Animation is a key part of the UK's £84 billion creative industries. On this world-class course, you will develop the skills and understanding to make a successful career in this exciting and dynamic field. In addition to using state-of-the-art processes and technologies to create digital animations, you will gain a solid grounding in classical animation techniques, drawing, cinematography, storytelling and the conceptual understanding to ensure that you become a creative, competent and confident professional. Our industry-experienced team will help you become an accomplished animator through a combination of practical and theoretical work. Our emphasis is on creating as many animations as possible while still placing it in a cultural and industrial context. You will do more than simply learn software, you will develop the crucial critical thinking skills that will enable you to produce work of the highest quality– something that the industry is desperately wants. **Placement Year** This course offers you the opportunity to take up a placement year working in industry between your second and final year. During the second year of your study we organise a number of activities to help students find placements. These include sessions on CVs, interviews etc. from the Careers service at the University and presentations by both employers and previous year's students on their placements. Students who endeavour to, and take up the placement year will have support and guidance from a placements tutor throughout to monitor and support your progress. After completing the year, students return to study the third academic year of their course, and we often find students return with a drive to continue their studies. Many students continue their relationship with their placement employers working for them part-time, developing Final Year Projects with them or going back to them into graduate positions.