Animation BDes (Hons)
Ulster University
Key Course Facts
Student Reviews
Below you can see course specific reviews for 30 graduates of Animation BDes (Hons) at Ulster University for each of the survey questions in comparison to the average for all UK degree courses in Computer Science.
This particular course
Salary
Salary of all UK Graduates of Computer Science
| 15 months after graduation | 3 years after graduation | 5 years after graduation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median salary | £29821 | £26104 | £30658 |
| 25-75 percentile range | £24771 - £35770 | £19342 - £34316 | £22615 - £42400 |
All Computer Science Courses in the UK
Course Description
Animation has become in integral part of the film, television, games and design industries – from Jurassic Park to Avatar, Angry Birds to Call of Duty, Xbox to mobile. The field of animation has experienced unprecedented growth in recent years. With new distribution methods and technologies, your work will have many paths to reach a worldwide audience.
During the course you will study drawing, the principles of animation and design, storytelling and narrative, design and the history, practice and theory of screen production. You will gain an understanding of creative and technical process using industry standard software in order to create interactive designs and computer animations.
As animation is a highly collaborative environment you will learn the principles and practices through teamwork, while developing your individual professional practice. The course enables you to enter the industry with a range of exciting and rapidly evolving platforms as well as facilitating numerous opportunities for employment in a rapidly growing area at an international level.
This course aims to provide you with specialist knowledge and skills necessary to develop and adapt your chosen career in the diverse creative practices associated with animation. The course aims to contribute, through the education of its students as adaptive and resilient designers, writers and thinkers, to the local, national and international practice of design in its current and future forms.
Please note: The course is currently being revalidated and the content is subject to change. Please get in touch with the course team or the admissions team for further information.
Foundation Year
A foundation diploma year gives you the opportunity to explore a range of art and design approaches and disciplines to help you choose your undergraduate specialism.
Find out about our Foundation Year
Jobs & Career Perspectives
15 months after graduation, graduates of this course were asked about what they do and, if they are working, about their current job and their perspectives.
This particular course
Current jobs
This particular course
Required skill level of job after 15 months
This particular course
Jobs of graduates of this course (15 months after graduation)
Example below based on all graduates of Animation BDes (Hons) at Ulster University
| 60% | Finance Professionals |
| 5% | Managers, directors and senior officials |
| 5% | Caring personal services |
| 5% | Administrative occupations |
| 5% | Business and public service associate professionals |
| 5% | Teaching Professionals |
| 5% | Elementary occupations |
| 5% | Media Professionals |
Entry Requirements / Admissions
UCAS Tariff of Accepted Students for this course
This particular course
Qualification requirements
Access to HE Diploma
English language requirements for international applicants The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement for Tier 4 visa purposes.
Ulster recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores.
Submission of a satisfactory portfolio.
We look at the portfolio as a body of work that can take many forms including but not limited to your digital images, 3D files, games development and movies. What we are looking for are examples of your work that best demonstrate your suitability to the field of animation. We see many great examples of finished work and we want to see more, but we are really interested in the way you got there, your creative processes, sketchbooks and works in progress. Put your best work first. While a formal qualification in Art & Design will not be required, an interest in art and design in general will be expected. Applicants MAY be interviewed prior to entry. For Animation the portfolio requirement is somewhat different to other Art & Design subjects. Many of our applicants and students are working with a wide range of 2D & 3D digital media, traditional media, technical design and computer sciences.
Acceptable alternative qualifications include:
Pass HND with overall Merit to include 30 distinctions in level 5 credits/units may be specified.
Pass HNC with overall Distinction to include 60 distinctions in level 4 credits/units may be specified.
You may also meet the course entry requirements with combinations of different qualifications to the same standard as recognised by the University (provided subject requirements as noted above are met).
Costs
Tuition Fees Animation BDes (Hons)
| England UK | £9250 | year 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Scotland | £9250 | year 1 |
| Wales | £9250 | year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £4750 | year 1 |
| Ireland | £4750 | year 1 |
| EU | £16320 | year 1 |
| International | £16320 | year 1 |
Average student cost of living in the UK
| Rent | £518 |
| Water, gas electricity, internet (at home) | £50 |
| Supermarket shopping | £81 |
| Clothing | £35 |
| Eating out | £33 |
| Alcohol | £27 |
| Takeaways / food deliveries | £30 |
| Going out / entertainment (excl.alcohol, food) | £24 |
| Holidays and weekend trips | £78 |
| Transport within city | £17 |
| Self-care / sports | £20 |
| Stationary / books | £13 |
| Mobile phone / internet | £13 |
| Cable TV / streaming | £7 |
| Insurance | £51 |
| Other | £95 |
| Average student cost of living | £1092 |
London costs approx 34% more than average, mainly due to rent being 67% higher than average of other cities. For students staying in student halls, costs of water, gas, electricity, wifi are generally included in the rental. Students in smaller cities where accommodation is in walking/biking distance transport costs tend to be significantly smaller.
How to apply
Application deadline:
August 1, 2026
This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.
Possible Entry Points:
- year 1 (Default entry point)
UCAS application code:
WW26
University Rankings
of Ulster University
among 5 universities in Northern Ireland
based on 34 different rankings
Positions of Ulster University in top UK and global rankings.
Rankings of Ulster University in related subject specific rankings.
Computer Science
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- #2
- #43
-
- Computer Science
-
CUG The Complete University Guide - By Subject
[Published 14 May, 2024]
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-
- #2
- #601
-
- Computer Science
-
THE World University Rankings by Subject
[Published 17 January, 2025]
See all 34 university rankings of Ulster University
About Ulster University
Ulster University is a publicly funded higher education institution located in Northern Ireland. The university owns and manages four main campuses: Belfast, Coleraine, Jordanstown, and Magee. Each campus hosts its own special facilities for the departments that occupy them, with some of the facilities between them including an award-winning Law Clinic, television and radio studios, Clinical Physiology suites, among many other well-equipped facilities.
List of 235 Bachelor and Master Courses from Ulster University - Course Catalogue
Where is this programme taught
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Similar courses
| Program | University | Student satisfaction | Unemployed | Dropout | Tuition (UK) | Tuition (International) |  UCAS Tariff |
City | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Animation BA (Hons) | Leeds Arts University | - | 20% | 10% | £9250 | £17500 | 166 | Leeds |
On campus
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|
|
Animation and Games Art BA (Hons) | University of Sunderland | 87% | 5% | 5% | £9250 | £16000 | 113 | Sunderland |
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|
|
|
Animation BDes (Hons) | Ulster University | 94% | 5% | 0% | £9250 | £16320 | - | Coleraine |
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Sandwich
|
|
Animation BA (Hons) | Sheffield Hallam University | - | 10% | 5% | £9250 | £16655 | 117 | Sheffield |
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Sandwich
|
|
3D Animation and Visualisation BSc (Hons) | Glasgow Caledonian University | 81% | 10% | 25% | £9250 £9250 | £14500 £15200 | - | Glasgow |
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|
|
Animation and Visual Effects (VFX) BA (Hons) | Norwich University of the Arts | - | 7% | 5% | £9250 | £18000 | 119 | Norwich |
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|
|
Game Art Animation BA/BSc (Hons) | SAE Institute | 90% | 5% | 5% | £11100 | £15000 | 119 | London |
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|
|
Games, Design and Animation with Foundation Year BSc (Hons) | University of West London | 83% | 10% | 0% | £9250 | £16250 | - | Ealing |
On campus
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|
|
3D Animation & Visual Effects BA (Hons) | University of Chichester | 94% | 15% | 0% | £9250 | £16344 | - | Chichester |
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|
|
|
Games, Design and Animation BSc (Hons) | University of West London | 83% | 10% | 10% | £9250 | £16250 | - | Ealing |
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|
FAQ about Animation BDes (Hons) Ulster University
- Tuition fees for this programme are 4750 per year for UK students. In addition to the tuition fees you should also take into consideration the average monthly cost of living for students in the UK.
- Finance Professionals (60%), Managers, directors and senior officials (5%), Caring personal services (5%), Administrative occupations (5%)
- 30 graduates rated the course 94. This means that 94% of graduates indicated that they were satisfied or very satisfied with the course. See detailed ratings above and how these compare to the averages at other universities.
- Ulster University achieved the highest ranking for Computer Science. It is ranked #43 in CUG The Complete University Guide - By Subject (Computer Science). See all subject rankings for Ulster University.
- Animation BDes (Hons) is taught on campus and cannot be taken online at Ulster University.
- It is rather difficult to get accepted into this course. Accepted students had an average UCAS tariff score of 141 which is higher than 75.28% of all Animation courses in the UK.
Ranking publishers
The University League Tables
- Published:
- 14 May, 2024
THE Times Higher Education, UK
- Published:
- 17 January, 2025
- Criteria used in ranking -THE World University Rankings by Subject:
- 37.4% Teaching (the Learning Environment)
37.6% Research (Volume, Income and Reputation)
15% Citations (Research Influence)
7.5% International Outlook (Staff, Students and Research)
2.5% Industry Income (Knowledge Transfer)