MA Animation

Learn your craft from internationally renowned practitioners. We have excellent links with the region's animation industry - including Aardman Animations - and students have the opportunity to get feedback on their films from leading industry professionals.

This practice-led course brings together a diverse range of students, from established practitioners to those seeking a conversion course for a career in animation. Whether your aim is to be an independent animated filmmaker, a character animator, storyteller or designer - this course will support your goals.

You'll study both theoretical and contextual content, developing your understanding of the growing field of animation. You'll learn your craft from our staff team who all have extensive experience in the UK and international animation and media industries.

Bristol is recognised as a global centre for animation production, and you'll benefit from our local partnerships. We have industry links with many of the studios in the city and beyond, such as Aardman Animations.

Why study this course?

The course is based at Bower Ashton, part of our City Campus, where you'll have access to exceptional facilities and resources.

Experience our state-of the-art technical centres, including 2D, CG and stop-motion animation studios. And build on your skill set by studying in our production and post-production studios, sound recording suites and printmaking and fabrication workshops.

In your first term, you'll focus on ideas, design and storytelling that you'll apply to your own project work. So you'll be able to follow your interests from the start, tailoring your project to your career aspirations.

Throughout the course, you'll choose from a range of technical workshops, including stop-motion, 2D digital and CG. This ensures you continually develop your artistic and technical skills.

MA Animation is accredited by ScreenSkills, the UK's skills body for the screen industries, meaning you'll gain a recognised master's degree. This master's course is also eligible for the BAFTA scholarship scheme.

"We had a wonderful time studying at the Bristol School of Animation. We produced a great amount of work. From short films, collaborative projects to live briefs. We developed both our technical and conceptual skills, all thanks to the diversity and support of the course." Hend Esmat and Lamiaa Diab - MA Animation alumni.

We are looking for highly motivated creative students with some prior experience in animation or a related area. Usually, applicants will have an undergraduate degree in the Visual Arts but those with other academic qualifications or relevant professional experience are also encouraged to apply.

English Language Requirement

International and EU applicants are required to have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5 with 5.5 in each component (or approved equivalent*).

This postgraduate course will enable you to embark on a career in animation or return to the industry as a redefined practitioner.

Our students frequently go on to screen work in worldwide animation and short film festivals. Others have gone on to launch their own start-up studios, supported by UWE Bristol's Launch Space incubation hub.

Whatever your goals, this course will support your individual interests and specialisms. This might include direction, production, art direction, storyboarding, model-making, character animation, or even a career in academia.

Past students have gained employment and worked on productions throughout the world with companies such as: Aardman Animations, Wonky, Rumpus, Sun and Moon, Wild Seed Studios and Blue Zoo.

"The MA course has yielded some outstanding talent that we have been delighted to mentor, to provide work experience for, to employ and even to get commissioned for a TV Series, we always look forward to meeting each year's cohort to see what treasures we may discover." Miles Bullough - Managing Director - Wildseed Studios.