Profiles of Schools/Colleges in California (CA) Offering Animation, Design, Gaming, and Media Related Programs

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.

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.

Animation is an exciting, dynamic and growing field—and good thing, because there are plenty of aspiring animators anxiously waiting in the wings to become the next Chuck Jones. But where exactly are all these animators going to be absorbed into the industry? 

Well, animation jobs tend to gravitate towards artistically focused epicenter cities that cater to entertainment sectors—like film and gaming—so living and learning in Bummsville, USA (population: 37) likely won't cut it if you want to be a successful animator.

Nowadays, businesses all over the city of San Francisco, California are on the lookout for high tech professionals who can develop mobile computer applications.  People download apps to make weather predictions, snap photos, watch animated cartoons, calculate mileage and order pizza, among many thousand other purposeful functions.  San Francisco app developers lately enjoy numerous local opportunities in this field.