| Ranking | School | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tulane University | New Orleans |
| 2 | Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge | Baton Rouge |
| 3 | University of Louisiana at Lafayette | Lafayette |
| 4 | Louisiana State University, Shreveport | Shreveport |
| 5 | Southeastern Louisiana University | Hammond |
Our 2024 ranking -our thirteenth annual- of the top animation school programs in Louisiana. For an explanation of the ranking criteria, click here.
The School of Liberal Arts at Tulane University houses the Newcomb Art Department. Within the department is a Studio Art program with an optional Digital Arts area. Open to all Studio Art BA, BFA and MFA students, the Digital Arts curriculum encompasses animation and video, digital imaging, 3D graphics, interactivity, and virtual reality. All students will have opportunities to work and create in the Digital Arts Studio, which is equipped with Mac workstations and the latest software from Apple, Adobe, and other industry-standard software; scanners and printers; and digital video equipment.
The BA and BFA programs begin with the Foundations of Art Series. Throughout both, students will complete a number of projects. Studio Art BA students will complete a Senior Capstone to graduate, while BFA students will complete a final major project. Final works will be presented at the Carrol Gallery located in the Woldenberg Art Center, Newcomb Art Department.
The Studio Art MFA at Tulane University is an interdisciplinary program that focuses on individual studio practice and cross-disciplinary seminars. Graduate students will participate in the Thesis Show, where each artist will exhibit a culminating body of work in the Carrol Gallery. Graduates of the Art programs at Tulane University are prepared to pursue careers across industries. Tulane alumni have been hired at places such as Disney and Amazon.
Tulane University was established in 1834 as Medical College of Louisiana. Serving approximately 14,475 today, the school was the first major research institution to require public service for graduation. Tulane provides 75 different undergraduate majors and dozens of graduate programs across nine colleges and schools. Tulane University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
Louisiana State University (LSU) houses the College of Art and Design, home to the School of Art. Within the School are several paths to study animation. The Studio Art program has BFA and MFA options with a Digital Art concentration. A Master’s in Digital Media Arts & Engineering (DMAE), in collaboration with the College of Engineering and the College of Art and Design, is another graduate option. The School of Art also has a Digital Art BA, an arts-oriented Digital Media Art minor (DMART), and a technology-oriented Digital Media Arts and Engineering Technology (DMAET) minor.
The DMAET minor is provided in partnership with the Manship School of Mass Communication, the School of Music, and the Departments of Computer Science, Electrical & Computer Engineering, and English. Both minor options are interdisciplinary and require 21 credit hours, including 12 credit hours of electives. Course examples across programs include 3D Animation; Video Game Design; Moving Image; Interactive Computer Graphics; Computer Music; and Screenwriting Workshop. A three credit hour Capstone is also part of both programs.
The LSU Studio Art-Digital Art BFA provides instruction and training in Animation, 3D Modeling, Visual Effects (VFX), Games, and Experimental New Media Art. Course examples include Creative Coding; Moving Image; Virtual Space and Motion; Digital Art; Two-Dimensional Design; and Three-Dimensional Design.
The Studio Art-Digital Art MFA at Louisiana State University is an experimental program that allows students to blend courses that explore computational artmaking with coursework in animation, film, electronic music, computer science, painting, and more. Graduate MFA students will complete 60 credit hours, with 12 general electives to be taken in any specialization. Students will take nine credits in a focus area, and six in Thesis Research.
The interdisciplinary DMAE Master’s is an intensive, two-year program that explores Animation, Video Games, and VFX. Course examples include Interactive Design; Digital Media Production & Project Management; Production Workshop; Innovation; Advanced Programming & Digital Art; Rapid Prototyping, and Interactive Production Team I-II.
Electives allow students to take additional animation courses or other courses of interest. A Digital Media Internship also part of the DMAE Master’s program, as well as a Capstone.
Across programs, student have access to LSU’s Arts, Visualization, Advanced Technologies, and Research (AVATAR) Initiative; opportunities to join the Digital Art and Design Association (DADA), which hosts an Annual Animation Jam; and the new Digital Media Center—a state-of-the-art, $29.3 million facility shared with Electronic Art’s North American Test Center.
The College of Art & Design at Louisiana State University also provides more domestic and study abroad programs than most other schools. For Studio Art, DMAE, DMART, and DMAET students, examples include ArtNYC; Art in Florence; Art in Ireland; Footsteps in Berlin; LSU in China; LSU in South Africa; College of Art + Design in Rome; and Design in Paris. Other study abroad destinations include Vietnam, the UK, Haiti, and the Netherlands.
Louisiana State University was founded in 1860 as the Louisiana State Seminary of Learning and Military Academy. The flagship institution of the Louisiana State University System, LSU serves approximately 32,490 students enrolled in more than 330 programs across 18 colleges, schools, and centers, and LSU Online. Louisiana State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
The College of the Arts at University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL Lafayette) serves more than 900 undergraduate and graduate students across the Department of Visual Arts, the School of Architecture and Design, and the School of Music and Performing Arts. Within the Department of Visual Arts is the oldest established Computer Animation program in the state of Louisiana. Launched in 1992, the program can be taken as a concentration (Computer Art & Animation) within the Visual Arts BFA program.
The curriculum is taught in a studio environment equipped with industry software such as Maya and Adobe Creative Suite; high-tech classrooms and workstations outfitted with Mac computers; and digital cameras, projectors, and flatbed scanners. BFA students also have access to Animation and New Media & Digital Art studios equipped with compositing and editing software, a Green Screen production studio, and a video/audio system.
The Computer Art and Animation program at UL Lafayette explores animating, storyboarding, concept development, video and audio editing, creating animatic studies, compositing, and scriptwriting. The program also emphasizes hands-on computer experience, animation history, theory in animation, and contemporary works. Course examples include Media Workshop; Intermediate Animation; Advanced Computer Animation; Design I-II; Conceptual and Formal Development Through Drawing; Sound Design; Drawing I-III; Modern Art; and Survey of Visual Arts.
During the final year of the program, students will complete the Senior Capstone Art Project consisting of two courses totaling six credit hours and 12 lab hours. This culminating experience results in a completed professional portfolio and exhibition.
Graduates have worked on numerous projects for Pixel Magic in Lafayette, Louisiana. Examples include The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part One, Men in Black, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One and Part Two, and Looper.
University of Louisiana at Lafayette was established in 1898 as the Southwestern Louisiana Industrial Institute. The school serves approximately 19,055 students, making UL Lafayette the second largest university in Louisiana. University of Louisiana at Lafayette provides more than 300 programs across 14 colleges and schools. The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
Louisiana State University Shreveport (LSUS) provides two paths to study animation. The Digital Media and Arts Department has a Digital Arts BFA program, while the Computer Science Department has a Digital and Interactive Design concentration within the Computer Science BS. Both options can be completed four years.
The Digital Arts BFA at LSUS explores 2D and 3D animation, digital illustration, drawing, game design, Photoshop, and painting. Because the program requires at least 15 credit hours of electives, students can focus the degree animation, game design, graphic design, or other related area. Led by award-winning professors, courses for the program include 3D Animation I and II; History of Media Arts; Character Design; Motion Graphics; Intro 2D Digital Animation After Effects; Adobe Photoshop; Digital Painting; Computer Graphics; Intermediate Design; and Creative Problem Solving.
Other BFA program highlights include hands-on learning in a collaborative environment; internship opportunities with local companies and studios; and the chance to join ACM SIGGRAPH, the American Advertising Federation, and/or the Game Development Club. All options provide opportunities to participate in workshops and network with artists and other creative professionals.
The Digital and Interactive Design concentration within the LSUS Computer Science BS takes place in technology-enabled classrooms and state-of-the-art labs dedicated to animation, computer game development, bio-informatics, and network security. Course examples for the program include 3D Animation I-II; Information Visualization; Digital Video Editing I-II; Object-Oriented Design; 3D Modeling I-II; Programming with Internet Technologies; Interactive Design I-II; Adobe Photoshop; Introduction to Computer Graphics; and After Effects I-II.
In addition to courses that prepare students for technical roles in the animation and visual effects industries, each month, CS students will have opportunities to engage with representatives from companies such as Cisco, Kobus Technologies, and Ingalls during the department’s Lunch & Learn event.
Students in both the BFA and BS programs will graduate with a resume and a professional portfolio of their best work.
As part of Louisiana State University Shreveport, graduates of the Digital Arts and CS programs enjoy an 86% success rate. Program alumni are prepared to pursue careers in animation, game art, artificial intelligence (AI), game development, software design, visual effects, advertising, marketing, film and video production, graphic design, mass communications, print, and photography, among others.
Louisiana State University-Shreveport was founded in 1967 as a two-year college. When the school opened, it welcomed Serving approximately 9,380 students, LSUS provides 25 undergraduate degree programs, a dozen master's degree programs, and a Doctorate of Education (Ed.D.) in Leadership Studies. Louisiana State University-Shreveport is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
Southeastern Louisiana University is home to the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, which houses the Department of Visual Art and Design. Within the department are concentrations in 11 areas of study. Programs lead to BA and feature access to semi-private studio spaces (upper division students); access to state-of-the-art technology in the New Media and Animation Lab and other facilities; exhibitions, visiting artist lectures, and workshops; and internships in the art, design, and entertainment industries.
All Southeastern Louisiana University BA programs consist of a Comprehensive Foundations Program, with a curriculum that emphasizes traditional, contemporary, and experimental art. Students with an interest in animation can focus in New Media and Animation, which explores 2D animation, internet technologies, and imaging. Advanced coursework for the program explores emerging computer art technologies, 2D and 3D interactive multimedia, 2D and 3D animation, digital video, rapid prototyping, and sound design.
Course examples for New Media and Animation include 3D Modeling and Animation; New Media and Animation; Time Based Digital Media; 3D Digital Media and Animation; Motion Design; Art Studio; Advanced Web Art; Interactive and Environmental Design; Digital Print; and 3D Design. Students will also complete Senior Projects in Visual Art and Design.
The culminating experiences for the New Media and Animation BA at Southeastern Louisiana University are two Senior Project: New Media and Animation courses; Senior Seminar in Visual Arts; and the Thesis Exhibition.
Graduates of the Visual Art and Design programs at Southeastern Louisiana University are prepared to pursue positions in areas such as animation, TV and film, game art and design, visual effects (VFX), multimedia art, directing, videography, and broadcast design.
Serving 13,500 students, Southeastern Louisiana University is the state’s third largest public university. The school houses five academic colleges that provide more than 150 majors, minors, and concentrations. Established in 1925, Southeastern Louisiana University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) and the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).
