Top 10 Professional Animation Training Programs in Spain - 2023 School Rankings

Trazos School of Digital Arts (Trazos) is an Autodesk Authorized Training Center and a Houdini Training Center. The school has training programs for individuals seeking a career in Animation or single courses for working professionals looking to enhance their skills. Examples of courses include 3D with Blender, Unreal Engine, and 3D Animator with a Specialization in Cartoony & Snappy.

Delivered through a combination of online and face-to-face courses, the Cartoony & Snappy Program provides the opportunity to work on 100% “real” projects for the production company Anima. Students will immerse in production for three hours a day, Monday thru Friday, for a total of 150 hours. Upon completion of the program, students will receive an employment contract with Anima. Cartoony graduates will also have a portfolio and the opportunity to apply to more than 1,100 other production companies or studios.

For individuals looking to launch a career in Animation, Trazos has a Double Major in Illustration, 3D and Animation (1,800 Hours); 3D Racing and Animation with Autodesk (1,200); 3D Image or Advanced 3D Image (900 hours); and Race in 3D with Autodesk Maya (900 hours). Professional Master options range from 300 to 600 hours and include Animation; Advanced Character Creation with Zbrush; Advanced Animation; Design and 2D Animation with Toon Boom; 3D and Animation; 3D and VFX with Maya and Houdini; 3D with Autodesk; Character Design and Creation; 2D Animation with Toon Boom; VFX with Houdini; Advanced 3D Mastering with Autodesk Maya; and VFX with Houdini. Programs range from 300 to 1,800 hours.

Across programs and courses, features include access to personal studio spaces and state-of-the-art facilities that function like real professional studios; partnerships with Apple, Pixologic, Adobe, Autodesk, and Maxon; and the opportunity to produce a number of animated productions, including a Final Diploma Project.

Across all Trazos Programs, graduates have been hired to work in wide range of roles at a variety of companies. Examples include Leo Burnett, Ogilvy, Y&R, Accenture, ReasonWhy, Sanitas, Volkswagen, and Adecco. Animation graduates have also been hired at a many local and global studios.

Established more than 25 years ago, Trazos School of Digital Arts is a Professional Training School that prepares students for careers in Animation, Motion Graphics, VFX, game Design, Graphic Design, Web Development, Digital Production, and more. To date, the school has more than 15,000 graduates who are working in their chosen fields.

FX Animation Barcelona 3D & Film School (FX Animation) has two paths to study Animation: the Specialized Studies Program in Character and Creature Animation, and a Higher Master in 3D Character Animation. The FX Animation Higher Master is the only Master’s at the national level to offer a Specialization in the animation of creatures, quadrupeds, and bipeds.

Features across programs include partnerships with companies such as HP, Wacom, ASUS, 22 Barcelona, and Polford; small class sizes (up to 15 students); and the opportunity to complete one or more internships. FX Animation students have interned at studios such as The Game Forge, Deluxe, B-Water Animation Studios, Digital Legends, Scarecrow Studio, Music Has No Limits, Entropy Studio, and El Ranchito.

Students in the Character and Creature Animation Program will master Autodesk Maya, Mudbox, MotionBuilder, Autodesk Sketchbook, and Zbrush, among others. Module examples for the program include CGI, FXExperience, 3D Advanced Character Animation, Animation Film Production, Realistic Animal Animation, and Fantastic Creatures Animation. Students will also complete two Animation Short Production modules. The program culminates with the production of an industry-ready animated films.

The Higher Master in Character and Creature Animation may be completed online or on-campus. Students in this program will master industry-standard tools and software such as Maya, Mudbox, TVPaint, Autodesk Sketchbook, and MotionBuilder. The program explores everything from the 12 principles of Animation to advanced Animation of creatures.

All FX Animation students benefit from intense training in other industry-standard tools and software such as Houdini, LightWave, Nuke, Avid, Cara VR, Pro Tools, RailClone, Adobe Premier Pro, V-Ray, Adobe After Effects, DaVinci, Mari, SynthEyes, 3ds Max, Cinema 4D, and Forest Pack. In addition, all FX Animation students have access to state-of-the-art production equipment, workshops, labs, studios, and technical classrooms.

FX Animation Barcelona 3D & Film School has a near perfect 99% job placement rate, with graduates working at more than 800 companies across Europe and around the world. FX Animation alumni work in areas such as Animation, Film, Games, VFX, Advertising, and TV.

Established in 2007, FX Animation Barcelona 3D & Film School provides training in 3D Animation and Cinema. Programs are led by more than 40 professionals with expertise in Animation, Film, and Education. FX Animation serves approximately 300 students.

Universal Arts School holds approximately a dozen Authorized Training Center credentials. Examples include Zbrush, AutoDesk, Houdini, Unity, Epic Games, Adobe, Unreal Engine, and Nuke. The school has several paths to study Animation at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

At the undergraduate level, the UA Character Animation Bachelor’s Degree has 14 Specializations. Examples include Videogame Art and Character Animation, Concept Art and Character Animation, Videogame Art and VFX, Matte Painting and Character Animation, and Digital Film and Concept Art. Students in the program will be prepared for senior level positions in four years.

Undergraduate students who would like to pursue studies in more than one professional area can add a Specialization such as 3D Art, Character Animation for Cinema or Character Animator for Videogames. Dual Specializations can be completed in five years.

Across several modules, students in all areas will explore The 12 Principles of Animation, Preproduction, Acting and LipSynch, Audio, Realistic Animation, Cartoon Animation, Quadrupids, Character Interaction, and Maya.

At the graduate level, Universal Arts School has Master’s and Dual Master’s Degree Programs. The Master’s Degree has two options—Character Animation and Rigging with Maya. Students in the Dual Masters  have eight Specialization options. Examples include Character Animation and Illustration Concept Art, Character Animation and VFX with Houdini, Rigging 3D with Maya and Character Animation, and Animation and Digital Film. Students in this program may choose two Specialty areas. Both the Master’s and Dual Master’s take two years to complete.

All programs can be completed on campus or entirely online. Features across programs include access to more than 200 mentors, internship opportunities, the Start-Up component, which helps students develop skills to start their own business, and access to nearly 100 speakers and collaborators from game and film studios.

The Universal Arts School Character Animation Programs culminate with a final project and professional demo reel. UA graduates have been hired at major studios such as Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), Disney, Weta Digital, Lucasfilm Animation, Pixar, Blizzard Entertainment, Framestore, Ubisoft, and LightBox Studios. Some UA alumni have launched their own studios or freelance businesses.

Established in 1994 as a Specialized Training Center, Universal Arts School has campuses in Valencia, Spain and Hollywood, California. With more than 10 program options, UA has three million hours of training to its credit.

L'idem Barcelona: International School of Creative Art (L’idem Barcelona or L’idem) has two paths to study Animation including a Bachelor’s in 2D/3D Animation and Video Games and a 2D/3D Animation Master’s. These international programs boast a 92% job placement rate with companies and studios across Spain and abroad.

Across programs, students also benefit from a network of 1,000 companies that collaborate with L’idem; small class sizes that allow individualized attention and collaboration in small groups; classes led by instructors who are 100% active in the Entertainment Industry; creativity workshops; and access to state-of-the-art facilities in an industrial setting.

The 2D/3D Animation and Video Games Bachelor’s at L’idem Barcelona consists of 240 credits (ECTS) completed over four years. Students in this program have the opportunity to Specialize in one of three areas including 2D/3D Animation, 3D Generalist, or Art. Course examples for the program include Art History, Animation Drawing, Visual Arts, 2D Animation, 3D Animation, Storyboard, Matte Painting, Rigging, Soundtrack and Sound Design, Acting, and Nuke.

The 2D/3D Animation and Video Games Program at L’idem Barcelona culminates with a professional showreel. Graduates are prepared for careers such as 2D Animator, 2D Animator, Storyboard Artist, Modeler/Digital Sculptor, 3D Generalist Artist, VFX Artist, Rigger, Generalist Game Artist, Lighter, and Concept Artist.

The L’idem 2D/3D Animation Master’s is a one-year program that can be completed on-campus or online. Consisting of 60 credits, the program features projects that can be completed in an environment that functions like a real professional studio. Course examples for the program include Animation 2D and 3D, Matte Painting, Storyboarding, VFX, Rigging, Soundtrack and Sound Design, Games, Sculpt 3D, and Culture of Animation. Students will also complete a required internship.

Graduates of the 2D/3D Animation Master’s at L’idem Barcelona are prepared for advanced positions in Animation, 2D and 3D Animation, VFX, and Games.  

L'idem Barcelona: International School of Creative Art has been preparing students for careers in the Entertainment industry since 1996. With campuses in Barcelona, Spain and Perpignan, France, the school serves hundreds of students enrolled in Animation, Game, VFX, Digital Design, and Graphic Design. Programs at L'idem Barcelona: International School of Creative Art lead to French and European degrees certified by the French Government. L’idem Barcelona is authorized by the Department of Education of the Generalist de Catalunya.

Pepe School Land (Pepe School) has two pathways for Animators: the Modeling, Animation and Narrative (MAN) Program and the DemoReel Creation (CDR) Program/Workshop. The programs are delivered in a biennial format (every two years), in which the Pepe School MAN Program will alternate with the CDR Program/Workshop . The MAN Program is delivered in year one and the CDR is delivered in year two.

Graduates of the MAN and CDR Programs at Pepe School Land are prepared for immediate entry into the Entertainment field.

Pepe School Land has been operating in Barcelona since 2006. Serving 20 students annually, the school Provides training in Character Animation, Narrative and Modeling, Film, Video Games, Advertising, and Television. Pepe School Land was created by Daniel Martínez Lara, a prominent Director and Educator with (more than 22 years of experience in Animation and Teaching.