Animation and Visual Effects with Integrated Foundation Year

Ever dreamt of working on the next blockbuster movie, award-winning TV series or immersive game production? Our Animation and Visual Effects course is your gateway to mastering the art of bringing stories to life through inspiring animation and cutting-edge visual effects.

Dive into a learning experience that blends creativity with practical skills. Our course doesn't just teach you – it transforms you into a versatile artist ready for the dynamic world of animation and visual effects. With a curriculum grounded in inclusivity, innovative storytelling and studio practice, you'll emerge as a professional who understands the pulse of the industry.

From day one, you'll be immersed in real-world techniques and workflows. Our course is structured to evolve your skills progressively – starting with foundational know-how, advancing to specialised techniques, and culminating in a final project that showcases your unique artistic voice.

Our experienced academics, alongside industry professionals, will guide you through your educational journey. Engage in workshops and guest speaker lectures that not only enrich your learning but also help establish connections within the industry.

Our campus is your creative playground, equipped with cutting-edge technology and extensive resources. Whether you’re animating frame-by-frame or experimenting with on-set or location production, our facilities are designed to support and amplify your creative exploration.

Course Overview
Animation and visual effects (VFX) is a constantly evolving discipline at the forefront of the film, television, and games industries in the UK.

With a vocational focus, this course is centred around developing industry-relevant skills and techniques while exploring research-informed creative practice, critical thinking, and graduate employability.

You will gain practical experience of industrial workflows and methodologies as they relate to animation and visual effects. You will develop the skills required for self-directed research, continued development in animation and life-long learning should you choose to pursue postgraduate study after your degree.

Designed to build competency in the first level, specialisation in the second, and independence in the third, this animation and visual effects course will enable you to gain a job in animation, VFX or progress to further study.

A vital part of this is to equip you to make informed choices in your creative use of digital technology, nurture your professional practice, and become a lifelong, adaptable learner in a collaborative industry landscape.

On this course you will...
• Gain knowledge and understanding of current professional production practices and technologies in the animation and visual effects industry, and a critical perspective that puts you in a position to shape the future of the creative industries.



• Develop nascent interests, technical knowledge and skill set in animation and VFX, to a level that is consistent with a graduate profile of an emerging professional in the creative industries, or that will facilitate postgraduate study.



• Leave with a portfolio of work from your VFX course, demonstrating technical proficiency, specialism, and skill set in computer animation and visual effects.



• Have access to workshop and studio spaces for traditional animation production and physical, on-set and location production that require specific resources such as rostra and lighting.



• Benefit from guest speakers and workshops, which offer added value to your learning experience, where you can share your work with professionals through workshop activities and screenings.



• Gain experience in live brief and external work – engagement with enhanced professional experiences sometimes external to course and module delivery.

With campuses in the Lake District, Carlisle, Lancaster, Ambleside, Barrow, and London, you’ll be surrounded by natural beauty, supportive communities, and real opportunities.

With strong links to law firms, schools, NHS Trusts, creative agencies, and employers nationwide, we connect your learning directly to your future career.

Ranked the No. 1 university in the Northwest and in the Top 5 in the UK for Graduates into employment or further study within 15 months (97.5% of Graduates – Graduate Outcomes Survey, HESA 2026), Cumbria is a university focused on your future from day one.