the United Kingdom
University of Portsmouth| The award | How you will study | Study duration | Course start | Domestic course fees | International course fees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BSc (Hons) | Full-time, Sandwich | 3 - 4 years | September | - | - |
Overview
The UK's animation and visual effects (VFX) industry leads the world in producing blockbuster visuals for entertainment media, reinventing their technical and creative capabilities. With indie talent also thriving in the South Coast, there’s no better place to start your visual effects career than at Portsmouth.
Our Computer Animation and Visual Effects degree course will help you build skills in key areas such as concept drawing, 3D animation, physics-based simulation, and compositing, with guidance from a team of industry experts from across the entertainment and advertising sectors. Using our spectacular facilities, software and equipment, you'll enhance your artistic and technical expertise and improve your research skills in the technology you'll work with, which is vital to your development as an all-round artist.
You can also specialise and develop your professional portfolio through placement opportunities, client projects and the modules you’ll choose from second year.
Transform yourself into an exceptional VFX artist, producer, animator, and stagecrafter at Portsmouth – ready to take the creative and communication industries by storm.
Course highlights
Accreditation
This course is professionally accredited by SideFX as a Houdini Certified School.
We also work with visual effects studios, game developers and professional bodies such as TIGA (The Independent Games Association) to make sure the course stays up-to-date with industry trends.
In 2021, the University of Portsmouth was awarded Best Educational Institution at the TIGA Games Industry Awards.
Houdini Certified School (SideFX)
The Houdini Certified School accreditation recognises a course's high calibre of instructor knowledge, exemplary student work, and commitment to connecting students to industry. In return, students can access promotional and sponsorship opportunities from commercial studios, as well as support from SideFX to enhance their learning and employability, such as webinars, class presentations and portfolio reviews.
Careers and opportunities
The computer animation and VFX industry continues to grow as volume demand increases and increasingly complex effects require innovations in technologies and workflows. The sector’s unique fusion of art (in its traditional and modern forms and techniques) and science (via the advanced hardware and software used) offers fascinating career, research, and education enhancement opportunities for graduates.
London is home to six of the world's largest award-winning visual effects companies, many of whom we have strong industry connections with, and independent effects studios are emerging in the southeast of England. Our Master's degrees in Creative Technologies and Computer Animation are natural progressions for graduates who wish to research more into the science behind their skills.
Graduate roles
Many of our graduates have worked in roles such as:
Graduate destinations
Many of our graduates have worked at either the University of Portsmouth or multi-award-winning special effects companies behind some of the biggest film and television franchises in the world. These include:
Placement year (optional)
After your second or third year, you can complete an optional work placement to gain professional experience and enhance your skills. It's also a great incentive for employers once you graduate.
You can work for a company, organisation or agency, or you can go self-employed and start your own business with fellow students or by yourself.
Whatever you decide – or even if you just want some employability advice – our exclusive Creative Careers team can support you every step of the way.
Careers and Employability Service
Our Careers and Employability Service has extensive recruitment experience and knows the creative sector well, making it easier for students to find placements within the creative industries.
They can guide you through every step of the application process, including:
The team will continue to give you support throughout your placement year.
Placement experiences
Our previous placement students have worked in a wide range of technical roles, including compositing, rigging, texturing, and modeling.
Many of them have gained their industry experience in our leading facilities at the University, including CCIXR. Others have completed their placements at a number of renowned companies, including:
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Consider a Foundation or Pathway course at University of Portsmouth to prepare for your chosen course:
If you do not meet the entry requirements for this course then consider one of these courses from another institution:
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