Animal Science is an advanced course, building on the occupational skills achieved at Level 5. It is a perfect stepup course to lead you to supervisory careers, or onto Higher Education studies.

The course includes practical and theoretical study of the science of animal health and animal behaviour for domestic, farm and wild animals. You will also enhance your animal handling skills through ‘hands-on’ practical assignments, and explore the wider animal industry.

Graduates will be able to demonstrate a broad understanding of the husbandry and management requirements of a variety of animals used in diverse animal-related businesses. This includes key areas such as animal health, nutrition, housing, behaviour, production, and welfare, as well as core competencies in areas like wildlife care, professional grooming, and laboratory-based diagnostics.

This specialized, one-year program is meticulously structured for individuals seeking to launch a professional career within the animal care and canine styling sectors. The curriculum delivers a robust foundation in essential husbandry and care principles, combining theoretical knowledge with intensive practical training in advanced grooming techniques, animal welfare legislation, anatomy, and behavioral observation.

This course places an emphasis on the foundational scientific methodologies—including biology and anatomy—needed to meet rigorous academic progression requirements. This approach ensures that graduates possess both the hands-on expertise to enter the pet industry directly and the necessary qualifications to advance into highly competitive Third Level degree programs in Veterinary Nursing or Animal Science.

This course would suit applicants with a passion for working with animals, a willingness to work hard and an interest in biology. You will have a mixture of classroom-based subjects, laboratory practicals, mandatory work placement (including a work shop in Dublin Zoo) and independent study.

UCD’s Animal Science programme is a four-year degree that delves into the applied sciences necessary for understanding how animals function and the principles of livestock production. You will explore the growth, development, and behaviour of domestic animals, and the fundamentals of sustainable animal production systems. Modules include animal biology, genetics, biotechnology, nutrition, and more.

Animal Science – Equine allows those with a passion for horses, the equine industry or equine science to pursue these interests at third level and still maintain a broad range of future career options within agriculture. A highlight of the degree is the opportunity to participate in a 5-month international work placement within a leading Thoroughbred or Sport Horse organisation. The degree provides the scientific knowledge and transferable skills necessary for professional leadership roles within many aspects of the Agriculture and Equine industries.

This program provides a comprehensive foundation in animal anatomy and physiology, alongside essential laboratory skills. It is specifically designed for those pursuing careers in veterinary science, animal research, or clinical practice, bridging the gap between theoretical biological knowledge and practical technical application.

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. 

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

This is a creative animation programme offering a broad range of skills designed to enable you to operate independently within the commercial environment after graduation. The contemporary animation industry requires creative thinkers who can operate flexibly within different aspects of animation production.

Applications to this programme were previously made through AU330 BA (Hons) in Design (Common Entry), which is now closed for application. Applicants can now apply directly to each speciality stream and still enjoy the benefits of a common entry start.

• Students will gain experience in all the fundamentals of animation from 2D animation techniques to 3D modelling to storyboarding to Comic Books and Sequential Art.
• You will receive hands-on training from professionals vastly experienced within the animation industry.
• The practical nature of the course, including the development of a polished and exciting portfolio, will prepare learners for work in the sector
• You will be introduced to valuable professional workflows and teach you everything from the basics of animation through to full 3D modelling
• Small class sizes ensure that you get the one-on-one attention needed to perfect your technical and creative skills

Our partnered BA in Animation is available on a full-time basis over a three-year period and is taught on campus at Pulse College. The course will introduce you to valuable professional workflows and teach you everything from the basics of animation, 2D animation techniques, through to full 3D modelling.

• Students will gain experience in all the fundamentals of animation from 2D animation techniques to 3D modelling to storyboarding to Comic Books and Sequential Art.
• You will receive hands-on training from professionals vastly experienced within the animation industry.
• The practical nature of the course, including the development of an industry standard portfolio will prepare learners for work in the Animation sector
• Small class sizes ensure that you get the one-on-one attention needed to perfect your technical and creative skills.
• Pulse College will set you on the right track to achieving your professional and academic goals whether you want to be an animator, character designer for games, concept artist, or VFX animator.

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 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 comprehensive program is designed to bridge traditional artistry with cutting-edge technology, preparing learners for a professional career in the global animation industry. The curriculum covers the entire production pipeline—from scriptwriting and character design to compositing and special effects—equipping animators for diverse roles in TV, film, and games development. By blending hand-drawn techniques like life drawing with modern 3D digital animation, the course fosters a deep understanding of film language and creative storytelling.