Careers in Animation: Articles on Employment Trends, Salary Trends, Types of Jobs & Education/Training Requirements

In the southern California county of Riverside sits a 2-year Game Development program like few others, earning considerable attention from industry and universities alike. Norco College’s Game Development department offers an A.S. of Game Art which doesn’t miss a beat, focusing on techniques seldom explored in 2-year programs elsewhere. The high caliber of work produced by students is testament to the program’s emphasis on fundamentals and its close collaboration with industry advisors and working faculty to develop and iterate the curriculum. Though capable of breaking into their careers immediately, many graduates choose to further their studies at premier 4-year institutions.

Overlooking the Pacific from the bluffs of Los Angeles sits Loyola Marymount University, a gem in animation education that we’re taking a closer look at today.

A mere five years old, the Game Art program at Laguna College of Art & Design may be young but it’s already established deep industry roots that feed its students and cultivate its approach. Required coursework in foundational, multi-disciplinary studies include figure drawing, anatomy, the liberal arts and more. But don’t be fooled into thinking that the program seeks to create generalists. The curriculum is designed instead to develop artists with marketable skills and a solid foundation to move the game industry forward. So far, it’s working with an enviably high graduate job placement rating and recent alumni in every major studio that you can think of.

For our latest spotlight Q&A, we’re heading north to Ontario, Canada’s most populous province and home to a mighty 3-year animation program that’s worth all the attention it gets. Since its inception over a decade ago, St. Clair College’s Tradigital Animation Program has risen to prominence at a break-neck speed, attracting top talent with its highly selective admission process while carefully cultivating the next generation of animators (many of whom can be found in Hollywood).