Computer Animation MA
- Computing and information systems
- Games and digital media
- Postgraduate
Launch your career in the creative industries with the Computer Animation MA from Kingston University. Kingston is an active member of The Independent Game Developers' Association (TIGA) and the British Interactive Media Association (BIMA). On this course, you will gain access to the latest industry software. Learn how to use tools like Autodesk Maya & Mudbox, Arnold, Maxon One (including Zbrush), Nuke, Mari, Adobe Suite and Substance 3D, and Animbot.
Prepare for an exciting career in animation
Join the creative industries with a robust portfolio that demonstrates exactly what you are capable of.
The Computer Animation MA from Kingston University is your gateway to a career in exciting, fast-evolving new industries. Our graduates have careers in film, games companies, drone design, flight simulator animation and medical VR training.
Combining input from industry practitioners and experts, as well as guest speakers, you’ll gain experience from across the sector.
You’ll be inspired by collaborating in a studio environment with students from other digital media courses. Working with games designers and programmers may guide your area of interest towards a range of potential career paths.
At Kingston, you will hone your skills using industry-popular production tools and learn best practices from a catalogue of tutorials and workshops. You’ll also have plenty of allocated time for exploring areas of personal interest.
If you are creatively minded, you love technology and have a scientific approach to art, I highly recommend this course. You will do a range of artistic skills such as acting, storyboarding and character sculpting, all the way to technical aspects such as rendering and lighting, compositing, topology and rigging. This course also offers choice: the final major project allows you to hone your skills and learn new technical workflows.
Student work
Student Showreel 2025
Student Showreel 2024
Student Showreel 2023
Student Showreel 2022
Student Showreel 2021
Why choose this course
Our Computer Animation MA is part of the Digital Media Kingston suite of courses, which aims to provide you with a unique range of creative and technical skills.
Throughout this course, you will learn how to apply complex creative concepts and digital tools to produce 3D works of art in fast-paced, project-focused modules.
Access to state-of-the-art equipment and resources will help you to achieve your goals. For example, Rokoko wireless motion capture suits, 24-inch Wacom Cintiq Pro, XP-Pen Artist 24 Pro graphics display, Wacom Intuos graphics tablets and 3D printers, all help to bring 3D visions to life. Meanwhile, 360 cameras will allow you to create HDR image-based lighting.
You can also channel your inner filmmaker with DSLR cameras, lenses, tripods, lighting and sound recording equipment.
Beyond practical tools, our first-class technical facilities include our Digital Media Studio (with blue and green screen), Motion-Capture Suite and high-spec workstations. These tools mimic a professional environment to prepare you for a career in Digital Media.
Students particularly enjoy our Centre for Augmented and Virtual Environments (CAVE), where you can create VR apps with a number of Sony PlayStation developer kits.
You'll also tackle project briefs and deadlines, and problem-solving challenges and exercises. These will enable you to enhance your employability skills and help prepare you for your future career.
Your Independent Project module will give you creative freedom to pursue your own area of interest. You’ll produce a substantial piece for your growing portfolio, ready for job opportunities after graduation.
Kingston University has integrated AI throughout this course to enhance learning and foster innovative thinking.
Kingston is an active member of The Independent Game Developers' Association (TIGA).
Kingston is an active member of the British Interactive Media Association (BIMA).
After working in the animation industry for four years, I wanted a professional course that would allow me to deepen my expertise in my chosen specialisation, while gaining exposure to other specialised fields. The Computer Animation MA at Kingston University did just that. It helped me hone my skills while acquiring new ones such as 3D asset creation, character design, and the fundamentals of VFX. These skills gave me a comprehensive understanding of the entire animation production process.
Facilities, kit and industry opportunities
Games lab
Cintiq Pro Pen Tablets
Digital sculpting
Digital media lab
Life drawing
Industry visit
Motion capture
Course content
3D animation: You will learn about the principles of animation, body mechanics, character performance and scene setup. You will study fundamental concepts applying them to practical workflows to create believable and appealing character animation. You can join in on motion capture sessions with our Rokoko Wireless Mocap kit.
Digital sculpting and 3D modelling: You will explore a range of concepts, techniques, and tools for building hard-surface models and creating characters. These disciplines will be informed by underlying design concepts, as well as by reference collection, and an appreciation of anatomy and visual narrative.
UV mapping, shading and texturing: You will learn the inner workings of producing complex shading networks and creating photo-real surfaces with multi-layered, PBR practices.
Character rigging: Bring your character to life with the technical skill sets and tools of 3D rigging.
Lighting and rendering: Capture your 3D creations in the best light, conveying story and mood, by applying cinematic lighting. You will learn the tricks of the trade to balance render speed and quality for producing eye-catching renders.
Compositing: You will be able to seamlessly integrate your CGI assets into live action footage, and maximise post-production flexibility, by learning 2D and 3D match-moving, colour grading, advanced rendering and compositing techniques, along with other post-production methods.
Professional Practice: You will also work as part of a team comprising students from different media disciplines, undertaking simulated client briefs that have previously included augmented reality children's books, driverless car interfaces, virtual fashion shows, and interactive transparent displays for museum exhibitions. You will learn how to present yourself to potential employers through your professional presence and portfolio.
In every module, you will be expected to grow through active participation in formative practical exercises in and out of the classroom.
Work placement scheme
Many postgraduate courses at Kingston University allow students to take the option of a 12-month work placement as part of their course. The responsibility for finding the work placement is with the student; we cannot guarantee the placement, just the opportunity to undertake it. You may find securing a professional placement difficult as they are highly competitive and challenging, but they are also incredibly rewarding. It is very important to prepare and apply yourself if this is the route you wish to take. Employers look for great written and oral communication skills and an excellent CV/portfolio. As the work placement is an assessed part of the course, it is covered by a student's Student Route visa.
For a student to go on placement they are required to pass every module first time with no reassessments. It is the responsibility of individual students to find a suitable paid placement. Students will be supported by our dedicated placement team in securing this opportunity.
Find out more about the postgraduate work placement scheme.
Modules
Core modules
Professional placement
Professional placement
Coming from a 2D animation background, Kingston University has given me the opportunity to expand my knowledge by learning the core principles and more advanced aspects of 3D animation, including modelling, animation, and VFX, each with its own specialised software. My dream is to work in the gaming industry, where I hope to contribute exceptional and impactful work to the community. This course is the perfect way to gain the skills I need to achieve that goal and prepare for future career opportunities.
Student experience
Hear from Computer Animation MA graduates as they talk about their experiences studying at Kingston University.
Fernando
Arezoo
Goncalo
Career opportunities
The technical and creative skills provided by this Computer Animation course are applicable in areas related mainly to the movie and games industry. However, the skills you’ll learn on this course are transferrable to several other sectors, such as 3D printing, advertising, web-based applications, VR medical training, theatrical visualisation, drone animation and architectural design.
Graduates have gone on to secure roles within film and games companies, such as Industrial Light and Magic, MPC, Rebellion, Relish, Rockstar Games, Kuato Studio, Spektra Games and Ballistic Moon, as well as in VR medical training, flight simulator and drone design and animation.
My time here at Kingston has helped me strengthen my foundation as a 3D Animator. This has helped me gain more experience and insight into the industry pipelines from creating the 3D assets to Animating 3D rigs and compositing a short film as my final project. This has been a crucial part of my learning from a knowledge base and especially in my technical skills. Thus giving me the confidence in my skills and allowing me to look forward to making my way into the industry.
Bootcamps
You have the opportunity to join dynamic bootcamps before your course starts. We strongly advise attending them as they are designed to sharpen your skills in complex software, boost your confidence and set you up for success before induction.
You will receive more information about the bootcamps in your course welcome letter, alternatively you can email the Course Leader, Mr Richard Cunningham.
Bootcamp for September 2026 entry
- 3D Asset Creation Pipeline: Wednesday 12 August 2026
Please contact Richard at [email protected] for further details.
Course videos and student learning in practice
Teaching and assessment
Fees and funding
Fees for future course years
Part time
If you start your second year straight after Year 1, you will pay the same fee for both years.
If you take a break before starting your second year, or if you repeat modules from Year 1 in Year 2, the fee for your second year may increase.
Funding support for postgraduate students
If you are a UK student living in England and under 60, you can apply for a loan to study for a postgraduate degree. Find out more through the government's website.
Scholarships and bursaries
For students interested in studying Computer Animation MA at Kingston, there are several opportunities to seek funding support:
Additional course costs
Some courses may require additional costs beyond tuition fees. When planning your studies, you’ll want to consider tuition fees, living costs, and any extra costs that might relate to your area of study.
Your tuition fees include costs for teaching, assessment and university facilities. So your access to libraries, shared IT resources and various student support services are all covered. Accommodation and general living expenses are not covered by these fees.
Where applicable, additional expenses for your course may include:
You will learn the basics of Maya, Zbrush, Substance Painter, and Nuke alongside additional use of Adobe. It also provides a few external lessons on acting or live drawing, which can help expand your animation and modelling skills. This program gives you a free hand when choosing your final project, which allows you to build a strong portfolio piece, to your specialisation
Our modern teaching environment
The technical resources that are available to students on this suite of courses include:
Studying here at this University has opened up lots of opportunities where I got to make connections with different people through the portfolio review sessions who are currently working in the industry and getting some personal feedbacks from them on my work helped me a lot to focus more on the career prospects while improving along the artistic knowledge which is required.
How to apply
Before you apply
Please read the entry criteria carefully to make sure you meet all requirements before applying.
How to apply online
Use the course selector drop-down at the top of this page to choose your preferred course, start date and mode, then click 'Apply now'. You will be taken to our Online Student Information System (OSIS) where you will complete your application.
If you’re starting a new application, you’ll need to select ‘new user’ and set up a username and password. This will allow you to save and return to your application.
Application deadlines
We encourage you to apply as soon as possible. Applications will close when the course is full.
Information required to confirm your place
If English is not your first language, we will require proof of your proficiency to allow us to confirm your place on the course. This will generally be either an IELTS or TOEFL test certificate, which can be forwarded to us after you have submitted your application. If you do not hold a formal English language qualification, please indicate how you have acquired your proficiency in written and spoken English.
After you have applied
If the postgraduate admissions tutor requires further information or wishes to invite you to interview they will contact you directly. You will then hear whether your application has been successful.
If you do not clearly meet the standard entry requirements and the admission tutor wishes to see a portfolio from you, you will be sent an email asking you to upload your portfolio to your Kingston University OSIS account. Further details on how to do this will be provided at the time.
Course changes and regulations
The information on this page reflects the currently intended course structure and module details. To improve your student experience and the quality of your degree, we may review and change the material information of this course. Find out more about course changes
Programme Specifications for the course are published ahead of each academic year.
Regulations governing this course can be found on our website.
What our students and graduates say
Choosing Kingston University was an easy decision for me. The University's exceptional resources and industry connections – including access to the latest industry software like Autodesk Maya, Substance Painter, Nuke, Mari and Adobe suite, alongside high-spec workstations and advanced facilities such as the digital media studio and motion capture suite – are crucial for my development as an artist in computer animation. My plan is to build a career as a vehicle artist in the gaming industry. My time at Kingston has been instrumental in preparing me for this. The skills I have acquired in this course, including advanced modelling techniques, UV Mapping, texturing, shading, and rendering have greatly enhanced my expertise. Additionally, the experience of creating detailed 3D assets and collaborating with my peers in a multidisciplinary environment has honed my ability to work on complex projects. I feel fully prepared and eager to enter the industry, knowing that Kingston has equipped me with the technical knowledge and practical experience needed to excel as a vehicle artist.
The MA Computer Animation course offers everything that I could ever ask for. I love to study and be immersed in an academic environment, so to be back at university has been an amazing experience for me, combined with the fact that I am diving deep into a fascinating topic that I love, and I have the opportunity to meet likeminded people that share the same passion. Every module is a new exciting surprise and every subject opens a new array of professional possibilities. The opportunity to approach the course as a part time student was another key factor when it came to making my decision. The part time option allows me to attend class without impacting my life commitments.
This is a highly technical course that will equip you with the skills you need to work in a professional setting, be it in Film or Games. It has a very supportive staff with a range of guest lecturers and gives you great learning tools to learn both in classroom and outside. The part-time option was one that really drew me to the course and allowed me to return to studying and reduce the impact on my professional career. I kept working as a freelancer and studying for this course at the same time, though at times was challenging to juggle both, it is possible and the staff at Kingston are very accommodating and always make time for one-on-one support.
Studying Computer Animation MA at Kingston University was a lot of fun but also challenging being very full-on, learning new things from day one! I learned many new skills and made many friends. The lecturers are friendly, approachable and clearly knowledgeable of the subject they are teaching. The University also offers some great networking opportunities, making you aware of any conventions or meet ups going on in London or nearby areas, hosting video calls with industry professionals and hosting the occasional Game Jam for you to join. Overall, Kingston University is a great choice for anyone looking to learn a Computer Animation skillset and I would highly recommend it!
Taking the computer animation course has been a rewarding educational experience for me as a creative. I started the course with my background in graphic arts, with little to no animation technical skills. I was learning most things for the first time and while there was so much to go through, the structure and support given facilitated a confident and smooth transition from graphic artist to animator. The course touched on everything I expected and more, so I now have an idea of my potential and preferred place in the animation industry.
The Computer Animation course at Kingston University provides a comprehensive foundation in key areas such as modeling, texturing, UV mapping, lighting, rendering, and compositing—all of which are essential in a professional 3D pipeline. My ultimate goal is to become a successful 3D artist, and I believe the comprehensive training and resources provided by Kingston have equipped me with the skills and knowledge I need to excel in the field.
