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Visual Effects and Motion Graphics BSc

Course code

HW62

HW6F with placement

Start date

September

Placement available

Mode of study

3 years full-time

4 years full-time with placement

Fees

2024/25

UK £9,250

International £23,615

Entry requirements

2024/25

AAB-BBB (A-level)

DDM (BTEC)

30 (IB)

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Overview

Design at Brunel is ranked 8th in the UK by QS World University Rankings by subject 2022. Our graduates are high earners - The Guardian University Guide 2024 ranks Brunel design graduates top in the UK for earnings after 15 months, while government figures also show Brunel design graduates rank no.1 for graduate earnings in the UK.*

Our Visual Effects and Motion Graphics BSc degree is a state-of-the-art, hands-on course that combines digital technology and creative design. It will give you the knowledge and practical skills required by the visual effects and motion graphics sector within the entertainment and creative industries. This course is fully accredited by ScreenSkills, the industry-led skills body for the UK’s screen-based industries. Brunel’s digital media courses are the only ScreenSkills-accredited degree programmes in London and the South East. 

At Brunel, we combine a study of visual effects with motion graphics so you can learn a wide range of creative and technical skills required to produce high-quality visual assets and artefacts for film, TV, the web, games and other creative outlets. You’ll study VFX acquisition, motion design, CGI, digital graphic design, digital photography and video. You will then progress to producing more complex post-production assets and artefacts involving compositing, advanced CGI, 3D animation, media aesthetics, motion graphics and mixed reality. In your final year, you can choose from modules in advanced digital graphics and motion design and advanced 3D animation with additional options in digital experiences and creative technology design. Throughout the course you will develop the professional and transferable skills required by the creative digital industries.

Professional and transferable skills required for working in the creative digital industries are developed throughout each year of the course. 

Our industry-standard digital media facilities include a green screen and post-production studio, motion capture, sound and photography studios, 4K digital cinema cameras, and a dedicated render farm. You'll have access to exclusive PC and Mac computing laboratories and benefit from the latest industry-standard specialist software for graphics and image/video editing, 3D animation, digital compositing and high-quality asset creation. There's also the opportunity for you to use our immersive virtual environment laboratory. This includes an immersive dome (planetarium) set up for Brunel by the National Space Centre in Leicester, one of only a few in the UK! 

There are guest lectures covering a wide range different digital media topics and the visiting lecturers provide industry insight and advice on how to structure your portfolio and showreels. Speakers include creative and design directors, motion graphics professionals, 3D graphic supervisors, VFX specialists and generalists.

Visits are arranged to TV and photography studios, and post-production houses. There’s also the opportunity to go to conferences and this is your chance to build networks with key industry experts. In addition, you have the advantage of Brunel’s close location to London for trips to exhibitions celebrating the creative industries.

The course can be studied full-time over three years, or four years with a placement year. This time in industry helps you to further prepare for the world of work and you’ll have a year’s worth of invaluable professional experience when you graduate. If you decide to go on a digital media placement year, you will have the opportunity of working in the ever-growing creative industries.

The end-of-year highlight is the BrunelDigital degree show hosted on Brunel’s one London campus. Exhibiting your creative work at this event is a great way for you to connect with leading creative technologists and showcase your talent. To see some 2023 final year students discussing their end of degree projects, watch this short video

An added benefit as a student on this ScreenSkills endorsed course, is that you're eligible to apply for a Royal Television Society (RTS) bursary.

* Longitudinal Employment Outcomes (LEO) 2022

You can explore our campus and facilities for yourself by taking our virtual tour.

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Course content

From day one, you will start building a strong portfolio of your creative work ready for industry. The course is focused primarily on interactive practical skills supported by subject knowledge, theory, and live project briefs provided by our industry collaborators. In your final year, you will work on your individual major visual effects and motion graphics project which could involve the creation of a short 3D animation or film. 

This course can be studied 3 years full-time or 4 years full-time with placement, starting in September.

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

This course has a placement option. Find out more about work placements available.

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

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Careers and your future

A visual effects and motion graphics degree from Brunel will prepare you for creative roles in the rapidly expanding digital media industry.

Brunel’s location close to the large concentration of creative and entertainment industries in and around London means that there are a variety of job opportunities available.

Our graduates take up posts as motion graphics designers, compositors, animators, 3D graphic artists and designers, digital video editors and producers, directors of photography, games designers/developers, and post-production engineers. Many become self-employed, either as freelancers or by setting up their own companies.

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UK entry requirements

2024/25 entry

  • GCE A-level AAB-BBB. (General Studies not accepted).
  • BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma DDM in any subject.    
  • BTEC Level 3 Diploma DM in any subject, AND an A-Level at grade B.
  • BTEC Level 3 Subsidiary Diploma D in any subject with A-Levels grade BC.
  • International Baccalaureate Diploma 30 points.
  • Obtain a minimum of 120 UCAS tariff points in the  Access to HE Diploma  with 45 credits at Level 3.
  • T levels : Merit overall

Five GCSEs at grade C or grade 4 and above are also required, to include Maths and English Language.

Please check our Admissions pages for more information on other factors we use to assess applicants as well as our full GCSE requirements and accepted equivalencies in place of GCSEs.

Brunel University London is committed to raising the aspirations of our applicants and students. We will fully review your UCAS application and, where we’re able to offer a place, this will be personalised to you based on your application and education journey.

All applicants are required to provide a portfolio as part of the selection process before a formal offer is made.

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EU and International entry requirements

If you require a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK, you must prove knowledge of the English language so that we can issue you a Certificate of Acceptance for Study (CAS). To do this, you will need an IELTS for UKVI or Trinity SELT test pass gained from a test centre approved by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) and on the Secure English Language Testing (SELT) list. This must have been taken and passed within two years from the date the CAS is made.

English language requirements

  • IELTS: 6 (min 5.5 in all areas)
  • Pearson: 59 (59 in all sub scores)
  • BrunELT: 58% (min 55% in all areas)
  • TOEFL: 77 (min R18, L17, S20, W17) 

You can find out more about the qualifications we accept on our English Language Requirements page.

Should you wish to take a pre-sessional English course to improve your English prior to starting your degree course, you must sit the test at an approved SELT provider for the same reason. We offer our own BrunELT English test and have pre-sessional English language courses for students who do not meet requirements or who wish to improve their English. You can find out more information on English courses and test options through our Brunel Language Centre.

Please check our Admissions pages for more information on other factors we use to assess applicants. This information is for guidance only and each application is assessed on a case-by-case basis. Entry requirements are subject to review, and may change.

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Fees and funding

2024/25 entry

UK

£9,250 full-time

£1,385 placement year

International

£23,615 full-time

£1,385 placement year

Fees quoted are per year and may be subject to an annual increase. Home undergraduate student fees are regulated and are currently capped at £9,250 per year; any changes will be subject to changes in government policy. International fees will increase annually, by no more than 5% or RPI (Retail Price Index), whichever is the greater.

More information on any additional course-related costs.

See our fees and funding page for full details of undergraduate scholarships available to Brunel applicants.

Please refer to the scholarships pages to view discounts available to eligible EU undergraduate applicants.

Scholarships and bursaries

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Teaching and Learning

How the course will be delivered

Required equipment

How you'll learn on your course

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Assessment and feedback

Your progress will be assessed via coursework, individual and group practical studio assignments, demonstrations and presentations, essays, and the final year major project.

Read our guide on how to avoid plagiarism in your assessments at Brunel.

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