July 2025

About the University of Surrey

Accommodation

We have a range of housing to suit all requirements and budgets. There are more than 6,000 rooms available (en-suite, single-sex, studio flat, shared or single).

Student life

At Surrey we offer a friendly university campus set in beautiful countryside, with the convenience and social life of bustling Guildford on your doorstep.

Need more information?

Contact our Admissions team or talk to a current University of Surrey student online.

Code of practice for research degrees

Surrey’s postgraduate research code of practice sets out the University's policy and procedural framework relating to research degrees. The code defines a set of standard procedures and specific responsibilities covering the academic supervision, administration and assessment of research degrees for all faculties within the University.

Download the code of practice for research degrees (PDF) .

Terms and conditions

When you accept an offer to study at the University of Surrey, you are agreeing to follow our policies and procedures , student regulations , and terms and conditions .

We provide these terms and conditions in two stages:

• First when we make an offer.
• Second when students accept their offer and register to study with us (registration terms and conditions will vary depending on your course and academic year).

View our generic registration terms and conditions (PDF) for the 2023/24 academic year, as a guide on what to expect.

This online prospectus has been published in advance of the academic year to which it applies.

Whilst we have done everything possible to ensure this information is accurate, some changes may happen between publishing and the start of the course.

It is important to check this website for any updates before you apply for a course with us. Read our full disclaimer .

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Game Art and Animation MSc by Research, MPhil, PhD

Course detail, award title.

This is a potential research degree area, subject to the approval of the University. If you are interested in undertaking a research degree in this area, please make contact with the Dean to discuss your proposal.

Game Art and Animation are applied professional disciplines within the games industry, drawing upon complex creative, conceptual, and technical skillsets. Practice in this field includes but is not limited to: 2D digital art production, 3D modelling and sculpting, photogrammetry, graphic design and illustration, user interface design, keyframe animation, motion capture, and technical arts and scripting.

In a research context, Abertay can provide expert supervision drawing upon academic and industry experience to supervise practice-based research in Game Art and Animation. This can include research not only for the games industry - for instance through development of workflows and production methodologies for content creation - but also for other applications of Game Art and Animation, such as in applied games, in visualisation, and in heritage and cultural projects.

Abertay University is the lead partner for InGAME: Innovation for Games and Media Enterprise , an AHRC-funded R&D centre for Dundee’s games cluster. Postgraduate students at the University will have access to research and development opportunities, as well as contact with professionals working within the games industry. Dundee is one of the UK’s oldest and most successful games hubs, and we have longstanding relationships with local, national and international game studios.

Our research at Abertay is inherently cross-disciplinary and inter-disciplinary, which brings benefits to arts researchers interested in utilising multiple technologies, examining audiences and users, and engaging with private, public and third sector stakeholders. We are a member of networks such as SGSAH and SICSA, which will provide you with opportunities to network with like-minded academics and research students across Scotland, and access training opportunities.

What does a research degree involve?

As a postgraduate research student, you will carry out an original, independent research and/or practice-based project, whilst being guided and supported by a team of expert academic supervisors. As you do this, you will benefit from an extensive programme of researcher development tailored to your background, needs and future ambitions. This will in turn help you develop the skills required to deliver research excellence.

Your progress will be monitored throughout the year and via an annual review. The final assessment is by examination of your submitted thesis and a viva voce (oral examination).

With the help of your supervisors, you will be encouraged to publish your research during and after your studies.

Our research degrees

You have the option of studying an MSc by Research, an MPhil or a PhD.

When deciding which degree is right for you, you should consider the level of commitment required, the duration, cost and your career aspirations.

That being said, our research degrees are flexible. You can begin an MSc or an MPhil and then seek to transfer to a PhD without having to start your project all over again. You can also switch from full-time to part-time study, and vice versa.

MSc by Research

The award of Master of Science by Research (MSc by Research) demonstrates a practical ability to undertake research studies, a systematic understanding of knowledge and a critical awareness of current problems and/or the application of original thought.

How long is an MSc by Research?

If you are studying full-time, you will be expected to complete the award in 12 months. The minimum period to receive this award is 10 months and the maximum is 14 months.

If you are studying part-time, you will be expected to complete the award in 24 months. The minimum period to receive this award on a part-time basis is 20 months and the maximum is 28 months.

The award of Master of Philosophy demonstrates a systematic understanding of knowledge and a critical awareness of current problems and/or the application of original thought, much of which is at (or informed by) the forefront of your field of study or area of professional practice.

How long is an MPhil?

If you are studying full-time, you are expected to complete the award in 24 months. The minimum period to receive this award is 12 months and the maximum is 48 months.

If you are studying part-time, you are expected to complete the award in 48 months. The minimum period to receive this award on a part-time basis is 24 months and the maximum is 72 months.

The award of the Doctor of Philosophy demonstrates that the main focus of your work is your personal contribution to knowledge in your discipline or field, through original research or the original application of existing knowledge.

How long is a PhD?

If you are studying full-time, you are expected to complete the award in 36 months. The minimum period to receive this is award is 24 months and the maximum is 48 months.

If you are studying part-time, you are expected to complete the award in 48 months. The minimum period to receive this award on a part-time basis is 72 months and the maximum is 96 months.

What makes Abertay's Graduate School different?

Abertay is a small university, which means that as a research student, you’ll be joining a close-knit community of scholars and researchers.

Watch Prof Nia White, Dean of Research and Abertay’s Graduate School, along with some of our research students discuss what makes Abertay’s Graduate School different from other universities.

Learn more about our Graduate School➟

Fees and funding

The fees you'll pay depend on factors such as your nationality, location and personal circumstances. See the links below and scroll down to find the Postgraduate section.

Postgraduate student fees - Scottish Students

Postgraduate student fees - UK Students (outside Scotland)

Postgraduate student fees - International & EU Students

More information

Find out about potential bursaries, student loans and scholarships in  our postgraduate research fees and funding section.

How to apply

1. meet the academic entry requirements.

The minimum entry requirement for all our research degrees is an Upper Second Class Honours degree (or equivalent) at undergraduate level in an appropriate discipline and/or a Master’s degree. In some cases, appropriate professional or experiential learning may be considered in combination with a lower classification of Honours degree.

2. Meet the visa and English language requirements

Visa requirements.

If you're not from the European Economic Area (EEA) and/or Switzerland, you may need to apply for a visa. You can find out more about applying for a visa and collecting your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) on our Tier 4 visa page. To identify whether or not you need to apply for a visa, please visit the UKBA website.

English language requirements

We accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

For candidates whose first language is not English or your undergraduate/Master’s degree was not awarded from a University from a UKVI designated English Speaking country, you are required to show evidence of one of the following qualifications:

IELTS Academic: total 6.5 with at least 6.0 in each component.

TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 92 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL “My Best Score” to meet our English language requirements.

CAE and CPE: total 176 with at least 169 in each component.

Trinity ISE: ISE II with distinctions in all four components.

PTE Academic: 62 overall with at least 59 in each component.

NECO English at B (4)

WAEC English at B (4)

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than three and a half years old at the beginning of your programme of study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

To identify whether or not you need to apply for a student visa, please see here or visit the UKVI website.

3. Find a supervisor

You can look for potential supervisors by searching keywords, names or publications in the  Staff Explorer . T his will ensure that we have appropriate expertise within Abertay. You will also gain an understanding of the prior work of the researcher.

You should consider contacting the potential supervisor to discuss your ideas and the possibility of undertaking a research degree under their supervision. Discussion will also help you tailor your application to suit Abertay’s specific expertise in the area. Ask for feedback and be prepared to take those comments into consideration when finalising your research proposal.

Please avoid vague blanket emails to several potential supervisors as these are unlikely to be successful.

This is a potential research degree area, subject to the approval of the University. If you are interested in undertaking a research degree in this area,  please get in touch to discuss your proposal .

4. Secure funding

There are two different routes to studying a research degree at Abertay – you can apply for one of our funded studentships or propose your own area of research. Find out more about our funded studentships .

If you are proposing your own area of research, you will need to consider how you will fund your studies – either through self-support or by securing a scholarship or some other form of external funding. See what scholarships are available to Abertay research students .  

5. Write your research proposal

This is your opportunity to state your research objectives, to grab the reader’s attention and highlight your suitability for research degree study.

The proposal should be around 6-8 pages in length (including references) and follow the section headings below.

Abstract (summary).

Introduction/background.

Hypotheses, objectives or research question.

Proposed methodology.

How will you disseminate your findings (pathways to impact).

Ethical considerations.

Summary and conclusions.

References.

About you: briefly describe your relevant experience and how it will help you achieve your objectives, explain why you are an excellent candidate for a research degree, and identify your additional professional development and training needs.

Some good practice tips:

Be clear and concise.

Structure your proposal by breaking up blocks of text into smaller paragraphs (with headings).

Reference you work.

Justify your objectives.

Please note: all Research Proposals are checked for evidence of academic deceit including the inappropriate use of Generative AI. Research Proposals evidencing academic deceit will be automatically rejected on such grounds, applications will be cancelled, and applicants will be disqualified from reapplying.

6. Apply online by the relevant deadline

You can start a research degree at Abertay in February, June or October of each year. You can apply to defer from one entry point to another on one occasion, however, subsequent requests must be supported by an additional full application.

Unless otherwise stated, the deadlines for submitting a full application are:

Applications for February entry by 15 December (if you need a Tier 4 visa then the deadline is 30 November).

Applications for June entry by 30 April (if you need a Tier 4 visa then the deadline is 31 March).

Applications for October entry by 31 August (if you need a Tier 4 visa then the deadline is 31 July).

You will need to include the following documentation when you apply online:

Copies of your academic transcripts

Your research proposal

Apply now to start in:

Join Abertay University's vibrant research community

Postgraduate Research students at Abertay work alongside experts from a range of discipline areas, posing new questions and finding creative solutions to the problems facing society. Our research students are central to our research community.

If you'd like more information about our Postgraduate Research degrees, please get in touch: 

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Course type

Qualification, university name, postgraduate animation.

37 degrees at 26 universities in the UK.

Customise your search

Select the start date, qualification, and how you want to study

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• Course title (A-Z)
• Course title (Z-A)
• Price: high - low
• Price: low - high

Animation MA

Bristol, university of the west of england.

This practice-led course brings together a diverse range of students, from established practitioners to those seeking a conversion course Read more...

• 15 months Full time degree: £9,000 per year (UK)

MA Animation

University for the creative arts.

Animation at UCA We have a long and illustrious history of animation education at UCA Farnham - all started by Henry's Cat creator Bob Read more...

• 1 year Full time degree: £10,500 per year (UK)

MA Animation Production

Arts university bournemouth.

The MA Animation Production course focuses on practice, theory and professionalism and the ‘critical dialogue’ between them. Course Read more...

• 53 weeks Full time degree: £9,000 per year (UK)
• 105 weeks Part time degree: £4,500 per year (UK)

Kingston University

The MA Animation programme at Kingston School of Art takes a creative and director-led approach to interdisciplinary moving image Read more...

• 1 year Full time degree: £11,900 per year (UK)
• 2 years Full time degree: £11,900 per year (UK)
• 2 years Part time degree: £6,545 per year (UK)

MA Character and Creature Animation

University of hertfordshire.

Step into the enchanting world of animation excellence. Our 100% online MA programme unleashes your creativity, ignites your passion, and Read more...

• 24 months Online degree: £4,950 per year (UK)

University of Salford

Our MA in Animation is designed to provide you with the knowledge and skills to apply innovative and efficient production processes into Read more...

• 1 year Full time degree: £8,820 per year (UK)
• 2 years Part time degree

University of Central Lancashire

Our MA Animation course will enable you to enhance your animation skills under the supervision of industry professionals. Whether you’re Read more...

• 1 year Full time degree: £9,000 per year (UK)
• 2 years Part time degree: £4,500 per year (UK)

Manchester Metropolitan University

This course offers you the opportunity to choose your own route through the field of animation, studying either MA Animation or the Read more...

• 1 year Full time degree: £11,000 per year (UK)
• 2 years Part time degree: £5,502 per year (UK)

Nottingham Trent University

MA Animation is a taught MA, with equal value placed on developing your authorial voice, unique vision and creative originality, alongside Read more...

• 1 year Full time degree: £9,700 per year (UK)

Illustration & Animation - MA/PgD/PgC

Cardiff metropolitan university.

Course The role of the illustrator or animator is not ephemeral, temporary or mere entertainment. It is ecological, cultural, political Read more...

• 2 years Part time degree: £5,513 per year (UK)

University of the Arts London

MA Animation explores both the theory and practice of animation across a broad range of experimental visual media. MA Animation explores Read more...

• 15 months Full time degree: £13,330 per year (UK)

Sheffield Hallam University

Course summary Explore, experiment and innovate in animation practice — learning the creative, technical and professional skills you need Read more...

• 1 year Full time degree: £10,310 per year (UK)

This MA Animation course will enable you to... develop a professional-level, individual approach towards animation direction choose to Read more...

• 1 year Full time degree: £9,450 per year (UK)
• 2 years Part time degree: £4,740 per year (UK)

MA Animation Online

MA Animation (online) explores both the theory and practice of animation across a broad range of experimental visual media. As one of the Read more...

• 2 years Online degree: £5,335 per year (UK)

MA Character Animation

MA Character Animation is for designers, artists and illustrators who want to learn how to animate. at Central Saint Martins Practical Read more...

• 2 years Full time degree: £6,980 per year (UK)

Illustration and Animation MA

Coventry university.

The Illustration and Animation MA expands digital and physical knowledge of your craft, helping you find your own ‘voice’ and style. If Read more...

• 1 year Full time degree: £11,200 per year (UK)

Royal College of Art

Develop your creative expertise to influence how audiences see and understand the social, political and cultural animated worlds and Read more...

• 1 year Full time degree: £15,150 per year (UK)

Staffordshire University

Explore the theoretical and practical applications of animation across a wide range of media and discover the opportunities and Read more...

• 13 months Full time degree: £8,900 per year (UK)
• 22 months Part time degree: £4,433 per year (UK)

Animation Production MA

University of huddersfield.

The Animation Production MA is part of the School of Art and Humanities MA Art & Design Suite, an innovative approach to postgraduate Read more...

• 1 year Full time degree: £8,900 per year (UK)

University of South Wales

MA Animation USW's MA Animation course produces highly skilled artists able to make a significant impact and contribution in today’s Read more...

• 1 year Full time degree: £10,250 per year (UK)
• 2 years Part time degree: £5,130 per year (UK)

1-20 of 37 courses

Course type:

• Distance learning

Qualification:

Universities:.

• Hertfordshire International College
• Ulster University
• Escape Studios
• National Film And Television School
• University of Dundee
• Teesside University, Middlesbrough
• Buckinghamshire New University
• Leeds Arts University
• Abertay University

Related Subjects:

We have 11 animation PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

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animation PhD Projects, Programmes & Scholarships

Artificial intelligence for virtual characters in computer graphics and computer animation, phd research project.

PhD Research Projects are advertised opportunities to examine a pre-defined topic or answer a stated research question. Some projects may also provide scope for you to propose your own ideas and approaches.

Self-Funded PhD Students Only

This project does not have funding attached. You will need to have your own means of paying fees and living costs and / or seek separate funding from student finance, charities or trusts.

Color Science Ph.D.

Funded phd project (students worldwide).

This project has funding attached, subject to eligibility criteria. Applications for the project are welcome from all suitably qualified candidates, but its funding may be restricted to a limited set of nationalities. You should check the project and department details for more information.

Human Motion Analysis using Computer Vision and Artificial Inteligence

Research degrees at uca, funded phd programme (students worldwide).

Some or all of the PhD opportunities in this programme have funding attached. Applications for this programme are welcome from suitably qualified candidates worldwide. Funding may only be available to a limited set of nationalities and you should read the full programme details for further information.

Arts Research Programme

Arts Research Programmes present a range of research opportunities, shaped by a university’s particular expertise, facilities and resources. You will usually identify a suitable topic for your PhD and propose your own project. Additional training and development opportunities may also be offered as part of your programme.

Facial identification from digital avatars

Randomization and ai methods for large sparse linear systems arising from applications - a hybrid approach through schur complements, morphology, motion, and mechanics of vertebral joints in fish, phd opportunities in art, media arts and design, funded phd programme (uk students only).

Some or all of the PhD opportunities in this programme have funding attached. It is only available to UK citizens or those who have been resident in the UK for a period of 3 years or more. Some projects, which are funded by charities or by the universities themselves may have more stringent restrictions.

Visual Memes and Viral Images: Analysis, Discourse, Politics

Film: an ecology of light, understanding eye-hand coordination in object interception - a computational modelling approach.

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Film Studies MPhil/PhD

London, Bloomsbury

UCL sits at the centre of the vibrant, multicultural and cinematic city of London. The university, which was the first to establish Film Studies in Britain, houses a thriving graduate research culture in the subject alongside remarkable resources for the study of cinema across its history and across the world.

UK tuition fees (2024/25)

Overseas tuition fees (2024/25), programme starts, applications accepted.

• Entry requirements

A minimum of an upper second-class UK Honours degree in a relevant discipline or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard, and a Master's degree with Merit in a relevant field. In the first instance, candidates should establish a dialogue with a potential supervisor before making a formal application. Admission is normally dependent on the submission of a detailed research project proposal.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 4

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website .

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

UCL has research strengths in particular in cinema and cultural history across the world. We have interests in early cinemas, new wave cinemas, and political cinemas. Supervision and mentorship is available from world-leading researchers from SELCS and CMII, with 83% of SELCS-CMII research activity being graded 4* ‘world leading’ and 3* ‘internationally excellent’ in the REF 2021.

Who this course is for

The programme is for graduates with a background or interest in cinema history, film theory or relevant disciplines. It is suitable for both recent Masters graduates as well as early or mid-career professionals. This MPhil/PhD is for applicants with a strong interest in conducting multi-disciplinary research, who may have completed post-graduate training or study and want to develop an advanced critical analysis in a specific research area.

What this course will give you

UCL provides a uniquely rich research environment for the study of cinema at the heart of the dynamic city of London. Students can draw on faculty expertise from across the university, in particular from the Faculty of Arts & Humanities, Social & Historical Sciences, the School of European Languages, Culture and Society (SELCS), and the Centre for Multidisciplinary and Intercultural Inquiry (CMII).

Students are supported by a dynamic research culture, a stimulating environment and excellent opportunities for research training. UCL houses numerous seminars and guest lectures, and researchers have access to world-class libraries at UCL, the University of London, the British Library and the British Film Institute.

The foundation of your career

PhD students demonstrate the ability to produce original research and to construct convincing and original arguments. Many have gone on to significant academic positions and teaching roles elsewhere, as well as pursuing careers in writing and research.

Our research students have entered a variety of professions including law, public policy, media, publishing, journalism and many have pursued academic research or educational careers. Woking in a range of roles in international organisations, arts, heritage or cultural sectors, and the government.

Employability

Beyond becoming an expert in your chosen field, you will gain employable attributes including leadership, communication, teamwork, language and business skills, refined in a dynamic cross-disciplinary research environment.

Doctoral students develop a range of skills that are invaluable in academia and in numerous other fields where PhD holders are prized for their skills in communication, critical analysis, management of projects and deadlines, and intercultural mediation.

The Film Studies department has particular research strengths in cinema history, film theory, and in an exceptionally broad range of national and regional cinemas. Research students can benefit from links with various networks and research partners such as the Screen Studies Group, London's Silent Cinemas, Open City Docs Fest and The Cine-Tourist.

London is a vibrant centre for academic work, and regularly hosts seminars, symposia, and conferences. UCL is central to the city's research culture and students have access to specialist archives and library collections.

Teaching and learning

Research students undertake relevant induction sessions and can take advantage of the Doctoral Skills Development Programme. PhD students meet regularly in term time with their supervisors and may be offered opportunities to gain valuable teaching experience and participate in reading groups and conferences.

To successfully upgrade to a PhD you are required to submit a piece of writing (this is usually based on one chapter from your thesis and a chapter plan for the remainder). You are also required to present and answer questions about this work to a panel consisting of your subsidiary supervisor and another member of the Faculty who acts as an independent assessor.

Depending on staff availability, there is provision for a small number of students to pursue the Documentary Track pathway, which allows suitably qualified PhD students to submit a thesis of 60,000-70,000 words and a within-copyright filmed documentary of 20-30 minutes in length in place of the standard requirement of a thesis of 80,000-100,000 words in length.

The documentary-track PhD is researched in a twofold manner as a text and a film project and developed in two parallel but interdependent modes of discourse. Thus the two projects are intended to overlap closely such that the documentary is part of the integrated whole of the argument of the thesis. An example of a research project which might be pursued using this methodology would be the study (in the form of an academic thesis) of the works of a living author or artist or film director along with a creative, research-led documentary film on the same individual's work. It is expected that the two parts of the research project will form a composite whole. It will also be necessary for the candidate to provide a statement explaining the research question and aims addressed by the documentary film including written production notes, and a discussion of the stages of research and choice of methodology.

PhD students should treat their research programme as a full-time job, which equates roughly to 35 hours per week, or 15 hours for Part-time students. Students agree to a timetable of regular meetings with the Principal Supervisor to effectively manage the progression of project aims. This is flexible, at some points it may be necessary to meet more or less often. Full-time students can expect to meet supervisors every two weeks during the academic year, and part-time students every four weeks. If a student has external funding, they should also ensure they meet the Terms & Conditions of the funder.

Research areas and structure

• North and Latin American cinema history
• European cinema history
• Documentary cinema
• Non-theatrical/radical cinema
• The history of the discipline
• Silent cinema
• Film theory
• The political economy of cinema

Research environment

Research students are encouraged to participate in research seminars across and outside SELCS-CMII including networks such as the Open City Docs Fest and the Society for Comparative Cultural Inquiry. Students contribute significantly to the research environment through the organisation of annual conferences, and participation in seminars and online journals.

Students can access special collections in Modern Languages, Culture and History at UCL and other world-class libraries (Senate House and British Library) within walking distance of campus. As well as access to research support in the form of academic skills courses, student-led workshops and reading groups.

In the first instance, candidates should establish a dialogue with a potential supervisor before making a formal application. The length of registration for the research degree programmes is usually three years for full-time and five years for part-time. You are required to register initially for the MPhil degree with the expectation of transfer to PhD after successful completion of an upgrade viva 9-18 months after initial registration. 

Upon successful completion of your approved period of registration you may register as a completing research student (CRS) while you write up your thesis.

In the first year, you will be required to take part in a mandatory Skills Seminar Programme. You are expected to agree with your supervisor the basic structure of your research project, an appropriate research method and a realistic plan of work. You will produce and submit a detailed outline of your proposed research to your supervisor for their comments and feedback and be given the opportunity to present your research to UCL academic staff and fellow PhD students.

In the second year, you will be expected to upgrade from MPhil to a PhD. To successfully upgrade to a PhD you are required to submit a piece of writing (this is usually based on one chapter from your thesis and a chapter plan for the remainder). You are also required to present and answer questions about this work to a panel consisting of your subsidiary supervisor and another member of the Faculty who acts as an independent assessor.

The length of registration for the research degree programmes is usually three years for full-time and five years for part-time. You are required to register initially for the MPhil degree with the expectation of transfer to PhD after successful completion of an upgrade viva 9-18 months after initial registration. 

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk . Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing team .

Fees and funding

Fees for this course.

The tuition fees shown are for the year indicated above. Fees for subsequent years may increase or otherwise vary. Where the programme is offered on a flexible/modular basis, fees are charged pro-rata to the appropriate full-time Master's fee taken in an academic session. Further information on fee status, fee increases and the fee schedule can be viewed on the UCL Students website: ucl.ac.uk/students/fees .

Additional costs

Additional costs may include expenses such as books, stationery, printing or photocopying, and conference registration fees.

The department strives to keep additional costs low. Books and journal articles are usually available via the UCL library (hard copies or via e-journal subscriptions).

The wealth of departmental seminars / colloquiums / symposiums and student organised work in progress sessions give ample opportunities to present research, receive feedback and participate in discussion.

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs .

Funding your studies

For more details about departmental funding available to postgraduate research students in the department, please refer to our Funding, Scholarships and Prizes (Research) webpage .

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website .

Quirk PhD Scholarship

Deadline: 26 January 2024 Value: Fees and maintenance (3yrs) Criteria Based on both academic merit and financial need Eligibility: UK

All applicants must identify and contact potential supervisors before making their application. For more information see our ' Need to Know ' page.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Choose your programme

Please read the Application Guidance before proceeding with your application.

Year of entry: 2024-2025

Got questions get in touch.

Centre for Multidisciplinary and Intercultural Inquiry

[email protected]

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Arts & Humanities

Wide-ranging expertise, key details.

• Full-time or part-time study

School or Centre

• School of Arts & Humanities

Next open event

• Watch Open Day recording

Application deadline

• Applications closed. Please check back soon.

Career opportunities

• PhD study leads to a range of opportunities. You might become a researcher in industry or government or an academic in an international institution It is an opportunity for you to investigate a research question or issue in depth, enabling you to take a more reflective, more innovative role in design.

A dynamic interplay between theory and practice.

The School provides expert supervision across the spectrum of art and writing practice, art and design history and theory, curating and criticism. We welcome proposals for theoretical and practice-led projects, industrial collaborations and technologically focused research.

Our research interests are wide-ranging and reflect the expertise of our staff, focusing on arts, humanities and material practices, their scholarship and dissemination. The School’s distinctive research culture encompasses a broad range of activities from highly individuated scholarly and creative enquiries to projects that concern public policy and evaluation, collections and archival research, material and technical explorations as well as more speculative arts practice-focused projects. It includes the V&A/RCA PhD in History of Design, a degree offered jointly between the RCA and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Beyond your individual supervision, you’ll be able to participate in research groups, where staff and students cluster around an idea or issue.

Research takes place within an environment that is ambitious to generate new methods and insights. We thrive on interaction across the broad areas of fine and applied arts and the humanities, through School-wide lectures, workshops and tutorials delivered by key contemporary artists, writers, curators and thinkers, many of whom form part of our permanent staff base. The broad base of expertise offered by the School means we can support research interests across a large range of disciplines; moving image and sound, painting, performance, photography, printmaking and sculpture as well as jewellery, metal, ceramics, glass, curating, critical and theoretical writing and design history. The School embraces its cross-disciplinary perspective and celebrates the deployment of diverse and original methods of research and production.

Programme details

• PhD: 3–4 years (full time), 6–7 years (part time)
• MPhil: 2–3 years (full time), 4–6 years (part time)

Applications will open in autumn for September 2025 entry. If you would like to make a late application for 2024/5, some programmes may still have spaces so please contact [email protected] as soon as possible.

Register your interest to be the first to know when applications for 2025 entry open. 

Catch the replays from our latest online Open Day.

Object of Research residency, Techne Conflux, School of Arts and Humanities, 2018

School of Arts and Humanities Research: Aslyum Live, 2017

Clair Le Couteur, Despina Zacharopoulou

The Urgency of the Arts, NAFAE Research Student conference, 2018 hosted by RCA School of Arts and Humanities

School of Arts and Humanities Research Presents......Me with Professor Carol Mavor, 2019

School of Arts and Humanities Research Presents......Reenactment with Ali Smith, 2019

Entanglement Research Group

Object of Research residency,Techne Conflux, School of Arts and Humanities (Grizedale visit), 2018

School of Arts and Humanities Research: Flight Mode (Assembly Point), 2018

School of Arts and Humanities Research: Despina Zacharopoulou, Flight Mode (Asylum), 2018

Dr Josephine Berry

Tutor (Research)

Dr Josephine Berry is an art theorist, writer and editor. She supervises thesis only and practice based PhDs in the School of Arts and Humanities.

Professor Rachel Garfield

Senior Tutor (Research) and School Research Lead

Rachel Garfield is an artist and writer whose work is engaged with the role of lived relations in the formation and intersections of subjectivities.

Professor Johnny Golding

Professor of Philosophy & Fine Art

Johnny’s work situates post-Newtonian analytics, new materialisms and the erotics of sense as ‘radical matter’, a practice-led encounter with contemporary philosophy, art and the wild sciences.

Professor Peter Oakley

Reader in Material Culture

Professor Peter Oakley specialises in research on materials, making and manufacturing.

The School of Arts & Humanities is located across our Battersea and Kensington sites.

Shared workspaces are provided for all research students. There are a number of bookable seminar and project spaces across the site available to all Arts & Humanities students.

Daybreak: Asylum Live, Research Student Project, Adjoa Armah

Darkroom facilities (photo: Richard Haughton)

Gorvy Kiln Room (Photographer: Richard Haughton)

Hot Glass Workshop (Photographer: Richard Haughton)

Screenprint Workshop (Photographer: Richard Haughton)

More details on what you'll study.

Find out what you'll cover in this programme.

What you'll cover

What is a research degree.

At the RCA we offer both MPhil and PhD research degrees. Research candidates can study in part-time and full-time modes (subject to approval) and their research can be undertaken by project or thesis modes. The mode of research will be discussed in interview, and should be indicated in the application process.

A postgraduate research degree challenges you to complete a research project that pushes the boundaries of our understanding.

Unlike a taught degree, a research degree emphasises independence of learning and increased specialisation. You will manage your own research project in order to investigate your topic in depth and to produce new ideas, arguments and solutions.

A research degree will give you the subject matter expertise and transferable skills necessary for a wide range of senior roles in research and academia, as well as in business, industry and the cultural and creative sectors.

A PhD is awarded to students who produce a substantial piece of original research that makes a contribution to research in the field. This can take the form of a thesis (60,000-80,000 words) or by project (a body of work and thesis 25,000-40,000 words). If you’re a PhD candidate you’ll normally registered for three years full-time, with submission within four years, or six to seven years part-time. You must remain registered and pay an appropriate fee until submission.

An MPhil is awarded for original research and submission of a thesis. If you’re an MPhil candidate you’ll normally be registered for two years (full-time) or four years (part-time).

Our postgraduate community

We have more than 250 PhD students pursuing cutting-edge research and undertaking advanced training across the College:

• School of Architecture
• School of Communication
• Computer Science Research Centre
• School of Design
• Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design
• Intelligent Mobility Design Centre
• Material Futures Research Centre

The RCA is a world-leading postgraduate university and is ranked the most research-intensive university of art and design in the UK since 2014. Both our students and staff are drawn from countries across the globe. Overseas students play a vital role in ensuring that our College community benefits from a diversity of experience and skills.

Doctoral training programme

At the RCA, research students undertake training both at a cross-College level and within their Schools/Centres, offering rich and robust preparation and learning opportunities for their research degree progression. Many of these also offer opportunities to build a portfolio of experience for future careers.

All students are required to attend our Doctoral Training Weeks in September, February and July (pro-rata attendance by negotiation for part-time students). These are opportunities to participate in the broader research community at the RCA, but also to undertake timely training to support research progression. These intensive weeks include a range of professional development seminars, training and advice in writing, getting published, achieving impact, entering the academic job market and more, and opportunities for you to develop and present your research to your peers and staff.

Our Research Biennale, held every alternate February, offers a showcase of research to internal and external partners and public. The events include space for testing and experimenting with public facing aspects of research, extending and challenging frameworks and perceptions of what art and design research can be.

We are committed to ensuring that you are well equipped, not only to complete your studies but also to develop your future careers.

Supervisors

All students are allocated supervisors upon registration; your supervisory team will have both subject specialism and experience of supervising to completion. Our of current staff index includes an overview of their research interests, recent research outputs and areas of expertise. These give an idea of the key areas of research that are covered at the RCA.

We are not able to guarantee allocation to a specific supervisor as we need to balance staff capacities and our research strategy. However, if there is a particular supervisor whose research aligns with your research proposal, please join us at one of our Open Days and we can talk with you about the possibilities.

Each student will have six supervisions per year (3 for PT students); these might be with the full supervisory team or with one supervisor. Students are expected to initiate these meetings, set the agenda and provide supervisors with pre-reading or other materials in an agreed timeframe for review.

Annual progress reviews

All research students have Annual Progress Reviews, which they must pass in order to progress into the next year of study. These are vital points where all candidates receive formal feedback not only from their supervisory team, but also from other members of the faculty.

There is a formal Confirmation Exam that takes place midway through the period of study to ascertain your readiness for PhD submission; if you who do not meet the requirements at this stage then you’ll usually be recommended to submit for MPhil examination.

Our research

In addition to supervision from world-leading artists, academics, historians, theorists, curators and critics, the School’s MPhil/PhD community offers a rich and stimulating range of doctoral training, including the College-wide Doctoral Training Programme, the School-based Research Groups (small groups that include seminars, workshops and crit sessions, open to all Arts & Humanities research students) and opportunities for exhibiting and publishing research in student-led group exhibitions and symposia and in Prova (the School’s SoAH annual research journal). New student-led initiatives are encouraged and facilitated by the School. Public engagement is a vital part of our practice and we are keen to support interdisciplinary studies and dynamic and innovative projects that expand the potential for arts and humanities research both within the academic context and the wider cultural community

Beyond their individual supervision, students are able to participate in Research Groups, where staff and students cluster around an idea or issue. You will select a group based on your own research interests and attend weekly sessions led by senior academics and with input from a wide range of research-active staff. These groups are also closely linked to our 'SoAH Research Presents....' series, public events with guest speakers and performers, devised by the Research Groups. Additionally, you can attend twice termly research events examining the platforms for their research and forms of dissemination, as well as having the opportunity to present your research formally within the School. The year includes an exhibition, conference, event or publication. In 2017 this was Daybreak , a project which included Asylum Live and exhibitions at Safehouses 1&2 and Amp. In 2018 we staged Flight Mode and in 2019 we hosted the NAFAE conference, The Urgency of the Arts , as well as staging an exhibition, There’s Something Lurking In The Shadows That May Be Interesting .

Requirements

What you need to know before you apply

The programme welcomes applications from candidates from across the world and of all ages, including those with academic and professional backgrounds.

Applications are considered in terms of quality of proposal, quality of practice (where appropriate), readiness to undertake a research degree at this level and supervisory capacity.

What's needed from you

Portfolio requirements.

Your portfolio showcases your work as an artist or designer and can be made up of images, videos or writing examples. Your portfolio helps us to understand your application better and allows you to show evidence of your ability and motivation to undertake a given programme.

Generally, we’re looking for you to demonstrate your:

• Creativity, imagination and innovation
• Ability to articulate the intentions of the work
• Intellectual engagement in areas relevant to the work
• Technical skills appropriate to the work
• Potential to benefit from the programme

If you are applying for a research degree by project please submit a single PDF portfolio of between 8–16 images/files that relate to your proposed research project.

In addition to image files, please include a piece of writing (between 2000–5000 words) that demonstrates your approach to articulating ideas. This can be a piece of writing that you have completed within the last three years or a new piece of writing.

Video requirements

We ask that you upload a two-minute video recorded on your phone or laptop, speaking to us directly. High production qualities are not needed. We will review the work in your portfolio, so keep your video simple.

We would like you to create a video where you identify one project demonstrating how research was an important aspect to its completion. Explain the impact this has had on others and yourself and how this motivated you on your journey to the RCA.

English-language requirements

If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country, MPhil candidates will need the equivalent of an IELTS Academic score of 6.5 with a 6.5 in the Test of Written English (TWE). PhD candidates will need the equivalent of an IELTS Academic score of 7.0 with a 7.0 in the Test of Written English (TWE).

If you need a Student Visa to study at the RCA, you will also need to meet the Home Office’s minimum requirements for entry clearance.

Fees & funding

For this programme, fees for new students.

Fees for September 2024 entry on this programme are outlined below. From 2021 onward, EU students are classified as Overseas for tuition fee purposes.

Home: High residency

Home: low residency, overseas and eu: high residency, overseas and eu: low residency.

New entrants to the College will be required to pay a non-refundable deposit in order to secure their place. This will be offset against the tuition fees for the first year of study.

Overseas and EU

Progression discount.

For alumni and students who have completed an MA, MA/MSc or MRes at the RCA within the past 10 years, a progression discount is available for Doctoral study. This discount is £1,000 per year for thee first three years of full-time study.

Continuation fees

Candidates who have completed the minimum three years of study (FT or 6 years PT) for PhD will be eligible to apply for Continuation Status. This is a period of study, for up to one academic year, during which a candidate will be focused upon revising and editing their thesis/project.

Scholarships

Rca scholarships.

The RCA scholarship programme is growing, with hundreds of financial awards planned for the 2025/6 academic year.

For more information and examples of financial awards offered in 2024/25, visit the Scholarships & awards webpage.

You must hold an offer to study on an RCA programme in order to make a scholarship application in Spring 2025. A selection of RCA merit scholarships will also be awarded with programme offers. 

We strongly recommend that you apply for your programme as early as possible to stand the best chance of receiving a scholarship. You do not apply directly for individual awards; instead, you will be invited to apply once you have received an offer.

More information

Mphil/phd fee bands.

The RCA is introducing two separate tuition fee bands for MPhil/PhD students with effect from the academic year 2023/24: Low Residency and High Residency. For more information about what the different fee bands entail, and for frequently asked questions on fee bands, visit:

Additional fees

In addition to your programme fees, please be aware that you may incur other additional costs associated with your study during your time at RCA. Additional costs can include purchases and services (without limitation): costs related to the purchase of books, paints, textiles, wood, metal, plastics and/or other materials in connection with your programme, services related to the use of printing and photocopying, lasercutting, 3D printing and CNC. Costs related to attending compulsory field trips, joining student and sport societies, and your Convocation (graduation) ceremony. 

If you wish to find out more about what type of additional costs you may incur while studying on your programme, please contact the Head of your Programme to discuss or ask at an online or in person  Open Day .   

We provide the RCASHOP online, and at our Kensington and Battersea Campuses – this is open to students and staff of the Royal College of Art only to provide paid for materials to support your studies. 

We also provide support to our students who require financial assistance whilst studying, including a dedicated Materials Fund.

External funding

With the Government's introduction of the new Doctoral Loan and the continued support available via the Arts and Humanities Research Council, there are more financial support options than ever before.

Tuition fees are due on the first day of the academic year and students are sent an invoice prior to beginning their studies. Payments can be made in advance, on registration or in two instalments.

Start your application

Change your life and be here in 2024. applications now open..

The Royal College of Art welcomes applicants from all over the world.

Before you begin

Make sure you've read and understood the eligibility requirements and key dates, check you have all the information you need to apply., consider attending an open day, or one of our portfolio or application advice sessions, please note, all applications must be submitted by 12 noon on the given deadline., ask a question.

Get in touch if you’d like to find out more or have any questions.

More opportunities to study at the RCA

Related programmes, master of research rca.

An interdisciplinary research MRes by practice or thesis across art and design

Contemporary Art Practice

A discursive environment of experimentation, self-reflexivity and critical art practices

Committed to broadening the understanding of painting

• Schools & departments

Informatics: IPAB: Robotics, Computer Vision, Computer Graphics and Animation PhD, MPhil, MScR

Awards: PhD, MPhil, MScR

Study modes: Part-time, Full-time

Funding opportunities

Programme website: Informatics: IPAB: Robotics, Computer Vision, Computer Graphics and Animation

Studying at IPAB has not only allowed me to further my own research goals it also provides me with a network of great researchers in close proximity. The exchange and support of ideas as well as the sense of community through regular socials and talks are a big part of what makes the institute a great research environment. Stefanie Speichert PhD Student at the Robust Autonomy and Decisions Lab, 2017-2022

Introduction to Postgraduate Study at the University of Edinburgh

Join us online on 25 September to learn more about Scotland, the city of Edinburgh and postgraduate study at the University.

Find out more and register

Research profile

The Institute of Perception, Action and Behaviour (IPAB) focuses on how to link computational perception, representation, transformation and generation processes to external worlds, in theory and in practice.

This covers domains such as:

• visual perception
• dynamic control of robot systems
• active sensing and decision making
• biomimetic robotics
• computer-based generation of external phenomena, such as images, music or actions
• agent-based interaction within computer games and animation

Supported by the dynamic research culture of IPAB, you can develop robots that learn their own motor control, mimic animal behaviours, or produce autonomous and coordinated team actions. Or you can work with systems that interpret real images and video, or generate complex behaviour in animated characters.

We aim to link strong theoretical perspectives with practical hands-on construction and systems development, and provide the hardware and software support to realise this vision.

• IPAB Website

Programme structure

Find out more about compulsory and optional courses.

We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

Training and support

You carry out your research within a research group under the guidance of a supervisor. You will be expected to attend seminars and meetings of relevant research groups and may also attend lectures that are relevant to your research topic. Periodic reviews of your progress will be conducted to assist with research planning.

A programme of transferable skills courses facilitates broader professional development in a wide range of topics, from writing and presentation skills to entrepreneurship and career strategies.

The School of Informatics is committed to advancing the representation of women in science, mathematics, engineering and technology. The School is deploying a range of strategies to help female staff and students at all stages in their careers and we seek regular feedback from our research community on our performance.

Our robotics labs attract continuous interest from industry, government and members of the public, containing:

• a range of mobile platforms
• robot manipulators
• humanoid robots
• custom-built sensor and actuation systems

Recent developments include:

• the UK's only NASA Valkyrie robot platform
• application of robotic hardware to prosthetics and assisted living
• a team that competes in the international robot soccer league

Our new Edinburgh Centre for Robotics (ECR) brings collaboration with Heriot-Watt University to expand the range of facilities and applications we can explore, helping fund research training.

The machine vision lab has facilities for:

• 3D range data capture
• motion capture
• high-resolution and high-speed video

The high-performance computing needed for graphics is well supported, including hardware partnerships with companies such as NVIDIA.

Career opportunities

While many of our graduates go on to highly successful academic careers, others find their niche in commercial research labs, putting their knowledge and skills to use in an industry setting. Several of our recent graduates have set up or joined spin-out robotics companies.

Entry requirements

These entry requirements are for the 2024/25 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2025/26 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2024.

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in a computing or engineering field. You should have strong programming skills.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country
• English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 6.5 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 92 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced ( CAE ) / C2 Proficiency ( CPE ): total 176 with at least 169 in each component.
• Trinity ISE : ISE II with distinctions in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 62 with at least 59 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS , TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE , in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old* at the beginning of your programme of study. (*Revised 05 March 2024 to extend degree validity to five years.)

Find out more about our language requirements:

• Academic Technology Approval Scheme

If you are not an EU , EEA or Swiss national, you may need an Academic Technology Approval Scheme clearance certificate in order to study this programme.

Fees and costs

Scholarships and funding

Featured funding.

• School of Informatics scholarships for research students
• Research scholarships for international students
• Edinburgh Doctoral College Scholarship

UK government postgraduate loans

If you live in the UK, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from one of the UK’s governments.

The type and amount of financial support you are eligible for will depend on:

• your programme
• the duration of your studies
• your tuition fee status

Programmes studied on a part-time intermittent basis are not eligible.

• UK government and other external funding

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

• Search for funding

Further information

• IGS Admissions Administrator
• Phone: +44 (0)131 651 5635
• Contact: [email protected]
• School of Informatics Graduate School
• Office 3.42, Informatics Forum
• Central Campus
• Programme: Informatics: IPAB: Robotics, Computer Vision, Computer Graphics and Animation
• School: Informatics
• College: Science & Engineering

Select your programme and preferred start date to begin your application.

PhD Informatics: IPAB: Robotics, Computer Vision, Computer Graphics and Animation - 6 Years (Part-time)

Phd informatics: ipab: robotics, computer vision, computer graphics and animation - 3 years (full-time), mphil informatics: ipab: robotics, computer vision, computer graphics and animation - 4 years (part-time), mphil informatics: ipab: robotics, computer vision, computer graphics and animation - 2 years (full-time), msc by research informatics: ipab: robotics, computer vision, computer graphics and animation - 1 year (full-time), msc by research informatics: ipab: robotics, computer vision, computer graphics and animation - 2 years (part-time), application deadlines.

Applications for 2024/25 entry are now open and can be submitted all year round.

Please submit your completed application at least three months prior to desired entry date.

If you want to be considered for School funded PhD scholarships you must apply by one of two rounds:

Please note that some University and School scholarships require separate applications via the Scholarships portal.

(Revised 25 October 2023 to update application deadlines)

(Revised 15 February 2024 to extend the round 2 application deadline)

• How to apply

You must submit two references with your application.

You must submit an application via the application portal and provide the required information and documentation. This will include submission of:

• a Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• research proposal (2 to 5 pages long)
• degree certificates and official transcripts of all completed and in-progress degrees (plus certified translations if academic documents are not issued in English).
• two academic references

Only complete applications are passed on to the academic selection stage.

Read through detailed guidance on how to apply for a PGR programme in the School of Informatics

• School of Informatics PGR Application Guidance

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

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MA Animation

MA Animation explores both the theory and practice of animation across a broad range of experimental visual media.

Applications closed 2024/25

We are no longer accepting applications for 2024/25 entry to this course. Applications for 2025/26 entry will open in Autumn 2024.

MA Animation online mode

This version of MA Animation is offered in in-person mode. Alternatively, you may be interested in applying to an  online version of the course .

Applying for more than 1 course

You can apply for more than 1 postgraduate course at UAL but we recommend that you apply for no more than 3. Find out more in the Apply Now section .

Why choose this course at London College of Communication

• Artists as authors: You’ll use course projects to explore and position your practice as a filmmaker, animator and moving image artist in an informed and progressive manner.
• Critical community: You’ll develop the tools to analyse and understand visual history and culture through project groups, seminars, study trips and workshops.
• Building networks: You’ll enhance your career potential by engaging with guest experts, and access postgraduate resources, events and opportunities through the wider UAL community.
• Advanced learning: Encouraged to work independently, you’ll manage your own development and consider possibilities offered by working at a higher academic level.
• Connecting resources to contexts: With access to outstanding technical facilities, library catalogues and archival collections, you’ll be led by processes of making - developing work for professional contexts while preparing to progress as an artist, animator, director, author or academic.

Open Evening

The next Open Evening for this course will be announced soon.

Course overview

MA Animation explores both theory and practice, giving you the tools to express your creative ideas using a range of visual media.

In an era with unparalleled opportunities for skilled visual communicators, and with advancing technologies changing how the moving image is experienced by audiences, we teach animation as an experimental visual practice .

You’ll be encouraged to test boundaries and experiment to find your own creative voice. You’ll explore meaningful themes while learning how to engage with audiences through multi-disciplinary approaches and outlining critical ideas in visual culture, drawing reference to contemporary, personal, social, ethical, cultural, political, religious and environmental issues.

What to expect

• Develop accomplished skills in animation practice, evidenced in a portfolio of work.
• Test creative ideas within a critical framework.
• Learn skills of team-working, reflecting workflows of professional practices.
• Develop a deeper knowledge of the theory that underpins your practice.

Industry experience and opportunities

Enterprise and employability are central to the design of the course, enabling you to develop your creative, technical and academic skills, and to apply these to your own creative practice.

Where possible, you may have opportunities to work on projects such as live briefs, industry partnerships, or a combination of activities.

Mode of study

MA Animation is offered in full-time mode and runs for 45 weeks over 15 months, with a break over the summer. You will be expected to commit an average of 40 hours per week to your course, including teaching hours and independent study.

Course units

In response to the Climate Emergency, UAL has embedded responsible practices within the curriculum. We shaped our courses around principles of social and racial justice, and environmental sustainability that ensure learning outcomes reflect the urgent need to equip you with the understanding, skills, and values for ethical practice and empower you to work towards an equitable future.

This MA course is divided into five units. Each unit is credit-rated. The minimum unit size is 20 credits. The total credits for this course is 180 credits.

Autumn, term 1

Experiment: creative practice (20 credits).

In Term 1 you will explore a range of technical and conceptual approaches to animation by producing short-form animation tests. This unit aims to support the development on your individual voice as an animation practitioner.

You'll engage in experimental animation process and practice, developing your distinct visual voice. This is underpinned by critical study that significantly expands your understanding of the themes that animation can address in a critical context, and by a technical programme that ensures you are able to experiment widely with various animation techniques.

Analyse: Informed Practice (20 credits)

In this unit, you will engage in a programme of theoretical seminars that explore the specific cinematic underpinning of animation culture and practice.

This forms the technical and conceptual basis for the subsequent units of the course.

Spring, term 2

Collaborative unit (20 credits).

You’ll have the opportunity to engage in a specific collaboration with a related course or an external partner. Collaborative partners may include fellow postgraduate students at LCC or UAL, postgraduate students at other Higher Education Institutions, and external organisations such as companies, cultural institutions, community groups, NGOs and charities.

Create: Personal Project (60 credits)

In this unit, you'll develop and produce a short animation or a body of experiments that form a coherent project - exploring a range of technical and conceptual approaches to the workflow of professional animation production.

Working from concept, research and development to pre-production, production and post-production, you'll outline a critical idea or theme that draws reference to a range of contemporary, personal, social, ethical, cultural, political religious and/or environmental issues.

Summer and Autumn, terms 3 and 4 

Propel: professional futures (60 credits).

You’ll bring together the knowledge, skills and experience gained on the course to produce a self-directed, collaborative project and associated critical investigation.

If, during the course of your studies, you are unable to continue and you decide to exit the course, you may get one of these two possible exit awards:

• Postgraduate Certificate will be awarded on successful completion of the first 60 credits.
• Postgraduate Diploma will be awarded on successful completion of the first 120 credits.

Learning and teaching methods

• Lectures/large group learning and peer learning
• Workshop and seminar learning
• Co–creation seminars
• Academic tutorials
• Individual and group critiques 
• Individual project work
• Self-Directed learning
• Assessed assignments
• Technical workshops
• Demonstrations

UAL Showcase

Explore work by our recent students on the ual showcase.

Myths about Disability

Emily and her Friends

Bingxue Xiang

Twist and Shout

Architect Interview Simulator

Rosa Sawyers

See more work by our students

Student work

Student trailers 2022

Student trailers 2021

Student trailers 2020

Student trailers 2019

Kaleidoscope

Student trailers 2018

Eternal While It Lasts

Xueying Pei

Pomegranate

Taddea Tinchon

I was Attacked

Sara Massieu

Noura Kamal

The Ichthyophbia Experience

Love Yourself

The Mind Of An Artist

Bernard Cohen

Postgraduate Show and Online Showcase, 2023

Student voices

Zuliana Eusoff

Zuliana’s final major project is a 2D-animated music video for a Malaysian rock band.

Itziar Ortiz

Itziar talks through her film, a personal project dedicated to her sister using hand drawn 2D animation.

• Rosa Beiroa

Rosa's project is a poetic hand drawn animation, exploring the beauty of the female body. Rosa talks through her film and time studying at London College of Communication.

Asheila Amara

In this student voice, Asheila talks through her final major project and experience of studying MA Animation.

Course stories

MA Animation graduate wins award at Edinburgh International Film Festival

Yu Sun shares her journey towards studying animation at postgraduate level, and the importance of sound and motion in pacing a compelling narrative.

Showcase Spotlight: MA Animation

In celebration of this year’s Postgraduate Showcase, we explore work from our MA Animation graduates.

Spotlight On: Yanming Yang, MA Animation – LCC Postgraduate Shows 2019

Explore projects from graduating students from London College of Communication's MA Animation course, exhibiting as part of LCC Postgraduate Shows 2019.

MA Animation grad's 'Roadkill' selected for Cannes Film Festival, shortlisted for BAFTA, wins Best Animation at Aesthetica Short Film Festival

MA Animation graduate Leszek Mozga’s short film ‘Roadkill’ will be shown at the 72nd Festival de Cannes as part of the Cinéfondation Selection, and has also been shortlisted for BAFTA's Student Film Award.

See all stories

Printmaking

This workshop offers a wide-range of expertise in everything from etching to lithography.

The Digital Space

The Digital Space is an open-plan, creative hub with computers set up with specialist software.

Animation and Games Design

Discover the range of resources on offer to students studying Animation and Games Design.

Course Leader, MA Animation

Lecturer, MA Animation

Lizzy Hobbs

Senior Lecturer, MA Animation

Dr Chris de Selincourt

• Carla Mackinnon
• Dominica Harrison
• Mario Radev
• David McGowan
• Alejandro Martinez
• Alejandra Serra

Opportunities for all

We welcome applications from people with disabilities. If you have a disability (e.g. mobility difficulties, sensory impairments, medical or mental health conditions or Asperger’s syndrome) we strongly encourage you to contact us on [email protected] or +44 (0)20 7514 6156 so that we can plan the right support for you. All enquiries are treated confidentially. To find out more, visit our Disability & Dyslexia webpages.

Information for disabled applicants

• Dyslexia or another Specific Learning Difference
• A sensory impairment
• A physical impairment
• A long-term health or mental health condition
• Another long-term condition which has an impact on your day-to-day life

Fees and funding

£13,330

This fee is correct for 2024/25 entry and is subject to change for 2025/26 entry.

Tuition fees may increase in future years for new and continuing students on courses lasting more than one year. For this course, you can pay tuition fees in instalments.

Students from countries outside of the UK will generally be charged international fees. The rules are complex so read more about tuition fees and determining your fee status.

International fee

£28,570

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Entry requirements

An applicant will normally be considered for admission if they have achieved an educational level equivalent to an honours degree in either animation, illustration, visual communication, graphic design or closely related subject, and present a portfolio of moving-image work. However, we do not exclude candidates who have graduated from other less strongly aligned disciplines.

This educational level may be demonstrated by:

• Honours degree (named above);
• Possession of equivalent qualifications;
• Prior experiential learning, the outcome of which can be demonstrated to be equivalent to formal qualifications otherwise required;
• Or a combination of formal qualifications and experiential learning which, taken together, can be demonstrated to be equivalent to formal qualifications otherwise required.

APEL (Accreditation of Prior Learning)

Applicants who do not meet these course entry requirements may still be considered in exceptional cases. The course team will consider each application that demonstrates additional strengths and alternative evidence. This might, for example, be demonstrated by:

• Related academic or work experience
• The quality of the personal statement
• A strong academic or other professional reference
• OR a combination of these factors

Each application will be considered on its own merit but we cannot guarantee an offer in each case.

Language requirements

All classes are conducted in English. If English is not your first language, we strongly recommend you let us know your English language test score in your application. If you have booked a test or are awaiting your results, please indicate this in your application. When asked to upload a CV as part of your application, please include any information about your English test score.

• IELTS 6.5 (or equivalent) is required, with a minimum of 5.5 in each of the four skills.
• If your first language is not English, you can check you have achieved the correct IELTS level in English on the  Language Requirements page .

Selection criteria

Offers will be made based on the following selection criteria, which applicants are expected to demonstrate:

• Sufficient prior knowledge and experience of and/or potential in animation practice to be able to successfully complete the programme of study, and have an academic or professional background in a relevant subject
• Knowledge of visual culture and an ability to engage in critical discussion

Application deadline

13 December 2023 at 1pm (UK time)

3 April 2024 at 1pm (UK time)

Digital portfolio deadline

16 January 2024

16 April 2024

Decision outcome

End of March 2024

End of June 2024

Applications are now closed for 2024/25 entry. Applications for 2025/26 entry will open in autumn 2024.

Follow this step-by-step guide to apply for this course

Step 1: Initial application

You will need to submit an initial application including your personal statement and CV.

Personal statement advice

This should be about 500 words long and include:

• your reasons for choosing the course
• your current creative practice and how this course will help you achieve your future plans
• any relevant education and experience, especially if you do not have any formal academic qualifications.

Please provide a CV detailing your education, qualifications and any relevant work or voluntary experience. If you have any web projects or other media that you would like to share, please include links in your CV. If English is not your first language, please also include your most recent English language test score.

Step 2: Digital portfolio

We will review your initial application. If you have met the standard entry requirements, we will ask you to submit a digital portfolio.

You’ll need to submit these via PebblePad, our online portfolio tool.

Digital portfolio advice

Your portfolio should consist of recent work that reflects your creative strengths.

• include the follow 2 pieces of work only. Both pieces must be created by you as an individual, not as part of a group.
• feature 1 complete animation that showcases your best animation work and/or narrative skills.
• feature 1 animation, image or alternative medium that employs the technique and/or theme that you wish to approach during your MA studies. This work can be a fragment, a test or a completed animation.
• be clearly labelled with titles and dates
• be uploaded directly onto PebblePad as video or image files. Accepted file types include avi, mp4, mpg, mpeg, mkv, mov, wmv for video files or jpeg, png for imagery. Please do not include any links to websites.

Options for upload can be, video files (e.g. avi, mp4, mpg, mpeg, mkv, mov, wmv) or image files (jpeg, png) and should be clearly labelled with numbers and titles.

Please do not submit links to websites (e.g. Youtube, Vimeo, Dropbox). Please upload images and films directly on PebblePad.

Please do not add extra items to the portfolio. You should submit no more than the two items requested

For more support, see our Portfolio advice and PebblePad advice .

Step 3: Interview

You may be invited to an interview following our review of your application. All interviews are held online and last 15 to 20 minutes.

For top tips, see our Interview advice .

You also need to know

Communicating with you.

Once you have submitted your initial application, we will email you with your login details for our Applicant portal .

Requests for supplementary documents like qualifications and English language tests will be made through the applicant portal. You can also use it to ask questions regarding your application. Visit our After you apply page for more information.

Applying to more than 1 course

You can apply for more than 1 postgraduate course at UAL but we recommend that you apply for no more than 3 courses. You need to tailor your application, supporting documents and portfolio to each course, so applying for many different courses could risk the overall quality of your application. If you receive offers for multiple courses, you'll only be able to accept 1 offer. UAL doesn't accept repeat applications to the same course in the same academic year.

Visas and immigration history check

All non-UK nationals must complete an immigration history check. Your application may be considered by our course teams before this check takes place. This means that we may request your portfolio and/or video task before we identify any issues arising from your immigration history check. Sometimes your history may mean that we are not able to continue considering your application. Visit our Immigration and visas advice page for more information.

External student transfer policy

UAL accepts transfers from other institutions on a case-by-case basis. Read our Student transfer policy for more information.

Alternative offers

If your application is really strong, but we believe your strengths and skillset are better suited to a different course, we may make you an alternative offer . This means you will be offered a place on a different course or at a different UAL College.

Deferring your place

We do not accept any deferral requests for our postgraduate courses. This means that you must apply in the year that you plan to start your course and you will not be able to defer your place to start at a later date.

Application deadlines

For postgraduate courses at UAL there are 2 equal consideration deadlines to ensure fairness for all our applicants. If you apply ahead of either of these deadlines, your application will be considered on an equal basis with all other applications in that round. If there are places available after the second deadline, the course will remain open to applications until places have been filled.

Graduates of MA Animation will be equipped to work in an increasingly technologically informed and interdisciplinary design world, with in-depth skills in the following areas: animation and animation production both 3D and 2D visual communication, narrative and sequential image making, typography, and time-based design as well as having a portfolio of personal work to enable you to seek work as a commercial animation director.

A significant proportion of graduates from this course will want to practice as commercial animators.

London College of Communication

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MPhil/PhD Research Degrees

Research degrees are awarded in recognition of significant contributions to knowledge and scholarship produced through the development of original research through supervised, self-directed study.

• Register your interest
• Book an open day
• View our prospectus
• How to Apply

Course information

The MPhil/PhD Award at AUB is validated by the University of the Arts London (UAL).

If you'd like to find out more, book a call with the Research team now.

Course outline

Your research may combine the practice, theory and /or history of your specialist area and you will be guided in your study to define clearly and persuasively what is original and innovative about your chosen topic and how best to present and disseminate your arguments and findings, whether this is substantially a written thesis or via a combination of practice (for example, exhibition, installation) and text-based critique.

Because of the individual nature of your study, your requirements (for example, for studio space or other specialist resources) will be discussed with your supervisor.

Students will register for full/part-time study, in the first instance for MPhil qualification and, following successful upgrade through Confirmation, for PhD.

The MPhil degree is awarded in recognition of a systematic, well documented and well argued study which demonstrates a degree of originality and critical awareness. It should also demonstrate a distinct contribution to scholarship. It is an award in its own right or, alternatively, it may be undertaken as preparation for a PhD.

The PhD is awarded in recognition of a significant contribution to knowledge and understanding. The thesis should contain material which is worthy of publication or public presentation. The doctorate must represent a more substantial individual achievement and demonstrate recognisably greater depth than an MPhil.

Research degree supervisors

If you've got a question for our research supervisors, get in touch with the Research Office by email or call +44 1202 363334

Find details of our research degree supervisors below:

BA (Hons), MA

PhD, M.Sc., FHEA

BA, MA, PGCAP, PhD

PhD, MA, FHEA

PhD, MA, BA (Hons), FHEA

PhD, BA (Hons), FHEA, FRHistS

PhD, MA, BA, FHEA

PhD, MA, PGDip, BA (Hons), PGCert, FHEA

PhD, MA, BA (Hons), PGCE, CAPF

PhD, BA(Hons), FHEA

PhD, MA, BA

PhD, PGCert, MA, BFA, FHEA

PhD, MA, PGCE, FHEA, SEDA

Dipl Arch, PhD

BA, PGCE, MA, PhD

PhD, MA, FBIPP, FHEA

PhD, MA, PGCE, Drama Dip, SFHEA

PhD, MA, BA, PGCE (HE), CTPD

Research students

Find out more about what our current research students are working on.

How to apply

The next deadline for entry to commence study in February 2025 is 30 November 2024.

Frequently asked questions

What are the entry requirements.

• An upper second class honours degree (2:1) from a recognised higher education institution.
• Also, a Master’s level qualification in an appropriate subject to be considered for registration for MPhil / PhD at AUB.

In some instances, applicants without this requirement may be considered if they can demonstrate appropriate alternative qualifications, professional experience or previous research and an understanding of research methodologies appropriate to their proposed programme of study.

If English is not your first language, you’ll need to meet our English language entry requirements by providing one of the following:

A recent AUB approved English Language Test (ELT) – such as an IELTS 7.0 with a 7.0 in writing and with no other component score lower than 6.0, or an equivalent test score. Your qualification needs to have been awarded no more than 2 years prior to your enrolment date.

You can apply before you receive your English Language Test or MA certificate. If you’re offered a place, you’ll need to show your qualification before enrolment.

Applicants should be aware that meeting the University’s minimum entry requirements does not guarantee entry. This is only one of the factors taken into account when the University makes its decision. Many other factors are also important, such as the availability of suitable supervisors and resources; suitability for research degree study at AUB; relevant experience; and references.

What is the length of study?

• PhD: 3 years (Maximum length 4 years)
• MPhil: 2 years (Maximum length 3 years)
• PhD: 5 years (Maximum length 8 years)
• MPhil: 3 years (Maximum length 6 years)

What is a PhD awarded for?

An MPhil degree is awarded in recognition of a systematic, well-documented and well-argued study, which demonstrates a degree of originality and critical awareness. It should also demonstrate a distinct contribution to scholarship.

How much contact time with my research supervisors will I receive?

• Full-time students: 20 hours contact hours a year in total (10 supervisory meetings)
• Part-time students: 10 hours contact hours a year in total (five supervisory meetings)

It's up to each supervisory team to agree when supervisory meetings take place.

Supervisory meetings don't all have to be face-to-face; some can, with the agreement of the supervisory team, be virtual.

When do I need to attend AUB and UAL?

• Participation in research groups
• Research events such as RKE seminars, workshops, training and development opportunities, PGR symposia.

It's possible to attend training and events online, from a distance and also have supervision online if this is preferred. But the University would encourage on-campus attendance where possible.

Research training delivered through the Research Network University of the Arts London can be accessed online and sessions are recorded. This includes block weeks of training in the autumn, spring and summer and online study days that cover the key stages of progression.

What is the programme of study?

The format of study for a research degree (MPhil/PhD) is very different from a taught degree. As a research student, you'll engage in a programme of independent research and/or practice-based work. Following discussion with your Director of Studies, you'll be assigned one, or sometimes two, second supervisors with whom you'll plan your programme of research and with whom you'll have regular tutorials to support your study throughout your time as a student.

Your research may combine the practice, theory and/or history of your specialist area and you'll be guided in your study to define clearly and persuasively what is original and innovative about your chosen topic and how best to present and disseminate your arguments and findings. All research students will develop an original written thesis and practice-based candidates will also produce accompanying creative work (for example, a series of drawings or a film).

What are the key stages of the research degree process?

• Year One: Enrolment/registration
• Year Two: Confirmation (upgrade to PhD)
• Year Three: Submission and examination
• Year Three: Confirmation (upgrade to PhD)
• Year Five: Submission and examination

Enrolment takes place in September/October.

Registration

Once successfully enrolled at AUB, your supervisory team will advise you in developing a full proposal for submission to the University’s Research Degrees Committee, so that your research degree can be formally registered with the University of the Arts London. In this submission you will indicate your intended degree (MPhil or PhD). Research Degrees Committee will also consider the ethical dimensions of your project. If your project is considered more than minimal ethical risk, approval of your registration will also need to be sought from the University of the Arts London Research Ethics Sub-Committee. The application for registration will normally be submitted within two months for full-time students and three months for part-time.

Once these committees have approved your application for registration, you will be officially registered for an unspecified research degree with the intention to complete a programme of study for an MPhil or a PhD. The degree for which you are ultimately examined is confirmed at Confirmation.

Students must not undertake any ‘field’ research until they've obtained ethical approval.

Confirmation After a probationary period (normally 12-18 months for full-time and 24-36 months for part-time students) your supervisory team will assist you in developing your application to confirm the degree for which you will ultimately be examined.

Final submission and examination Your final submission will be a written thesis.

• If you're doing a purely theoretical PhD, you must write between 60,000 and 100,000 words.
• If a practice-based PhD, you must write between 30,000 and 100,000 words and submit a body of work.

Examination is by an oral examination or viva, and is with academics who are normally external to AUB.

How do I make an application?

Full-time and part-time applications should be made directly to AUB through our online application system . Applications are assessed for suitability for research degree study at AUB including the strength of the research proposal and supervisory expertise and capacity.

Applicants are normally invited to put forward a draft proposal in advance of making an application to ensure that AUB has expertise to supervise in the proposed area of study.

Draft proposals should be returned by email to the [email protected] to include a brief outline of no more than 1,000 words to include your research proposal, reason for study and your relevant academic/professional background. This will enable the University to make an initial assessment of whether your topic and experience are appropriate for research degree study at AUB before you make a formal application. If considered suitable, the applicant is normally invited for interview. Please use the guidance on writing proposals to help you structure your draft.

Selected applicants will be invited to attend a formal interview to discuss their proposal. They may be invited to provide supporting material such as samples of academic writing or examples of their creative practice.

The interviewing panel will make a recommendation based on whether the project and candidate are appropriate for doctoral level study at AUB and the availability of appropriate supervision and resources.

Recommendations will be considered by the Chair of Research Degrees Committee/Director of Innovation and Research Degrees. Applications that are approved will be made a conditional or unconditional offer of a place to study.

Can I access funding?

If you are from the UK, you may be eligible to take out a postgraduate doctoral loan from the UK government. The loan is paid directly to you and can be used for your course fees and living costs. The loan will be divided equally across each year of your course. Full details, including eligibility criteria and repayment terms, can be found on gov.uk/doctoral-loan .

Can international students study part-time?

Distance learning route

In addition to meeting the standard academic and language eligibility requirements, applicants to the distance learning overseas online mode need to demonstrate that they:

• can successfully conduct their research with the resources available to them at their distance learning place of study;
• have access to appropriate IT facilities, so that they can engage in supervision and training from their distance learning place of study:
• have the necessary time, commitment, and appropriate attitude toward distance learning online study

Students on this mode don't hold a Student Visa so cannot enter the UK for the purpose of study or access AUB physical resources or buildings. Distance Learning Students have access to online resources available to all PGR students.

How many hours do I need to spend studying for a PhD, and can I work?

As a part-time student you are expected to commit to an average of 17.5 hours a week to your research. Paid employment may be undertaken within reason and such that it isn't detrimental to your studies i.e. normally no more than 23.5 hours paid work per week during term time.

You may need to spend more time on your PhD at key stages of progression such as confirmation and submission. Students requiring a visa in order to study at the University will need to check the terms and conditions relating to their eligibility to work.

Where can I find further information?

E: [email protected]

T: +44 1202 363334

If you have questions about the regulations, please see UAL’s Handbook and Regulations for further information and guidance on research degrees.

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10 UK Colleges with Animation PhD Programs

Which UK Colleges Offer Animation PhD Programs? ACR Takes a Look.

What are the Top Schools in the UK for Animation PhD Programs?

If you’re looking for a top Animation MFA program in the U.S., you won’t have any trouble finding a variety of options. UCLA, SCAD, and RIT are just a few. If you’re interested in Animation PhD programs? Well, let’s just say your search will be a bit more challenging. True, USC’s School of Cinematic Arts offers an excellent option—the PhD in Cinematic Arts. But if you want to earn a PhD that focuses on animation, you’ll have to find a school that is willing to customize its PhD program in art, design or other similar area to suit your goals. If you can’t find a suitable option, that’s OK. America’s strongest ally has you covered. Just head to the UK! 

The UK is one of the easiest and most popular places to study abroad today. American students don’t have to worry about learning another language, and travel within the UK and to neighboring countries is affordable and convenient. The UK and the U.S. have many cultural similarities as well, so students can enjoy the same types of entertainment, recreation, and social institutions there as they do back home. 

Students will also find that the educational institutions in the UK have more similarities than differences to those in the U.S. A few examples include teaching styles, internship opportunities, and the types of on-campus organizations and clubs. One welcome difference, however, is the cost. Though the cost of postsecondary education in both countries is far from cheap, tuition costs in the U.S. are generally higher. 

Find a school

So, if you want to earn a PhD in Animation and the UK sounds like a great place to do it, take a look at our list of 10 popular options below and what they have to offer. Please note that the schools are not ranked. 

1. Arts University of Bournemouth, Poole, Dorset, UK  

Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) is a specialist institution offering degrees in the areas of art, design, media, and performance. Home to more than 3,000 students, AUB is one of a small number of UK colleges dedicated solely to the study of art, design, media and performance.

Students seeking the highest degree levels in animation have two options—the MPhil or PhD. The programs consist of the following unique research groups: Animation, Creative Pedagogies, Fashion and Textiles, and Plastics in Art and Design. AUB research degrees are awarded through a partnership with the University of the Arts London. 

Note that for the 2013-2014 school year, at 97.4 percent, AUB had the highest percentage of graduates entering employment and/or further study within six months of graduation out of all universities in the UK. 

2. Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK  

Loughborough University is home to some 17,600 students from over 100 different countries. The school houses the School of the Arts, English and Drama, which offers Fine Art, English, Drama, Graphic Communication & Illustration, Publishing, and Textiles programs at all degree levels. The MPhil/PhD program is home to the Animation Academy—a “center for animation research, scholarship, practice and exhibition, embracing tradition and progress, education and industry, art and commerce; and dedicated to excellence at a national and international level in all its activities.” Students in the program may choose to study with one of the following research groups: Animation Academy, Drawing and Visualization, or Digital Humanities. 

Film, Photography and Digital Media are other options. Programs lead to an MPhil or PhD in Art and Design. 

3. Royal College of Art, London, UK  

The Royal College of Art (RCA) is the “world's only wholly postgraduate art and design school.” The school, which is home to around 800 students from over 60 countries, offers 24 programs through six integral schools. The six schools focus on architecture, design, fine art, humanities, communication and material. Graduates of these schools (more than 93 percent) are professionally active in art and design five years after graduation. 

Per the School of Communication, “the Animation, Information Experience Design and Visual Communication programs welcome applications for research degrees study in relevant areas of communication research.” Students in all research areas have full access to the School’s specialist workshops (digital print, animation, moving image, sound, letterpress) and labs (information experience design, animation, visual communication) to produce and present their practical work. The programs lead to an MPhil or PhD. 

4. University of the Arts London, London, UK  

University of the Arts London (UAL) is made up of six colleges including Camberwell College of Arts, Central Saint Martins, Chelsea College of Arts, London College of Communication, London College of Fashion, and Wimbledon College of Arts. Across all six schools, UAL offers the MPhil or PhD with the option to conduct research in subject areas in art, design, and communication. A few current subjects include Animation, Interactive, Film and Sound, Theater, Screen, and Performance Design, Fine Art, and Communication and Graphic Design. Specific research degrees have been awarded in Animation and Moving Image and Interactive and Sound Arts.  

5. University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, UK  

The University of Kent is home to more than 20,000 students from 148 nationalities. The school has seven locations including Canterbury, (main campus), Medway, and Tonbridge, UK; Brussels, Belgium; Paris, France; Athens, Greece, and Rome, Italy. Three faculties (Humanities, Sciences, and Social Sciences) comprise 18 academic schools and three academic centers. The School of Engineering and Digital Arts is home to the Digital Media Group. 

Per the School, in the area of time-based media, the Group has substantial interest in “digital film capture and editing and manipulation on to fully animated 3D modelling techniques” such as those used “in games and feature films.” Research Themes include Computer Animation and Digital Visual Effects, Digital Arts, Human Computer Interaction (HCI) and Social Computing, Mobile Application Design and Development, E-Learning Technology, and Medical Multimedia Applications and Telemedicine. The program is available at the Canterbury campus. 

6. Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK  

Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) consists four main campuses including Cambridge, Chelmsford, London, and Peterborough, UK. With 35,000 students, the school is one of the largest universities in the East of England. ARU offers hundreds of programs in areas from art and design to social sciences and humanities. Programs are offered at all degree levels.  

Advanced animation students typically choose the MPhil or PhD in Computer Science, which covers animation, image manipulation, video systems, virtual worlds, gaming, 2D and 3D modelling, cloud computing, AI, audio applications, satellite technology, internet technologies and mobile media technology. The program is available at the school’s campus in Cambridge, “one of the UK’s premier science and technology cities.” 

7. University College of London, London, UK  

In 1826, University College of London (UCL) became the first university in England to welcome students of any class or religion, and the first to welcome women on equal terms with men. Today, the school is home to 38,000 students from 150 different countries. UCL offers programs in all subject areas leading to a BA, BSc, LLB, MEng, MA, MSc, PGCE, MPhil or PhD. 

Animators who would like to earn one of the highest degrees in the field choose the MPhil or PhD in Culture, Communication and Media. Past research areas have included Young People’s Production of Digital Animation, Film and Computer Games, Virtual Worlds, Moving Image and Video Games, Online Communities, and Play and Film, to name a few.  

8. Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK  

Goldsmiths, University of London offers programs in the arts, humanities, social sciences, cultural studies, computing, business and management, across 20 academic departments. Home to more than 8,500 students, the school offers the MPhil and PhD in Media Communications (MC). Students are encouraged to submit a proposal for Animation Research or other related area. The MC Department consists of a team of industry professionals active in Animation, TV, Film, Journalism, and Radio. 

Students will research individually or under supervision. Related degree options include the MPhil or PhD in Arts & Computational Technology and Intelligent Games & Game Intelligence. 

9. Falmouth University, Falmouth and Penryn, Cornwall, England UK  

According to the Falmouth University website, this art and design school has been the UK’s number one arts university for three years. In addition, the school says that 97 percent of graduates are working or involved in further study just six months after graduating. 

Falmouth U consists of 10 schools ranging from Architecture, Design & Interiors to the Games Academy. The School of Film & Television is home to the Animation Program. Advanced animation students seeking the highest degree typically choose the MPhil or PhD Research Program. The programs accept applications for interdisciplinary research in any art, design, media, performing arts or writing subject areas. 

10. Birmingham City University, Birmingham, England, UK  

Birmingham City University (BCU) is home to the Birmingham School of Art, which invites applicants to submit proposals for Art and Design PhD research within areas such as Art History, Education and Design Practice; Research in Art, Dissemination, Impact; Speculative Topologies of Art-design Practices, Radical Matter in Art & Philosophy, Center for Chinese Visual Arts, and others. Once accepted, students will become members of the research culture in Art and Design at BCU that includes CFAR (Centre for Fine Art Research) at the Birmingham School of Art, the Typographic Hub, Design Business Innovation Lab, Zero Carbon Lab, the Fashion & Textiles Research Group, and others. 

Per BCU, students will “attend regular research seminars, conferences and symposia and will receive a dedicated workspace that acts as the hub of their PhD research activity.” They may also strengthen their PhD research and professional/personal development by “participating in wider international research communities and conferences, and by helping to teach degree modules to undergraduate students.” 

For more information about study abroad opportunities, take a look at The Benefits of Animation Study Abroad Programs or Best Overseas Locations for Animation Internships: London, UK . 

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• Top 50 Nationally for Animation (#14) - 2021
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"19 Institutions Offering Postgraduate Animation Courses in the UK." Hotcourses International . Hotcourses LTD, 2017. Web. 19 May 2017. 

PhDPortal . StudyPortals B.V., 2007-2017. Web. 19 May 2017. 

"Places of Interest in Great Britain." Study Abroad UK . StudyAbroadUK, 2017. Web. 19 May 2017.

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UK Animation Degree

Learn how to tell stories and engage audiences by creating the illusion of movement with a uk animation degree.

Animation courses in the UK teach you the key skills needed for a successful career in drawing, character animation, graphics and video production. Many courses are taught by industry professionals who have extensive knowledge of this highly skilled field.

Course modules will generally include illustration, visual communication, digital film and animation, visualisation, design, animation for computer games and general media. You will be expected to create work which can be used in films, television advertisements, cartoons and computer games, and already have a base talent both creatively and technically.

Alongside learning the core practical skills needed to succeed, students will also study conceptual and theoretical topics such as art, design, communication, narrative and scripting. Animation media allow students to become part of the 3D, CG, games and film production networks in the UK and beyond.

Types of Animation Course

Bachelor of animation.

A BA in Animation in the UK blends creativity and technical skills. Students explore digital design, storytelling, and computer imagery, making characters and scenes vibrant. Graduates develop animation techniques, software proficiency, and teamwork through projects and industry exposure and will unlock doors to careers in film, gaming, and advertising. Situated in a global creative hub, the UK provides ample opportunities for networking and professional growth. With a strong emphasis on practical learning, students refine their artistic talents while mastering the tools of the trade.

• Course Fees: £12,000 to £25,000 per year.
• Course Duration: Usually 3 to 4 years of full-time study.
• International Entry Requirements: A-levels: BBB to CCC; International Baccalaureate (IB): 28 to 32 points or above. 

Master’s of Animation

An Animation MA offers an advanced exploration of the art and technology behind animation. Students delve into intricate storytelling concepts, character development, and visual effects, refining their creative and technical prowess. With access to cutting-edge software and industry insights, graduates gain a deep understanding of animation's diverse applications in film, television, gaming, and virtual reality. The programme fosters collaborative projects and critical thinking, preparing students to lead in the ever-evolving animation landscape. Whether focusing on 2D or 3D animation, graduates emerge with a portfolio showcasing their expertise, poised to contribute innovatively to the global entertainment industry.

• Course Fees: £15,000 to £30,000 per year.

PhD in Animation

Studying for a PhD will allow you to dig deep into how animation works, the stories it tells, and how different cultures influence it. Experienced mentors will be there to help you learn how to do research and add new knowledge to the world of animation. By working hard and being creative, you'll become an expert in animation. This will help you develop new ideas for movies, games, and even teaching.

Animation Scholarships

Animation scholarships collectively signify the UK's commitment to fostering diverse talent and advancing the realms of animation and creative technology.

Animex Scholarship by Teesside University

Intended for underrepresented students, Teesside University offers the Animex Scholarship within the School of Computing, Engineering & Digital Technologies. Applicants enrolling in animation, stop motion, concept art, visual effects, games art, games design, games development, or games programming for the upcoming academic year could secure £2,500.

Creative Futures Scholarship by the University of the Arts London

International students with a passion for creative fields, including animation, can benefit from this scholarship at the University of the Arts London. With a value of £5,000, it aids outstanding individuals by reducing tuition fees, ensuring access to top-tier creative education.

Royal College of Art Animation Scholarship

Recognising brilliance in animation, the Royal College of Art Animation Scholarship welcomes UK and international students to their MA Animation programme. With potential funding of up to £5,000, it empowers innovative animators and nurtures their potential as future leaders in the field.

Animation Jobs and Careers

The animation industry thrives on innovation and creativity, offering a realm of possibilities for those with a passion for visual storytelling and artistic expression.

• Animator: Breathe life into characters, objects, and scenes, creating mesmerising visuals for films, TV shows, games, and beyond.
• Character Designer: Develop unique and compelling characters, infusing them with personality and charm.
• Visual Effects (VFX) Artist: Add stunning effects and enhancements to live-action films or create entirely digital environments.
• Motion Graphics Designer: Blend animation with typography and graphics, producing eye-catching visuals for advertisements, presentations, and digital media.
• 3D Modeler: Shape intricate 3D assets for animations, games, or architectural visualisations.
• Art Director: Leads artistic vision and style, ensuring consistency and excellence throughout the animation.
• Stop Motion Animator: Craft unique animations by manipulating physical objects frame by frame.
• Visual Development Artist: Conceptualise and design the look and feel of animation projects, from characters to environments.
• Technical Director: Combine artistic and technical skills to ensure smooth production workflows.
• Film and TV Production: Collaborate on large-scale productions as part of animation teams, contributing to blockbuster movies and TV shows.

Where can I study Animation in the UK?

To learn more about the best animation courses in the UK, find details on the top ten ranking Animation and Game Design universities in the Guardian University Guide 2024  below:

• University of the Arts London
• Glasgow Caledonian University
• Birmingham City University
• Salford University
• Manchester Metropolitan University
• Coventry University
• University of Hertfordshire
• University of Portsmouth
• University of Brighton
• University of South Wales

Study Animation in the UK

If you are interested in studying an animation course in the UK, arrange your free consultation with SI-UK today.

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Animation Degree FAQ

Is the uk a good place to study animation.

Yes, the UK has a thriving animation industry, and many renowned universities and colleges offer excellent animation degrees. Students can benefit from the UK's creative environment, experienced faculty, and exposure to industry professionals.

What are the best animation courses available in the UK?

The UK offers a plethora of outstanding Animation courses catering to different interests and career paths. Some of the best courses available include "Digital Animation," "Character Animation," "Visual Effects and Motion Graphics," "Stop-Motion Animation," and "Experimental Animation." Leading institutions like the National Film and Television School (NFTS), Royal College of Art, and Arts University Bournemouth are known for their world-class animation courses.

What is the duration of an animation course in the UK?

For an  undergraduate degree , the typical duration is three years. Postgraduate programmes can range from one to two years.

What are the most popular job positions available in the field of Animation in the UK?

The field of animation in the UK offers graduates a range of exciting job opportunities. Some of the most sought-after job positions include:

• Character Animator: Bringing life to characters through movement and emotions in animated films and games.
• Visual Effects (VFX) Artist: Using advanced computer graphics, creating stunning visual effects for films, TV shows, and commercials.
• 3D Modeler: Designing and building 3D models of characters, objects, and environments for animation projects.
• Motion Graphics Designer: Producing dynamic and eye-catching animations for title sequences, commercials, and multimedia presentations.
• Game Animator: Crafting animations for characters and objects within video games to enhance gameplay experiences.

What are some top organisations that hire graduates after an Animation degree in the UK?

Upon completing an animation degree in the UK, graduates can find exciting career opportunities in various industries. Top organisations that actively hire animation graduates include:

• Pixar Animation Studios: Although based in the USA, Pixar is a highly acclaimed animation studio that attracts talent from around the world, including the UK.
• BBC Animation: The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) produces animated content and hires animators for its projects.
• Framestore: A renowned VFX and Animation studio in the UK, known for its work on blockbuster films and commercials.
• Aardman Animations: Famous for creating stop-motion classics like Wallace and Gromit, Aardman Animations offers opportunities for skilled animators.
• Rocksteady Studios: A video game development company known for its Batman: Arkham series and other successful games.
• Industrial Light & Magic (ILM): A division of Lucasfilm and a leader in VFX, which occasionally recruits talent from the UK.

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Animation at UCA

Animation degrees at UCA

If you are looking to make your mark as an animator, illustrator or computer animation artist, our BA and MA animation degrees will help you get there.

You might see your future as a director, storyboard artist, book illustrator or character designer – whatever your ambitions in this dynamic field, our courses will give you the tools and confidence you need.

As you study, you'll link up with students on other courses to collaborate on exciting projects and competitions, and benefit from the knowledge and wisdom of visiting lecturers and industry experts. Working in our state of the art suites and studios, you'll use the latest software and innovations to create your work. Learn more about  our facilities .

Over the years we are proud to say we've taught some of the biggest names in the industry, including BAFTA-winner Grant Orchard, Golden Globe winner Chris Butler and the creators of Peppa Pig and the Compare the Meerkat characters.

Two minute stories

Ross Stringer, who graduated from the BA (Hons) Animation course in 2020, won British Short Animation for Crab Day.

After graduating from UCA Farnham, I went back to live with my parents, using my hour of outdoor time walking around my hometown of Great Yarmouth, walking along the beach, looking at buildings, and people. That summoned up all these memories of how I grew up.

Crab Day is the story of a little boy who, as part of a fishing community’s annual ritual, must kill his first crab to become a man and gain his father’s approval.

Ross met his partner, Ciara Kerr, whilst studying at UCA.

Ciara’s short animation, Homemaker, has received international acclaim, winning Best Animation at the This is England Film Festival in Rouen and Best Film and Outstanding Award at the International Student Film and Video Festival in Beijing.

Ross screened Crab Day to staff and students at UCA Farnham just a few days before the ceremony.

Discover UCA for yourself:

• Read Ross' story
• Book an Open Day
• Begin your application
• Chat to our students
• Submit an enquiry

For her final project, Izzy chose to create a hand-drawn 2D animation film, called Changing Room, based on her own experiences with body image.

The film shows a character who Izzy describes as having “hip dips, leg hair, saggy boobs and fat,” who goes swimming.

With this project, I'm proud of myself for leaving my comfort zone and making something personal... [The film] does seem to resonate. People who’ve watched it tell me they've tried on their swimsuit and twisted and turned in the mirror and thought of my character, and I love that. I hope they remember the ending where the character is at peace with her body.

Izzy’s next goal is to make another body-positive film, and hopefully a sex-positive one too.

For me, [animation] is the most freeing medium and it's a lot easier to express what you want to.

• Read Izzy's story
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One of life’s great questions – where DO all the socks go? is answered in wondrous ways by BA (Hons) Computer Animation Arts graduate Kimberley Davis, who is one of hundreds of graduates exhibiting their work at this year’s Graduation Shows.

Her charming short film entitled “Where do all the socks go?”, sees hidden creatures steal odd socks for comfort while occupants sleep.

At first this was just meant to be a creature design project but evolved to become a short animation exploring odd occurrences that happen around the home... When coming to the final stages of the project, I decided to leave the animation open-ended to allow further adventures!

'The next steps will be to continue honing my skills as a character animator while applying for animator roles. I'd also like to keep pursuing my own projects so I can keep developing skills.'

• Read Kimberley's story
• View Kimberley's YouTube channel

David Hulin graduated in 1998 with a degree in Animation, which at the time was the only degree of its kind offered in Europe.

Since then, he’s gone on to become a powerhouse in CGI animation and VFX for hundreds of commercials for the US market and has worked on a number of films and television shows too, including Harry Potter and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt.

When we won the account, the GEICO gecko was already in existence – they just wanted it to be more expressive and be the star of the commercials... We were booked to do nine commercials, but by the time I left Framestore we’d made 99 commercials!  

David is now founder and Managing Director of Free Range VFX in New York, which has clients including LEGO and Kellogg’s, but is also working separately on its own original animated content.

I remember the horror of my graduation show, answering questions from people while you stand by your work – it’s very exposing and intimidating. But I’ve found human connection really does help, as well as being persistent (without being annoying!)

• Read David's story

Animation 2023 Showreel

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Animation BA (Hons)

• Location Farnham
• Study Level Undergraduate, Integrated Foundation, Integrated International Foundation, Professional Practice
• Entry Options Sept 2024, Sept 2025
• In Clearing

Animation MA

• Study Level Postgraduate, Integrated International Pre-Masters

Games Animation BA (Hons)

Clearing is open join us in 2024.

There’s still time to apply for this September! We have places available through Clearing right now – get in touch and we can help you to find a course you’ll love.

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Explore our gradshows

Each year, we’re privileged to be able to share our graduates’ incredible work with the world. And now’s your chance to take a look.

Careers in Animation

Animation is one of the most significant and rapidly expanding media fields, with an enormous range of career opportunities. Some of these include:

• Animation (for commercials, films, broadcast, online media and games)
• Character design
• Model making
• Production design
• Pre-vis artistry
• Compositing
• Storyboard artistry
• Post-production

Many well-known studios have been set up by our alumni, including:

• Astley Baker Davies (makers of Peppa Pig)
• Film Fabrik
• Honeycomb Animation (makers of Grizzly Tales for Gruesome Kids)
• Mackinnon & Saunders
• Moth Collective
• Slurpy Studios
• Tandem Pictures.

This gives our course very solid links to a vibrant industry, and we enjoy connections with a range of creative talent, studios and potential employers.

Animation news

Explore the latest news from this subject area.

Lauren’s animation bridges the divide

Animation grads nominated for British Animation Awards

Animation graduate celebrates with BAFTA win!

BAFTA nomination and industry accolades for animation’s brightest couple

2022 Grads nominated for BFI Future Film Festival Award

How David created an American advertising icon

Godfrey inspires new Animating Farnham project

Through the eyes of... an Animation student

Join the award-winners.

Our animation students dominated the most recent British Animation Awards, with Meg Earls taking home a prize for Best Undergraduate Film.

Graduates like Grant Orchard have gone on to create iconic characters like Hey Duggee, winning two BAFTAs.

Alumnus Chris Butler recently took home the Golden Globe as director of his animated feature film, Missing Link.

"In my first year I was petrified to pitch my ideas - by the third year, I couldn't wait to do it. I'm so proud of the achievements that have come from my animation projects. Between them, two films I made in my second year have won seven awards worldwide."

Sinéad Stoddard BA (Hons) Animation

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Realtime 3D Facial Animation

Self-funded

Project code

CCTS4531021

Start dates

October, February and April

Application deadline

Applications accepted all year round

Applications are invited for a self-funded, 3 year full-time or 6 year part-time PhD project.

The PhD will be based in the School of Creative Technologies and will be supervised by Professor Hui Yu  and Dr Brett Stevens .

The work on this project will:

• Develop methods for high-fidelity 3D face generation from images or videos. 
• The focus can be any of the following aspects: 3D geometric reconstruction, high-fidelity texture generation, facial detail generation, 3D animation and VR application.
• Demonstrate the effect of the developed method based on 3D facial animation system  developed by VCG.  Application of the developed technologies to mobile devices or VR headsets.

With the advancement of mobile devices (e.g. smartphone) and virtual reality (VR) headsets, performance-based facial animation has attracted increased interests in recent years. The technologies for real-time 3D facial animation using a single camera have found applications in many areas such as VR, augmented reality (AR),  social media apps and online game. The core of the technologies is regenerating realistic 3D human faces from images or videos. Earlier technologies used facial markers, optical flow, or special equipment (e.g. camera arrays) for 3D facial reconstruction tracking for film and game production, which are not practical for consumer-level applications. Marker-less facial motion capture has been well researched in recent years, but reconstructing detailed dynamic 3D faces (dense 3D modelling) with high-fidelity texture from videos is still a challenging topic. 

This project aims to develop methods and systems that are able to capture a high-fidelity 3D face in real time from videos without any special requirements such as calibration. This includes the reconstruction of high quality of 3D face geometry, texture and the facial details. The outcomes of the 3-year project will be a system that given a video with a human face, the output of is a sequence of reconstructed high-fidelity 3D faces with facial details. The candidate can focus on any of the following aspects: 3D geometric reconstruction, high-fidelity texture generation, facial detail generation, 3D animation and VR application.

The candidate will work with a team in the Visual Computing Group (VCG) in the School of Creative Technology. The team is very strong in this area and has published a series of outputs in leading journals (see Bibliography below), so candidate has an established system to work on. VCG is in close collaboration with  industry. The candidate has the opportunity to do internship in industrial partners during the PhD study. The candidate can also have access to the state-of-art facilities in the multi-million pounds CCIXR center. 

The PhD candidate will work in the Visual Computing Group under the supervision of Professor Hui Yu ( http://www.yuhu.myweb.port.ac.uk/ )  in the School of Creative Technologies.

Fees and funding

Visit the research subject area page for fees and funding information for this project.

Funding availability: Self-funded PhD students only. 

PhD full-time and part-time courses are eligible for the UK  Government Doctoral Loan  (UK and EU students only – eligibility criteria apply).

Some PhD projects may include additional fees – known as bench fees – for equipment and other consumables, and these will be added to your standard tuition fee. Speak to the supervisory team during your interview about any additional fees you may have to pay. Please note, bench fees are not eligible for discounts and are non-refundable.

Entry requirements

General admissions.

You'll need a good first degree from an internationally recognised university (minimum upper second class or equivalent, depending on your chosen course) or a Master’s degree in computer animation/game, computer science, mathematics, engineering or a related area. In exceptional cases, we may consider equivalent professional experience and/or Qualifications. English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5 with no component score below 6.0.

Specific admissions

• Knowledge of computer graphics (or image processing, machine learning)
• Hands-on experience in using Python or Matlab; experience in implementing deep learning approaches using Tensorflow or Pytorch is preferable 
• Ability to work in a collaborative environment
• Good verbal and written communication skills

How to apply

We’d encourage you to contact  Professor Hui Yu ( [email protected] ) to discuss your interest before you apply, quoting the project code.

When you are ready to apply, please follow the 'Apply now' link on the Digital and Creative Technologies PhD subject area page and select the link for the relevant intake. Make sure you submit a personal statement, proof of your degrees and grades, details of two referees, proof of your English language proficiency and an up-to-date CV. Our ‘ How to Apply ’ page offers further guidance on the PhD application process. 

When applying please quote project code: CCTS4531021

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Postgraduate Courses in Animation - 238 Courses

Aberystwyth university department of life sciences.

• Animal Science MSc Master of Research - MRes

Bath Spa University Bath School of Art, Film and Media

• Fine Art (Media) MA

Bournemouth University Bournemouth University Business School

• MRes - Faculty of Media & Communication Master of Research - MRes

Bournemouth University National Centre for Computer Animation

• 3D Computer Animation MA
• Artificial Intelligence for Media MSc
• Computer Animation and Visual Effects MSc
• Digital Effects MA

Coventry University School of Art and Design

• Illustration and Animation MA

University for the Creative Arts Animation

• Animation MA
• Animation (with Integrated International Pre-Masters) MA

University College Dublin UCD School of Veterinary Medicine

• Animal Science Graduate Certificate MSc
• Training on Experimental Animal Use, Regulations & Procedures Professional Certificate

The University of Edinburgh Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies

• Applied Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare MSc
• Clinical Animal Behaviour (Online Learning) MSc Postgraduate Certificate - PgCert Postgraduate Diploma - PgDip Professional Development Diploma
• International Animal Welfare, Ethics and Law (Online Learning) MSc Postgraduate Certificate - PgCert Postgraduate Diploma - PgDip Professional Development Diploma

The University of Edinburgh School of Biological Sciences

• Animal Breeding and Genetics MSc Postgraduate Diploma - PgDip

The University of Edinburgh School of Biomedical Sciences

• International Animal Health (Online Learning) MSc Postgraduate Certificate - PgCert Postgraduate Diploma - PgDip Professional Development Diploma

The University of Edinburgh School of Informatics

• Informatics: IPAB: Robotics, Computer Vision, Computer Graphics and Animation Doctor of Philosophy - PhD MSc (Res) Master of Philosophy - MPhil

Escape Studios Escape Studios

• 3D Animation MA
• Character & Creature Creation Master of Arts - MA (PG)
• Motion Graphics MA

University of Glasgow School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine

• Animal Nutrition MSc PgCert PgDip
• Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law MSc

Wrexham University School of Applied Science, Computing and Engineering

• Human-Animal Interaction and Wellbeing MSc

Harper Adams University Postgraduate

• Exotic Animal Practice Postgraduate Certificate - PgCert
• Small Animal Cardiology Studies Postgraduate Certificate - PgCert
• Small Animal Dermatology Postgraduate Certificate - PgCert
• Small Animal Diagnostic Imaging Postgraduate Certificate - PgCert
• Small Animal Emergency Medicine and Surgery Postgraduate Certificate - PgCert
• Small Animal Endoscopy and Endosurgery Postgraduate Certificate - PgCert
• Small Animal Medicine Postgraduate Certificate - PgCert
• Small Animal Ophthalmology Postgraduate Certificate - PgCert
• Small Animal Surgery Postgraduate Certificate - PgCert

Kingston University Computing and Information Systems

• Computer Animation MA

Kingston University Department of Illustration Animation

Leeds arts university art and performance.

University of Lincoln Department of Life Sciences

• Animal Behaviour and Welfare Doctor of Philosophy - PhD MSc (Res) Master of Philosophy - MPhil
• Clinical Animal Behaviour MSc

Manchester Metropolitan University Department of Natural Sciences

• Animal Behaviour MSc
• Animal Behaviour and Evolution MSc

Manchester Metropolitan University School of Digital Arts

National film and television school film and television.

• Directing Animation MA
• Model Making For Animation Postgraduate Diploma - PgDip

Newcastle University Faculty of Medical Sciences

• Animal Behaviour Master of Research - MRes

Newcastle University School of Natural and Environmental Sciences

• Animal Science MPhil, PhD Doctor of Philosophy - PhD

Nottingham Trent University School of Art and Design

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