Animation BA Honours

Embracing all aspects of animated filmmaking, this animation degree simply makes perfect sense if you’re an aspiring animator.

Animation for the modern age

Animation is at the heart of the movie industry, from the latest blockbuster to the small-budget indie. Here you will develop your vision as an artist, animator, designer, and director, equipping yourself with the essential skills to establish yourself in the animation industry. You'll be encouraged to experiment and be given the space to explore your creativity and develop your style. You’ll study across a broad range of animation practices, including traditional and digital 2D, motion graphics, and stop motion, as well as 3D computer animation and even working directly onto 16mm film.

Space to develop your creativity

While studying animation you'll combine both theory and practice to develop your skills and knowledge. In class discussions and lectures, you'll learn about the history of animation, build your understanding of the changing practices of animation, and be introduced to new concepts around animation and games.

When it comes to practical work, you'll develop and consolidate your approach to animation in our state-of-the-art animation studios. Using building your animated films as part of your portfolio development module. Using industry-standard software, you'll build and refine your technical skills with a focus on designing and directing your animated films, which will make up part of your portfolio development module. You'll also learn storytelling, scriptwriting, and characterization alongside film and sound editing techniques to convey compelling narratives.

You’ll learn alongside our BAFTA-winning academic team who all work professionally in filmmaking, each with their own set of skills in long and short animation, commercials, TV shows, motion graphics, and music videos. They have worked with companies like Dreamworks, Warner Bros, Cartoon Network, and the BBC with nominations and wins across events such as Cannes Film Festival and London International Animation Festival.

Year after year our students produce outstanding industry-standard work and leave the course with an impressive portfolio to launch their career. Take a look at some of the work from last year’s graduates on our Creative Graduates 2022 exhibition site.

A Levels	BBC
BTEC	DMM
Access requirements	Overall pass: must include 45 credits at level 3, of which all 45 must be at Merit or higher
Combinations	A combination of A-Level, BTEC and other accepted qualifications that total 112 UCAS Tariff points
IELTS	6.0 (with minimum 5.5 in all components).

Middlesex's BA Animation program offers a comprehensive education in various animation industry roles, including animation director, motion graphic designer, 2D animator, stop motion animator, storyboard artist, layout artist, character designer, background artist, after effects artist, producer, composer, and CGI animator. The program has strong connections with art and design employers, with industry partners sponsoring final year students and giving visiting lectures. Graduates have gone on to work in roles where animation skills are highly valued, such as creating visuals for live music tours, concerts, events, theatre productions, and operas. The BA Animation program also enables entrepreneurial students to set up their own businesses.
Alumni alumni include Camrhon Mitchell, Emma Schnable, Lydia Byron, Ryan Fairbanks, Rhiannon Loki Fellows, Rizwan Rafiq, Gabija Zygaite, Erica Hodne, Anna Pereira-Finn, Giulia Riva, Sofja Umarik, Adara Todd, and Eleonora Quario. Kate Mercer's 2021 BA Animation graduate, Kate Mercer, won the Exceptional Merit award at the Nature Without Borders International Film Festival.
Work experience is crucial for graduate employment prospects, and the Animation department organizes live projects with industry practitioners to provide professional creative briefs. The Employability Service offers workshops, events, and one-to-one support for job hunting, CVs, interviews, networking, part-time work, placements, internships, and volunteering opportunities.