Animation (BA)

Introducing BA Animation

Edinburgh College of Art’s Animation programme is Scotland’s oldest established degree-level programme in the subject area.

We typically have between 15 and 20 students in each year group.

We cover the full range of animation methods:

• drawn
• 2D digital
• 3D digital
• stop-frame

We also have a sustainably resourced render farm, running Pixar’s Renderman, which will support parallel processing of projects using Maya, 3DS Max, or Adobe After Effects.

The method you use for each project is up to you, and is driven by conversation with staff to determine which method will best suit your idea and your preferred way of working.

You have a choice of working on projects in a team or on your own.

Awards

Our students have gone on to win, among many others, awards at:

• the BAFTAs
• Emmys
• British Animation Awards
• Edinburgh International Film Festival
• Adobe Design Achievement Awards
• Royal Television Society

Aardman Academy

ECA’s Animation programme has become one of the first partners in the Aardman Academy. This gives our students the opportunity for studio visits to Aardman, and workshops and courses, in person and online with professional animators, writers, directors and producers from one of the UK’s most respected animation studios.

How this programme works

This is a full-time programme. To successfully complete your studies, you are expected to be on campus from 9am until 5pm, five days per week. Contact time generally takes up 20% of that time (this is common at most universities). The remainder is spent putting what you have learned or discussed with tutors into practice in the studio. During this time you are supported in the studios by technical and academic staff, above and beyond lectures and timetabled contact hours.

We expect you to supplement your own learning by working alongside your fellow students across the year groups, benefiting from the diverse range of interests and experiences present in our studios. This is vital to achieve your full potential as an art student in any area, particularly in animation.

Standard entry requirement

The standard entry requirement is:

• SQA Highers: ABBB by end of S5 or AABB/ABBBB by end of S6. BBB must be achieved in one year of S4-S6.
• A Levels: ABB.
• IB: 34 points with 655 at HL.

Minimum entry requirement

The minimum entry requirement for widening access applicants is:

• SQA Highers: ABBB by end of S6. BBB must be achieved in one year of S4-S6.
• A Levels: ABB.
• IB: 34 points with 655 at HL.

More information for widening access applicants

Required subjects

The grades used to meet our entry requirements must include:

• SQA: Highers: no specific Higher subjects required. National 5s: English at C.
• A Levels: no specific A Level subjects required. GCSEs: English at C or 4.
• IB: HL: no specific subjects required. SL: English at 5.

Additional requirements

Portfolio

Applicants will be asked to submit a digital portfolio to provide evidence of artistic aptitude and potential, this will form an important part of the selection process.

For more information about the portfolio, visit the Edinburgh College of Art website at the link below.

Undergraduate portfolio guidance

Portfolio technical support and specification

Important dates

• 1 December 2024: portfolio submission site opens.
• 29 January 2025: deadline for all applicants (including international applicants).
• 4 February 2025 at 12 pm (midday) GMT: portfolio submission deadline.

BTEC/UAL Diplomas

Applicants studying Pearson BTEC Level 3 Nationals in Art and Design will be considered for entry with the following:

• Pearson BTEC Extended Diploma with DMM.
• Pearson BTEC Diploma with MM plus one A Level at A (or DM plus B at A Level).
• Pearson BTEC Extended Certificate / Subsidiary Diploma with D plus two A Levels at B (or M plus AB at A Level).

Applicants studying the University of the Arts London Level 3 Extended Diploma in Art and Design will be considered with Merit.

Find out more about entry requirements

International applicants

We welcome applications from students studying a wide range of international qualifications.

Entry requirements by country

International Foundation Programme

If you are an international student and your school qualifications are not accepted for direct entry to the University you may be eligible for admission to this degree programme through our International Foundation Programme.

International Foundation Programme

Mature applicants

We welcome applications from mature students and accept a range of qualifications.

Mature applicant qualifications

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency which will enable you to succeed in your studies.

SQA, GCSE and IB

For SQA, GCSE and IB students, unless a higher level is specified in the stated entry requirements, a pass is required in English at the following grades or higher:

• SQA National 5 at C
• GCSE at C or 4
• Level 2 Certificate at C
• IB Standard Level at 5 (English ab initio is not accepted for entry)

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 6.5 with at least 5.5 in each component.We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 92 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 176 with at least 162 in each component.
• Trinity ISE: ISE II with distinctions in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 65 with at least 54 in each component. We do not accept PTE Academic Online.
• Oxford ELLT: 7 overall with at least 5 in each component.*

We also accept a wider range of international qualifications and tests.

Unless you are a national of a majority English speaking country, your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start of the month in which the degree you are applying to study begins. If you are using an IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL, Oxford ELLT, or Trinity ISE test, it must be no more than two years old on the first of the month in which the degree begins, regardless of your nationality.

English language requirements

(*Revised 24 May 2024 to change PTE Academic requirement from total 62 with at least 54 in each component, and to clarify that we do not accept PTE Academic online. Revised 29 August 2024 to add Oxford ELLT requirements.)

Our graduates have gone on to work with directors such as Wes Anderson and Tim Burton. They work at animation studios such as:

• Aardman
• Laika
• Cartoon Saloon
• Nexus Productions
• Red Kite Studios

Some graduates have set up their own animation studios, including:

• Wild Child
• Ko-Lik
• White Robot

Other graduates have gone on to work at games companies such as Rockstar North and Media Molecule.

Animation was one of the few sectors in the creative industries to experience growth during the COVID-19 pandemic. This growth appears to be consistent since the end of the lockdowns. Currently, there is a shortage within the film, VFX and animation sectors of skills in storyboarding, pre-visualisation, production and project management, all of which comprise a part of your studies in Animation at ECA.

Beyond those sectors, animators are in high demand in the video games industry, and among emergent virtual/augmented reality businesses.

There are some unexpected areas of opportunity as well. Insurance companies and police forces use animators to forensically reconstruct accident or crime scenes. Architectural and interior design companies regularly use animators to create pre-visualisations of their projects for clients.

Any product that has a user interface will use animation. Your mobile phone, for example, does not have many completely static buttons.