Film, Animation and Digital Arts MA - 2027/8
Awarding body
University of Surrey
Teaching institute
University of Surrey
Framework
FHEQ Levels 6 and 7
Final award and programme/pathway title
MA Film, Animation and Digital Arts
Subsidiary award(s)
| Award | Title |
|---|---|
| PGDip | Film, Animation and Digital Arts |
| PGCert | Film, Animation and Digital Arts |
Modes of study
| Route code | Credits and ECTS Credits | |
| Full-time | PLG63005 | 180 credits and 90 ECTS credits |
QAA Subject benchmark statement (if applicable)
Other internal and / or external reference points
N/A
Faculty and Department / School
Faculty of Arts, Business and Social Sciences - Music & Media
Programme Leader
WARBURTON John (Music & Med)
Date of production/revision of spec
07/02/2026
Educational aims of the programme
- To give you a learning and development environment that encourages your creativity, diversity of thought, collaborative practice and innovation in critical areas of contemporary moving image media and digital arts production
- To let you develop your creative, intellectual and critical potential through practical work and critical theoretical work in your selected areas of specialism within moving image media and digital arts production
- To enable you to develop relevant up-to-date skills in contemporary moving image media production practices and digital arts, as well as grow your professional abilities in film, animation and digital arts creative techniques and technologies.
- To let you innovate and experiment creatively and technologically in film, animation, digital arts and related areas of contemporary arts and media practices.
- To foster your ability to participate in debates surrounding media arts practices
- To provide you with a robust grounding for further research-based practice and practice-based research
- To prepare you for meaningful employment in, and engagement with, the creative industries.
Programme learning outcomes
| Attributes Developed | Awards | Ref. | |
| Creation, conception and production of film, animation and/or digital arts creative work outputs of increasing quality and ambition | KCPT | MA | |
| Analytical understanding of and practical fluency in contemporary moving image media practices across film, animation and digital arts | KCPT | PGCert, MA | |
| Analytical interpretation of historical and contemporary contexts and practices in film, animation and digital arts | KCPT | PGCert, MA | |
| Ability to analyse and predict emerging trends in professional creative media industry practices | KCPT | PGCert, MA | |
| Ability to create, research and produce engaging works both independently and collaboratively in a student's specialist areas | KCPT | MA | |
| Development of a professional portfolio or practice or significant relevant research outputs | KCPT | MA | |
| Ability to engage constructively and positively with peers, tutors, professional mentors | KCPT | PGCert, MA | |
| Demonstration of creative and technical project leadership | KCPT | MA |
Attributes Developed
C - Cognitive/analytical
K - Subject knowledge
T - Transferable skills
P - Professional/Practical skills
Programme structure
Full-time
This Master's Degree programme is studied full-time over one academic year, consisting of 180 credits at FHEQ level 7. All modules are semester based and worth 15 credits with the exception of project, practice based and dissertation modules.
Possible exit awards include:
- Postgraduate Diploma (120 credits)
- Postgraduate Certificate (60 credits)
Programme Adjustments (if applicable)
N/A
Modules
Year 1 (full-time) - FHEQ Levels 6 and 7
| Module code | Module title | Status | Credits | Semester |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMAM001 | MOVING IMAGE ARTS - CONTEMPORARY CONTEXTS | Compulsory | 15 | 2 |
| DMAM002 | CREATIVE MEDIA PRACTICES (I) | Compulsory | 30 | 1 |
| DMAM003 | COLLABORATIVE PROJECT(S) | Compulsory | 15 | 1 |
| DMAM004 | CREATIVE MEDIA PRACTICES (II) | Compulsory | 30 | 2 |
| DMAM005 | FINAL MASTERS PROJECT | Compulsory | 90 | Year-long |
Module Selection for Year 1 (full-time) - FHEQ Levels 6 and 7
N/A
Opportunities for placements / work related learning / collaborative activity
| Associate Tutor(s) / Guest Speakers / Visiting Academics | Y | |
| Professional Training Year (PTY) | N | |
| Placement(s) (study or work that are not part of PTY) | N | |
| Clinical Placement(s) (that are not part of the PTY scheme) | N | |
| Study exchange (Level 5) | N | |
| Dual degree | N |
Other information
Embedded alongside the specific knowledge, skills, abilities and experiences facilitated by our MA in Film, Animation and Digital Arts are more general attributes which the University of Surrey has identified as an ambition to develop in all students across all subjects and disciplines on offer. These are:
* Employability
* Resourcefulness and Resilience
* Digital Capabilities
* Sustainability
* Global and Cultural Capabilities
The following is an account of how this programme addresses these attributes:
Employability
Because this programme is delivered by tutors and specialists with significant industry experience and contacts, it boosts your employability, raises the level at which you can gain positions and roles within the industry on graduation, and addresses well documented industry skills gaps.
The programme develops a range of proficiencies appropriate to live action film, animation, games, and other associated areas of the media industries, by providing contemporary knowledge and understanding of tools and techniques used every day in these fields at professional level.
Equally important for employability within these areas (and often overlooked) is the development of 'personability': so that employers, collaborators, funders and commissioners want to work with you.
We develop this by enabling you to work collaboratively and collegiately, in a supportive studio-like environment in which we all work together to realise creative goals. Additionally, your experience as you present your graduation film publicly, and interact with industry professionals during the programme, will give you new capabilities.
Resourcefulness and Resilience
As you encounter new and unfamiliar working practices along with robust, fair and helpful criticism, you will develop inventiveness and flexibility to cope with these elements of your course, including the ability to research your own solutions to given problems.
We encourage you to pool knowledge and work collaboratively to come up with innovative methods to achieve a particular creative or technical goal. The studio environment and unfettered access to facilities and software facilitates this.
As you cooperate with other students across this programme, you will learn ways to be useful and helpful within a crew situation, and also learn better how to cope with criticism and encouragement. At all times, you will have access to experienced tutors to advise you.
Digital Capabilities
The FADA programme is built on the very latest techniques and technologies available to mainstream studios and animators. In this way, digital capabilities are an integrated part of what you learn.
In any case, contemporary media production is an inherently digital affair but we include more traditional techniques such as drawn animation, and drawing practice, as part of the offering to you.
Sustainability
By offering you digital equipment made to the most recent energy-saving standards throughout your research for this programme, we will enable you to use best practices to minimise pollution and waste. We also work closely with the University of Surrey's Institute for Sustainability to explore and promote the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals.
You are shown best practices such as LED-based lighting, virtual production technologies to minimise crew and talent travel, recycling of sets and other materials, better transport choices, minimising of waste, and awareness of environmental and social effects on local communities and landscapes. These are embedded in various current industry initiatives such as BAFTA 'Albert', the 'Screen New Deal' production sustainability plan, and others.
Furthermore, from a content viewpoint, many of the creative projects you develop on the programme can address environment and sustainability issues as part of their subject matter.
Global and Cultural Capabilities
Film-making is inherently an international pursuit, crossing not only national boundaries but also, very importantly, cultural boundaries. Your colleagues among students will be from many nationals and cultures, whose expertise and enthusiasms will naturally encompass broad ranges of international and intercultural influences.
Your tutors will welcome your embrace of cultures outside your own, especially regarding experimental, contemporary and historical contexts.
For example, you will be encouraged to explore the many cross-cultural opportunities that this university's student union societies celebrate.
Quality assurance
The Regulations and Codes of Practice for taught programmes can be found at:
Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2027/8 academic year.