BA (Hons) Concept Art at Teesside University

A practice-based degree in the pre-production process of visual projects, in which students visualise characters, creatures, props and environments for games, film, animation, comics and other media. Study is split between traditional drawing techniques in practical workshops and digital and 3D tools such as Adobe Photoshop and Blender. Teaching is by practising concept artists, and the subject is ranked 3rd in the UK in the Animation Career Review International Animation School Rankings 2026.

Department: Animation, Concept Art & Visual Effects  |  Duration: 3 years full-time (4 with work placement; 4 with foundation year, 5 with both); up to 6 years part-time (2-3 days a week)  |  Intake: September  |  Study mode: full-time, part-time  |  Location: Middlesbrough, England, United Kingdom

What you will study

Year 1: Concept Art Pre-Production, Drawing Fundamentals, History of Illustration and Introduction to Digital Image Techniques. Year 2: Digital Image Techniques, Green Light, Narrative Art and Practice Based Research. Final year: Concept Art Project (60 credits), Industry Practice and Professional Practice and Responsible use of AI in the Creative Industries, with an optional work placement year at no extra cost. Assessment is mostly practical projects.

Career pathways

Graduates have started careers as freelance artists or worked or undertaken placements at studios such as Atomhawk, Sumo Digital, Jagex and Frontier Developments. Students meet employers through the ExpoSeries events and the Animex international festival of animation, concept art and games.

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