Computer Animation & Visual Effects courses

from Bournemouth University Postgraduate Prospectus 2024

BU’s degrees of difference

We are home to the UK’s National Centre for Computer Animation (NCCA) and its research arm, the National Research Centre for Computer Animation. They underline our strong international reputation for our innovative approach to award-winning digital media.

Art and science

Since it was established in 1989, the twin objectives of the NCCA have been to pioneer the production of animation across the UK and to develop insightful, up-to-date, and engaging courses at all levels. Our fundamental philosophy is that computer animation is a marriage of art and science.

Academic expertise

The expertise of our academics in the fields of computer science, art and design and the creative industries underpins our courses, keeping them fresh, progressive and tailored to the cutting edge of the discipline. Our academics have international reputations in the areas of 3D modelling, animation, VFX and realtime technologies.

Collaborative learning

The courses are collaborative, and you'll work with students from other degrees. Together, you'll benefit from our new animation studios, equipped with industry standard software as well as a green screen and motion capture studio.

Access to Industry

As a student, you'll have exceptional access to world-class studios such as ILM, DNEG, MPC, Framestore, Outpost VFX, Playground Games, Creative Assembly, Frontier Developments, EA, Sony, Microsoft Studios, Animal Logic, and Blue Zoo.

Our close links with industry mean you'll benefit from our status as a Houdini Certified School and an Unreal Academic Partner. Some of our courses in this area are accredited by the following bodies (see each course listing for details):

If English is not your first language, you'll need an IELTS (Academic) qualification or equivalent. See each courses website for details.

I thoroughly enjoyed my MA in 3D Computer Animation, immersing myself in cutting-edge techniques and collaborating with talented peers. The course provided mentorship from industry professionals and valuable networking opportunities for future career prospects.

Dermott Burns, Environment Artist at The Chinese Room

My time at Bournemouth University studying the Digital Effects course was one of the more pivotal years of my life. The course itself is meticulously planned out for the year and done in a way that maximises learning and gives you all the right skills and knowledge to be able to get a job in the VFX industry soon after graduation.

Victoria Yu, CFX Key Artist at MPC Episodic

The course was a remarkable learning experience. I gained a thorough understanding of integrating AI in media, covering object detection, segmentation, classification, and 3D mesh reconstruction. I highly recommend this course to anyone interested in AI's applications in the media field.

Swaraj