BA (Hons) Illustration with Animation at Manchester Metropolitan University

Programme overview

If you’re a creative thinker who loves drawing, storytelling and bringing ideas to life, BA (Hons) Illustration with Animation at Manchester Met gives you the opportunity to explore both illustration and the moving image. This hybrid course reflects the way today’s illustrators and animators work, combining hand‑crafted techniques with digital tools, and developing ideas that can live on paper, on screen, or in 3D spaces. Throughout your degree, you’ll experiment with a huge range of processes, from printmaking, book arts and sketchbook work to animation, 3D‑making, and digital design.

Faculty: Faculty of Arts and Humanities | Department: School of Art and Design | Duration: 3 years full-time; 4 years with placement year and/or overseas study | Study mode: full-time, placement year available | Intake: September 2027 | Location: Manchester, England, United Kingdom

What you will study

At Manchester School of Art, our design courses are taught in vibrant, open studio spaces alive with energy and creativity. These dynamic environments foster cross-disciplinary collaboration, encouraging students to engage, experiment, and learn from one another within a culture of shared practice and innovation. Year 1 core: Materials in Context, Visual Journeys, Narrative Pathways: Defining, Future X: Kinship. Year 2 core: Material, Process, Context, Narrative Pathways: Refining, Making Connections, Future X: Symbiosis. Year 3 core: Narrative Pathways: Applied, Future X: Re-worlding, Creative Synthesis.

Career pathways

Our BA (Hons) Illustration with Animation graduates go into a wide variety of roles in the creative industries, including: Freelance/in-house design and illustration. Book arts and publishing.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

GCE A levels - grades BCC or equivalent. Pearson BTEC National Extended Diploma - grade DMM. Access to HE Diploma - Pass overall with a minimum 106 UCAS Tariff points. UAL Level 3 Extended Diploma - grade of Merit overall. OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma - grade DMM. T level - We welcome applications from students undertaking T level qualifications. Eligible applicants will be asked to achieve a minimum overall grade of Merit as a condition of offer. IB Diploma - Pass overall with a minimum overall score of 26 or minimum 104 UCAS Tariff points from three Higher Level subjects. Other Level 3 qualifications equivalent to GCE A level are also considered. A maximum of three A level-equivalent qualifications will be accepted towards meeting the UCAS tariff requirement. AS levels, or qualifications equivalent to AS level, are not accepted. The Extended Project qualification (EPQ) may be accepted towards entry, in conjunction with two A-level equivalent qualifications. Please contact the University directly if you are unsure whether you meet the minimum entry requirements for the course. GCSE grade C/4 in English Language or equivalent, e.g. Pass in Level 2 Functional Skills English. IB: IB Diploma with minimum 26 points overall or 104 UCAS Tariff points from three Higher Level subjects. If you plan to meet the Level 2 course requirements through your IB Diploma you will need to achieve Higher Level 4 or Standard Level 5 in English. Please see our digital portfolio requirements page for guidance on preparing and submitting your portfolio. IELTS: 6.0 overall with no individual element below 5.5. Portfolio required.

Domestic applicants: GBP 10,050 a year (2027/28). Standard UK and Channel Islands full-time fee for 2027/28 as stated on the course page Source

Intake: September 2027

Duration: 3 years full-time; 4 years with placement year and/or overseas study

Apply through the official page: https://www.ucas.com

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