MA Digital Effects

• Disney Animation Studios - Moana, Big Hero Six, Frozen
• Pixar - Monsters University, Toy Story
• Framestore - Gravity, Guardians of the Galaxy 2
• MPC - Alien: Covenant, Maleficent, The Jungle Book
• Iloura - Mad Max: Fury Road
• Animal Logic - The Lego Movie, Ninjango
• Double Negative - Ex-Machina, Interstellar, Inception, Godzilla
• The Mill - Chemical Brothers/Beck Music video, Cif advert
• Illumination Mac Guff - Despicable Me, Minions
• Frontier Development - Elite: Dangerous
• Foundry 42/Cloud Imperium Games
• Creative Assembly
• Random 42
• Blue Zoo
• Microsoft
• AMD
• Glassworks
• DreamWorks
• Playground Games - Forza Horizons
• Next Limit,
• Golaem
• Epic Games - Creators of the Unreal Game Engine
• Chaos Group - V-Ray
• Realise Studios
• Sony Computer Entertainment Europe
• Blue Sky Studios
• Karrot Entertainment
• Dave McKean - illustrator for Batman: Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth
• The Foundry
• Media Molecule
• Nvizible
• Super Super Films
• Amuzo
• Axis Animation
• Industrial Light & Magic - Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

• Digital Effects Tools: Technical and theoretical teaching for the Foundation Project unit. You'll be taught about the craft and tools of digital effects work, get an opportunity to judge your work so far and learn to record digital effects production.
• Foundation Project: A highly structured and mediated production project ensures you will acquire a broad base of practical knowledge which you can develop and refine towards specialism in future work.  
• Signature Shot: You'll produce a short piece of Digital Effects work showing your technical abilities to date. The unit offers a chance to merge your learnt skills, and to plan a specific technical direction to prepare you for your Masters Project.
• Digital Effects Theory: This unit will provide you with advanced theoretical knowledge of Digital Effects production by considering the diverse interdisciplinary concepts permeating Digital Effects best practice.
• Group Project: Gain a deeper understanding of digital effects disciplines and contribute to a significant piece of group work in terms of scope, design and aesthetic. You can work with students from across the NCCA Master's programmes, such as 3D animators and MSc Computer Animation and Visual Effects students.
• Research & Development: This unit aims to assist you in developing an understanding of different research methodologies and their connections to creative practices in computer animation, visual effects and expanded fields of CGI. You will review three modes of research, i) research by publication, ii)  research by practice, and iii) industry led research. You should then be able to identify a relevant topic of inquiry and apply one of these modes in self-directed research. 
• Master's Project: The Master's Project unit has no teaching and is dedicated to your final project. We'll expect your project to be ambitious, with a high level of finish. You'll show a bold and confident approach to production management and the design and execution of Digital Effects. This is normally an individual project, but students are increasingly realising the benefits of working in a group to achieve an impressive final result. The programme ends with a degree show in London, if you pass your Project. This show gives you an opportunity to show your Project to industry professionals and potential employers, alongside friends, family and past graduates.

You have the option to undertake a three-month placement during the Master’s Portfolio unit, providing an opportunity to apply your acquired knowledge and skills in the workplace. You are required to find your own placement; however, our Careers & Employability Service and your faculty placements office are on hand to support you.

• MA Digital Effects Studio. You'll have access to graphics tablets and multimedia computers. The studio is open 24/7 throughout the year apart from Christmas
• Programme-specific Software: Houdini, Nuke, PF Track, Boujou, Sillhouette and Furnace Plugins, Photoshop, Mari
• Departmental Software: RC++, OpenGL, Qt, Maya, Houdini, Renderman plus many more
• Acquisition: Full Green Screen TV and MOCAP Studio, Portable Green and Blue Screens, Track & Jib, Location Survey Kits, 3D Scanner and Motion Capture Suite
• Acquistion Cameras: Panasonic 101s and Canon 5Ds

MA Digital Effects currently produces work in high definition resolution.

Bournemouth University is one of a small number of institutions from around the world who have been granted Houdini Certified School status by Side Effects Software.

Programme specifications provide definitive records of the University's taught degrees in line with Quality Assurance Agency requirements. Every taught course leading to a BU Award has a programme specification which describes its aims, structure, content and learning outcomes, plus the teaching, learning and assessment methods used.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the programme specification, the information is liable to change to take advantage of exciting new approaches to teaching and learning as well as developments in industry. If you have been unable to locate the programme specification for the course you are interested in, it will be available as soon as the latest version is ready. Alternatively please contact us for assistance.

View current student work and learn about the units of study on the MA Digital Effects course here at BU from Phil Spicer, Senior Lecturer in Computer Animation and Course leader.

“Studying at Bournemouth University on the MA Digital Effects course was tremendous experience. The best thing about the course is that when you are given projects you are the Producer, the Director, the Artist and everything else. At my first job people were amazed to see that coming straight from University I already knew all the professional knowledge of pipeline which they don’t often see. Bournemouth University has enlightened my career path and I exactly know where I have to reach in this industry now."

“Being an artist is about more than just learning the software, it’s about understanding what exists in the real world, and at Bournemouth University this was always encouraged. My journey has only just begun in the visual effects industry working at Double Negative, but the time I spent with like-minded passionate individuals at Bournemouth will be something that I will carry with me for all my life. I encourage all to go if you have the opportunity and to cherish every second there."

“I think MA Digital Effects is a unique art and science blended course which is not only just training software or learning the theory. It is about understanding visual effects world in real practice and the course serves the best industry standard knowledge to the students."

“Thanks to the MADE program I was able to pursue my interests with a swift entry into the Industry soon after I graduated. The experience, knowledge and peers I gained whilst in the program have been priceless and have helped me keep afloat and focused in my professional work environment. The MADE programme tested my strengths and helped build upon my weaknesses and thanks to that I feel confident as a VFX artist'."

“A very well structured and interesting program. The frequent speakers from the industry give a lot of exposure, complementing what is taught in class. And studying with students from different backgrounds and knowledge levels provides a great learning environment. I am glad I got the chance to come here and study this program."

“Before working at Framestore, I studied at Bournemouth University. Initially, when I started the course, I was more interested in compositing / 2d image manipulation. Thanks to Phil Spicer, MA Digital Effects course leader, I got hooked on Sidefx Houdini. Houdini was the main 3d tool used on our Skyfall sequence and helped us immensely in creating this technically and creatively challenging piece."

The admissions team will look at your online application including your qualifications, personal statement and any work experience, as well as your portfolio. Please make sure your application stands out from the crowd and leaves us in no doubt that you want to study at Bournemouth University.

Digital Effects is one of four Master's degree pathways created by the National Centre for Computer Animation (NCCA). All pathways share a great deal of core teaching, but also have specific pathway teaching. If your primary area of interest is mostly illustration or figurative character-based, then our 3D Computer Animation Programme may be a better choice for you. If your skills are mostly technical or programming-based without much in the way of original artwork, then our Computer Animation & Visual Effects Programme may be the better choice. Newly created by the NCCA is MSc Artificial Intelligence for Media, a pathway enabling you to develop transferable technical and programming skills, this is a technology centred degree where you'll be encouraged to develop AI tools supporting the production of animation and games.

Our assessment panels will automatically pass applications deemed better suited to another pathway onto them, so it is a good idea to familiarise yourself with all our Master’s pathways to help ensure Digital Effects is the right programme for you.

We are looking for successful, well-rounded artists from a wide variety of backgrounds and disciplines, all keen to transfer their existing knowledge and experience into the subject area of Digital Effects.

Applicants from non-art based backgrounds such as computer science, maths or engineering can also make great MA Digital Effects students if they are able to demonstrate clear artistic ability.

In support of your application to MA Digital Effects, you are required to submit a Digital Self Portrait and a Portfolio of Artwork.

The Digital Self Portrait: Using image manipulation software such as Adobe Photoshop or Gimp Image Editor, augment a photographic portrait of yourself in a unique and creative way to reveal your inner powers. This should be an original piece of artwork specifically created for your application to us and is an opportunity for you to demonstrate your potential in this subject area. Examples of previous applicant Digital Self Portraits can be seen here. Please do not copy these examples, but use them as inspiration for your own interesting and imaginative composition. Digital Self Portraits should be submitted as part of your application using PNG, JPEG or TIFF image formats.

The Portfolio of Artwork: This could include, but is not limited to examples of: Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, Graphic Design, Multi-Media, Fine Art, Motion Graphics, 3D Animation, 2D Compositing, 2D Animation, Filmmaking, Print, Fashion Design, Ceramic Design, Interior Design, Model Making, Textiles, Visual and Digital Effects. All portfolios must however include examples of Photography. You will need to demonstrate a capable well-rounded art based practice in your chosen specialism, with a good eye for detail, precision, colour and composition. The Portfolio of Artwork can either be submitted directly as part of your application alongside your Digital Self Portrait, or submitted as a document of webpage links to any personal artwork websites.

Your Digital Self Portrait and Portfolio of Artwork will be formally reviewed by the MA Digital Effects Programme Leader, and where appropriate a formal offer to study with us will be made. If necessary, you may also be invited to attend an online interview to discuss your application further.

We welcome applicants from any area of study who are able demonstrate good clear artistic ability in their Digital Self Portraits and Portfolios of Artwork.

Please see our website for the application deadlines. You should apply as early as possible to be considered for your course of choice. If you require a student visa, apply for the visa as soon as you have an unconditional offer and receive your CAS. There may be delays in visa processing in your country and you need to be in Bournemouth ready to study for the start of term.

Click the green ‘Apply now’ button to submit your application free of charge online through myHub, our application portal. You will create your own myHub account so that you can track the progress of your application. Don’t forget to save your application as you go; you can return to it at as many times as you want before you submit it. For more information visit our How to apply section.

This course has compulsory elements involving practical production activities. When required, students must complete a health and safety risk assessment to take part in these activities, for their safety and that of others. As part of that assessment students provide information about any conditions or disabilities that might affect their ability to undertake these activities fully or safely. 

If you have such a condition or disability, please let us know as soon as possible. You can contact our Additional Learning Support (ALS) service about this before or after making an application. We will then work with you to identify any support or adjustments you would need. Our ALS team works with the Faculty to seek to put in place reasonable adjustments and health and safety plans.

Exceptionally, it may not be possible to arrange for a student to access these courses without either over-riding their core standards or competencies or creating unacceptable risks to health and safety. If that is the case we will help you explore alternative course choices.

The normal requirements for embarking upon a postgraduate taught degree are:

• A Bachelors Honours degree with 2:2 in any subject.
• Professional Qualifications or Diplomas deemed equivalent to a 2:2 or above Honours degree.
• Industrial Experience deemed equivalent to a 2:2 or above Honours Degree.
• A clear precise personal statement

Applicants are also required to submit a portfolio in support of their application for this course.

Although all subjects are considered, applications are particularly welcomed from recent graduates with a strong art based background, either through formal Undergraduate study of subjects such as Fine Art, Photography, Architecture, Graphic Design, Animation, Filmmaking etc. or from their own personal art practice. We will also consider applications from non-art based subjects such as computer sciences or engineering, as long as good art skills can be demonstrated. Alternatively, those applying from a non-arts background may wish to consider completing an Arts Foundation course first.

If you lack the formal academic qualifications needed to enter a postgraduate or post-experience degree, there are several alternative routes to follow - some based on experience. Contact the Future Students Enquiry Team for more information.

You can find details of the international qualifications we accept, and what level of study they apply to, on our entry requirements for non-UK students' page.

Please see below some examples of the qualifications for entry:

• India: Bachelor’s degree (three years) from a recognised HE institution with a minimum overall result of 55%  
• Nigeria: Bachelor's degree from a recognised institution with a minimum classification of 2:4  
• China: Chinese Bachelor's (Honours) degree from a recognised higher education institution with 65% or above  
• Turkey: Bachelor’s degree (Lisans Diplomasi - four years) with a minimum overall GPA of 2.3/4.0  
• Ghana: Bachelor's degrees from University of Ghana or Legon with a grade of 2.00 or above, or from Cape Coast with a grade 2.5 or above  
• USA: US Bachelor’s degree (four years), with a 2.5 GPA or above  

All applications will be subject to a minimum grade and your degree may need to be in a relevant subject area.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language, you will need to provide evidence that you understand English to a satisfactory level. English language requirements for this course are normally:

IELTS (Academic) 6.5 with minimum 6.0 in writing, speaking, listening and reading, or equivalent.

View further information about our English language requirements.

Bournemouth University International College offers a number of pre-sessional English and preparatory programmes to prepare international students for postgraduate study at BU. Admission to the degree is guaranteed on successful completion of your course to the required level. 

IT Skills

All applicants are expected to have some basic knowledge and understanding of computer systems before starting the programme. All higher Digital Effects orientated software, pipelines and utilities will be taught from scratch whenever the course commences its next iteration.

Good working knowledge of Adobe Photoshop (or another image editing software) is also required.

Communication

MA Digital Effects comprises of students from all across the globe. If this is your first experience of working within a multi-national community, you will be encouraged to celebrate and openly communicate with your international classmates.

Other

MA Digital Effects is a Postgraduate Degree and not a training programme. It is important that applicants understand the nature of postgraduate study and the level of analytical critique they will need to bring. We expect our students to work in a very focused way from day one of the programme, and work consistently hard for its duration

As a Digital Effects graduate, you will be prepared to undertake roles such as: 

• Animator
• Motion Editor
• Film Technician
• Producer
• Digital Designer.

• Film
• Computer animation
• Digital
• TV
• Visual effects.

If you want to continue your studies after achieving your Master's, you can look into our range of doctoral programmes.

What’s included in your tuition fee?

Your tuition fee covers expenses associated with your course including tuition materials, access to facilities, mandatory field trips and the following:

• Our fees commitment means your tuition fees are fixed and your fee will be the same for each year of your course.
• Materials for laboratory and field-based teaching activity
• Support for finding placements (UK or abroad) and fieldwork, and non-financial support whilst on placement if this is part of your course of study.
• A range of student services – advisors, help desks, counsellors, placement support and careers service
• The Library – access to a wide range of electronic resources (databases, e-journals and e-books), print and multimedia collections, subject librarians and study spaces
• Access to Brightspace, our virtual learning environment, which offers a responsive and personalised learning experience with powerful learning analytics capabilities, integrated social media and advanced video features.
• IT labs (some open 24/7), wireless network, AV equipment to borrow.
• Free software download to your personal device of Microsoft Office 365 ProPlus while you are studying, as well as access to applications provided on AppsAnywhere, subject to licensing and compatibility restrictions.
• Disability and additional learning support, according to individual circumstances.
• The BU Language Centre to help you develop/improve foreign or English language skills
• 24 hours a day, 365 days a year security team.

Additional costs

We are committed to offering you value for money and ensuring there are no hidden costs while you are studying with us, therefore we have listed below any additional costs you may incur that are not covered by your tuition fee:

• Laptops, tablets and mobile devices and any software used on personal devices. Access to a personal computer is strongly recommended for your study. If you are experiencing financial difficulty, visit our website for information regarding hardship funds.
• Textbooks, general stationary and other supplies. Our award-winning Library has a large range of textbooks and online resources, free of charge. The Students Union shops stock stationary supplies on both campuses.
• Accommodation and living costs. Please visit our website for more information.
• ​Travel costs for optional field trips, outdoor wear and footwear for mandatory and optional field trips (if applicable).
• Travel costs to and from the University campus. An annual bus pass can be purchased alongside your rent if you are living in halls of residence/Unilet accommodation or may be purchased separately.
• ​Travel costs to and from your placement (both in the UK and overseas) if this is part of your course of study. Placement year funding information can be found on our website.
• You will need to meet the cost of any Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check if required by your placement setting, including any Post Office or Digital ID verification charges.
• Clothing or equipment costs required for your placement if this is part of your course of study. 
• SportBU membership.

While all aspects of the programme, including required field trips, are included in the fee, additional, optional or extra curricula activities may be available for which a student contribution is required.

If you need to repeat one or more units during the course of your studies (with or without attendance) the pricing will be pro-rata of the full time fee.

We offer a range of scholarships to eligible students who are beginning their studies at BU. Please visit our funding pages for details on living costs, budgeting and paying your tuition fees.

International (not Rep. of Ireland) students need to pay a non-refundable deposit to secure their place on a postgraduate course. For September 2025 entry, a £5,000 deposit is required. You will need to pay your deposit by the date stated in your offer letter. The remainder of your fee will be payable on registration/enrolment. There are two exceptions to the non-refundable rule on the deposit:

• You fail to meet the academic or English requirements of your offer
• You are refused a visa to enter the UK, provided the reason for the refusal is not a fraudulent application.