Course Summary

This postgraduate course is designed to develop your knowledge of the latest computer animation software and techniques and build your understanding of the underlying debates about the representation of reality in the media. This will include the fundamental theoretical aspects of computer animation and games technology.

You will study 2D and 3D computer animation, as well as computer games programming. You will learn how to analyse visual material, the principles of computer-generated imaging and the problems that can be encountered when creating animation.

You will benefit from a focus on current developments in the field and enjoy substantial opportunities for practical experience. Our cutting-edge labs were recently accredited by the British Computer Society which rated them as being among the top 25% of department facilities in the UK.

In addition to the practical skills you will acquire with this course, you will develop the vital and transferable skills of communication, problem solving and teamwork.

Why choose this course?

Graduates of this course are well-equipped for a career in either the IT or media industries in areas such as film, games production and advertising.

During the course you will:

• Work with cutting-edge technology at the interface between animation and information technology
• Learn from experts with professional animation experience
• Enjoy the opportunity to attend regular talks by high-profile guest speakers
• Benefit from access to 18 state-of-the-art computer labs, including a suite of graphics labs, a Human Computer Interface lab, a motion capture suit, 2D and 3D face recognition and more

Areas of study you may cover on this course include:

• Computer graphics
• 2D and 3D animation
• Computer games programming
• Digital studio practice
• 3D modelling
• Digital media assets

MSXCV

Assessment

The assessment strategy used is a balance of written reports, exams, practical (coursework) assignments and computer based assessment. The method used will depend on the nature of the subject being taught in the unit and the most appropriate method has been chosen.

Coursework assignments have incorporated formative feedback (as part of our Risk Strategy initiative) so that students can gain an insight into whether their work is meeting the necessary targets.

Students will be required to have successfully gained 105 credits before undertaking the dissertation.

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, you should be able to:

1. Critically evaluate, apply and develop appropriate tools, techniques and methodologies within the specialist area of Computer Animation in the production of practical projects and outcomes.

2. Undertake a substantial piece of original research within a specialist area related to Computer Animation (e.g. Rendering and Lighting) and to critically analyse, synthesise and evaluate your results and present them using an appropriate form of communication (e.g. professionally written formal report, presentation etc).

3. Communicate effectively, by both written and oral means, with experts in the field as well as those with less knowledge of the area.

4. Use an appropriate form of critical problem solving along with creativity and innovation in order to develop an appropriate solutions for complex problems within the production of computer based animation, working effectively as both an individual and as part of a team.

5. Demonstrate an appropriate level of intellectual skill, including the ability to synthesise, criticise, develop, integrate and intellectually challenge material that you have met in the taught component of your course.

6. Extend and challenge current thinking within the field of Computer Animation to cater for future developments (i.e. Emerging Technologies) within an advanced context.

7. Apply and critique the standards of professional bodies to computer animation related work and current developments in the computer animation industry (e.g. ACM Siggraph).

External Benchmarking

Subject benchmarks (University of Bedfordshire, Level M), Council of Professors and Heads of Computing benchmarks (April 2008).

Educational Aims

The educational aims of this course are as follows:

• To develop a conceptual framework and understanding of the fundamental principles of computer animation and develop the competence to apply such principles to operational or real world situations


• To equip and enhance students with the important transferable skills of communication, problem solving and team work and to develop a professional ethic


• To enable postgraduates entering or working in industry to make an immediate and effective contribution to their company in their chosen discipline


• To enhance the students employability and provide them with a level of expertise in the area of computer animation


• To carry out and present in an organised way a substantial body of original work for the MSc thesis and project


• To demonstrate that they have the appropriate level of intellectual skill i.e. the abilities to synthesise, criticise, develop and integrate material that they have met in the taught part of the course for the thesis dissertation


• Demonstrate the ability to identify problems, analyse situations and develop solutions in their work for the thesis

Student support

Students will have access to both departmental and University wide support during their studies. From a departmental perspective, each student will have access to a personal tutor (one tutor is assigned to each of our MSc courses) and they may book informal appointments at any point during the year. Students will be expected to see their personal tutor at least twice a year.

From a University standpoint, students will have access to the Student Union, Student Services and the Counselling Service.

For learning related support, students will have access the Disability Advice Service as well as being able to undertake various courses within the Learning Resources Centre.

Team working

Various units incorporate group/team work into their assessment strategy. You will be required to work effectively as part of a group (especially as part of the Professional Project Management unit). Such skills are an important part of any graduate / postgraduate and as such we will aim to provide you with opportunities to develop your teamwork skills.

Career Management Skills

Throughout the course we develop students ability to reflect on their performance and to develop teamwork, written and oral communication.

Career/Further study opportunities

Career:

• Computer Animator / Modeler Games or Entertainment industry


• Programmer Graphics / Visualisation


• Studio Practitioner Creative Industries


• Researcher advanced Computer Graphics

Further study:

• MSc by Research, MPhil or PhD.

UK students Undergraduate entry requirements

Standard entry requirements for Foundation degrees (FD/FdSc)

A foundation degree will be of particular interest if you have completed a Modern Apprenticeship, vocational A levels, BTEC National or equivalent.

Foundation degrees are also particularly suitable if you want to qualify while working.

• As a guideline, a typical offer would require you to obtain a UCAS tariff score of between 80-120 points, based on your level 3 studies.
• Students who require a Tier 4 Student Visa cannot apply for our foundation courses. For these courses the University of Bedfordshire is not able to sponsor Tier 4 Student Visa applications.

Many students studying for foundation degrees come to us through work-based routes so you can apply for a foundation degree even if you don’t have traditional academic qualifications.

We welcome applicants with relevant work experience.

Standard entry requirements for Undergraduate degrees (BA/BSc)

We will consider you as an individual and take into account all elements of your application, not just your qualifications. We are looking for both breadth and depth in your current studies as well as enthusiasm for the subject you wish to study.

The general requirement is one of the following:

• UCAS Tariff Score greater than 200, which should include either two A level passes or an AVCE Double Award
• An Access qualification
• Equivalent qualifications such as Irish Leaving Certificate, Scottish Highers, International Baccalaureate or BTEC National Diploma

Postgraduate taught courses

Postgraduate applications (MA/MSc) should be made direct to the University using the  standard University application form. There are some exceptions, please see individual course descriptions for details.

• UK/EU students application form
• International (non-EU) students application form
  

Students from the European Union

Entry requirements

As a general guide, to apply for a place on an undergraduate course (BA/BSc) at the University you need to have completed your high school education and have the required English qualification.

We have students from all the European Union member countries so we are quick to make decisions on most qualifications.

How to apply

International students

• Undergraduate applications (BA/BSc) can be made direct to the University or via our representatives in your home country. If you intend to apply to more than one university in the UK you should apply via UCAS. If you want to apply to the University of Bedfordshire only you should apply directly using our international application form (link below) or via our representatives in your home country
• Postgraduate applications should be made directly to the University using our international application form (link below) or via our representatives in your home country
• Healthcare, nursing and midwifery students Many of these courses are not available to overseas students due to UK immigration law in regard to bursary funding. Please contact international admissions to find out if you are eligible to apply
• BA Nursing Studies Level 3 (with or without Overseas Nursing Programme) is available to overseas students - please contact International Admissions by email at international-admissions@beds.ac.uk for further information

(Please note that applicants on a full student visa are not eligible for part-time study)

Course application form for international students

We recommend that you apply directly to the University where possible, as this allows us to offer the quickest turnaround time for your application.

• Course application form for direct applications [PDF]

How to complete your course application

Please read the Direct application instructions before completing the course application form.

Application forms for accommodation in the student halls at Bedford campus and Luton campus are available in the Student life section

Accreditation of prior certificated learning (APL)

APL is available for international students applying for undergraduate (Bachelor degree) study. Please do not use this APL form to apply for postgraduate courses.

Use the APL form to tell us about any non-standard qualifications and/or work experience you have that you think should be taken into consideration with your application. `

The APL form should be submitted at the same time as the course application form.

We regret we are unable to process APL forms from students who have not submitted a formal course application form.

• APL application form for International students [100Kb] updated 041007

What next?

Return your completed application to:

University of Bedfordshire
International Admissions
Park Square
Luton
Bedfordshire
LU1 3JU
United Kingdom

Contact International Admissions

T: +44 (0)1582 489326 (non-EU Students)
F: +44 (0)1582 743469
E: international-admissions@beds.ac.uk

Awarding institution

University of Bedfordshire

Teaching Strategy

A wide variety of teaching modes will be used throughout this course. The most important aspect will be that a student centred approach and we will encourage students (through relevant guidance) to become independent thinkers who can take responsibility for their own learning and who can adapt to a wide variety of different situations. The course will make use of traditional lectures and practical sessions as well as encouraging students to engage in various scenarios (e.g. managing their own projects, team working etc). In addition, some units will use podcasts to provide students with an overview / summary of different topics. Some units (e.g. Emerging Technologies) with include seminar based sessions and class discussions.

Roughly 70% of the course will be classroom based with the remaining 30% being independent learning which will make use of BREO, Learning Resources and various other electronic resources.

Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body Accreditation

N/A

Students with disabilities

There do not appear to by any educational barriers to students with disabilities.

Skills Development

Communication

To help with the development of this you will:

Be given access to a variety of tasks that will develop your oral and written communication skills. Throughout the course you will be asked to perform a variety of written (essay, formal report) and oral (presentations) tasks. Formative feedback as well as summative feedback will be used throughout.

Information Literacy

To help with the development of this you will:

Learn to enhance your understanding and skills with respect to standard desktop applications (MS Excel and Word) as well as developing new skills with respect to specialised software related to the course.

Research and Evaluation

To help with the development of this you will:

Develop your ability to work independently as well as enhancing your reflective skills. You will be set tasks that require you to undertake background research and at times to evaluate what you have undertaken.

Creativity and Critical Thinking

To help with the development of this you will:

Undertake a significant piece of work (usually the MSc dissertation) which requires you to use your (analytical) problem solving and creative skills in order to develop a solution and to be able to critically evaluate the work that you have performed.

Improving learning and performance

You will, at various points be provided with feedback. This feedback is an important part of the learning process and will allow you to find out strengths, as well as areas for development. Such feedback will allow you to see where you need to focus and will allow you to improve your performance.

Progress files

Students will be required to keep an e-portfolio that shows their development (both academic and personal) that can be used to show employers how their studies have allowed them to develop their personal and professional skills, as well as the knowledge that they have gained.

Professional standards

Students will be expected to develop not only their academic skills, but also their soft-skills (teamwork, oral and written communication, inter-personal skills etc). As such we expect student to adhere to the British Computer Society's Code of Conduct and Code of Practice which detail what is expected (from a professional perspective) of an IT professional.

Strategy for developing and embedding the professional standards

Throughout the course we will embed aspects of professionalism (ethics, professional conduct etc) into the different units. The two most poignant examples are the Professional Project Management unit (XAC08-6) and the MSc dissertation. These two units provide an excellent opportunity for students to develop their professional skills by engaging in professional tasks (e.g. managing their own projects and working as part of a team).