Programme-specific Admission Procedure and Evaluation Criteria
Applicants meeting Aalto’s general eligibility criteria for Master's studies will be evaluated and ranked according to the evaluation criteria that has been decided in advance for each study option.
The applications to Master’s Programme in Animation will be evaluated based on the following criteria.
Phase I
Artistic and/or design practice
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Assessed area
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Demonstrations of artistic work or assignments
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Admission requirements
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Solid general and artistic knowledge and advanced skills in animation.
High level of past achievement. Applicants are expected to demonstrate sufficient prior knowledge and experience of and/or potential in animation practice in form of personal portfolio/creative work. A portfolio should include a demo reel of creative animation work samples showcasing prior professional and artistic activities. In addition, it should demonstrate the understanding of storytelling through animated images.
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Method of demonstrating competence
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Portfolio
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Relevance of previous studies
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Assessed area
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Content and quantity in relation to the applied study-option-specific requirements
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Admission requirements
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Previous Bachelor’s degree in either animation, film, visual communication, graphic design, illustration or equivalent.
Or prior industrial experience deemed to be equivalent to Bachelor’s degree
Or a combination of formal qualifications and experiential learning which, taken together, can be demonstrated to be equivalent to formal qualifications otherwise required.
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Method of demonstrating competence
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Transcript(s) of records, degree certificate(s)
Or a degree-equivalent professional qualification
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Suitability
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Assessed area
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Applicant’s further suitability to the study option, motivation, and commitment for studies/communication skills
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Admission requirements
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Motivation letter demonstrating
- Strong professional interest and capacity to achieve the Masters’ standard
- Motivation
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Method of demonstrating competence
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Motivation letter
Motivation letter of maximum 4000 characters in length explaining your reasons for applying to this area of specialisation and telling of your particular interest(s) in the field as well as your goals and expectations for the studies to be completed at the School of Arts, Design and Architecture. Describe your specific strengths and areas of interest, goals, artistic vision and other aspects of your work.
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Other areas of competence
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Assessed area
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Work experience and other acquired knowledge/achievements e.g. screenings, exhibitions, festivals, competitions, non-formal education
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Admission requirements
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Applications must include the applicant’s CV indicating personal data, educational background, work experience, animation productions and applicant’s work in them, screenings, exhibitions, awards, grants, study trips and positions of trust
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Method of demonstrating competence
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Curriculum vitae
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Phase II
Suitability
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Assessed area
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Applicant’s further suitability to the study option, motivation, and commitment for studies/communication skills/ assessment of second-phase assignments
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Admission requirements
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Interview and motivation letter demonstrating
- Strong professional interest and capacity to achieve the Masters’ standard
- Motivation
- Feasibility of the applicant’s aims as based on the portfolio and written application
- Communication skills
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Method of demonstrating competence
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Interview, second-phase assignments
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Evaluation process
The applicants will be first evaluated based on Aalto’s general eligibility requirements. Applicants meeting the general eligibility criteria for Master's studies will be evaluated and ranked according to the evaluation criteria that has been decided in advance for each study option.
The selection process for applicants who meet the general eligibility criteria comprises of two phases.
Phase I
In Phase I, the applications are evaluated based on the following criteria
- Artistic and/or design practice
- Relevance of previous studies
- Suitability/Motivation letter
- Other area of competence
Only the applicants who fulfill the requirements/are ranked highest in the preliminary evaluation will be invited to phase II in the selection process.
Phase II
In Phase II, the evaluation is based on the following criteria
- Suitability/interview, Portfolio pitch, second-phase assignments
Phase II consists of an interview, which includes a portfolio pitch. During the interview applicants are also asked to complete a set of assignments
After the evaluation conducted in Phase II, the best applicants will be selected based on the joint evaluation from Phases I and II.
Study-option-specific documents requested
The documents requested from all applicants are listed on the Aalto University website (https://www.aalto.fi/en/study-at-aalto/applying-to-masters-programmes). In addition, applicants to this study option are requested to provide the following study-option-specific documents:
Portfolio
Your portfolio should include a demoreel of creative animation work samples. The portfolio demonstrates your understanding of storytelling through animated images. It should contain work related to your artistic expression, and showcase your prior professional and/or artistic activity on a broad scale. Include a brief account of how the productions were carried out and specify your roles in them, the names of the production companies and/or commissioners, the production dates, the main artistic contributors and where the works have been publicly screened or published. Submit your demoreel either as a downloadable password protected Vimeo link or a QuickTime or MP4 file and ensure the video files work in the common Mac or PC user interfaces. Animation tests, storyboarding and concept artwork will also be approved as a part of the portfolio.
Maximum size of the Portfolio is 1.0 GB. Name the file Portfolio-lastname-firstname.pdf. If your portfolio contains password protected video links, include the password(s) in your portfolio. If a portfolio is not uploaded to the online application form by the deadline, the application will be rejected.
Motivation letter
Applicants must write up a motivation letter of a maximum of 4000 characters in length, explaining why they wish to apply to the degree programme in question, what their particular interests are in the field, and what their hopes and expectations are regarding studies at the School of Arts, Design and Architecture. The plan should explain the applicant’s personal strengths, areas of interest, artistic and design visions and artistic objectives.
CV
Applications must include the applicant’s CV (single PDF file) indicating personal data, educational background, work experience, animation productions and your work in them, screenings, exhibitions, awards, grants, study trips and positions of trust.
Language of the application documents
The application documents must be submitted in English.