Study Guide

Descriptions

Animation studies at the Visual Arts programme gives the student the robust basic skills and knowledge necessary for the job market in animation and film and hence the prerequisites for continuous development of professional skills and entrepreneurship. In addition to these, the student can focus on media production or communication professions.

Structure and content of programme

Studying animation takes place as part of media studies, with a wide range of educational opportunities that allow students to make individual choices in their studies. The studies divide into Core Competence and Expanding Competence. The students have a versatile choice to build their own path towards the future profession. The student can choose a multidisciplinary degree with courses in multiple competence area of studies. Alternatively, the students can choose to focus on one competence area alone and deepen their skills through the various studies offered in that specialization. Thus, the students strengthen their individual skills for the labour market.

The learning plan does not follow an annual distribution. Each student completes 60 ECTS per year out of the studies offered. The tutoring teacher helps the student prepare an annual individual study plan (ISP).

Core Competence generates in the following study modules
• Basic Studies
• Professional Media Studies
• Internship
• Bachelor's Thesis

Expanding Competence generates in the following study modules
• Media Study Modules
• Internship
• Bachelor's Thesis
• Free-Elective Studies
• Project Studies

Animation studies base on working in practical learning environments. Working in a team and implementing projects are an integral part of the degree. To graduate into a media professional, the student develops many innovation competences. During the studies, emphasis is given on critical thinking, initiative, creativity, teamwork and networking. The degree also adapts annually according to new trends in working life.

During the studies, students collaborate with students in the Visual Arts and Film and Media as well as with the whole Arts Academy and other students of the Turku University of Applied Sciences. Strong linkage to working life, including projects and training, creates good opportunities for up-to-date and work-oriented training, and provides opportunities for networking in the field of expertise already during the studies.

Success in studies requires the student to have good general education, self-initiative, ideas, creativity, interaction and teamwork skills, analytical skills, responsiveness and readiness to change.

Common Studies in the Film and Media are compulsory also for animation students. These divide into language studies, expression studies, analysis studies, and Film and Media working environment studies.

Professional Studies enables the students to specialize in their chosen path of expertise. To widen their field of competence, the students can choose studies out of the Visual Arts or Film and Media study modules, or from the professional studies of another path of expertise, or from other degree studies, or foreign exchange studies. These studies can be either professional studies or free-elective studies.

During the Internship, students become acquainted with the tasks of their professional field in a real work environment. Internships split over time into several parts.

In Project Studies, students apply their skills in practical work life projects, research and development projects and in their own productions.

Free-Elective Studies the students choose from the Turku University of Applied Sciences or through the provision of other educational institutions, or projects and working life.

The thesis is a set of practical or artistic work related to the written work and the student's professional field. The Bachelor's thesis is supported by Method and Development Studies.

The students can demonstrate the skills acquired previously, or during the course of their studies, in the professional field and use these exterior learning experiences as a way to pass courses.

Objective

Animation studies include animation expression and animation techniques. As far as possible, the students can emphasize different aspects of animation in their studies, and even focus on animation production or gaming. Graduated students work in AV production companies, as freelancers or in their own companies as experts in various animation sectors. Animation graduates also work as independent directors, as illustrators and cartoonists.

During the selective professional studies, students orient and deepen their skills according to their own abilities and available courses in scriptwriting, cinematography, and editing, sound design or production tasks. Training provides technical skills to work in the field, and to familiarize oneself with the cinematic narrative and production tasks. Individual student productions, various film commissions and training in film productions offer an opportunity to deepen one’s skills.

In all studies, the student also develops in innovation competences. The innovation competencies defined by Turku University of Applied Sciences are in line with the European Qualifications Framework (EQF). Innovation Competences consist of individual, community and network knowledge, and cover the following five dimensions of expertise: critical thinking, initiative, creativity, teamwork, and networking.

Description of thesis

The thesis is a set of practical or artistic work related to the written work and the student's professional field. The thesis can also be in portfolio form, as part of working life projects, research and development projects and international activities. The Bachelor's thesis is supported by Method and Development Studies (5 ECTS).

Development

Studying at the Turku University of Applied Sciences is self-directed and pragmatic. The teacher's job is to be a coach who helps an independent student to achieve their professional goals.

Working in different groups is important. During the studies, students take part in multidisciplinary work, both in the media and in networking with other sectors.

Professional Studies and Project Studies are closely linked to media learning environments that simulate professional practices:
animation and film: Karusellil – Audiovisual Production House
journalism: Tutka - Online Media (tutka.pro), Campus Radio
advertising: Guru - Turku AMK's advertising agency (http://guru.turkuamk.fi )
communication: Meedio - Information Communication of the Arts Academy
student co-op: Karisma

Research and development projects are an essential part of the studies. In these, students are networking with both working life and representatives of Finnish and international academic institutions. Real life business and work life assignments are also an essential part of media education.

Turku University of Applied Sciences supports entrepreneurship in the media sector and encourages students to start their own businesses. The students also have the opportunity to study in other fields at the Turku University of Applied Sciences and extend their semester through studies during the summer months.

Further information

Assessment of teaching and learning is a continuous and comprehensive process. The quality levels of learning and teaching are assessed through feedback discussions, exercises, essays, reports, analyzes and exams. Feedback discussions also include peer review inside the group. There is a feedback system in the online learning environment that collects feedback, especially on the implementation of joint studies. Experts from outside the institution may also be used for the assessment.

Once a year there is a Feedback Day. Then, feedback material collected by the student groups is handled under the leadership of the Head of Education and Research. Teachers are also involved in the feedback session. An action plan is created based on the issues that have been dealt with and discussed in the Feedback Day.

Evaluation of the courses is on a scale of 1 – 5. Some of the credits are evaluated on a scale Approved - Rejected. When using the Approved - Rejected -scale, the Implementation Plan determines which grade level the approved performance matches.