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Manchester Metropolitan University: Animation
| Institution | Manchester Metropolitan University View institution profile |
|---|---|
| Department | School of Digital Arts |
| Web | www.mmu.ac.uk/international |
| courses@mmu.ac.uk | |
| Telephone | 0161 2476969 |
| Study type | Taught |
MA
Summary
If you have a passion for visual storytelling and a desire to build a competitive industry portfolio, the MA Animation offers you the space and support to innovate your practice, refine your artistic perspective and hone your professional and academic proficiency.
MA Animation has a focus on storytelling through a wide range of mediums, such as 2D hand-drawn and cut-out, 3D, stop motion and mixed media. As a School of Digital Arts (SODA) student, you will have access to state-of-the-art facilities, and academic and technical staff who are active practitioners and researchers.
You will explore a diverse range of animation methods, approaches and styles through practical projects that can be tailored to your artistic style, narrative voice and career ambitions. The course is practice-focussed, encouraging artistic exploration and professional skills development and embraces discussion and discourse, challenging you to look at how animation can respond to existing debates, emerging technologies and trends, and important world issues.
Features and Benefits
-
You will join a course that fosters interesting and diverse engagement with external partners within Manchester, the region, nationally and internationally. This could include the opportunity to work on live briefs with external partners and communities.
-
You will become an integral part of SODA - home to a creative community of research active staff with expertise in diverse fields of practice such as animation, filmmaking, photography, games art and sound design.
-
You will have access to state-of-the-art studio spaces, specialist workshops and resources for a broad range of animated mediums, including 2D, 3D, stop motion, motion capture and mixed media.
-
The Guardian University Guide 2025 ranked Manchester Met in the UK's top six for Animation, highlighting our reputation for excellence.
-
MA Animation at Manchester Met has received the status of Toon Boom Centre of Excellence, meaning we provide industry recognised software training to students and staff with input from professionals in the field.
| Level | RQF Level 7 |
|---|---|
| Entry requirements | A minimum of 2:2 Honours undergraduate degree is required, in one of the following subjects: Animation; 3D Animation/Character Animation; Motion Graphics; Illustration; Games Art; Concept Art; Graphic Design; Animation and Visual Effects; Post-production and VFX; Interactive Media; Moving Image; Computer Graphics and Simulation. Equivalent EU/international qualifications are also accepted. Applicants who do not meet these criteria will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Other professional qualifications will be considered on merit and/or with relevant professional experience. Overseas applicants will require IELTS with an overall score of 6.5 with no less than 5.5 in any category, or an equivalent accepted English language qualification. Candidates may be required to submit a portfolio of work that is used to provide the academic team with evidence that they possess the appropriate skills for their programme of study. |
| Location | Main Site Academic Division Oxford Road All Saints Manchester M15 6BH |
Summary
If you have a passion for visual storytelling and a desire to build a competitive industry portfolio, the MA Animation offers you the space and support to innovate your practice, refine your artistic perspective and hone your professional and academic proficiency.
MA Animation has a focus on storytelling through a wide range of mediums, such as 2D hand-drawn and cut-out, 3D, stop motion and mixed media. As a School of Digital Arts (SODA) student, you will have access to state-of-the-art facilities, and academic and technical staff who are active practitioners and researchers.
You will explore a diverse range of animation methods, approaches and styles through practical projects that can be tailored to your artistic style, narrative voice and career ambitions. The course is practice-focussed, encouraging artistic exploration and professional skills development and embraces discussion and discourse, challenging you to look at how animation can respond to existing debates, emerging technologies and trends, and important world issues.
Features and Benefits
-
You will join a course that fosters interesting and diverse engagement with external partners within Manchester, the region, nationally and internationally. This could include the opportunity to work on live briefs with external partners and communities.
-
You will become an integral part of SODA - home to a creative community of research active staff with expertise in diverse fields of practice such as animation, filmmaking, photography, games art and sound design.
-
You will have access to state-of-the-art studio spaces, specialist workshops and resources for a broad range of animated mediums, including 2D, 3D, stop motion, motion capture and mixed media.
-
The Guardian University Guide 2025 ranked Manchester Met in the UK's top six for Animation, highlighting our reputation for excellence.
-
MA Animation at Manchester Met has received the status of Toon Boom Centre of Excellence, meaning we provide industry recognised software training to students and staff with input from professionals in the field.
| Level | RQF Level 7 |
|---|---|
| Entry requirements | A minimum of 2:2 Honours undergraduate degree is required, in one of the following subjects: Animation; 3D Animation/Character Animation; Motion Graphics; Illustration; Games Art; Concept Art; Graphic Design; Animation and Visual Effects; Post-production and VFX; Interactive Media; Moving Image; Computer Graphics and Simulation. Equivalent EU/international qualifications are also accepted. Applicants who do not meet these criteria will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Other professional qualifications will be considered on merit and/or with relevant professional experience. Overseas applicants will require IELTS with an overall score of 6.5 with no less than 5.5 in any category, or an equivalent accepted English language qualification. Candidates may be required to submit a portfolio of work that is used to provide the academic team with evidence that they possess the appropriate skills for their programme of study. |
| Location | Main Site Academic Division Oxford Road All Saints Manchester M15 6BH |
Summary
This course offers you the opportunity to choose your own route through the field of animation, studying either MA Animation or the bracketed specialism, Visual Effects.
Animation is a discipline that adapts, challenges and leads the moving image industry. It is in the DNA that we all share since it can be applied equally to live action, games, XR, live performance, online, and any number of time-based media as well as being an important form in itself.
Creating animation is a collaboration, and at the heart of this course we encourage students to develop a strong network within the School of Digital Arts and using our industry focussed links. Animation is not a mono-discipline but multi-faceted, and our bracketed animation specialism reflects the many ways that animation can be applied and examined. From science communication, to award winning short films, to mind-bending VFX, animation touches and transforms many areas.
You will drive your creative projects in your chosen practice with staff who will guide and challenge you. Our postgraduate community is led by a specialist team of academic staff and visiting speakers who are practising artists, animators and researchers. They bring their passion and knowledge of the varied industries that animation feeds and share advice and expertise about how students will join them.
The postgraduate student experience is designed to provide you with opportunities to hone your specialist technical skills, challenge your thinking, and make professional links with the global creative community and industry.
Features and Benefits
-
You will join a course that fosters interesting and diverse engagement with external partners within Manchester, the region, nationally and internationally.
-
You will become an integral part of SODA - home to a creative community of research active staff with expertise in diverse fields of practice such as Animation, Filmmaking, Photography, Games Art, Immersive Arts and Sound Design.
-
You will have the space, guidance and technical resources to enable you to develop your independent practice, whilst taking advantage of the transdisciplinary activities provided by our offer of option modules.
-
You will have the opportunity to extend and develop your experience in the professional sphere by being introduced to our close links with national and international educational partners, research communities and strong links with the creative and digital sectors across the UK.
-
By joining SODA at Manchester Met, you will become a part of the University’s dynamic research community within a city that is one of the fastest-growing tech hubs in Europe with a burgeoning arts scene and creative industries sector.
| Level | RQF Level 7 |
|---|---|
| Entry requirements | A minimum of 2:2 Honours undergraduate degree is required, in one of the following subjects: Animation; 3D Animation/Character Animation; Motion Graphics; Illustration; Games Art; Concept Art; Graphic Design; Animation and Visual Effects; Post-production and VFX; Interactive Media; Moving Image; Computer Graphics and Simulation. Equivalent EU/international qualifications are also accepted. Applicants who do not meet these criteria will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Other professional qualifications will be considered on merit and/or with relevant professional experience. Overseas applicants will require IELTS with an overall score of 6.5 with no less than 5.5 in any category, or an equivalent accepted English language qualification. Candidates may be required to submit a portfolio of work that is used to provide the academic team with evidence that they possess the appropriate skills for their programme of study. |
| Location | Main Site Academic Division Oxford Road All Saints Manchester M15 6BH |
Summary
This course offers you the opportunity to choose your own route through the field of animation, studying either MA Animation or the bracketed specialism, Visual Effects.
Animation is a discipline that adapts, challenges and leads the moving image industry. It is in the DNA that we all share since it can be applied equally to live action, games, XR, live performance, online, and any number of time-based media as well as being an important form in itself.
Creating animation is a collaboration, and at the heart of this course we encourage students to develop a strong network within the School of Digital Arts and using our industry focussed links. Animation is not a mono-discipline but multi-faceted, and our bracketed animation specialism reflects the many ways that animation can be applied and examined. From science communication, to award winning short films, to mind-bending VFX, animation touches and transforms many areas.
You will drive your creative projects in your chosen practice with staff who will guide and challenge you. Our postgraduate community is led by a specialist team of academic staff and visiting speakers who are practising artists, animators and researchers. They bring their passion and knowledge of the varied industries that animation feeds and share advice and expertise about how students will join them.
The postgraduate student experience is designed to provide you with opportunities to hone your specialist technical skills, challenge your thinking, and make professional links with the global creative community and industry.
Features and Benefits
-
You will join a course that fosters interesting and diverse engagement with external partners within Manchester, the region, nationally and internationally.
-
You will become an integral part of SODA - home to a creative community of research active staff with expertise in diverse fields of practice such as Animation, Filmmaking, Photography, Games Art, Immersive Arts and Sound Design.
-
You will have the space, guidance and technical resources to enable you to develop your independent practice, whilst taking advantage of the transdisciplinary activities provided by our offer of option modules.
-
You will have the opportunity to extend and develop your experience in the professional sphere by being introduced to our close links with national and international educational partners, research communities and strong links with the creative and digital sectors across the UK.
-
By joining SODA at Manchester Met, you will become a part of the University’s dynamic research community within a city that is one of the fastest-growing tech hubs in Europe with a burgeoning arts scene and creative industries sector.
| Level | RQF Level 7 |
|---|---|
| Entry requirements | A minimum of 2:2 Honours undergraduate degree is required, in one of the following subjects: Animation; 3D Animation/Character Animation; Motion Graphics; Illustration; Games Art; Concept Art; Graphic Design; Animation and Visual Effects; Post-production and VFX; Interactive Media; Moving Image; Computer Graphics and Simulation. Equivalent EU/international qualifications are also accepted. Applicants who do not meet these criteria will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Other professional qualifications will be considered on merit and/or with relevant professional experience. Overseas applicants will require IELTS with an overall score of 6.5 with no less than 5.5 in any category, or an equivalent accepted English language qualification. Candidates may be required to submit a portfolio of work that is used to provide the academic team with evidence that they possess the appropriate skills for their programme of study. |
| Location | Main Site Academic Division Oxford Road All Saints Manchester M15 6BH |
Manchester Metropolitan University (Manchester Met) is a historic and internationally recognised institution that dates back to 1824, known for the quality of its teaching and world leading research. The University has been named Modern University of the Year (The Times Good University Guide 2026).
Manchester is an exciting and vibrant city known worldwide for its music, sport, culture and creativity. Living and studying here means being part of a global city that opens doors to opportunity.
Manchester is home to a diverse community of more than 5,000 international students from over 120 countries. International students are offered comprehensive …
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