Top 25 Animation Schools and Colleges in the East – 2021 College Rankings

Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) was founded in 1877, making it one of the first art and design schools in the U.S. For the 2020-2021 school year, the school welcomed just over 2,200 students from around the world. Offerings include undergraduate and graduate degrees in 21 majors, a certificate program, one concentration, and continuing education courses that attract 5,800 students each year.

Degree programs are offered in Architecture, Art Education, Design or Fine Arts. For aspiring animators, the Film/Animation/Video (FAV) Department offers a BFA in FAV. Home to 145 students, FAV allows students to “explore the art of the moving image, learning to master the tools needed to articulate a creative vision, whether using film, animation, installations, interactive media or a combination,” says the school. Majors specialize in animation, live action or open media with the option to produce films in genres such as experimental, narrative, and documentary.

Regardless of specialization, all students have the opportunity to work on “more ambitious projects involving cinematography, lighting, sound design, character design, digital editing, compositing, producing, storyboarding and interactive programming.”

During this four-year program, students will also be exposed to critical review, film festivals, and visiting artists. An internship is part of the program as well as the opportunity for students to present their finished films to the community.

RISD graduates go on to become entrepreneurs or many have been hired at studios such as DreamWorks and Pixar, or networks like Fox, HBO and PBS.

Famous RISD alumni include Daniel Sousa, animator and director of the Oscar-nominated film Feral; Gus Van Sant, director of films such as Good Will Hunting, Finding Forrester, and Milk; Lance Wilder, animator for The Simpsons, and Seth Macfarlane, creator of Family Guy.

Founded in 1965, Tisch School of the Arts is part of New York University (NYU). Founded in 1831 and serving more than 60,500 students, New York University (NYU) is the largest private university in the U.S. With the highest number of international students in America, the school has degree-granting campuses in New York and Abu Dhabi, and it operates 11 global academic centers and research programs in more than 25 countries. With more than 19,000 employees, NYU is also one New York’s largest employers.

Tisch School of Arts is home to the Maurice Kanbar Institute of Film and Television. Together, the faculty, staff, and students here create more than 5,000 films per year. The Institute, which houses the Department of Animation and Digital Arts, has an Animation Area, which leads to a BFA in Film and Television.

The Animation Area began in 1979 with just three classes: Art & Design, Animation I, and Animation II. For the 1980-1981 academic year, the program served 80 students enrolled in five classes. In 2013, the program enrolled 461 students. Today, the program serves hundreds of students from 48 states and 39 countries.

The Animation Area at NYU Tisch “serves the needs of all Film and TV students for both animation and live-action projects,” says the school. The current curriculum “is varied and integrated with both traditional animation and 2D and 3D animation courses at fundamentals, intermediate and advanced levels, as well as storyboarding, titles, optical and digital effects, life drawing and history and criticism classes.”

The program consists of nineteen courses. Highlights include Action Analysis I & II, Advanced 3D Animation Production, Animation: From Pitching to Pipeline to Production, Drawing and Design for Animation, Experimental Animation, Life Drawing: Anatomy, Motion Design & Titles, Special Topics in 3D Computer Animation, Stop-motion Animation, Storyboarding, Visual Effects and Compositing, and Writing for Animation.

Other program highlights include internship opportunities, study abroad experiences, and guest speakers. Past guests have included Chuck Jones, David Polonski, Frank Thomas, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and Roy E. Disney, among others.

Graduates of the Animation program at Tisch have landed jobs at major studios such as DreamWorks, Pixar, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and many others.

Founded in 1900 by industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, Carnegie Mellon University (CMU or Carnegie Mellon) is a global university with more than a dozen degree-granting locations, and more than 20 research partnerships. Just a few locations include Silicon Valley, Africa, Qatar, and Australia. Serving around 14,800 students representing 117 countries, the school has produced 10 Academy Award winners, 50 Tony Award Winners, and 20 Nobel Laureates. CMU is also the former home of one of the world’s most famous artists—Andy Warhol.

Carnegie Mellon offers 80 majors and over 90 minors within its six undergraduate schools, colleges, and inter-college degree programs. The College of Fine Art (CFA), which houses the School of Art, was the first comprehensive arts training institution in the country. For aspiring animators, the school offers a BFA in Electronic and Time-Based Media with a Focus in Animation, a BFA in Integrative Design, Arts & Technology (IDeATe) with a Concentration in Animation & Special Effects, and a Minor in Animation & Special Effects.

The Electronic and Time-Based Media BFA “explores the creative potential of emerging technologies and the critical impact they have on contemporary culture,” says the school. The curriculum “implicitly encourages cross-disciplinary study.” As such, “many students merge fine art and computer science based interests either within the BFA program or through the unique BCSA degree program.” Besides Animation, students may focus in unique areas such as Bioart, Computational and Interactive Art, Tactical Media, and Tangible Media, as well as Game Arts and Video and Performance. “Students particularly interested in the intersection of art and technology can take advantage of expanded course offerings through the IDeATe Program.”

IDeATe “supports eight interrelated undergraduate areas, all of which can be taken as minors. The themes of these areas integrate knowledge in technology and arts: Game Design, Animation and Special Effects, Media Design, Sonic Arts, Design for Learning, Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Intelligent Environments, and Physical Computing.” The IDeATe curriculum consists of 30 new interdisciplinary technology-arts courses focused on “hands-on collaborative learning and are structured to combine students from many different disciplines.”

Students in the BFA in IDeATe with Animation & Special Effects “will study the interconnected components of performance capture, rendering, 3D and 2D animation, and special effects. They will merge arts and technology perspectives in all courses to explore each of these components and the area of digital animation as a whole. Through common repositories across courses and collaborative projects, students will explore how the different components and types of expertise come together to create a convincing computer animated experience.”

Students in the BFA in IDeATe, and the Minor program (which collaborates with CMU’s Robotics Institute) will be able to “connect to other IDeATe courses to explore applications of digital animation in different contexts (games, interactive environments etc.) and to integrate other key areas of knowledge (narrative, sound) into digital animation projects.”

The School of Art at CMU also offers supportive courses that “serve to enrich the student experience in IDeATe.” Offerings include Advanced ETB: 2D Animation, Advanced ETB: Animation, Advanced ETB: Moving Image Magic: Visual Effects and Motion Graphics, and Animation, Art, and Technology.

CMU graduates have been hired at Activision, Blizzard Entertainment, Comedy Central, Disneytoons Studios, DreamWorks Animation, Electronic Arts, MTV, Paramount, Sony Interactive Entertainment, Walt Disney Studios, Warner Interactive, Zynga Games, and more.

Founded in 1826, Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) is the nation’s oldest independent, continuously degree-granting college of art and design. The College enrolls nearly 3,500 students from 49 states and 52 countries and it attracts more than 175 visiting artists, critics, designers, poets , writers, and art historians from across the U.S. and around the world each year.

MICA offers around 80 programs leading to the BFA, MA, MFA, or MPS degree. Study areas include art education, design, electronic media, fine arts, liberal arts, and professional studies. A number of post-baccalaureate certificate programs are also offered.

Programs for aspiring animators are offered through the Animation Department. Options include a BFA in Studio with a Concentration in Animation, a BFA in Studio + Humanistic Studies, and a Minor in Animation.

Three pathways are available for the BFA including Traditional Narrative/2D, Stop-motion, and 3D Animation. The program begins with a fundamental understanding of the art of movement then progresses through areas such as 2D hand-drawn animation, 3D computer imaging, animation history, stop-motion, and innovative combinations of these processes.

Unique course highlights for the program include 3D Character Animation: Performance, 3D Modeling Landscape, Animated Music Video, Animation in Unique Spaces, Astro-Animation, 3D Modeling Landscape, Virtual Reality for Artists, Virtual to Real: Rapid Prototype, and Stop-Motion Open Studio. The program culminates in a thesis film in students’ final year.

The BFA in Animation + Humanistic Studies covers animation studies along with philosophy and ethics, social and natural sciences, and social and political history. Course highlights for the program include Art Matters, Character Animation, Drawing, Digital Tools For Animation, Electronic Media & Culture Elements of Visual Thinking, and Stop-motion.

The Minor in Animation requires 15 credit hours of study. Required courses include The Principles of Animation and Digital Tools for Animation, Animation Pre-Preproduction OR Storyboarding for Animators, and Introduction to 3D Animation OR Stop-Motion Animation.

MICA animation graduates have been hired by Blue Sky Studios, Disney, DreamWorks, Laika, MTV, and other major companies and studios. Many MICA graduates have continued their education in graduate programs or have successful careers as freelance artists in the animation industry.

Founded in 1876, University of the Arts (UArts) was formed by the merging of two century-old institutions: Philadelphia College of the Performing Arts and Philadelphia College of Art. In 1987, after the school was granted university status, it became the largest institution of its kind in the nation. Today, UArts is the “the only arts school in America that makes it possible to work and collaborate across traditional boundaries,” says the school.

University of the Arts serves approximately 1,800 students enrolled in more than 40 undergraduate and graduate programs at the University's campus located on Avenue of the Arts. Twenty-three minors are also available and open to all students. This means, animators can study guitar, creative writers can take classes in illustration, dancers can take sculpting classes, and industrial designers can minor in ceramics. 

Programs are offered through the Schools of Art, Dance, Design, Film, Music, and Theater. The School of Film, which enrolls 240 students, offers BFAs in Animation and Film + Animation, and a Minor in Animation. The BFA program “supports traditional hand-drawn, 3D computer, stop-motion and any animation techniques that can be imagined or explored.” Students in the program will explore the variety of techniques available to the current animator, hone traditional skills, and learn how to tell engaging stories as well as create memorable characters, and bring their concepts to life.

Besides taking courses such as 2D Computer Character Animation, Drawn Character Animation, Screenwriting, Special Effects Compositing, and Storyboarding, BFA students will create Junior and Senior Animation Pieces, an Animation Thesis, and an Internship. Organizations that have hosted interns include Augenblick Studios, Sesame Workshop, and Stretch Films Inc., to name a few.

To create animation pieces, students will have access to UArts’ production and technology spaces, such as the 5,600-square-foot Center for Immersive Media (CIM), animation and film studios, computer labs, and two stop-motion studios, among other “cutting-edge” spaces.

The BFA in Film + Animation “allows students to explore the possibilities of both film and animation.” Students in the program will study “film and animation techniques, explore various genres and styles, and create a capstone project that combines film and animation in innovative way.” Other program highlights include hands-on instruction by “award-winning, professional filmmakers and animators” whose work has aired on Cartoon Network, HBO, Netflix, Nickelodeon, and many others, production workshops, lectures, screenings and critiques, and internship and study abroad opportunities.

In addition to study abroad experiences, international opportunities include festivals and workshops in countries such as Canada, France, and South Korea.

UArts animation alumni have worked on animated television series, commercials, major special effects films, and video games in a variety of roles from director and animator to storyboard artist and editor, and many other positions. Graduates have landed both salaried and freelance positions at places such as DreamWorks, Google, HBO, Netflix, SNL, Sony Computer Entertainment, and Walt Disney Animation Studios.

The New School was founded in 1896 by American Impressionist William Merritt Chase. Back then, the school was known as The Chase School. In 1904, Arts Educator Frank Alvah Parsons joined the school, later becoming its sole director. Between 1904 and 1910, parsons launched a Costume Design Program, Interior Decoration, and Advertising.

Today, known as The New School/Parsons, this art and design college serves 5,100 students enrolled in 130 degree and diploma programs across five schools including the Schools of Art and Design History and Theory; Art, Media, and Technology (AMT); Constructed Environments; Design Strategies, and the School of Fashion.

Programs for animators are offered through the School of Art, Media, and Technology. Options include BFA and MFA degrees in Design & Technology. Pathways include Creative Technology and Game Design. Minors in Immersive Storytelling and Comics and Graphic Nature are also available, as well as a related program—the BFA in Art, Media, and Technology, offered at Parsons Paris (est. 1921).

The BFA in Design & Technology is a 120 credit hour STEM-designated program that takes four years to complete, full-time. The BFA Creative Technology pathway “focuses on methods of combining physical computing, creative coding, user experience, responsive environment, and immersion technology for innovative design solutions,” says the school.

The Game Design pathway “emphasizes the aesthetic aspects of designing games.” It provides a set of tools that grows along with students’ skills and provides them with an understanding of the game design process, from brainstorming to game publication.

Course highlights for the pathways include Core Lab Environments, Core Studio Environments, Design Studies, Drawing/Imaging, Sustainable Systems, Space/Materiality, and Time. Students in both pathways will have the opportunity to visit and engage in projects with industry leaders and organizations such as Apple, Atari, Eyebeam Art & Technology Center, MTV, Nickelodeon, Rockwell Interaction Lab, Siemens, and UNESCO. Students also have access to the university’s extensive libraries, galleries, and state-of-the-art facilities, which allows them to engage their creativity and showcase their work.

Graduates leave the program prepared for careers in advertising, animation, film, game design, graphic arts, hardware engineering, motion graphics, software design, and virtual reality and immersion experience design.

Parsons full-residency, two-year MFA program is a STEM-designated, studio based degree with areas of practice including critical design, data visualization, digital fabrication, game design, interaction design, new media art, physical computing, and wearable technology. Through Collaboration Studio courses, students in this 60 credit hour program have the opportunity to work with fellow graduate students in related programs including Communication Design, Data Visualization, and Transdisciplinary Design.

MFA students also have opportunities to work on real-world projects with external partners. Past partners include Apple, Eyebeam, gameLab, Human Rights Watch, Intel, Mozilla, NASA, Ralph Lauren, Red Bull, the Red Cross, Samsung, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the U.S. Holocaust Museum, and the Whitney Museum of American Art,

MFA graduates go on to establish careers in 2D and 3D animation, digital filmmaking, game design, interaction design, mobile and application design, motion graphics, new media art, UI and UX design, and web design.

Edinboro University was founded in 1857 as Edinboro Academy—a private training school for teachers. Today, the school serves nearly 5,000 students enrolled in more than 100 areas of study in five colleges and schools. The College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences is houses the Art Department, which offers a BFA in Animation.

Students in the program have access to state-of-the-art facilities and academic opportunities including 3D software Maya (Industry Standard Software) and 2D Cintiq Lab. They will also benefit from on-campus visits from alumni and professional animators, directors and storyboard artists as well as participation in the programs’ Animation Club.

All students will have the opportunity to complete an internship with a local, regional or national production studio as well as visits to CTNX Animation expo in Burbank, California, where they will tour high-profile studios such as Disney, DreamWorks, Nickelodeon, Sony, Warner Bros., and Universal.

Graduates of Edinboro’s Animation BFA program have found success in every area of animation. They have been hired at studios and companies such as Blizzard, Disney, Nickelodeon, Pixar, South Park Studios and Weta. Edinboro Animation Alumni have been credited on films such as Frozen, Night at the Museum, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Zootopia.

Founded in 1870, Syracuse University (SU) established some of the nation’s earliest architecture and fine arts programs. The school serves approximately 22,322 students enrolled in more than 200 majors and minors, and 200 advanced degree programs across 13 academic units. Programs are offered at SU’s main campus in Syracuse and at locations in New York City, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles.

The College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) at Syracuse University houses the Department of Transmedia, which offers several programs for aspiring animators. Pathways include a BFA in Computer Art and Animation, an MFA in Computer Art, and a Minor in Animation.

The 120 credit hour BFA in Computer Art and Animation “explores the possibilities of digital media within a fine art, exploratory, and culturally aware setting,” says the school. The degree program provides instruction in multiple art media where the computer plays the primary role. These media include computer-generated images, 3D computer animation, physical computing, creative computer programming, computer gaming, computer music, and sonic art. Students are mentored to become highly skilled critical thinkers producing art in individual and collaborative contexts. Program highlights include travel to Los Angeles to visit studios such as Filmworks FX and Method Studios, the opportunity to explore other areas through 18 academic and nine free studio elective credits, and internship experiences with local and other studios.

Founded in 1980 by computer artist Edward Zajec, the 60 credit hour MFA in Computer Art “is an artistic research and development program situated in the context of technology where students are encouraged to develop a diverse set of practices within computer art.” The program covers 3D computer animation, computer gaming, computer generated imagery, computer music, creative computer programming, multi-channel installation, physical computing, sonic art, and visual effects.

Students in the program “are expected to develop a strong record of professional practice in a variety of contexts, including exhibition, screenings, public intervention, installation, performance, workshops, gaming events, and viral media, among other forms of public engagement.” Students can expect to complete the MFA program in three years.

Students in both the BFA and MFA programs have access to study abroad programs in 60 countries throughout the world, enabling them “to gain a global perspective as they pursue their studies.”

VPA animation graduates have found employment at major studios such as Blizzard Entertainment, Cartoon Network, Filmworks/FX, Industrial Light and Magic, LucasArts, Moving Picture Company, Pixar, Rhythm and Hues, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Tippett Studios, and many others. Graduates have also presented their work at galleries and media art festivals around the world.

Lesley University was founded in 1909. The school serves around 2,700 undergraduate students and nearly 4,000 graduate students enrolled in more than 100 programs through four colleges and schools. The College of Art & Design is home to undergraduate and graduate art & design programs at Lesley, including eight BFAs and two MFAs. Several programs are available for aspiring animators including a BFA and Certificate in Animation & Motion Media and a Minor in Animation.

The 15 credit hour Minor in Animation explores 2D and 3D, character animation, experimental animation, game art, motion media, and VFX. The 60 credit hour Certificate in Animation & Motion Media is designed for students who already have a bachelor’s degree. The program covers 2D Digital Animation, Audio Production and Design, Business of Animation, Storyboarding for Time Based Media, and more.

Animation & Motion Media BFA students “will explore media and tools that give life to visual stories, characters, and environments,” says the school. They will also experiment with traditional and emerging techniques, from stop-motion to digital CGI and “master new concepts, like storyboarding, character design, and motion art, and build toward creating impactful animated shorts, special effects, advertising spots, and more.”

Courses for the 123 credit hour program are taught by “expert faculty who’ve won Emmys and international awards, run successful studios, and worked for innovators like Nickelodeon, DreamWorks, and White Snake Projects.” Course highlights include Animation Seminar, Audio Production Design, Business of Animation, Character Design, Digital Animation 2D and 3D, Drawing Intensive, Editing Intensive, Game Production, Image in Context, Stop Motion Animation, Toys, Props & Products, and Visual Culture Seminar.

Students will also take two Senior Studio courses, create productions in the school’s “new state-of-the-art visual effects (VFX) facilities, including a 3D fabrication studio, a rendering farm, and a 130-seat screening room,” and complete a required internship that will take them to “real-life studios in Greater Boston.”

The internship helps students “develop critical thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving skills.” Through the internship, students can expect to “gain professional experiences that lead to careers in film, TV, game design, and more.”

The University of Connecticut (UConn) was established in 1881 as Storrs Agricultural School, launching with just three faculty members and 13 male students. Today, the school has more than 18,000 faculty and staff members serving a coed population of more than 32,300 students across one main and four regional campuses.

UConn offers eight undergraduate degrees in 117 majors, 17 graduate degrees in 88 research and professional practice fields of study, and six professional degree programs (JD, LLM, MD, DMD, PharmD, SJD) in 14 schools & colleges. The School of Fine Arts houses the Departments of Art & Art History and Digital Media Design (DMD). Both offer pathways for aspiring animators.

The Art & Art History Department offers a BFA in Art with a Concentration in Illustration/Animation. The purpose of the program is to “prepare students to pursue visual narrative storytelling as an applied art creatively and professionally. Emphasis is on creative process, visual thinking, communication, authoring extended illustration and/or animation works, and understanding professional practice.”

Students in the program will pursue projects in “both analog and digital environments,” including 2D and stop-motion animation; book, editorial, institutional, and children’s illustration; character and environment design; comics, cartoons, and graphic novels; design for products; self-promotion, and more. All students have opportunities to participate in faculty-led Education Abroad Courses in Florence, Italy or London.

The Digital Media Design Department offers a flexible BA in Digital Media and Design (Generalist) and a BFA in Digital Media and Design with Concentrations in 3D Animation and Motion Design and Animation. The 3D Animation Concentration “gives students experience in all aspects of 3D animation production: modeling, lighting, rendering, animation, simulations and visualizations, rigging and compositing for visual effects.” Courses focus on experiential learning through group and personal projects that integrate analysis, critical-thinking, and problem-solving methods.

Students in the program have access to production facilities including include a new Motion Capture studio, render farm, and high-powered Cintiq computer lab. Graduates of this program are prepared to seek careers in animation, character modeling, environmental art, medial/scientific visualization, VFX, virtual cinematography, and many others.

The Motion Design and Animation Concentration begins with coursework in critical thinking, design, drawing, image making and story development. Courses are project-based and electives are available to help students personalize their path. During the final years of the program, students will complete several capstone experiences with clients in Agency, and they will develop a Senior Project.

Students will work with emerging technology, including touch-interactive screens, video walls, projection mapping, and VR equipment, through coursework and engagement in creative research projects. Students at the Storrs campus also have access to a film production studio, audio recording studio, motion capture studio, and Cintiq Lab.

Graduates of the program have established careers in 3D design/animation, art direction, compositing/VFX, graphic design, motion design, social media content producing, video editing and many others.

UConn Storrs graduates have obtained jobs (often within six months of graduation) or paid internships at places such as Adobe, CBS 2 News, and NBC Sports Group. Some have landed positions at smaller animation and design studios like Alessandro Weber Design, DW Advertising, Fusion 360, milk*, and XVIVO | Scientific Animation.

Towson University (TU) opened its doors on January 15, 1866 as the Maryland State Normal School. By 1875, the school had enough space to accommodate 300 students. Today, the school sits on a 329-acre campus that accommodates close to 23,000 students, making it the largest university in the Baltimore area and the second-largest university in the University System of Maryland. Students at TU pursue 64 undergraduate majors, 46 master’s programs, and four doctoral degree programs in seven colleges.

The College of Fine Arts & Communication (COFAC), Department of Art, offers a BFA in Art + Design with a Digital Art and Design Concentration and an MFA in Studio Art. The BFA program has a 12-unit specialization in Animation. Required courses include Animation 2D, Animation 3D, Animation Studio, and Photo Imaging – Motion.

Students in the program gain practical expertise, as well as creative insight, while problem solving in a variety of digital contexts. Graduates are prepared for entry-level positions in animation, broadcast design, digital illustration, digital imaging, interactive design, multimedia design, or web design.

The MFA is designed for students who wish to pursue art as a career or become a college-level instructor. The program consists of professional study in animation, digital media, graphic design, illustration, interactive media design, interrelated media, jewelry, metalsmithing, painting, printmaking, photography, and sculpture. Students will develop research and writing skills and they will have the opportunity to focus on a specific area of study “while also being able to choose from a wide variety of learning experiences.”

Graduate seminars and weekly critiques are part of the program as well as assigned studio spaces for full-time students.

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) officially opened on October 1, 1872 under the name Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College. Today, with a 2,600-acre main campus, educational and research facilities across the state, a study-abroad site in Switzerland, and a 1,800-acre agriculture research farm near the main campus, the school serves more than 36,000 students enrolled in 280 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral majors nine colleges and a graduate school.

The College of Architecture and Urban Studies houses the School of Visual Arts (SOVA), which offers BFA and MFA degrees in Creative Technologies (CT).

Students in this 120 credit hour CT BFA program will take courses in areas such as 3D Animation and Modeling, Digital Painting, Digital Video, and Visual Effects, and Digital Painting. Course highlights include 3D Computer Animation, Computer Animation Studio, Digital Photography, Drawing, and New Media Art. Students may also choose a Plan of Study from the following: Immersive Virtual Environments, Code and Form, and Moving Image. All Plans offer animation coursework.

Immersive Virtual Environments students will take Topics in Computer Animation (Character Modeling), Topics in Computer Animation (Character Animation), Topics in Computer Animation (Video Game Design), and one other 3500 or 3600-level art course.

Code and Form consists of Topics in Computer Animation (Processing), Topics in Digital Art + Design (Multimedia Studio Max/MSP), Intermediate Sculpture, and one other 3500- or 3600-level art course.

Moving Image consists of Topics in New Media Art (Digital Video), Topics in New Media Art (2D Motion Graphics), Topics in New Media Art (Digital Illustration), and one other 3500, 3600 or 3700-level art course.

The MFA in Creative Technologies is a terminal degree program that “prepares students to use digital and new media technology to create, present, communicate, and shape information and imagery,” says the school. The program, which “focuses on creative practice at the intersections of digital technology and artistic exploration,” allows MFA students to design a specific program of study that fits their individual interests.

Students in this 60 credit hour program will have the opportunity to develop original work in 3D animation, creative coding, digital imaging, installation, motion graphics, interactive multi-media design, simulation, sound and imaging, spatial interactivity, video art, virtual environments, web design, and more. SOVA also “strategically” leverages “projects and research opportunities spearheaded by the Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology, located at the Moss Arts Center at Virginia Tech.”

A thesis is required to graduate from the MFA program (12 credit hours) and students can complete up to 15 credit hours in field studies and internships.

SOVA Creative Technologies graduates go on to pursue careers in animation, film, fine arts, gaming, motion graphics, video art or production, virtual reality, and others. Some graduates will also pursue graduate programs in these fields