You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience.

Having trouble viewing in Internet Explorer 11? We're working on this. For the best user experience please try using a different web browser.

Skip to main content Skip to search Skip to menu
HomeStudyUndergraduate StudyGame Animation BA(Hons)
Search
Menu
  • Study
    • Back
    • Study with us
    • Undergraduate
    • Postgraduate
    • Online study
    • International students
    • Research degrees

    Undergraduate Study

    Connect with industry innovators, collaborate across disciplines and learn from practising professionals. Explore our courses. Clearing is...

    Student Funding

    We offer a range of financial support to try and ensure that all students can succeed and fulfil their potential during their studies.

  • Apply
    • Back
    • How to apply
    • Student funding
    • Accommodation

    Preparing for Your Interview

    What's an interview like and how can you prepare? Read our advice and tips and search for course information here.

    Application Toolkit

    Our Application Toolkit holds lots of advice and information about applying to Falmouth University.

  • Experience Falmouth
    • Back
    • Open Days & events
    • Student life
    • Student Voice
    • News & stories
    • About us

    Virtual Experience

    Live outside the UK? Can't visit in person? No problem. Experience Falmouth University on this Virtual Experience page.

    Ask a Student

    Our students are here to tell you all about life at Falmouth. From settling in and studying to making friends and making memories.

  • Research & Innovation
    • Back
    • Discover R & I
    • Our projects
    • Research with us

    How to Apply for a Research Degree

    Whether you’re applying for a MPhil or PhD research degree, find out about the key stages of the application process.

    Launchpad (with MSc Entrepreneurship)

    Drive the development of a high-growth tech start-up, supported by a stipend. Alongside this, you’ll benefit from business guidance, mentoring and...

  • Business collaboration
    • Back
    • Working with industry
    • Launchpad Outreach
    • Academic partnerships

    Launchpad Outreach

    Discover Launchpad Outreach, our fully funded business support programme.

    Working with Industry

    Business support, industry collaborations and impactful innovation. Find out more about how we work with businesses.

  • Support
    • Back
    • Student & staff portal
    • Student support
    • Find us
    • Contact us

    Term Dates

    Find out all the key dates and study blocks for undergraduate, postgraduate and research degrees.

    Accommodation

    Explore all our on and off-campus accommodation options and discover modern, well-equipped spaces designed to fit a range of budgets.

Prospectus

Explore our future-focused undergraduate and postgraduate degree courses by viewing our prospectuses.

How to Apply

Get application information including personal statement advice, interview tips and what to include in your portfolio.

Coronavirus Information

Find out how we're keeping our community safe, and how you can help.

Game Animation BA(Hons)

Join a community of people who have a real passion for games. From day one, you’ll work as you would within a team in the industry, developing your own games. You’ll replicate professional practice, learning in a range of environments to discover your specialism and prepare for the career you want.

student seated at a desktop with game illustration on the screen

Key details

LocationPenryn Campus
Course Duration3 years
AttendanceFull-time
UCAS codeI609
Contact01326 254350

Apply now

Get a prospectus

Ask an advisor

Explore Open Days & events 

Introduction

You'll explore the fundamentals of game development and the various roles and processes within the industry, while specialising in game animation.

Working in multi-skilled teams, you'll apply game theory to the creation of novel digital games, allowing you to develop your practice as an animator and experience the whole process of game development.

You will:

  • Build your own games from day one and have the opportunity to establish your own company in your third year.
  • Work in one of largest and best equipped dedicated game making spaces of any university in the UK.
  • Change the games industry by making original games for new markets.
  • Work in a department dedicated to gaming and be surrounded by people working in all aspects of the industry.
  • Learn the fundamentals of animation and rigging in practical game-making.
  • Develop a multi-disciplinary approach, using Unity and Unreal to touch upon all aspects of game creation.
  • Be guided by specialists across game animation and game development, including industry veterans and internationally recognised researchers.

Covid-19 update

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we have reviewed and made changes to our courses to provide flexible, blended delivery that offers high-quality digital engagement and access to face-to-face teaching in our facilities. You can see how your course may be adjusted by viewing the changes for the current academic year by visiting our welcome letters & latest course updates pages

  • Students
  • Graduates
  • Course details
  • How to apply
  • Fees, costs & funding
  • Ask a student

    What our students do

    Article
    Article

    Games Academy Students Compete on Global Stage

    9 July 2020
    Students from the Games Academy at Falmouth are rallying support for their entries in The Rookies,...
    Article
    Article

    Building believable worlds

    15 May 2020
    On the Game Development BA(Hons) course, students start building their own games from day one and...
    Article
    Article

    Games Academy in Top 50 Worldwide

    27 March 2020
    Falmouth University's Games Academy has once again been featured as one of the top 50 games schools...
    Article
    Article

    Global Jam at the Games Academy

    13 February 2020
    Students, staff and other 'jammers' took part in the Global Game Jam® 2020 recently. The jam was...
    Article
    Article

    Games Students Impress Mediatonic's Marketing Director

    25 April 2019
    Being able to hear the expert advice of industry practitioners is just one of the benefits of...
    Article
    Article

    Gamers Go Global

    30 January 2019
    Falmouth's gaming community got creative this weekend (25-27 Jan) when they took part in the 2019...

    What our graduates do

    Graduates from this course could go on to develop careers as animators and designers at major game studios like Supermassive Games, Mediatonic, Creative Assembly, Rare and King.

    Course details

    What you'll learn

    You'll build up your core skills as an animator, learning game pipelines and the roles of different specialisms within the games industry. You'll then work on team-led projects and collaborate with artist; you'll rig and animate models following the animation pipeline to bring your ideas to life.

    Course structure

    • Year one
    • Year two
    • Year three
    Year one

    You'll learn what it takes to make a game, including asset creation, project management and pipelines, pitching ideas, and considering theories about what games are and how they engage players. Developing your skills in animation, you'll enhance cross-disciplinary groups as you pitch a game to tutors and build it together.

    Modules

    Development Principles

    You'll immerse yourself in our studio culture and learn the basics of making games.

    Theory 1: Reading Experiences

    You'll study and write about games and VR in the same way as you might write about books on an English course, or films in Film Studies.

    Multidisciplinary Development Practice

    You'll pitch your first full game and build it as a team using Agile methodologies.

    Game Animation 1

    You'll explore the principles of animation and develop skills and workflows in 3D animation.

    Game Animation 2

    You'll develop skills in animating human performance and then integrate your work into a game engine.

    Year two

    With greater confidence in your skills, you'll mirror professional game development as you tackle a larger game project in a multi-skilled group. Over the course of the year, you'll research and experiment with various approaches and create innovative features. You'll investigate strategies to enhance the player experience and learn what drives industry trends and developments from visiting professionals. Throughout the year you'll continue developing your specialist game animation practice.

    Modules

    World Creation Project: Pre-Production

    You'll devise the concept for a world and take it forward into a fuller game title.

    World Creation Project: Production

    During this module, you'll develop your world creation project into a pitchable game, showcased to the rest of the Academy.

    Theory 2: Form & Player Experience

    Aligning your production with game studies theory, you’ll write your manifesto as a games developer, discussing the ethical and industrial debates around game production.

    Game Animation 3

    You'll develop advanced rigging and animation skills, with an emphasis on facial rigging and motion capture.

    Developing Specialist Game Art Practice

    You'll extend your understanding of animation in game development by practicing and developing your own individual skills.

    Year three

    During the final year of your game animation course, you'll produce a complete and potentially publishable game as part of a team. By pitching it to industry professionals, you'll receive reliable and insightful feedback. You'll also research a topic relevant to your project and build an online portfolio with a clear centrepiece, sharpening your real-world insights and building valuable career contacts.

    Modules

    Professional Practice and enterprise

    With your career in mind, you'll produce a professional online presence for your work and learn how to network and get a job in games.

    Major Game Development Project: Pre-Production

    The vast majority of your third year is spent making a game in a team, which may result in forming your own games company.

    Preparing for the Future

    You'll research and investigate topics important to your route and practice, exploring how the rapidly evolving games industry could change as you look towards entering it.

    Major Game Development Project: Production

    Completing your third-year game, you'll showcase it to the rest of the academy and pitch it to invited industry guests.

    The modules above are those being studied by our students, or proposed new ones. Programme structures and modules can change as part of our curriculum enhancement and review processes. If a certain module is important to you, please discuss it with the Course Leader.

    We are making changes to our curriculum framework for courses starting in 2022. Modest amendments to our course module structure will provide you with new opportunities to collaborate and co-create with students from across disciplines during your studies.

    This course page will be updated when these changes have been finalised and applicants will be notified.

    How you'll learn

    You'll create original games through group work, professional practice and Game Jams. You'll also develop practical skills through practice-based workshops, and learn to evaluate and improve your work through group tutorials, crits, and individual tutorials.

    Regular learning will come from lectures, seminars and our Virtual Learning Environment.

    You'll share specialist first-year modules with other Games Academy courses. As the course progresses, you'll move from 2D to 3D and shift your focus to project teamwork.

    How you'll spend your time

    Year

    Timetabled teaching

    and learning activity

    Guided

    independent study

    1

    34%

    66%

    2

    36%

    64%

    3

    32%

    68%

      The above percentages relate to 2019/2020 data.

     How you'll be assessed

    Year

    Written exams

    Practical exams

    Coursework

    1

    0%

    0%

    100%

    2

    0%

    0%

    100%

    3

    0%

    0%

    100%

      The above percentages relate to 2019/2020 data.

    Assessment methods

    • Teamwork features heavily to reflect the industry.
    • Game making is the primary form of assessment.
    • Continuous assessment with no formal examinations.
    • Visual, verbal and written assignments.
    • Portfolio of project work.

    Staff

    You'll be taught by professional game animators, developers and artists coming from companies like Square-Enix and Octopus 8 Studios. Together, they have worked on titles like Hitman, League of Legends, World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy XII.

    Staff profile
    Staff profile

    Professor Tanya Krzywinska

    Professor of Digital Games

    Tanya started playing computer-based games on Usenet when working at the Digital Equipment...

    Staff profile
    Staff profile

    Brian McDonald

    Senior Lecturer Digital Games

    Brian McDonald is a senior lecturer on the BA(Hons) Game Development and BSc(Hons) Computing for...

    Staff profile
    Staff profile

    Che Wilbraham

    Research Student Teaching Associate

    As a self-taught, independent game developer, Ché’s background is in the arts. He sees himself as a...

    Staff profile
    Staff profile

    Dr Douglas Brown

    Head of Games

    Formerly employed by international games developer and publisher Square-Enix and credited on...

    Staff profile
    Staff profile

    Phoebe Herring

    Senior Lecturer

    Phoebe Herring joined Falmouth University as a lecturer in BA(Hons) Game Art after freelancing on a...

    Staff profile
    Staff profile

    Jon Pledger

    Senior Lecturer

    Following my masters I worked as a Senior Artist for two games companies: Evolution Studios and...

    Staff profile
    Staff profile

    Andy Smith

    Technical Manager/Technical Tutor

    Andy joined Falmouth University in 2013 after completing his undergraduate studies in Communication...

    Staff profile
    Staff profile

    Pete Shepherd

    Associate Lecturer (Audio)

    Having been involved in the music industry for the last 30 years, initially as a player/performer...

    Staff profile
    Staff profile

    Rory Summerley

    Lecturer

    Rory is a games studies researcher who has written and lectured on a diverse range of games-related...

    Staff profile
    Staff profile

    Terry Greer

    Senior Lecturer in Game Design

    After starting out life as a zoo keeper at London Zoo, Terry has worked for over thirty years in...

    Staff profile
    Staff profile

    Dr Jeff Howard

    Senior Lecturer (Games)

    Dr. Jeff Howard is Senior Lecturer in the Games Academy at Falmouth University in Cornwall, where...

    Staff profile
    Staff profile

    Kate Bergel

    Lecturer: Games Programming

    The majority of Kate's career has been spent in VFX, where she started as a junior systems...

    Staff profile
    Staff profile

    Ady Smith

    Lecturer Game Art

    I have been working in the Games Industry since 1992.  I have worked on a variety of game platforms...

    Facilities

    • Large studio equipped with regularly updated, state-of-the-art game development machines.
    • XSens MVN Awinda motion capture suits.
    • Life drawing studio for artists and weekly life drawing sessions.
    • Specialised computing hardware for game development, deep learning projects, motion capture and immersive experiences.
    • Standard packages used in software development for the games and visual effects industries, including Adobe and Autodesk suites.
    • Attached lab committed to staying at the cutting edge - featuring augmented reality, virtual reality AR/VR/MR (XR) equipment including HoloLens, HoloLens 2 and Oculus Quest 2.
    • Attached lab with access to PS4 development and testing kits.
    • Access to a variety of game engines including Unity and Unreal.
    • Studios open late during term time.
    • Access to free software via Microsoft Imagine.

    Take a virtual tour

    Students at the Games Academy have access to industry-standard technologies, such as our motion capture studio.

    How to apply

    Apply via UCAS

    Ready to join us? If you're applying through UCAS Apply and Track, you'll need to reference the university and course codes below.

    University code: F33
    UCAS code: I609


    Apply now

    Applying as an international student? 

    International students can apply for a course through UCAS, via an agent or directly with the university. For more information about how to apply as an international student, visit our International applications page.

     

    International applications

    Application advice & interview information

    Go to Toolkit
    • Entry requirements
    • Language requirements
    • Deadlines
    Entry requirements

    We consider all applications on their own individual merit and potential. We invite all applicants to an interview day or audition to give them the opportunity to demonstrate this along with what inspires and motivates them in their field. Applicants will also be able to show their portfolio or give a performance depending on the course. We welcome applications from all subject backgrounds, whether you’ve specialised in STEM, the arts or humanities.  

    As a guide our typical offer at undergraduate level is 104 – 120 UCAS Tariff points, primarily from Level 3 qualifications such as but not limited to A-levels, a BTEC Extended Diploma or a Foundation Diploma. 

    Check how many points your qualifications are worth

    Language requirements

    For applicants whose first language is English we require you to have or be working towards GCSE English Language Grade 4 (C), or equivalent. 

    If English is not your first language you will need to meet the same standard which is equivalent to the IELTS Academic 6.0 overall score, with at least 5.5 in Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening. We accept a range of in country equivalencies and approved tests.  

    If you need a student visa to study in the UK, you'll need to take a recognised language test that is approved and vouched for by the University. You can read our English Language Requirements for more information.

    Deadlines

    UK applications: 29 January 2021 (for equal consideration) 

    Late applications will be considered if there are places available. 

    International fee payers can apply throughout the year. But we recommend applying as early as possible, to make time for visa and travel arrangements.

    What we're looking for

    We want someone who:

    • Is passionate about creating games.
    • Wants to work as a specialist game animator in either the AAA or indie area of the industry.
    • Wants to develop real games in multidisciplinary teams in a studio mirroring the industry.
    • Enthusiastically follows current video game technologies.
    • Shows communication skills and understands their specialism.

    Fees, costs & funding

    Tuition fees 2021-22

    £9,250 per year - full-time UK

    £16,950 - full-time EU

    £16,950 - full-time international

    Typical course costs

    • £200 annually – Study trips to film festivals, relevant trade shows and post production companies based locally and in London, Cardiff or Bristol.
    • £50 – Compulsory trips and final portfolios or shows.
    • £50 – Recurring annual costs for optional study visits and placements.

    If you need to bring equipment or materials with you, these will be outlined in your Welcome Letter

    The figures above don't include accommodation and living costs

    Tuition fees are set annually and are subject to review each year. The University may therefore raise tuition fees in the second or subsequent years of a course, in line with inflation and/or the maximum permitted by law or Government policy. Students will be notified of any changes as soon as possible. 

    Funding

    For information about funding available, please visit our undergraduate funding page

    Ask a student

    What better way to find out about life at Falmouth University than by asking our current students? 

    From course details, our facilities and the local area to the social scene and settling in, our students are ready and available to answer any questions you might have. Simply set up your account, send them a question and they'll get back to you within 24 hours.

     

    Open Days and Campus Tours

    See how we turn real industry experience into real careers.

    Visit us
    • Games Academy
    EmailFacebookTwitterLinkedInMessenger
    • Courses
    • Departments
    • Staff
    • Academic partnerships
    • Jobs
    • Corporate information
    • News
    • Alumni
    • Contact
    • Find us
    • Events
    • Staff & Student Portal
    • Falmouth Campus
      Woodlane, Falmouth
      Cornwall TR11 4RH
      01326 211077
    • Penryn Campus
      Treliever Road, Penryn
      Cornwall TR10 9FE
      01326 370400
    © Falmouth University 2021
    • Accessibility Statement
    • Data Privacy
    • Copyright
    • Terms of Use
    • Cookie Policy
    • Student Regulations

    TEF Gold Logo