Animation MA

Duration

13 Months

22 Months

Location

Stoke-on-Trent campus

Stoke-on-Trent campus

Explore the theoretical and practical applications of animation across a wide range of media and discover the opportunities and developments in the 21st century creative ecosystem on our postgraduate course.

For 26/27 entry.

Our MA Animation is your platform to create your own path, and develop your expertise through a range of experimental and traditional techniques. Grounded in professional application and influenced by real-world business, our course will develop your existing knowledge of creative media, and push your boundaries in quality and applied animation, putting you in the best position to succeed in a competitive industry.

Whether you choose to study full-time or part-time, the course pathways are negotiated by you. At Staffordshire University, we have expertise in the areas of 2D Digital, 3D Digital, Stop Motion and Games Animation, which gives you the opportunity to develop a masters level expertise in a variety of, or specialised field of study. What’s more, you will have the opportunity to bring in aspects and relevant influences from your current career, or tailor your studies to your aspiring future in the animation field using University connections from the likes of Aardman, Carse & Waterman, Pixar, Walt Disney and more.

Whether you are creating worlds, characters or commercial pieces with our postgraduate course, you will actively seek to promote emerging perspectives, technologies, and methodologies to push the animation form forward through research and live practice in our state-of-the-art animation studios.

For 26/27 entry.

Our MA Animation is your platform to create your own path, and develop your expertise through a range of experimental and traditional techniques. Grounded in professional application and influenced by real-world business, our course will develop your existing knowledge of creative media, and push your boundaries in quality and applied animation, putting you in the best position to succeed in a competitive industry.

Whether you choose to study full-time or part-time, the course pathways are negotiated by you. At Staffordshire University, we have expertise in the areas of 2D Digital, 3D Digital, Stop Motion and Games Animation, which gives you the opportunity to develop a masters level expertise in a variety of, or specialised field of study. What’s more, you will have the opportunity to bring in aspects and relevant influences from your current career, or tailor your studies to your aspiring future in the animation field using University connections from the likes of Aardman, Carse & Waterman, Pixar, Walt Disney and more.

Whether you are creating worlds, characters or commercial pieces with our postgraduate course, you will actively seek to promote emerging perspectives, technologies, and methodologies to push the animation form forward through research and live practice in our state-of-the-art animation studios.

On successful completion of study, we will issue the following award: MA Animation

On successful completion of study, we will issue the following award: MA Animation

Course content

MA Animation is is designed to develop individual knowledge and skills and to provide the framework and structure that encourages independent thinking. Split into seven areas over your chosen duration of study, the course is designed to take you through a negotiated journey, influenced by your aspirations or career interests.

The first area of study is our Animation Cultures and Critiques, where you will explore contemporary debates and develop contextualisation for original work in relation to your aspirations and interests within the animation world. You will also develop your existing knowledge of animated storytelling into an expertise of narrative, character, sequence and movement relationships in Animation Story and Performance. While developing your knowledge, you will move towards practical development in Animation Design and Technologies, where you will further your experimental skills and techniques in relation to your career interests.

Moving forward, you will build on your practical skills with knowledge of professional animation settings in Animation Industries and Ecosystems, which is heavily influenced by guest lecturers and industry-active academics, who will work to build your networks while you study. At this point you will also begin to heavily tailor your course, negotiating individual objectives with a supervisor for a focused animation investigation in Animation Production Proofs and Solutions.

The final segment of your course will see you develop and showcase your practical skills over two modules. Animation Production Consolidation will focus your energy and resource on a production, such as a short film or showreel to a professional quality standard, and Animation Post-production and Presentation will see you mastering and finishing practical works, and showcasing to live audiences for feedback.

MA Animation is is designed to develop individual knowledge and skills and to provide the framework and structure that encourages independent thinking. Split into seven areas over your chosen duration of study, the course is designed to take you through a negotiated journey, influenced by your aspirations or career interests.

The first area of study is our Animation Cultures and Critiques, where you will explore contemporary debates and develop contextualisation for original work in relation to your aspirations and interests within the animation world. You will also develop your existing knowledge of animated storytelling into an expertise of narrative, character, sequence and movement relationships in Animation Story and Performance. While developing your knowledge, you will move towards practical development in Animation Design and Technologies, where you will further your experimental skills and techniques in relation to your career interests.

Moving forward, you will build on your practical skills with knowledge of professional animation settings in Animation Industries and Ecosystems, which is heavily influenced by guest lecturers and industry-active academics, who will work to build your networks while you study. At this point you will also begin to heavily tailor your course, negotiating individual objectives with a supervisor for a focused animation investigation in Animation Production Proofs and Solutions.

The final segment of your course will see you develop and showcase your practical skills over two modules. Animation Production Consolidation will focus your energy and resource on a production, such as a short film or showreel to a professional quality standard, and Animation Post-production and Presentation will see you mastering and finishing practical works, and showcasing to live audiences for feedback.

Modules

The tables provide an indicative list of the modules that make up the course for the current academic year. Each module is worth a specified number of credits. Our teaching is informed by research, and modules change periodically to reflect developments in the discipline. We aim to ensure that all modules run as scheduled. If for any reason a module cannot be run we will advise you as soon as possible and will provide guidance on selecting an appropriate alternative module.

Year 1 compulsory modules
Year 1 compulsory modules
Animation Culture And Critique 20 credits
Animation Design And Technology 20 credits
Animation Industries And Ecosystems 20 credits
Animation Presentation 20 credits
Animation Production Consolidation 40 credits
Animation Production Proofs And Solutions 40 credits
Animation Story And Performance 20 credits

Modules

The tables provide an indicative list of the modules that make up the course for the current academic year. Each module is worth a specified number of credits. Our teaching is informed by research, and modules change periodically to reflect developments in the discipline. We aim to ensure that all modules run as scheduled. If for any reason a module cannot be run we will advise you as soon as possible and will provide guidance on selecting an appropriate alternative module.

Year 1 compulsory modules
Year 1 compulsory modules
Animation Design And Technology 20 credits
Animation Industries And Ecosystems 20 credits
Animation Production Proofs And Solutions 40 credits
Animation Story And Performance 20 credits
Year 2 compulsory modules
Year 2 compulsory modules
Animation Culture And Critique 20 credits
Animation Presentation 20 credits
Animation Production Consolidation 40 credits

Entry requirements

Honours degree of 2:2 or above, or relevant professional experience, in a related area. All applicants are individually assessed via a portfolio.

Honours degree of 2:2 or above, or relevant professional experience, in a related area. All applicants are individually assessed via a portfolio.

For equivalent entry requirements in your home country, please see the information on our country pages.

Choose your country

Check our entry and English language requirements for your country.

GO

Facilities

Animation Studios

Our well-equipped Animation studios house a number of resources allowing for a number of Animation methods. Read more

Including: Cintiq Suites for 2D and 3D Digital animation, 4K edit Suite, Sound Recording booth, access to Motion Capture technology and dual-screen PC digital suite with access to software including MAYA and TOON BOOM.

Join Course Leader Stuart Messinger for a tour around our Animation Studios.

Smart Zone

A bustling centre of invention, innovation and creation with two floors of dedicated workshop and collaboration spaces for engineering and creative students. Read more

The Smart Zone fuses state-of-the-art fabrication spaces with augmented and blended reality facilities, allowing you to bring your ideas to life using the latest digital and immersive technologies. Find out more about our Smart Zone.

Motion Capture Studio

Realistically capture multiple human movements simultaneously for the creation of high-quality games, animation and VFX sequences. Our industry standard facility features a 24-camera rig, Vicon hardware and Cara facial performance capture headset. Read more

The Motion Capture Stage is located in the Cadman Building, working alongside The Smart Zone. This facility hosts sessions that show students how to set up and prepare shoots at a high industry level. The sessions provided give in-depth information that covers each stage, from preparation to exporting data for use within a project.

Our MoCap Studio is used by students from a wide range of subjects, including Film and Media, Games Design, Animation, Drama, Sports Therapy and CGI and Visual Effects. 

Find out more about our Motion Capture Stage.

Stop Motion Studios

Fully equipped with camera rigs, lighting kits and computers with DRAGON FRAME software for high resolution image capture, and set and fabrication spaces.

VR, AR and Mixed Reality Lab

The VR, AR and Mixed Reality Lab is equipped with a number of HTC Vive Virtual Reality headsets and a dedicated development area to create, develop and test VR solutions.  Read more

VR and AR solutions can also be used in conjunction with the Motion Capture Studio to create mixed or hyper-reality experiences for a variety of industries and applications. Our VR, AR and Mixed Reality Labs can be used to create a range of experiences, including training, gaming, palliative care support and shopping experiences. Find out more about our Immersive Technology facilities. 

Henrion Sound Studios

Two professionally equipped sound studios, each with a control room and recording booth. The studios support a range of audio-centric workflows, including voice-over recording, dubbing, mixing and mastering. Read more

Find out more about our Henrion Sound Studios

Laser scanning

Our Smart Zone hosts a range of laser and structured light scanners. These enable students to create digital reconstructions of objects as small as a breadcrumb, to entire buildings.  Read more

Find out more about our Visualisation and Simulation studio

Careers

Careers in animation typically depend on your areas of interest or expertise, and past graduates from our animation courses have gone on to establish professional networks, working for the likes of Double Negative, Cinesite, Boulder Media, and Brown Bag Films.

Whether you are currently in the industry, or you are looking to break into a new career, there are many sectors you could enter at midweight, or even senior level, including:

  • Production management
  • Creative development
  • Pre-production
  • Production
  • Distribution

What’s more, if you wish to develop your expertise and education further, completion of the MA Animation will set you up for further study at PhD level.

All students have access to Career Connect, our dedicated careers team.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

Teaching opportunities will take place via the following: Staff Lectures, Guest Speakers, Performance Workshops, Technical instruction, 1-2-1 supervision, seminars, participation in research. We have a forward thinking and technology driven approach to student engagement and ongoing formative feedback and assessment utilising VL environments, Interactive forum spaces, and cross level knowledge sharing and collaborative activity.

Teaching opportunities will take place via the following: Staff Lectures, Guest Speakers, Performance Workshops, Technical instruction, 1-2-1 supervision, seminars, participation in research. We have a forward thinking and technology driven approach to student engagement and ongoing formative feedback and assessment utilising VL environments, Interactive forum spaces, and cross level knowledge sharing and collaborative activity.

Assessment

This course is 100% course work based with each module requiring a number of elements of practical and reflective work for submission.

This course is 100% course work based with each module requiring a number of elements of practical and reflective work for submission.

Learning support

Your course tutors will provide lots of support. But you can also take advantage of our Academic Skills team, who can help you with:

  • Study skills (including reading, note-taking and presentation skills)
  • Written English (including punctuation, grammar)
  • Academic writing (including how to reference)
  • Research skills
  • Critical thinking
  • Revision, assessment and exam skills (including time management)

Additional support

If you have additional needs like dyslexia or a sensory impairment, then our Student Inclusion Services are here to help make sure nothing stands in your way.

Feedback

Throughout their studies student will have regular opportunities for feedback and guidance through seminars, one-to-one supervision, collaboration and network knowledge exchange and discussion.

Throughout their studies student will have regular opportunities for feedback and guidance through seminars, one-to-one supervision, collaboration and network knowledge exchange and discussion.

Your study time will include a variety of formal lectures and seminars, technical skills workshops, specialist guidance, and independent study.

Your study time will include a variety of formal lectures and seminars, technical skills workshops, specialist guidance, and independent study.

Independent learning

Throughout this course students will be encouraged and supported to become increasingly self-directed and autonomous in their approach to their studies. Learners will negotiated individual objectives via regular dialogue with their supervisor and the course team.

Throughout this course students will be encouraged and supported to become increasingly self-directed and autonomous in their approach to their studies. Learners will negotiated individual objectives via regular dialogue with their supervisor and the course team.

Staff

The course team are experienced animation professionals and scholars, bringing a depth of industrial and ciritcal knowledge to the programme delivery and content.

Robin Heap

Lecturer

Robin is an animation filmmaker who specialises in stop motion animation development and production.

Robin's profile

Daryl Marsh

Senior Lecturer

Course Leader for BA(Hons) Animation with long term professional animation experience in London, Manchester and Copenhagen. Specialisms include CGI, Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality. Researching immersive experiences and emerging technology.

Daryl's profile

Dr Monireh Astani

Senior Lecturer

Dr Monireh Astani is a researcher and practitioner invested in the interdisciplinary, audience-oriented, creative practices of animation, visual design, and VR/AR.

Monireh's profile

Fees

For the course starting on 22 September 2025 the tuition fees are:

Tuition fees for MA-Full-time
Study option
Full-time

For the course starting on 22 September 2025 the tuition fees are:

Tuition fees for MA-Full-time
Study option
Part-time

If you would like to know more about the fees listed and what this means to you then please get in touch with our Enquiries Team.

Alumni discount

If you've previously completed a University of Staffordshire undergraduate degree (excluding HND and foundation degrees) you may be entitled to a discount of up to 25% off your course fees for any subsequent postgraduate taught course (terms apply, see the alumni discount page for details). If you have any questions about how this relates to you, please contact feesandbursaries@staffs.ac.uk.

Not included in tuition fees
Not included in the fees:

Fees do not include special visits and trip, or specialist materials related to individually negociated project aims and objectives.

Fees do not include special visits and trip, or specialist materials related to individually negociated project aims and objectives.

Accommodation and living costs
Accommodation and living costs

Accommodation and living costs are not included in our fees. 

For more information on accommodation and living costs, please see: Accommodation

Sources of financial support

Providing you are studying towards a full Masters qualification you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan of up to £11,570 to help with tuition fees, maintenance and other associated costs. Student loans are available for many of our postgraduate degrees and are provided by the Student Loans Company (SLC). The loan can cover a wide range of postgraduate study options; part-time, full-time and distance learning. 

For more information and how to apply visit masters loan.

Apply

Applications are not currently available for this course.

Rules and regulations

If you are offered a place at University of Staffordshire, your offer will be subject to our rules, regulations and enrolment conditions, which may vary from time to time.

Students of University of Staffordshire enter into a contract with us and are bound by these rules and regulations, which are subject to change. For more information, please see: University Policies and Regulations

for Career Prospects

Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023

for Facilities

Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023

for Social Inclusion

The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2023

of Research Impact is ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Very Considerable’

Research Excellence Framework 2021

of Research is “Internationally Excellent” or “World Leading”

Research Excellence Framework 2021

Four Star Rating

QS Star Ratings 2021