Animation
Want to be an animator? Learn to set things in motion, tell stories, bring worlds to life. Start your creative future in IADT’s internationally acclaimed BA (Hons) in Animation.
| Award Name | Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) |
|---|---|
| NFQ Classification | Major |
| Awarding Body | Institute of Art Design and Technology |
| NFQ Level | Level 8 NFQ |
| Award Name | NFQ Classification | Awarding Body | NFQ Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Degree - Honours Bachelor (Level 8 NFQ) | Major | Institute of Art Design and Technology | Level 8 NFQ |
Duration
4 years full-time
Specific Subjects or course requirements
Min Entry Requirements
2 H5 + 4 O6/H7
English: O6/H7
Portfolio required. Combination of CAO and Portfolio Assessment Points.
For information on portfolio submission see https://iadt.ie/study/portfolio-guidelines/
Leaving Certificate Vocational Progamme LCVP
QQI FET Applicants General Information
Applicants with QQI/FETAC Level 5 or Level 6 Awards require distinctions in 3 (of 8) modules.
Portfolio: Yes
For information on portfolio submission see https://iadt.ie/study/portfolio-guidelines/
Careers / Further progression
What will I be able to do when I graduate?
Our goal is that students will be equipped with creative expertise and transferable skills so that they have the ability to choose their own paths after graduation. Our students often go on to work in the animation industry in Ireland and abroad, some start their own companies, and others become successful freelancers. Graduates sometimes shift direction into new creative fields such as book illustration or web-based content. Students have progressed to postgraduate programmes in film and animation and a number of them have become educators.
Students have gone on to work at industry leading companies such as; Boulder Media, JAM Media, Brown Bag Films, WETA Workshops, Cartoon Saloon, JibJab, among many others.
Further information
September 2026
Mature Students
We welcome applications from mature students, who must apply to the CAO.
More info for Mature https://iadt.ie/services/institute-student-services/access-social-inclusion/mature-students/
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Entry 2026 - Restricted Course
Early online application (discounted): Fee €35 Closing Date: 20 January 2026 at 5pm
Normal online application: Fee €50 Closing Date: 1 February 2026 at 5pm
Be sure to complete any action well in advance of closing dates. You should avoid submitting an application close to a closing date. No extensions to closing dates will be allowed and all fees are non-refundable.
Restricted Courses
Applying for a restricted course – you must have applied to CAO by 1 February 2026 at 5pm if you wish to apply for a restricted course. The restricted course must be included on your course choices list by that date, or added to your application using the facility to amend course choices (for a fee of €10) before 1 March at 5pm.
Restricted courses normally require additional assessment procedures, for example, the submission of a portfolio, an oral assessment or interview, or a written assessment. Restricted courses are identified in the handbook by the words “(Restricted - see page 3 of the 2026 CAO Handbook)" on the same line as the restricted course’s title. Please make sure to acquaint yourself with the additional requirements, if any, of the restricted course(s) that you have applied for and go to page 24 of the 2026 CAO Handbook for more information about interviews and assessments.
Exception: If a restricted course shares the exact same assessment procedures with a course you had applied for by 1 February 2026, you may be permitted to introduce it on a Change of Mind. You should consult with the relevant HEI before introducing such a course.
Mature Applicants
Mature applicants – most HEIs will require mature applicants, who wish to be assessed on mature grounds, to have applied to CAO by 1st February 2026 at 5pm, and include course choices by that date or add them using the facility to amend course choices (for a fee of €10) before 1 March at 5pm. (This restriction does not apply if the applicant wishes to be considered on the basis of school leaving qualifications only.) For more information about applying to CAO on the basis of mature years go to www.cao.ie/mature
Supplementary Admission Routes
Applying for DARE and/or HEAR – to be considered for DARE and/or HEAR, applicants must have registered on the CAO system by 1 February 2026 at 5pm. To apply to DARE, you must answer YES to Question 1 ('Do you wish to be considered for DARE?) on Section A of the fully completed Supplementary Information Form (SIF) by 5pm on 1 March 2026.
To apply to HEAR, you must indicate on your CAO application that you wish to apply for HEAR and fully and correctly complete all elements of the online HEAR form by 5pm on 1 March 2026.
Supporting documents for DARE and/or HEAR applicants must be sent to CAO offices before 10 March 2026 at 5pm
Want to be an animator? Learn to set things in motion, tell stories, bring worlds to life. Start your creative future in IADT’s internationally acclaimed BA (Hons) in Animation.
Explore and document your world as you learn the skills to become an animation production artist. You will develop creative and technical expertise, as well as the conceptual and cultural knowledge to be an informed and confident contributor to the animated art form. One of the youngest and most exciting disciplines, animation’s unique storytelling potential has made it an increasingly important part of entertainment, advertising, education and communication in the twenty-first century.
What will I do?
• Learn the techniques and skills of the animated art form, including character, movement, background, design, storyboarding, layout, scripting, and animation principles, using both traditional and digital media
• Learn about the history, ideas, people, and culture that have contributed to film and animation as ways of interpreting the world. Develop the critical thinking skills and individual point of view that will distinguish you as an artist and thinker
• Learn from real-world experiences through live projects, work placements, group projects and collaboration with peers in a variety of ways
• Become part of a unique creative community.
What modules will I study?
Year 1
Semester 1
Tech Skills 1: Draw
Tech Skills 2: Character
Film + Animation History 1
IADT Connect
Semester 2
Film + Animation History 2
Tech Skills 3: World
Something Comes Alive
IADT Year 1 Workshop
Year 2
Semester 1
Issues in Film + Animation 1
Tech Skills 4: Character Digital
Short Non-Narrative
Semester 2
Group Project: Idea Development + Research
Group Project: Production + Creation
Issues in Film + Animation 2
IADT Year 2 Elective
Year 3
Semester 1
Design Research Proposal
Production Preparation
Mixed Media: Digital Synergies
Critical Approaches to Film + Animation
Semester 2
Business + Entrepreneurship for Creative Practice
Professional Placement
Thesis Research + Proposal
Year 4
Semester 1
Minor Project
Semester 2
Thesis
Major Project
Dr Jeremiah Ambrose
Email: Jeremiah.Ambrose@iadt.ie
Admissions Enquiries
Email: admissions@iadt.ie