Master of Science - Computer Animation and Visual Effects

The Computer Animation & Visual Effects course, delivered by the National Centre for Computer Animation (NCCA), will assist students to become skilled in the technical aspects of computer animation and to graduate with the range and depth of technical knowledge necessary to become future Technical Directors, Artists or Research and Development Engineers within the computer animation and games sectors.

Through a combination of theory and practical projects, both individual and collaborative, students will gain the experience and skills needed to work alongside computer animators to resolve technical problems either by configuring existing software tools or designing new tools.

Students will be able to:

• Develop a creative and innovative approach to the analysis and solution of problems • Apply technical, mathematical and algorithmic skills to develop tools to aid in the production of animation and games artefacts • Apply software to develop techniques in C++ to test new algorithms, write shaders to support rendering and develop scripts and tools to create new effects • Attend visiting speaker talks from industry specialists, including some of our successful alumni. Graduates have worked on many award winning films such as Jojo Rabbit, Avengers: Endgame, The Irishman, The Lion King, Star Wars Rise of Skywalker, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald and Dunkirk • Collaborate with students across the NCCA Master’s courses in Digital Effects and 3D Computer Animation during the Group Project providing a realistic setting to discover what it’s like working with other creative people and working to a strict timescale • Undertake a Masters project in preparation for the degree show in London attended by top industry recruiters • Access industry standard facilities including animation laboratories, equipped with industry-standard software including Maya and Houdini • Attend BU's BFX Festival, the UK's largest visual effects, computer games & animation festival featuring a fantastic line-up of speakers, masterclasses, exhibitions, screenings and networking events

BU is ranked 4th in the top 25 animation schools and colleges in the world, 3rd in Europe and 1st in the UK (Animation Career Review 2020).