BA Visual Effects

The Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Visual Effects from Birmingham City University teaches students how to create digital things like creatures, backgrounds, and special effects that look natural when combined with real-life filming. It combines imaginative skills with technical knowledge to prepare you for jobs in the visual effects industry.  

Students will use the same professional software used in the industry, like Maya, Houdini, and Nuke. They'll also have access to modern facilities, including motion capture studios and a large green screen. The course encourages working with students in similar subjects through shared projects.

Learning is hands-on, with lectures, workshops, and real-world briefs. Assessment is done through coursework, presentations, and portfolio work to prepare students for professional roles in the visual effects field.

Birmingham City University (BCU) is a British university known for mixing academic learning with practical, real-world experience, particularly in creative and digital subjects. BCU also has one of the biggest permanent green screen studios in the UK and a very modern motion capture facility. This means that students studying Visual Effects get to use the same high-quality equipment used by professionals in the film and television industry.

Grade Requirements

• For the standard entry offer, applicants need 112 UCAS Tariff points. An Accelerate offer is also available, requiring 80 UCAS points. 

• Other accepted qualifications include a pass in the Access to HE Diploma with 60 credits (45 at level 3), and an International Baccalaureate with a minimum of 28 points.

English Proficiency

• International students need to show they have a good level of English. To be accepted, you'll usually need an IELTS score of 6.0 overall, with at least 5.5 in each part of the test (reading, writing, speaking, and listening).

International students interested in the BA Visual Effects at Birmingham City University should expect to pay  £17,690 for full-time study in the 2025/26 academic session.

Birmingham City University (BCU) offers scholarships and bursaries for international students who aim to do well and make a difference. These include the International Undergraduate Scholarship (up to £2,000), the High Achievers’ Scholarship (£1,000 for applicants with 144+ UCAS points applying by 30 June 2025), and the Accelerate Scholarship for students from lower-income backgrounds on BCU’s Accelerate programmes.

Graduates of the BA (Hons) Visual Effects from Birmingham City University can apply their creativity and imagination skills in job roles such as:

• Compositor
• VFX Artist
• 3D Modeller
• Matchmove Artist
• Environment Artist
• Motions Graphics Designer

Applications for this course are typically done through UCAS. For more guidance with this process, we encourage you to contact our expert counsellors today.