Animation

The BA (Hons) Animation programme supports you to develop the creative, technical, and critical skills needed to become confident and original practitioners within the animation and wider screen industries.

The course emphasises classical training in character performance, movement, and visual narrative, while giving you a broad understanding of contemporary animation practice. You will work across multiple production pipelines, including traditional 2D hand-drawn animation, digital 2D workflows, stop-motion, and 3D performance using pre-existing assets. This diverse technical grounding allows you to explore varied creative approaches and develop your own distinctive artistic voice.

The curriculum reflects real industry practices and is supported by active practitioners, live briefs, and regular formative “rushes” sessions that mirror studio environments. Throughout the course you will also be encouraged to adopt reflective and collaborative working methods, engaging in iterative processes such as versioning, critique, and peer-led review.

Our in-house creative agency, Solent Creatives provides you with the chance to pitch for paid work with commercial clients – past clients have included Bear Grylls, the BBC and Southampton Airport.

If you’re looking to study our animation degree but don’t have the relevant qualifications or experience, the digital arts foundation year will help you develop the core skills and knowledge to progress. Find out more about the digital arts foundation year.

Who is this course for?
Solent’s animation programme is ideally suited to students who want to bring characters to life on the screen. Applicants should have a keen interest in drawing, making things move, and cinema generally.

What does this course lead to?
The classical animation training on this course provides a springboard into any of the animation and related industries after graduation. Whether it’s animating explosions on the latest video games, or creating a quirky character in adverts, or TV. It is all built upon a solid, classics approach.

Solent's Clearing fast pass* gets you ahead, with priority support and everything you need to feel confident about your next step. Secure your guaranteed offer before results day and unlock a 20% discount on Kimber and Chantry student halls, a £100 IKEA voucher, free gold gym membership for the academic year, and a £150 campus dining voucher.

*T&Cs apply. Full details on our website.

Join the career-ready revolution this summer at Solent. Every course is designed around five things: real-world learning in every module; block teaching, so you study one subject at a time, not five assignments at once; direct links with employers and careers support for life. This isn't a tweak. It's a rethink of what university should be.

Our facilities are built with your future career in mind, including Warsash Maritime School, the Solent Sports Complex, science labs, animation and 3D modelling studios and applied mechanics and composites labs.

And outside class? Southampton has it all: shopping, culture, live music, football, cricket, festivals, markets, tiny Thai cafes, ghost walks and record fairs. It's friendly, walkable, and one of the UK's most affordable student cities. With a diverse community and societies for every interest, you'll find your tribe here too.

Ready to secure your place? Get in touch now.