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.

Key details
Location | Penryn Campus |
---|---|
Course Duration | 3 years |
Attendance | Full-time |
UCAS code | I609 |
Contact | 01326 254350 |
Apply now
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
What our students do
Games Academy Students Compete on Global Stage
Building believable worlds
Games Academy in Top 50 Worldwide
Global Jam at the Games Academy
Games Students Impress Mediatonic's Marketing Director
Gamers Go Global
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
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.
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.
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.
Professor Tanya Krzywinska
Tanya started playing computer-based games on Usenet when working at the Digital Equipment...
Brian McDonald
Brian McDonald is a senior lecturer on the BA(Hons) Game Development and BSc(Hons) Computing for...
Che Wilbraham
As a self-taught, independent game developer, Ché’s background is in the arts. He sees himself as a...
Dr Douglas Brown
Formerly employed by international games developer and publisher Square-Enix and credited on...
Phoebe Herring
Phoebe Herring joined Falmouth University as a lecturer in BA(Hons) Game Art after freelancing on a...
Jon Pledger
Following my masters I worked as a Senior Artist for two games companies: Evolution Studios and...
Andy Smith
Andy joined Falmouth University in 2013 after completing his undergraduate studies in Communication...
Pete Shepherd
Having been involved in the music industry for the last 30 years, initially as a player/performer...
Rory Summerley
Rory is a games studies researcher who has written and lectured on a diverse range of games-related...
Terry Greer
After starting out life as a zoo keeper at London Zoo, Terry has worked for over thirty years in...
Dr Jeff Howard
Dr. Jeff Howard is Senior Lecturer in the Games Academy at Falmouth University in Cornwall, where...
Kate Bergel
The majority of Kate's career has been spent in VFX, where she started as a junior systems...
Ady Smith
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.
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
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.
Application advice & interview information
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.
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.
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.