Illustration & Animation is a practice-based course with creative, critical, reflective and technical skills developed in the studio and enhanced by pertinent academic writing. Teaching is informed by staff research, practice and expertise. Students are actively encouraged to be imaginative, ambitious and resourceful to face the challenges of an unpredictable, demanding, globally-competitive and technologically-driven world. Sound pedagogic practice mixed with imaginative delivery and assessment methods will enable students to produce personal and expressive portfolios that demonstrate creative agility and technical prowess. Students will be helped to develop the necessary creativity, critical reflection, questioning, understanding, theoretical underpinning and practical skills to pursue successful professional careers in both home and international contexts.

Students are taught the shared values and skills that underpin illustration and animation practice whilst having the opportunity to develop a portfolio that focuses on a specific area of creative practice from within the spectrum of illustration and animation.

The course is distinguished by an emphasis on story-telling, character-creation and the development of a professional ethos. Students are supported by access to industry-standard software, workshops and studio environments. Typical graduate portfolios might include complete books, comics, animations and films in a range of technologies and media from a mix of in-house assignments, self-initiated tasks, national / international competition opportunities, and live project briefs. Students are allowed to define their own trajectory, subject to staff approval and may decide to specialize in either print or moving image based projects, so are not limited to a single medium. Typical graduate portfolios might include complete books, comics, animations and films in a range of technologies and media from a mix of in-house assignments, self-initiated tasks, national / international competition opportunities, and live project briefs. The course’s blend of illustration and animation skill sets gives it both discipline- and industry-relevance, deftly anticipating emerging markets and trends.

Recruits generally have an aptitude for image making, observational drawing and story-telling; however, those with different backgrounds and arresting portfolios backed up by a convincing rationale will certainly be considered.

Staff research, practice and expertise feed into the course's qualities and characteristics. These chime with the University's Mission Statement to provide outward-facing research with impact, to provide high-quality teaching, and to be dynamic, global and enterprising.

Situated at the very heart of Asia, Singapore is home to internationally recognized animation studios and a thriving multicultural setting in which to explore new cultures and art forms, making it an excellent choice of where to study illustration and animation.