Animation has become in integral part of the film, television, games and design industries - from Jurassic Park to Avatar, Angry Birds to Call of Duty, Xbox to mobile. The field of animation has experienced unprecedented growth in recent years. With new distribution methods and technologies, your work will have many paths to reach a worldwide audience.

During the course you will study drawing, the principles of animation and design, storytelling and narrative, design and the history, practice and theory of screen production. You will gain an understanding of creative and technical process using industry standard software in order to create interactive designs and computer animations.

As animation is a highly collaborative environment you will learn the principles and practices through teamwork, while developing your individual professional practice. The course enables you to enter the industry with a range of exciting and rapidly evolving platforms as well as facilitating numerous opportunities for employment in a rapidly growing area at an international level.

The course is designed to prepare learners for a professional career in animation and related fields. Learners study fundamental skills and develop their knowledge using both traditional techniques and the latest computer technology.

Learners are trained to use professional 2D and 3D digital animation software packages such as Toon Boom Harmony, the Adobe Creative Suite and Autodesk Maya. Free home software licenses are provided to learners for all packages studied on the course.

This is a three-year creative animation course offering a broad range of skills designed to empower you to act independently within the commercial environment after graduation. It equips you with the knowledge and the confidence the contemporary animation industry demands - to be a creative thinkers who can demonstrate flexibility and a proactive approach within difference aspect of animation production.

The BA (Hons) Visual Media (Animation) is designed to build on the HND in Classical and Computer Animation. It is a two year top up course where students are challenged to develop and integrate their creative, technical, and academic skills in a structured way, producing both individual and group films.

The course aims to develop in the student a balance between the conceptualist, the artist, the storyteller and the technician. At honours level the learning is largely self-directed. Students produce collaborative animated films, which screen annually at the Animation and Games Graduate Showcase.

The three-year BA (Hons) in Animation and Games Design is aimed at those who wish to secure employment in the Games and/or Animation industry, and those who wish to design and produce their own animated films or video games. The Animation and Game Design programme has been delivered since 2016 as a major pathway on the BA (Hons) in Design. It has been very successful, with excellent feedback from the students, graduates and industry.

Students must choose a stream at the end of Year 1.

Graduates of the BA in Animation and Illustration will have the capacity to apply their knowledge and understanding of the fundamentals of illustration and principles of animation to a broad range of areas within the animation and illustration practice.

Students develop the capacity for independent learning as well as producing work collaboratively. Solid analytical and IT-related skills, as well as critical reasoning through the twin emphasis of both animation and illustration, are vital to creating strong, visually appealing and imaginative artwork.

This course gives you up-to-the minute skills and industry relevant training in the animation and visual effects sector.

It will introduce you to the core principles of creative film making, animation and visual storytelling.  This degree gives you the necessary practical and technical skills for employment in this rapidly expanding sector. There are modules on drawing/character development, illustration, design, character modelling, animation principles, and much more.

This course gives you up-to-the minute skills and industry relevant training in the animation and visual effects sector. It will introduce you to the core principles of creative film making, animation and visual storytelling.

Anthropology is the comparative study of humankind in the cultures of the world, both past and present. This exciting programme offers a unique way of looking at the world, offering a greater understanding of the human experience and a strong sense of global citizenship to meet the challenges of the future. 

The aim of this blended online certificate programme is to develop the knowledge, skills and abilities of learners in the theory and practice of applied addiction studies and community development.

The purpose of the programme is to build the capacity of community drugs workers and those working and volunteering in the wider community within an addiction context.

This course will introduce you to the fascinating world of the biological sciences. You’ll study a range of science subjects, including Microbiology, Biochemistry and Drug Delivery. Over the two years, you’ll gain around 400 hours of laboratory experience, experience that potential employers will value. The knowledge and practical experience gained in this course will set you on the way for other academic courses or directly into a job in industry.

Applied Biology is a discipline that is currently at the forefront of scientific research and technological development and underpins a number of premier industries in Ireland and internationally. These include the Healthcare and Biopharmaceutical sectors, Food industries, Biotechnology, Bioanalytical and Diagnostics, and more.

This programme allows you an opportunity to study the key areas in Applied Biology including Microbiology, Biochemistry, Food Science, Biotechnology, Genetics, Bio-forensics, and Healthcare. 

The food and drink industry in Ireland is a very important indigenous industry, providing interesting and well paid employment. Consumers require attractive, convenient and safe food products that also offer health promoting benefits and skilled scientists are required to manufacture and develop these products.

Skills and knowledge in areas such as science and technology, food safety and nutrition are the focus of this course. Throughout the course you will gain insights into the manufacture and the nutritional content of current food products, and how to develop new exciting innovative products.

This programme will prepare graduates for employment in the extensive pharmaceutical, biomedical and healthcare sectors in Ireland. Many opportunities also exist in the area of environmental protection, food quality and safety, the regulatory agencies and research. Students will gain a professional qualification that will enhance their prospects for career advancement to managerial position.

Applied Biosciences is the study of complex biological systems, and how they work, for example how bacteria generate energy from the breakdown of sugars. Applied Biosciences also involves the use of living organisms and bioprocesses in engineering, technology, medicine and agriculture – in other words, the application of scientific and technical advances in the life sciences to develop commercial products.

This level 8 programme is designed to give the graduate experience with a wide range of modern computing skills. Students will learn cutting edge programming techniques, data analytics, UX design, web architecture plus many other skills. Students can practice honing core computational and problem solving skills needed for any 21st Century technology driven society, in a vibrant and modern campus. 

The Higher Certificate in Applied Construction Technology equips graduates with the skills and technical knowledge required to enter the construction industry at technician level. Students gain a thorough grounding in the key concepts and practical skills required in the construction sector. This programme is based around ATU Sligo’s state of the art construction workshops and as a result can deliver a unique experience to students by applying theoretical knowledge to practical projects. Students gain practical skills in carpentry and joinery as well as an understanding of how emerging technologies They will explore scientific principles and the behaviour of materials used in construction, understand current health and safety regulations and methods of quantifying materials for the construction of domestic buildings.