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CGI and Visual Effects with Placement and Digital Arts Foundation Year

Entry requirements


A level

D,D

From a minimum of two completed A levels.

AQA Level 3 (Foundation) Technical Level (360 glh)

D

AQA Level 3 Technical Level (1080 glh)

PPP

AQA Level 3 Technical Level (540 glh)

MM

AQA Level 3 Technical Level (720 glh)

MP

In combination with other qualifications.

In combination with other qualifications.

In combination with other qualifications.

OCR Cambridge Technical Diploma

MP

OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate

D

OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma

PPP

OCR Cambridge Technical Foundation Diploma

MM

OCR Cambridge Technical Introductory Diploma

D

OCR Cambridge Technical Subsidiary Diploma

MM

In combination with other qualifications.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

MP

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)

D

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

PPP

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Foundation Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

M

T Level

P

Pass grade (D or E)

UCAS Tariff

48

From A-levels, a?BTEC Extended Diploma at PPP or BTEC Diploma at MP or?equivalent. An `optional’ online portfolio submission may be required as part of the selection process. We welcome applicants from a diverse range of backgrounds. Applicants who are not in possession of the minimum entry requirements but are able to demonstrate aptitude, enthusiasm and motivation will be considered on an individual basis and may be admitted subject to satisfactory interview and/or portfolio. Please contact us for further details.

Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (first teaching September 2015)

A

About this course


Course option

5years

Full-time including foundation year | 2024

Subject

Computer science

If you’re looking to study a computer games or digital arts degree, but don’t have the relevant qualifications or experience, this foundation year will help you develop the core skills and knowledge to progress onto one of our related industry-focused undergraduate degrees.

You’ll cover key subject areas such as game art, game design, animation, CGI, VFX and code, and work on exciting practical projects designed to help you learn key digital design skills. You’ll also be supported to develop key transferable skills in preparation for your degree level studies.

To aid study, you’ll have full access to Solent’s industry-standard facilities, including specialist labs and high-end dual computers equipped with industry software such as 3ds Max, Maya, Substance, Photoshop, Unreal Editor and Unity.

You will be taught by passionate staff who are experts in their fields, with a wealth of real-world experience and knowledge.

Learn from staff who are experts in their field and who have vast industry experience.

**What does this course lead to?**
This foundation year will help you build the relevant skills and knowledge to enter onto one of our related degree programmes. This can lead to a career in the multi-billion pound games industry in areas such as video game studios and art production, to film and animation studios.

**Who is this course for?**
Solent’s Foundation Year in Digital Arts is intended for students without the required UCAS points for direct entry. This could be mature students returning to education, students without the required qualifications, or students looking to change career path after completing further education qualifications.

Modules

FOUNDATION MODULES
Digital Art Design
Digital Art Industries
Digital Art Projects
Digital Art Discovery
Digital Art Final Project
Digital Art Portfolio

If you successfully complete the Digital Arts Foundation Year, you will automatically progress onto the BA (Hons) CGI and Visual Effects course, where you will study the following modules:

YEAR 1 - CORE MODULES
Architectural Visualisation
Digital Visuals
Introduction to 3D
Introduction to Animation
Introduction to VFX
Real Time CGI

YEAR 2 - CORE MODULES
CGI/VFX Commentary
Compositing
Digital Character
Set Capture
VFX Simulation
Advanced Drawing

YEAR 2 - OPTIONS (please note that not all modules are guaranteed to run each academic year)
Advanced Drawing
Technical Art
Technical Art

PLACEMENT YEAR
CGI/VFX Placement

YEAR 3 - CORE MODULES
Final Major Project
Pre-Production
Production Brief
Professional Engagement

YEAR 3 - OPTIONS (please note that not all options are guaranteed to run each academic year)
Dissertation
Art for CGI/VFX
Scripting for Graphics

Assessment methods

All modules are assessed by coursework as this is the most appropriate for pedagogical approach, learning outcomes, skills required and design studio practice.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£14,000
per year
International
£14,000
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

Extra funding

Solent University offers a number of bursaries, grants and scholarships. For more information, please visit https://www.solent.ac.uk/finance/grants-bursaries-scholarships/bursaries

The Uni


Course location:

Solent University (Southampton)

Department:

Department of Film and Media

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

63%
Computer science

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Computer science

Teaching and learning

72%
Staff make the subject interesting
76%
Staff are good at explaining things
61%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
83%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

75%
Library resources
71%
IT resources
80%
Course specific equipment and facilities
37%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

82%
UK students
18%
International students
85%
Male students
15%
Female students
81%
2:1 or above
21%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
C
C

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Computer science

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£20,000
low
Average annual salary
88%
low
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

58%
Information technology and telecommunications professionals
13%
Sales, marketing and related associate professionals
13%
Information technology technicians

This is a newly-classified subject area for this kind of data, so we don’t currently have very much information to display or analyse yet. The subject is linked to important and growing computing industries, and over time we can expect more students to study them — there could be opportunities that open up for graduates in these subjects as the economy develops over the next few years.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Computer science

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£20k

£20k

£26k

£26k

£27k

£27k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here