Top 40 Public Animation Schools and Colleges in the U.S. – 2021 College Rankings

Established in 1963, University of Central Florida (UCF) opened its doors in 1968 as Florida Technological University with 1,948 students. The first graduating class consisted of 423 students, and the school granted its first doctoral degree in 1977. Today, UCF leads all universities in Florida in conferring more than 17,000 degrees a year. Serving nearly 72,000 students, the school is also the largest university by enrollment in Florida and one of the largest universities in the nation.

UCF offers 103 bachelors and 91 master’s degrees, 31 research doctorates, three professional doctorates, and three specialist degree programs in 13 colleges. The College of Arts and Humanities houses the School of Visual Arts & Design (SVAD), home to the Emerging Media Program. Options for aspiring animators here include BFA and MFA degrees in Emerging Media.

UCF’s College of Sciences houses the Nichols School of Communication & Media, Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy (FIEA), which offers an MS in Interactive Entertainment.

The SVAD BFA has two animation tracks: Character Animation and Experimental Animation. The MFA has one animation track: Animation and Visual Effects.

The undergraduate Character Animation Track is a two-year cohort that provides extended experience in working in multidisciplinary teams on realistic problems. Course highlights include 3D Textures, Artificial Environments and Effects, Digital Effects & Compositing, Look Modeling Workshop, and Visual Storytelling and Visual Development. Graduates of the program are prepared to seek careers in animation, modeling, rigging, and texture art in the computer game or film industries.

The undergraduate Experimental Animation Track “offers students the opportunity to explore expression through innovative, hybrid analog and digital practice,” says the school. “Students engage in classic, current, and widely varied techniques and mediums while making narrative or non-narrative creative works.” Course highlights for the program include Advanced Computer Graphic Design, Experimental Animation Workshop, Fundamentals of Interactive Design, Modeling for Realtime Systems, and Narrative Sculpture.

Students in the Experimental Animation Track “develop a unique creative vision, which culminates in the completion of a BFA thesis project and exhibition/screening.”

Students in both Animation Tracks will use industry-leading software on Mac and PC-based platforms to create projects, works, and portfolios.

The Emerging Media MFA, Animation and Visual Effects Track, is a terminal scholarly and creative degree suitable for students wishing to pursue careers as professors in higher education or as creative leaders in industry.

This full-time, three-year cohort program is designed to “emulate the professional studio environment, providing each student with an opportunity to assume an artistic leadership role. The principal emphasis is placed on narrative film structure and the entrepreneurial aspect of animation as related to studio and job creation.” Courses for the program provide “exposure to time-based media, performance art, video art, sound works, kinetic sculpture, computer-based art, and art using the Internet.”

Highlights include Animation and Visual Effects Production, Directing for Animation and Visual Effects, Editing for Animation and Visual Effects, Media and Music for Animation and Visual Effects, Technical Problem-Solving for Animation and Visual Effects, and Visual Development and Design for Animation and Visual Effects, Visual Effects for Animation and Live Action. Students will also learn about guerilla marketing and models of film distribution.

Courses for the MFA program are designed to give students the “ability to understand the collaborative function of a commercial studio.” Labs and studios are equipped with the same industry-standard software and hardware used in professional studios. 

Graduates of SVAD’s Emerging Media Program have been hired at major animation and gaming studios such as Blizzard Entertainment Electronic Arts, Nickelodeon Animation Studios, Riot Games, Reel EFX, and Walt Disney Animation Studios. Some SVAD alumni have been hired at companies, government agencies, and other organizations outside of entertainment. Examples include DISTI, Lockheed Martin, NASA, and the U.S. Navy.

The MS in Interactive Entertainment provides specific skills in the area of 3D artistry, game design, and programming as well as essential skills such as problem solving, project management, and teamwork.

Per the school, “student production teams are mentored by industry trained faculty who provide instruction in” 3D animation and modeling, game design, level design, motion capture, postmortems, preproduction, rapid prototyping, software engineering, and technical design. The program also covers creative collaboration and legal and technical issues.

Students may choose between three specializations including Art, Production or Programming. Each specialization requires nine credit hours of study. Students in all specializations will complete a three credit hour capstone that will allow them to complete a large-scale project. A six credit hour practicum allows students to engage in supervised training with a research team, through an on-site internship, by developing a start-up, or with a faculty member on research in an area of interest.

Graduates have access to internship and venture opportunities as well as job interviews with media and game companies from across the country.

San Jose State University (SJSU) was established in 1857. Today the school is known as “Silicon Valley’s Public University.” With approximately 36,000 students and nearly 4,300 employees, the school says, “SJSU is an essential partner in the economic, cultural and social development of Silicon Valley and California. Programs at SJSU are offered through eight colleges in over 250 areas of study at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels.

Animation options are offered in the College of Humanities and the Arts.  The Department of Design here houses the Animation/Illustration (A/I) Program and the Department of Art and Art History houses the Digital Media Program.

Two degrees are offered in the Department of Design: a BA in Design Studies, specializing in Animation/Illustration and a BFA in Animation/Illustration. The Department of Art and Art History offers an MFA in Digital Media Art.

The BA is a liberal arts degree that “provides instruction in A/I foundation skills, supplemented by studies in design, film, photography, and theater arts.” Students in the program receive “basic preparation for entry-level jobs in the entertainment industry or for entry into a graduate program or other fields of study.”

The BFA is a professional degree that “prepares students for careers in feature film animation, games, television, and any other media that uses animation and storytelling as a core communication tool.” The curriculum for the program covers color theory, conventional and digital painting, design, and perspective. Students will also study the principles of traditional and 3D animation, character design, modeling, physics of motion, storyboarding, and visual development.

Once students complete lower division courses, they will have the opportunity to specialize in their area of choice and complete an internship.

Graduates of the BFA in Animation/Illustration program have worked on films such as A Bug’s Life, Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc. and Shrek and they have been hired at more than 135 animation studios, game design companies, film studios, and academic institutions. Just a few include 20th Century Fox, Animation Mentor, Blue Sky Studios, Blizzard Entertainment, Cartoon Network, Cogswell Institute, Disney Animation, Disney Interactive, Electronic Arts, Lucasfilm Animation, NBCUniversal Studios, Nickelodeon, Pixar, Sony/Columbia, and Zynga.

The MFA in Digital Media Art is a three-year program of study. Part of the CADRE Institute, which “reflects the innovative atmosphere in Silicon Valley,” the program includes art history, independent study, seminars, and studio courses. Students will “work across the boundaries of” animation, computer visualization, digital video, electronic sculpture, multimedia, sound, and virtual reality.

As students make their way through the program, they will be monitored through a series of open faculty reviews and exhibition of works. A final exhibition in the University Art Gallery is also a requirement of the program.

Established in 1876, Texas A&M University (TAMU) is the state’s first public institution of higher learning. With the College Station campus covering more than 5,200 acres and serving more than 69,000 students, Texas A&M is also among the nation’s largest universities. The school serves an additional 5,200 students at branch campuses in Galveston and Qatar and at the School of Law, Higher Education Center at McAllen, and Health Science Center locations across Texas.

Texas A&M offers 133 undergraduate degree programs, 175 master's degree programs, 92 doctoral degree programs and five first professional degrees in 17 colleges and schools. The College of Architecture’s Department of Visualization, which broadly defines animation within “Visualization,” offers several programs for aspiring animators. Options include BS, MS, and MFA degrees in Visualization.

The Visualization program started one year after the Texas A&M University Visualization Laboratory was established in 1988. The Lab and Program were created “in response to clear indications that digital visualization was going to play a highly important role in digital communication,” says the school. Today, “the visualization academic programs produce leaders in the fields where art and science merge.”

The BS in Visualization is a 120 credit hour studio-based program that integrates aspects of fine arts, 3D design, and digital technology into the studio experience. The program focuses on “the processes of creation, design and development of the visual experience.”

The MFA in Visualization (MFA-V) is one of the few programs of its kind in the U.S. This 60 credit hour, interdisciplinary program “is a technology infused visual arts oriented degree,” that helps students “master the use of artistic visual communication and expression through the combined use of digital and analog mediums.” Course highlights include 3D Modeling and Animation, Computer Animation, Digital Compositing, Facial Modeling and Animation, Form, Installation and Environment, Physical Computing for Art and Design, Rendering and Shading, and Visual Storytelling.

The MFA is a non-thesis program that also includes two Contemporary Art Studio Seminars, four hours of Professional Practice, 20 hours of Professional Study, and a Professional Internship worth three credit hours.

The MS in Visualization has thesis and non-thesis options. The thesis option requires 32 hours of study and the non-thesis option requires 36 hours, including a Capstone Project and Graduate Seminar. Course highlights for the programs include 3D Modeling & Animation, Design Communications, Digital Image, Image Synthesis, and Time Based Media.

Visualization graduates, also known as “Vizzers,” can be found working as creative talent for Hollywood’s leading animation and special effects studios. Just a few include Blue Sky Studios, DreamWorks Animation, Industrial Light & Magic, Pixar, Reel FX, Rhythm & Hues Studios, and Walt Disney Animation Studios.

The University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas) traces its roots back to 1961 when the founders of technology company Texas Instruments established the Graduate Research Center of the Southwest (GRCSW). In 1967, the Center changed its name to the Southwest Center for Advanced Studies and to University of Texas at Dallas in 1969.

An official member of the University of Texas System, today UT Dallas serves more than 28,000 students enrolled in more than 140 academic degrees in eight schools. The School of Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication (ATEC) offers programs that blend science, technology, engineering, art, & management (STEAM). Four options are available for aspiring animators: a BA in Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication with an Animation Pathway, (BA ATEC), an MA in Arts and Technology (MA ATEC), an MFA in Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication (MFA ATEC) with an Animation Pathway, and a PhD in Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication (PhD ATEC).

The ATEC curriculum “provides exposure to arts, science, technology, history, design, criticism, new knowledge creation, and complex understandings,” says the school. Undergraduate students “acquire foundational skills in media studies, cultural theory, computer programming, and creative production.” Master’s degree students “deepen their expertise in an area and develop understanding in adjacent topics.” Students in the doctoral program “demonstrate mastery in methods of research, analysis, and creative practice, informed by history, theory, and aesthetics.”

The Animation Pathway “blends creative storytelling with technology to encourage experimentation in form, content, and medium and emphasizes 3D animation, which includes various artistic and technical disciplines such as modeling and texturing, character rigging, lighting and composition, computer programming and scripting, as well as character movement and acting.”

ATEC students have the opportunity to take a total of 15 credit hours/five courses in Animation, Design, Storytelling, and Games, to name a few. Courses such as Topics in Animation, Topics in ATEC, and Topics in Game Development are also available. Other program highlights include seminars and lectures, project and portfolio-based exercises, applied and experimental research, and guest speakers from industry giants such as Blue Sky Studios, Disney, DreamWorks, and Pixar.

Graduates of the ATEC programs at UT Dallas are prepared to seek careers in animation and other areas of entertainment, as well as new and emerging fields such as medical and scientific visualization.

Florida State University (FSU) was founded in 1851 and it serves more than 40,000 students making it one of the largest and oldest of the 11 institutions of higher learning in the State University System of Florida. The school offers baccalaureate degrees in 106 programs, master's degrees in 113 programs, advanced master's/specialist degrees in 14 programs, doctorates in 70 programs, and three professional degrees. The university also offers fully accredited professional programs in law (J.D.), medicine (M.D.) and nursing.

Programs are offered in eight colleges and eight schools in Tallahassee and at branch campuses in Panama City, Florida, and the Republic of Panama, and off-campus instructional sites in Sarasota, New York, and the St. Petersburg College University Partnership Center in Seminole. The College of Medicine has regional campuses in Daytona Beach, Ft. Pierce, Orlando, Pensacola, Sarasota, and Tallahassee. Some programs are available entirely online.

Programs for aspiring animators are offered in the College of Motion Picture Arts, home of the FSU Film School. Options include a BFA degree in Animation and Digital Arts and BFA and MFA degrees in Motion Picture Arts Production. The Motion Picture Arts programs allow students to learn both filmmaking and animation skills through core requirements and electives. Course highlights include 3D Computer Animation, 3D Computer Graphics, Character Animation, Compositing, History & Practice of Visual Effects and Animation, Lighting, Texturing and Rendering, Stop-Motion Animation, and Visual Effects.

The Animation and Digital Arts degree is a three-year program within a four-year degree that provides the opportunity for students to “explore the evolution of filmmaking and master the tools and practices of today’s industry,” says the school. During the first year of the programs, students will work in collaboration with other Film School students on foundational coursework. For animation students, following is a “deep dive into the tools and techniques of 3D animation.”

Course highlights include Character Animation, Character Art, Lighting, Texturing, and Rendering, Motion Picture Editing, Reality and Illusion in World Cinema, Story Development & Screenwriting, and of course, 3D Animation.

Other program highlights include the opportunity to work alongside industry professionals, the chance to make create four major films before graduation, one of which is an area-specific thesis film, and participation in the Torchlight Program.

The Torchlight Program gives FSU animation students who would like to freelance or start their own studios the opportunity to learn about current and emerging business practices of the motion picture industry. This non-degree-granting academic program “functions as a gateway between school and career by providing instruction in current and emerging business practices of the motion picture industry,” says the school. The program offers coursework in key areas such as Distribution, Marketing, and Motion Picture Financing.

FSU Torchlight students “have had the opportunity to present, market, publicize, promote and otherwise theatrically distribute a stunning array of independent motion pictures in a variety of markets throughout the United States and Canada.”

FSU College of Motion Picture Arts graduates are prepared to seek positions such as Animatics Supervisor, Animation Supervisor, Animator, CG Lighter, Effects Animator, Modeler, Rigger, Storyboard Artist, Visual Effects Coordinator, and many others.

The University of Colorado Denver (CU Denver) began as an extension of the University of Colorado Boulder in 1912. The school became an independent campus in 1973 and one of the four campuses of the University of Colorado System. What began in one building in downtown Denver has grown to more than 125 acres and more than 15,000 students enrolled each year.

More than 100 degree and 76 certificate programs are offered in 13 colleges and schools. The College of Arts & Media houses the Department of Visual Arts (VA) and the Digital Animation Center (DAC), which offer a BFA in Visual Arts with an Emphasis in 3D Graphics and Animation.

The DAC “provides the labs and technological core of the academic program, while creating a community of student collaboration. Most professional digital content creators work with as many as 500 other artists; the DAC is one of the only college level programs preparing students for this environment, focusing on individual artistry while simultaneously fulfilling the broader vision of a final production.”

The 3D Graphics and Animation Emphasis “is a competitive and rigorous four-year curriculum,” says the school, consisting of 120 credit hours, total. The program focuses on “preparing students to work in a wide variety of fields that use animated digital computer graphics (CG), including entertainment, film and television, gaming, medicine, and science.” Course highlights include Advanced Character Animation, Character FX, Dynamic Simulation, Environment Production, Preproduction for Look Development, Surface Modeling, and Texturing and Shading.

To fine-tune the emphasis, students are also required to take at least twelve semester hours of Visual Arts electives such as Digital Cinematography, Digital 3D Methods: Motion Graphics for Animators and Storyboarding for Cinema and Game Previsualization. An 18-month Capstone experience, which begins development in the junior year, is also part of the program.

To date, DAC student senior short films have been seen in over 300 national and international film festivals in 22 countries. The school says its student films have been seen by hundreds of thousands across the globe, winning more than 75 Best Animated Short awards in non-student categories.

Established in 1861, University of Washington (UW) serves more than 54,000 students annually. UW spans across three campuses in Seattle, Tacoma, and Bothell. The UW’s 18 colleges and schools offer more than 570 degree options across 300+ programs, with more than 1,800 undergraduate courses alone each quarter. Each year, UW Bothell confers more than 12,000 bachelors, masters, doctoral, and professional degrees.

Serving more than 1,500 undergraduates, the Paul G. Allen School Computer Science & Engineering (CSE) offers a Computer Science Program that allows students to tailor their course of study to their specific interests. The program is also highly interdisciplinary and collaborative, and it allows students to get hands-on experience building software and hardware and choose advanced courses such as Artificial Intelligence, Computational Biology, Computer Graphics and Animation, Computer Networking, Computer Security and Privacy, Data Science, Human-Computer Interaction, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing, Robotics, and much more.

Programs lead to a BS in Computer Science, a BS in Engineering, or a PhD or Professional Master’s Program (PMP) in CSE.

In all degree programs, students can work with faculty and graduate students on research, collaborate with industry partner, and tackle complex design and implementation projects in capstone courses. Course highlights include Computer Animation, Computer Graphics, Advanced Digital Design, Digital Sound, Data Visualization, and Artificial Intelligence.

Students have access to three main labs at UW CSE. All are engaged in research spanning the areas of animation, computer game science, graphics, vision, and visualization. Labs include the Animation Research Labs (ARL), the Center for Game Science, and the UW Graphics and Imaging Lab (GRAIL).

The Animation Research Labs (ARL) is a multi-disciplinary effort that brings together faculty and students from UW CSE, the Departments of Architecture and Digital Arts and Experimental Media (DXARTS), and the Schools of Art, Drama, and Music. The ARL is focused on advancing the state-of-the-art in animation through teaching, research, and computer-animated production in collaboration with experts from Disney Animation Studios, Bungie, Industrial Light & Magic, Microsoft Game Studios, Pixar, and many others.

Researchers at the Center for Game Science use gaming to solve grand challenges, crowdsource human problem solving to aid scientific discovery, and improve student interest and achievement in mathematics. The GRAIL group is known for “groundbreaking” research in 3D reconstruction, animation, computational photography, games for science and education, human shape and motion analysis, information visualization, Internet photo collections, and object recognition.

Graduates of the UW CSE programs are often hired by some of the world’s largest companies. Top UW employers include Amazon, Apple, Intel, Microsoft, Facebook, and Google, to name a few.

Arizona State University (ASU) was founded in 1885 as the Arizona Territorial Normal School. Originally housed in a modest school building, ASU opened with just 33 students training to become public school teachers. Today, the school has four campuses and more than 70,000 students, making it the third largest university in Arizona.

ASU offers 800 fully accredited degree programs in 16 colleges and schools. Programs for aspiring animators are offered in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts’ School of Art and School of Arts, Media and Engineering, and in the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, Polytechnic Campus.

The Herberger Institute for Design, School of Art offers a BFA in Art with a Concentration in Animation and an Art MFA. The Institutes’ School of Arts, Media and Engineering offers a BA in Digital Culture (Graphic Information Technology) with a Digital Media – Media Arts & Design Track, and a Minor and Certificate in Digital Culture. The Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering offers a BS in Graphic Information Technology with a Game Art and Animation Track.

The BFA in Art – Animation consists of 120 credit hours of study, including 45 upper division requirements. Dozens of electives are offered for students wishing to enhance the degree with experience in other areas such as game design. Course highlights include 2D Digital Animation, 3D Computer Imaging and Animation, Animation Motion Studies, Encounters with Contemporary Art, Professional Practices for Design and the Arts, Storyboarding and Narrative Sequencing, and The Art Experience.

Elective highlights include 3D Computer Graphics Modeling and Representation, Animating Virtual Worlds, Animation for Film, Computer Animation and Video, Digital-Physical Systems, Experimental Video Art, Fantasy Figure Foam Carving, Game Development, Game Engine Development, Graphics for Games, Guerilla VFX, Moving and Interactive Systems in Sculpture, Prototyping Dreams, Video Game Art, and Visual Effects.

Students will also complete an Animation Capstone that allows them to produce a “substantial animation project of their own devising,” says the school. Students may complete an individually produced short film in any medium or full-length film produced in collaboration with other students. An internship is offered as well.

The Art MFA allows students to select a focus from a range of media including animation, ceramics, intermedia, metals, painting and drawing, photography, printmaking, sculpture, textiles, and woods. Besides access to a range of focus areas, MFA students benefit from individual studio spaces at Grant Street Studios, professionalization workshops, teaching opportunities, and visiting artist and scholar lecture series.

The Art MFA program culminates in a solo thesis exhibition in one of the school’s art galleries including Harry Wood Gallery, Northlight Gallery, and Step Gallery.

The Digital Culture Programs in the School of Arts, Media and Engineering allow students to complete a wide variety of animation courses through electives and the Digital Media – Media Arts & Design Track.  2D Animation, 3D Computer Imaging and Animation, Animation for Film, Animation Motion Studies, Games & Play, Illustration, Motion Graphics & Animation, Stop-Motion Animation, and Visual Effects are just a few course highlights.

The Game Art and Animation Track in the Graphic Information Technology BS Program has five required classes: 3D Computer Graphics Modeling and Representation, Computer Animation, Image Editing and Manipulation, Introduction to Video Game Art, and Special Topics. This 120 credit hour program also includes courses such as Creative Thinking and Design Visualization, Digital Illustration and Publishing, Digital Video Techniques, Graphic Communications, Multimedia Design, Planning and Storyboards, and Web Authoring.

Students in this program will complete a senior project and a three credit hour Professional Portfolio Design and Presentation course.

Graduates of the animation programs at ASU are prepared for a wide range of careers in animation, game art, illustration, modeling, motion graphics, multimedia art, special effects, video game design, visual media, and many others.

Founded in 1956, University of South Florida (USF) is one of the world’s top research institutions, achieving Preeminent State Research University Status in 2018. The school serves more than 50,000 students at campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Sarasota-Manatee. More than 180 undergraduate majors and degree programs at the graduate, specialist and doctoral levels are offered in 14 colleges.

USF’s College of Arts provides training to aspiring actors, architects, art historians, dancers, designers, and musicians. Within the College’s School of Art & Art History are several programs for aspiring animators including BA, BFA, and MFA degrees in Studio Art. All programs offer a Concentration in Animation and Digital Modeling. A Studio Art Minor is also available and a Certificate in Visualization and Design is offered in collaboration with the USF Zimmerman School of Advertising & Mass Communications.

The 24 credit hour Studio Art Minor allows for studio experience in Animation and Digital Modeling, Sculpture & Extended Media, Video, and many other areas. The Certificate consists of 18 credit hours of study that blends fine and commercial art. 2D Animation, Live Action Filmmaking, and Video, Animation, and Digital Arts (VADA) are just a few course highlights for the program.

The BA and BFA Animation and Digital Modeling curriculum “engages students in the development of both 2D and 3D animation as well as the production of virtual 3D objects for fine art, film, games, and visualization,” says the school. “Combining cutting-edge technology with a foundation of the design process, craft, and studio art practices, students gain an invaluable skill set as they progress through their courses.”

Initial courses allow students to gain a foundation in the tools and principles involved in animation, digital imaging, and video. Intermediate coursework covers production workflows and experimental approaches and advanced courses help students develop “their personal creative voices as they produce self-directed projects.” Course highlights include 3D Animation, Beginning and Advanced VADA, Baroque and Rococo Art, Computer Animation, Concepts & Practices, Digital Modeling, History of Visual Arts, Intermediate Drawing, and Tech Essentials.

Students in the BA Program will complete “Extended Studies.” Options within this two-credit requirement include the Paris Program, Public Art, Museum Internships, Community Art, Artists Internships/Apprenticeships, and the London Middlesex Program.

BFA students will complete this requirement as well, which includes an internship or study abroad experience. A thesis is required as well.

The MFA in Studio allows students to focus their studies in one area or a combination of areas. In addition to Animation and Digital Modeling, students may focus in Ceramics, Drawing, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture and Extended Media, or Video. All MFA students have the opportunity to work alongside “some of the most notable artists today at the USF Institute for Research in Art.”

Students also have the opportunity to travel to Miami art fairs, as well as to New York, Paris, London, and Venice. Students “frequently participate in and are awarded scholarships to prestigious residency programs including Vermont Studio School, Skowhegan, Atlantic Center for the Arts, Yale-Norfolk, and others.”

Graduates are able to use their experiences from the programs in a broad range of disciplines. Animation, Visual Effects, Game Design, and Filmmaking are just a few.

Founded in 1966, University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) serves around 13,500 students enrolled in more than 200 majors, minors, certificate, master’s and doctoral programs in seven colleges and schools. The College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS) houses the Department of Visual Arts, which offers BA and BFA degrees in Visual Arts with a Concentration in Animation.

Students in both programs will study animation as “makers,” says the school, “taking a sequence of hands-on production courses through traditional media and digital tools, investigating the history of animation, and screening of contemporary animation artists.” Students “are encouraged and expected to develop their own artistic voice through exploration of the media and critical review of their work. In-class critiques of personal work are emphasized for the development of a framework from which students can begin their path as artists in the animation field.”

Advanced level courses in the animation programs incorporate technically intensive experiences in 2D and 3D digital, hand-crafted, hybrid, and interactive processes, and the “exploration of emerging practices within the animation field.”

The BFA program also includes intensive lecture, studio, and lab investigation of techniques, methods, and concepts. An optional internship is offered for both programs.

Students completing the Animation Concentration have the opportunity to produce a fully developed work at the culmination of the program, either individually or as part of a team.

Graduates of the animation programs at UMBC have become successful freelance artists or have found jobs at major animation studios, game companies, and government agencies. Additionally, many students continue their studies in graduate programs.

New Mexico State University (NMSU) was founded in 1888 as Las Cruces College. The NMSU system, which consists of five colleges, serves more than 36,000 students enrolled in over 100 programs across seven colleges and a graduate school. The Las Cruces campus, which serves more than 14,000 students from 49 states and 89 foreign countries, is NMSU’s largest campus.

The College of Arts and Sciences is the largest college at NMSU, teaching every freshman and offering degrees to over 6,000 majors. The college houses 24 academic departments, including the Creative Media Institute for Film and Digital Arts (CMI). The Institute offers a Bachelor of Creative Media in Animation & Visual Effects (BCM-ANVE) or Digital Filmmaking. A Minor in Animation & Visual Effects and Certificates in Graphics and Animation and Creative Media are also available.

The 120 credit, cross-disciplinary BCM-ANVE program has two pathways: 2D Production Studio and 3D & VFX Production Studio. Students in the program will study all aspects of digital filmmaking and digital arts, whether they are aspiring animators, directors, cinematographers, visual effects artists, or writers.

The CMI curriculum, which focuses on the art, craft, and business of storytelling, consists of courses such as 2D Animation, 3D Animation, 2D and 3D Production Studio, Character Design and Development, Digital Illustration, Drawing for Animation, Modeling, Motion Capture Techniques, Previsualization, Rigging for 3D Animation, Screenwriting, Sets and Environment, Visual Effects, and Writing for Animation.

Other program highlights include internship and study abroad opportunities, access to a state of the art digital projection screening room, post-production lab, animation lab, and production space, and free entry into the Las Cruces International Film Festival.

Founded in 1911 as East Tennessee State Normal School, East Tennessee State University (ETSU) serves more than 14,500 students. The school offers 140 academic programs at the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels housed across eleven colleges and schools.

Part of the College of Business and Technology, the Digital Media Department offers a BS in Digital Media (BS DIGM) and a DIGM Minor.

The BS Program has concentrations in Digital Animation, Digital Game Design, Digital Visualization, and Digital Visual Effects. For aspiring animators, the Digital Animation Concentration provides the instruction necessary to “animate in any media/software with strong skills in one of several specialty areas of animation, such as character animation and special effects animation,” says the school. “Students in the animation concentration would typically be preparing for careers in 3-D animation, 2-D animation, motion graphics, character animation, and technical direction.”

Course highlights for the program include 3D Animation, 3D Lighting & Rendering, Character Animation, Contemporary Art, Effects Animation, High-Fidelity Modeling for Entertainment, Principles of Visual Effects and Motion Graphics, Raster-Based Imaging, and Visual Effects Compositing. Students will complete several projects and a portfolio. here is also a Digital

The Digital Media Minor is designed for students “who wish to gain broad exposure in each of the four areas.” This 24 credit hour program is available to all majors. 

Graduates of the DIGM Programs at ETSU are prepared to pursue a wide range of career paths. Some of the most common include animator for games, movies of broadcast, cinematographer, game developer or level designer, modeler for entertainment, and visual effects artist. Graduates have worked on various animation, media, and game productions such as Alice in Wonderland, Avatar, Captain America, Halo 5, Ice Age: Continental Drift, Kung Fu Panda III, Lord of the Rings, The Incredible Hulk, and The Peanuts Movie.

Ohio University (OU) was established in 1804 as Ohio’s first university. Ranked as one of the safest campuses in America, the school serves nearly 35,000 students enrolled in more 250 academic programs in 11 colleges. The E.W. Scripps College of Communications houses the School of Media Arts & Studies, which offers a BS in Communication with an Emphasis in Games & Animation (G&A) and an MFA in Communication Media Arts.

Offered in partnership with the J. Warren McClure School of Emerging Communication Technologies, the G&A emphasis area “encourages students to explore the production of computer animation and digital games while also emphasizing creative decision making, storytelling and experiential learning,” says the school.

Students may choose the Animation or Games core. Animation students have the opportunity to pursue animation for games, film/television, and VR/AR. In addition, the G&A area allows students to take production courses outside the games or animation cores,” broadening their skills while enhancing the creative process.” Students in the Games Area will have the opportunity to work through the entire game pipeline from level design to asset creation to playable games.

Course highlights for the G&A program include 3D Modeling & Animation, Animation I, II & III, Compositing, Digital Game Design, Game Development, Media Arts Management (FILM), Sound for Moving Images, Narrative Animation, Screenwriting, Special Topics in Games & Animation, Motion Graphics, Video Game Design, Video Production, and Visual Storytelling. Students will also complete a capstone course: Digital Games or Storytelling, Technology and Digital Media in Theme parks (Disney).

The MFA in Communication Media Arts is a partnership in the Schools of Visual Communication, Media Arts and Studies, and the J. Warren McClure School of Emerging Communication Technologies in the Scripps College of Communication. The three-year program has an Animation Area that allows students to explore animation for educational, entertainment, and game development purposes. The curriculum emphasizes 3D computer animation, with classes in 2D and experimental animation. Ancillary courses/experiences also provide an understanding of the management and leadership roles in these industries, visual storytelling, and sound for moving image.

Aspiring animators can also learn to design sound environments for animation, games, film and video in the Audio/Sound Design Area and in the Game Design Area, students learn game design, animation, programming, sound design, and entrepreneurship.

A unique component of the MFA program is the required hands-on, experiential project where students will engage in collaborative projects such as grant-funded faculty initiatives, projects through WOUB Public Media, the Game Research and Immersive Design (GRID) Lab, or practicum projects through the Scripps College of Communication or the College of Fine Arts. International experiences and professional externships are also encouraged in this area.

During the final year of the MFA program, students will complete a thesis and they will have the opportunity to serve as a teaching assistant and instructor.

Founded in 1947, California State University-Los Angeles (Cal State LA) offers nationally recognized programs in science, the arts, business, criminal justice, engineering, nursing, education and the humanities. The school, which houses the active TV, Film and Media Center, serves more than 27,000 students enrolled in 100 undergraduate academic programs in 55 majors and over 100 graduate-level master's, certificate, and credential programs, including two at the doctoral level. Programs are offered through seven colleges and the Honors College.

The College of Arts & Letters consists of nine departments including ART, Communication Studies, English, Liberal Studies, Modern Languages and Literatures, Music, Theatre & Dance, Philosophy, and Television, Film & Media Studies.

The ART Department offers BA, MA, and MFA programs that allow students to study animation, graphic design, fashion, art history, art education or the studio arts, including ceramics, photography, painting, printmaking, and sculpture.

Programs are “structured so that students have the opportunity to acquire an understanding of the variety of subjects encompassed within the visual arts as well as to develop excellence in a specific area,” says the school. Specific programs for aspiring animators include a BA in Art with an Animation Option and MA and MFA degrees with a Design Option (Graphic Design/Visual Communication, Animation).

The BA with an Animation Option is a 120-unit program that “provides a thorough education in the creative, practical and historical uses of animation. The option encourages an experimental approach to animation that combines traditional and contemporary techniques.” Animation majors can choose courses involving stop-motion animation, digital 2D and 3D animation, computer graphics, hand-painted abstract animation, story and visualization, as well as other art and film courses that galvanize their understanding of animation production, art-making, cinema, mixed-media, and narrative.

The MA is a 30-unit graduate program consisting of advanced study and practice in a specific discipline, including animation. “The degree provides students with an opportunity to gain stronger educational and experiential basis for a professional career and may be an interim step to pursue further graduate work in the field. It is considered to be a general degree, and is well suited for individuals that are seeking an advanced degree for teaching purposes.”

The MFA is a “highly selective” 60-unit graduate program designed for students who have “already achieved a strong direction and focus in their work and a high level of technical proficiency in a specific discipline in the Design Option or Studio Arts Option.” The goal of the program is to “develop students into professional artists capable of producing high quality work for public exhibition and presentation, or professional designers well-positioned to be leaders in their industry.”

MFA graduates will have the qualifications needed to teach at the university level, and are “prepared to take their place within the visual arts or design communities and to make a significant contribution to their fields.”

Students in all programs will benefit from The Getty Trust, which offers internships at the Getty Center. In addition, the Getty supports internships at Los Angeles area museums and visual arts organizations. Students will also benefit from access to Cal State LA Fine Arts Gallery and frequent visits by guest artists and scholars.

Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU) opened on September 11, 1911 as one of three state normal schools for teacher training. The school serves nearly 22,000 students enrolled in more than 300 undergraduate and graduate degrees of study in diverse disciplines that prepare students for high-demand careers.

Programs are offered more than a dozen colleges and schools. The College of Media and Entertainment at MTSU houses the Department of Media Arts, which offers a BS in Animation and a 15 credit hour Minor in Animation. The School of Journalism offers an MS in Media and Communication.

Per the Department, “the Animation major is designed for those who wish to work professionally in animation and/or imaging, including character animation, video games, motion graphics, visual effects, simulation and visualization, and image manipulation. This program blends theoretical and hands-on approaches to traditional and digital animation. Students are encouraged to complete their education with internships in professional settings.” This 120 credit hour program requires a Minor in Art.

Students in the MS program (both the thesis and non-thesis option) may choose six hours of approved electives in Animation. Specializations for the program include Advertising, Health Communication, International Communication, Journalism, Management, Media Law, Public Relations, and Traditional/New Media.

Assistantships are available for MS students, as well as awards, fellowships, and other financial support.

The Animation Programs at MTSU prepare students for careers in character animation, motion graphics, visual effects, and many others. Students are prepared to create animated and feature films, as well as content for documentary films, educational videos, and television.

Founded in 1910, Bowling Green State University (BGSU) serves more than 20,000 students across campuses in Bowling Green (main) and Huron, Ohio (BGSU Firelands). More than 200 undergraduate majors and programs are offered on the main campus, along with 30 at BGSU Firelands. Programs are offered through dozens of colleges, divisions, and schools.

Within BGSU’s College of Arts and Sciences is the School of Art, which houses five divisions: Studio, Digital Arts, Graphic Design, Art Education, and Art History. The Division of Digital Arts offers a BFA and MFA degrees in Digital Arts, a BA in Art with a Digital Arts Specialization, and a Minor in Digital Art.

The undergraduate programs offer three Focus Areas including Computer Animation & Video, Imaging, and Interactive Multimedia. The school says that the Digital Arts program at BGSU is “one of the leading programs in the nation for studying digital arts and animation, focusing on creative expression using digital technology. Students are encouraged to investigate aesthetic and perceptual possibilities as they engage in alternative art discourses. Digital Arts courses investigate the theoretical, aesthetic, and technical aspects of the digital arts while providing hands-on experiences with state-of-the-art equipment.”

Students in the program focus on 3D animation, digital imaging, interactive art, video art, virtual environments and gaming, mobile web app development, digital painting, and hybrid forms of digital art. Other program highlights include diverse study abroad opportunities in more than 40 countries worldwide as well as facilities and faculty that “position students for successful internships and careers with organizations such as Disney Animation, Pixar and the Museum of Modern Art.”

The MFA in Art with a Major in Digital Arts (Computer Animation, Digital Imaging and Interactive Media) is an intensive, 60 credit hour studio degree designed to prepare students to become both professional artists in industry and university-level instructors while developing their own studio practice. Students have the opportunity to explore 3D Modeling and Animation, Interactive Multimedia Development, Digital Video, Digital Imaging, and Hybrid Media forms including 3D printing, Architectural Projection Mapping, Web App Development and Interactive Installation Art. All supported graduate students are provided with studio space and computers.

Though the Digital Arts MFA has three areas of focus, students also have the opportunity to “merge art disciplines and investigate new directions. Students are also encouraged to explore interests in media outside of Digital Arts. For instance, a student may want to explore the integration of drawing, computer programming, sculpture, theater, or film with their Digital Arts work.”

In recent years, BGSU Digital Arts graduates have been hired by companies such as Apple, Blizzard, Blue Sky Studios, DNA Productions, DreamWorks Animation, Epic Games, Friendly Software (Microsoft games), LogicJunction (interactive web), Rhythm & Hues Studios, Volition, and many others.

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.

Founded in 1967, Evergreen State College is as public liberal arts college that serves more than 2,200 students enrolled in more than 60 fields of study. Students at Evergreen also have the opportunity to design their own degree or select one of 11 curated paths of study. Undergraduate programs lead to a BA, BS or BAS.

Curated Pathways for aspiring animators could include Mathematical, Physical, and Computer Science, Media Arts and Studies, and Visual Arts. Work within a Path culminates in a major project, capstone, or thesis. Students can also combine their studies in a Path with an internship at a local non-profit, business, or government agency.

Fields of study for aspiring animators could include Communication, Computer Science, Media Arts, Media Studies, Moving Image, and Visual Arts. Students declaring a field of study do not have to take any specific prerequisite classes to complete their bachelor’s degree. However, some offerings require knowledge of specific subjects, and the BS and BAS degrees have minimum science credit requirements.

Students in custom programs, curated pathways and fields of study have access to Evergreen’s Animation Labs and other production facilities.

University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) was formed in 1982 “by the consolidation of two U. of I. campuses: the Medical Center campus, which dates back to the 19th century and the comprehensive Chicago Circle campus which replaced, in 1965, the two-year undergraduate Navy Pier campus that opened in 1946 to educate returning veterans.” Today, with more than 33,500 students enrolled in more than 260 degree programs and 66 certificate programs in 15 colleges, UIC is the largest university in the Chicago area. 

The College of Architecture, Design, and the Arts (CADA) houses the School of Art and Art History, Department of Art, which offers a BFA in Art and MFA in New Media Art. All programs offer the opportunity to choose animation courses. Course highlights include Space I: Modeling, and Space II: Animation, Topics in Motion Graphics I & II, Topics in New Media Arts, and Topics in Video.  

Students in these courses and others will be introduced to film/video animation techniques including cycles, direct animation, metamorphosis, special graphic processes and effects, and stop-motion. Courses also cover 3D modeling, computer animation, and lighting, rendering and texturing. Students will have the opportunity to create artwork with new media technologies, interactive installations, software, and of course, computer animation. An internship is also part of the program.

The College of Applied Health Sciences’ Department of Biomedical and Health Information Sciences (BHIS) offers another option for students that may be interested in a career that fuses science, medicine, and animation. The MS in Biomedical Visualization (BVIS) offers animation electives such as Interactive 3D, Modeling, Animation I &II, Illustration Techniques, Medical Legal Visualization, and Graphic Design.

BVIS is the largest and second oldest of four accredited programs of its kind in North America. Graduates of the BVIS program become highly skilled science visualization specialists in medical illustration, animation, interactive media, gaming, haptics, and virtual and augmented reality, working on the frontiers of discovery.

Founded in 1766 as Queen's College, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is the eighth oldest university in the nation. Serving more than 71,000 students from all 50 states and more than 125 countries, Rutgers is also the largest university in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area.

The school has campuses in Camden, Newark, and New Brunswick. The Camden campus offers 38 undergraduate majors and 29 graduate programs in five colleges and schools.

Camden College of Arts and Sciences houses the Department of Visual, Media, and Performing Arts (VMPA), which offers a BA with a Concentration in Animation.

Students in the program “learn to prepare two and three-dimensional art for animation films, gaming, video, advertising, architecture, medical research, and web design in the most comprehensive and advanced courses available in this region,” says the school. Course highlights include Advanced Computer Studio, Animation Production, Character Animation, Classical Animation, Computer Animation, Computer Graphics, Computer Multimedia, Design for the World Wide Web, Environmental Design, Kinetic Sculpture, New Media Art, and Video and Film Production. 

Students in the program will complete Special Studio Projects, which allows them to work closely with a studio faculty adviser to develop and execute a specified series of art works. An internship is also part of the program and all students have access to three on-campus laboratories equipped with state-of-the-art networked computers and post-production units, as well as 2D/3D editing software.

Graduates of the Animation Program at Rutgers have worked in the 3D animation industry as art directors and technical directors for various companies and studios, such as BBC Earth, Blue Sky Studios, Digital Domain, Psyop, Ubisoft, Walt Disney, Warner Brothers, and more. In addition, they have participated making a variety of award-winning movies and games, such as Assassin’s Creed Unity, Frozen, Happy Feet, Ice Age, Sesame Street 3D, and Walking with Dinosaurs 3D.