BA (Hons) Animation (2D and Stop Motion)

BA (Hons) How to apply Apply through UCAS Book an Open Day Chat to us

UCAS Code

Start Date

September 2027

Location

Cardiff

Campus Code

UCAS Points

UCAS Code

WW29

Start Date

September 2027

Location

Cardiff

Campus Code

UCAS Points

Course overview

Bring your characters and stories to life with Animation at USW, where you will develop your creative voice through real-world projects, collaborations, live briefs and studio visits. Specialising in 2D or Stop Motion, you will graduate with the skills, confidence and experience to pursue a career in the animation industry.

This course is for aspiring animators who want to build a career in the creative industries. You will explore character animation, concept development, visual storytelling and story design while developing practical skills and discovering your own creative strengths. You will graduate with a professional portfolio that reflects your abilities and prepares you for industry.

Why study this course?

2D and Stop Motion Specialism

Develop specialist skills in 2D or Stop Motion animation while building a creative portfolio that reflects your individual interests and ambitions.

Industry Experience

Develop industry experience through employer-engaged projects and opportunities to work with animation professionals.

Industry-Standard Tools and Workflows

Develop skills using industry-standard animation software and workflows that reflect professional studio practice. 

Student-Recognised Teaching 

Learn from experienced animation staff who are regularly recognised by students through the USW Student Choice Awards. 

What you'll study

Build your animation foundations through practical projects exploring movement, character performance and visual storytelling.

Develop your creative ideas, technical skills and confidence while experimenting with different approaches to animation.

Learn the principles of animation through timing, spacing, weight and rhythm. Experiment with frame-by-frame techniques and discover how to control movement to create clear, convincing animated sequences.

Study how characters move through balance, gesture and physicality. Analyse human and animal movement and learn how anatomy and locomotion can shape the way characters move and behave.

Turn your ideas into visual stories through character design, composition, storyboarding and animatics. Experiment with styles, develop your own creative concepts and learn how design and camera language shape animated storytelling.

Discover how to communicate personality, emotion and intention through animated performance. Develop an original character, explore dialogue and acting choices, and create performances that make characters feel distinctive, believable and engaging.

In your second year, you will develop your specialist 2D or Stop Motion practice through increasingly ambitious projects.

Explore concept development, visual storytelling and pre-production while developing collaborative working practices and building your professional portfolio.

Develop original concepts for 2D and Stop Motion projects through character, environment and prop design. Explore visual storytelling, research, sketching and presentation while refining ideas through experimentation, feedback and critique.

Explore visual storytelling through storyboards, developing skills in staging, composition, pacing and sequential imagery. Plan and present narrative ideas while considering character, tone, continuity, audience engagement and production requirements.

Develop animatics and pre-production skills for 2D and Stop Motion animation. Explore timing, pacing, editing and sequencing while testing ideas, planning workflows and preparing projects for production.

Develop a collaborative or self-directed project around your interests and specialism. Build your portfolio while developing project management, teamwork and professional working practices.

In your final year, take ownership of a major animation project from planning through to completion.

Refine your specialist skills and develop your portfolio, showreel and industry presence ready for your next step.

Shape your own original animation project from initial idea to detailed pre-production. Define your creative direction, develop your visual approach and plan a project that reflects your interests and professional ambitions.

Move from planning into the practical development of your major project. Create and test assets, sequences and production materials while refining ideas, workflows and technical approaches for 2D and Stop Motion.

Bring your major project into sustained production, creating animation, sequences, assets or portfolio work within your chosen specialism. Refine your technical and creative approach while building a substantial body of work that demonstrates your developing professional practice.

Complete and refine your major project through editing, compositing, sound and final polish. Develop your showreel, portfolio and online presence while learning how to present your work and prepare for your career.

We regularly review our courses to keep pace with changing skills and employer needs. If a review leads to significant changes, we’ll contact you to explain what’s changing for the coming year.

Teaching and Assessment

From the start, you will receive individual guidance and feedback to help develop your creative voice and professional skills. Through lectures, hands-on workshops and studio-based projects, you will build confidence and practical experience. This supportive learning environment will help you develop industry-relevant skills, build your portfolio and prepare for a career in 2D and Stop Motion animation.

You will learn through practical, studio-based teaching, combining workshops, demonstrations and creative projects. You will experiment with ideas and techniques, develop work independently and collaboratively, and use regular feedback and critique to test, refine and improve your creative and technical practice. You will also work on employer-engaged projects and have opportunities to collaborate with animation professionals, helping you understand professional workflows and apply your skills in an industry context.

There are no exams. Assessment is entirely coursework-based, with projects including animation, portfolios, production documentation, presentations and critical reflection. You will receive regular feedback through critiques, tutorials and milestone reviews, helping you develop and refine your work throughout the course. Assessments include collaborative and industry-informed projects alongside opportunities to pursue your own creative interests. In your final year, you will complete a substantial major project that demonstrates your specialist skills and developing professional practice.

We encourage a hands-on approach to teaching. Students learn by doing, putting their theory into practice in immersive environments and real-life scenarios.

Instead of just reading textbooks and listening to lectures, we'll make sure you have countless first-hand experiences and opportunities to get actively involved in your chosen profession, gaining practical skills that will prepare you for your future career.

From hands-on projects and real-world simulations to industry collaborations working with real clients, tackling real problems, and developing the skills employers are looking for. We create graduates who are prepared for the future. People ready to build their careers.

Gain industry experience through employer-engaged projects, festival activities and opportunities to work with animation professionals. These experiences can help you build your portfolio, develop professional networks and gain insight into industry workflows.

Specialist suites support traditional and digital 2D processes, while Stop Motion fabrication suites support puppet-making, armatures, sets and props, with access to 3D printing, laser cutting and model-making facilities.

You will also have opportunities to collaborate with students in Computer Animation, Games, VFX and Motion Graphics, using shared resources such as our filming reference room, Green Screen studio, Motion Capture suite, VR Zone and post-production labs to experience workflows used across the creative industries.

Course Leader

Jonathan Edwards

With over 30 years of animation industry experience across 2D animation and stop-motion production, Jonathan brings extensive creative and production expertise gained through work on Oscar-winning and Oscar-nominated projects for international studios in the UK, US, and Japan. His experience spans feature films, television series, commercials, and award-winning short films. Drawing on every stage of the animation pipeline, he provides practical, industry-focused teaching in a supportive environment, helping students develop the skills, confidence, and insight needed to build successful careers in animation.

Career Prospects

Graduates leave with skills relevant to roles including Animator, Concept Designer, Storyboard Artist, Puppet Maker and Set Builder. 2D graduates have joined studios including A Productions, Cartoon Saloon and Lupus Films, while Stop Motion graduates have contributed to productions associated with filmmakers including Guillermo del Toro, Nick Park, Tim Burton and Wes Anderson. Develop your portfolio, industry connections and confidence as you prepare for a career in animation.

Your future career

This course prepares you for a career in 2D and Stop Motion animation, combining storytelling, character and craft with professional studio skills. You will develop your creative voice and build a showreel that showcases your skills and specialism. With a strong portfolio and industry-relevant skills, you will be prepared to pursue opportunities in studios, freelance and independent work across film, television and digital media.

Potential career paths include:

Character Animator 
Character / Concept Artist 
Animation Director or Producer  
Storyboard / Pre-Visualisation Artist 
Puppet / Model Maker 

The Games and Animation Academy of Wales

The Games and Animation Academy of Wales equips you with the creative, technical and professional skills needed for a successful career in games. Through industry-led teaching, collaborative projects and real-world experience, you'll graduate with the creative, technical and professional expertise employers are looking for.

The Games and Animation Academy of Wales

"I worked on a documentary for BBC Wales that actually aired on TV, and seeing my name in the credits was so exciting!”

Chloe Kacperski, BA (Hons) Animation (2D and Stop Motion) student

Salary Expectations

A 2D and Stop Motion Animation degree can open opportunities across the Animation sector. Animation careers offer strong earning potential:

Median wage
UK: £51.4k per annum
Wales: £41.5k per annum

Total jobs in 2025
UK: 1.26m
Wales: 30,764

Source: Lightcast Labour Market Data 2026

Build your own career

Your career doesn’t have to mean working for someone else. If you want to freelance, start a business or develop an idea, USW Enterprise can help with one-to-one mentoring, practical workshops and funding opportunities through the USW Enterprise Startup Fund.

You’ll also have access to Startup Stiwdio spaces in our Cardiff, Newport and Treforest campuses. After graduating, you can get free membership for up to three years, giving you workspace and a network of other founders.

Whether you choose employment, freelancing or starting a business, we’ll help you build the skills, confidence and connections to move forward.

USW Enterprise

Industry partners

Our links with the animation and wider creative industries provide opportunities to engage with industry professionals, build your professional network and gain insight into current industry practice.

Entry Requirements

Additional

The University normally requires a minimum of 5 GCSEs including Mathematics/Numeracy and English at Grade C or Grade 4 or above, or their equivalent, but consideration is given to individual circumstances.

Contextual offers

We may make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (where you live and the school or college that you attended, for example), your experiences and individual circumstances (as a care leaver, for example). This is referred to as a contextual offer, and we receive data from UCAS to support us in making these decisions.

USW prides itself on its student experience and we support our students to achieve their goals and become a successful graduate. This approach helps us to support students who have the potential to succeed and who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university.

How to apply Contextual admissions policy Ask us a question

96 UCAS points or above

Typical qualification requirements

A Level:
CCC to include a relevant Art and Design subject

Welsh BACC:
Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales Grade C and CC at A Level with a relevant Art and Design subject

BTEC:
BTEC Extended Diploma Merit Merit Merit in a relevant Art and Design subject

Access to HE:
Pass an Access to HE Diploma in a relevant Art and Design subject with a minimum of 96 UCAS tariff points

T Level:
P in a relevant art and design subject

International applications welcomed:

We welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications of our entry requirements. For more details related to your country of residence, please view our dedicated country pages.

International students Pre-Sessional English

English language requirements

International applicants will need to have achieved an overall of IELTS 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each component/TOEFL 4 overall and a minimum of 4 in each component or equivalent.

Equivalents can be located on our English Language pages.

If you have previously studied through the medium of English, IELTS might not be required, please visit our country specific page for further details. If your country is not featured, please contact us.

If you do not meet the English entry criteria, please visit our Pre-Sessional course pages.

Fees and Funding

Fees and funding Scholarships and bursaries Cost of living support

Studying at university is one of the most significant investments you'll ever make. Whilst you’re studying, you’ll have two main financial obligations – tuition fees and living costs. There’s lots of financial help available from the University of South Wales and external funding sources, that may provide loans (which have to be paid back) and grants, scholarships and bursaries (that don't).

*Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee is anticipated to remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course except as described below.

Please be aware that we may increase the maximum fee for home students on full-time undergraduate courses only where the Welsh Government increases the permitted level of inflation of fees. Fees for all students (including part-time, postgraduate and international students) may be amended in accordance with our applicable Fees and Debt Management Policy. We will ensure that students are given clear, intelligible, unambiguous and timely information about our courses and costs in good time, ahead of the next academic year.

As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment.

Laptop/Computer
All industry-standard computers and software are available on campus. However, if you plan to work extensively from home, we recommend a high-performance Windows PC (laptop or desktop) with Intel CPU, NVIDIA GPU, 16–32 GB RAM, 500 GB+ SSD, and a 1 TB+ external drive for backups.
Estimated cost: £1,000 to £2,500

Stop Motion Materials
Some Stop Motion students choose to purchase additional materials such as fabrics for costumes and set-building supplies.
Estimated Cost: up to £100

Field Trips
You may attend major industry festivals, events and studio visits, gaining insight into professional workflows and building connections. These optional experiences and will not affect course requirements or progression.
Estimated Cost: £10 to £200

Fees and funding Scholarships and bursaries Cost of living support

Stop Motion Materials
Some Stop Motion students choose to purchase additional materials such as fabrics for costumes and set-building supplies.
Estimated Cost: up to £100

Animation and Game Design at USW is 7th in UK and Top in Wales.

Guardian University Guide 2027

Games Academy - Game Animation student work

Ranked among the world’s top creative schools by The Rookies, recognising the quality of student work and industry readiness (The Rookies Awards).

Top university in Wales and 24th out of 123 universities in the UK.

Guardian University Guide 2027

Three USW students walking outside of Cardiff Campus - Atrium

10 subjects ranked in the Guardian University Guide 2027 Top 10, including two at #1.

Three students studying in a pod in the library at Cardiff campus

Top in Wales for new business startups for the 6th consecutive year, and 7th in the UK. (HEBCIS)

Explore our facilities

A creative environment where animation ideas come to life.

Animation Facilities

You will work on a dedicated animation floor at the Cardiff campus, using 2D, CG and Stop Motion studios, filming spaces and life drawing rooms. Bring ideas to life with high-spec PCs, Cintiqs and industry software, experiment with 3D printing and fabrication, and access shared studios with expert support throughout.

Our Animation and Games courses are part of the Games and Animation Academy of Wales

The Games and Animation Academy of Wales

Media Loans

Access industry-standard cameras, lighting, sound and recording gear, supported by free Media Loans and experienced technicians. We have everything you need to help you experiment, refine and bring your work to life with confidence.

How to apply

All applications for full-time undergraduate courses or foundation degrees should be made via UCAS. Take the next step: Apply through UCAS

You can apply to us directly for all part-time undergraduate courses, if you’re seeking advanced entry or you’re an international student. To apply directly, please choose the application form below for your preferred start date and mode of study (full-time or part-time).

Animation (2D and Stop Motion)
- Full-time, 3 years
- September
- Cardiff
Apply direct
Animation (2D and Stop Motion)
- Part-time, 6 years
- September
- Cardiff
Apply direct

If you already have a relevant qualification or experience related to the course you're applying for, you may be eligible to start at a later stage of the course. For example, students from partner colleges can ‘top up’ their qualifications to a degree by joining us in Year Two or Year Three of a course. This process is known as ‘advanced entry’, you can apply directly to the University for 'advanced entry' using the application forms provided above.

Applicants accepted through advanced entry may study a different combination of modules to those advertised, as they will be joining a course already in progress. You will be contacted and advised about these modules once your application has been processed and an offer made.

International applicants can apply to us directly. If the University has an in-country team in your region, your application will be assigned to them for assistance.