Diploma of Animation & VFX

This Diploma of Animation & VFX at Collarts is a one-year qualification for people who want to make moving images, character animation, visual effects, motion graphics, and want to start doing it quickly. You'll work in studios, not lecture theatres. Expect to spend your time drawing, modelling, rigging, animating and compositing, with software that studios actually use. The course is built around production: you make things, get feedback, and make them better.

Australian diplomas sit at Level 5 on the Australian Qualifications Framework. They're shorter and more hands-on than a bachelor degree, which takes three years. This one runs for one year full-time, usually across two or three study periods depending on how the timetable falls. You'll complete a set of units, each with a credit point value, covering the basics of animation principles, 2D and 3D software, visual effects, editing and sound. There's a strong emphasis on a final project where you pull everything together into a showreel piece. Assessment is mostly practical: projects, portfolios, presentations, not exams.

Collarts is a private college in Melbourne with a focus on creative industries, and the diploma is delivered with that industry in mind. You'll be taught by people who work in animation and VFX, and you'll build a portfolio that you can show to employers or use to apply for further study. The diploma can also be a pathway into a bachelor degree, many students use it as a stepping stone, with credit for the units they've completed. If you're an international student, you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while you study, and after you finish you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream, which lets you stay and work in Australia. Check the current rules with the Department of Home Affairs, because they change.

Who is this for? School leavers who know they want to work in animation and don't want to wait three years to start. Career changers who've been making things on the side and want proper training. People already working in design or media who need animation skills for their job. You don't need to be a brilliant artist to start, you need to be willing to put in the hours and take feedback. English requirements for international applicants are IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall, or an accepted equivalent like TOEFL iBT or PTE Academic. The Student visa has its own English threshold set by the Department of Home Affairs. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register, check there for the exact figure. For unit details, intake dates and how to apply, go to the official Collarts page or the CRICOS listing.

• 2D animator, working in studios that produce animated series, explainer videos, advertising and social media content.
• 3D animator, creating character or object animation for games, film, television and online content.
• Visual effects artist, compositing, rotoscoping, tracking and cleanup for film, TV and streaming productions.
• Motion graphics designer, making titles, infographics, logo animations and on-screen graphics for broadcasters, agencies and corporate clients.
• Junior compositor, combining layers of rendered images and live-action footage into a final shot.
• Storyboard artist, drawing panels that plan out scenes for animation, advertising and film.
• Game artist, building and animating assets for mobile, console and PC games.

Australian industries that hire these roles include film and television production, animation studios, game development, advertising and design agencies, online content creation, and education and training. Many roles are project-based, so graduates often start as freelancers or in junior positions and build up a reel. The diploma also gives you a pathway into further study, like a bachelor degree in animation or games, if you want to specialise more or move into roles that ask for a degree.