
Ready to bring your creativity to life in the exciting world of Visual Effects? Academy of Art University's programs in visual development will help you hone your skills and launch your career with confidence. Learn More.
Ranking | School | State |
---|---|---|
1 | Savannah College of Art and Design | Georgia |
2 | The DAVE School | Florida |
3 | University of Central Florida | Florida |
4 | Georgia Institute of Technology | Georgia |
5 | University of North Carolina School of the Arts | North Carolina |
Our 2024 rankings of the Top 5 visual effect schools in the South, our second annual rankings for VFX. For an explanation of ranking criteria, click here.
The Visual Effects programs at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) provide opportunities to work on case studies through the school’s in-house design studio known as SCADPro. Examples of participating companies and studios include Disney, Electronic Arts (EA), Apple, Google, Adult Swim, Microsoft, NASA, Hasbro, Universal Studios, NBCUniversal, Amazon, Oculus, Fisher-Price, and Samsung.
Outside of SCADPro, all students will have opportunities to create visual effects and animations for collaborative projects using industry-standard software such as Pixar’s RenderMan, Houdini, Autodesk Arnold, Maya, Adobe Substance 3D Painter, Nuke, and Resolve.
Other SCAD VFX benefits include access to more than 800 networked computers, a 60,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art digital media center consisting of a green screen lab and a 75-seat in-house theater; learning that takes place in a studio environment; internship opportunities; and instruction by award-winning professors who have worked at major studios and on productions such as Ice Age, The Lion King, and Pocahontas.
Housed in the School of Animation and Motion, the VFX programs at SCAD lead to a BFA, MA, or MFA. All programs are now available at the Atlanta and Savannah campuses.
Consisting of 180 credit hours, the Visual Effects BFA program requires 75 credit hours in the major and 20 credit hours of free electives. This provides the opportunity to develop additional skills in related areas such as technical direction, interactive design and game development, sound design, and animation.
Course examples for the program include Visual Effects-Based Cinematography; Digital Visual Effects; Visual Effects Studio I-II; Digital Lighting and Rendering; Concept Development for Visual Effects; Procedural Modeling and Animation Techniques; and Professional Development for Visual Effects.
The SCAD VFX BFA program culminates with the Visual Effects Studio. Across two courses, students will collaborate to produce a visual effects project from start to finish. Students will also demonstrate skills in analysis and critique, scheduling, and organization.
The Visual Effects MA program requires 45 credit hours of 700-level coursework. Students in this advanced program will take courses such as Visual Effects Theory and Application; Modeling for Visual Effects; Programming Concepts for Visual Effects; Media Art; Digital Compositing I: The Art and Science of Digital Integration; Procedural Modeling and Animation for Production; and 3D Color, Lighting, and Rendering.
The SCAD VFX MA program culminates with the School of Animation and Motion MA Final Project (VSFX 748) and the Visual Effects Portfolio (VSFX 749).
The VFX MFA at Savannah College of Art and Design is a 90 credit hour program and the terminal degree in the field. Students in this program will take advanced courses such as Particles and Procedural Effects: Stochastic and Calculated Methodologies; Programming Concepts for Visual Effects; Digital Compositing I: The Art and Science of Digital Integration; Modeling for Visual Effects; Visual Effects Theory and Application; Procedural 3D and Shader Programming; Digital Compositing II: Advanced Studies of Multi-layered Integration; Visual Effects Studio I: Preproduction; and Visual Effects Studio II: Production.
All MFA students will undertake a teaching or field assignment under the supervision of a faculty member through the Graduate Internship course (VSFX 779). The program culminates with the VFX MFA Thesis course, which requires the creation of a project that demonstrates advanced professional standards in stylized visual effects.
Graduates of the VFX programs at Savannah College of Art and Design have contributed to 16 Academy Award nominated films in 2020 alone. Examples include Avengers: Endgame; Toy Story 4; Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker; Frozen 2; and A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. Program alumni hold titles such as Visual Effects Artist, CGI FX CGI Technical Director, 3D Environment Artist, Character FX Artist, Lighting Technical Director, VFX Producer, Previsualization Artist, Visual Effects Supervisor, Surfacing Artist, Digital Compositor, and Look Development Artist.
SCAD graduates can be found at places such as DreamWorks Animation, Pixar, Blizzard Entertainment, Disney, Microsoft, Pixomondo, Blur Studio, and Shade VFX.
Savannah College of Art and Design provides more degree programs and specializations than any other art and design college in the U.S. In 1979, the school opened in the renovated Savannah Volunteer Guards Armory with just one classroom, an administration building, and 71 students. Today, SCAD serves more than 17,500 students from all 50 states and more than 120 countries.
SCAD has campuses in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia; Lacoste, France; and SCADNow (online). Programs include more than 100 degrees and 75+ minors and certificates. Savannah College of Art and Design is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), the Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA), and the National Architecture Accrediting Board (NAAB).
Located on the backlot of Universal Studios, Florida, The DAVE School provides three paths to study visual effects. All programs are campus- and project-based, with opportunities to develop at least two VFX productions. Programs include the Visual Effects Production Diploma; the Game Production Diploma; and the school’s flagship Virtual Production (VP) Diploma. The Visual Effects Production and Game Production programs consist of 60 credit hours completed over 12 months. The VP Diploma is an 18 month program consisting of 90 credit hours.
The VP program combines everything from the Visual Effects Production and Game Production programs. Students in the 12-month programs have the option to extend their studies into the VP program. Course examples across programs include Compositing and VFX: Principles of Integration; Rotoscoping; Dynamics and Visual Effects for Motion Graphics; Level Design; 3D Animation: The Art of Motion; Real-Time Technologies and Studio Production; and Game Asset Creation and Immersive Techniques.
DAVE School students will also learn the basics of creating a start-up, while working their way through the production process using industry software such as Nuke, Maya, Adobe Premier Pro, Unreal Engine, Substance Painter, Adobe Photoshop, Zbrush, Quixel, and After Effects.
DAVE School programs culminate with a demo reel and portfolio. Graduates are prepared to launch their own studios or pursue VFX roles at major studios around the world. DAVE School alumni have worked on Hollywood productions such as Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Encanto, Top Gun: Maverick, Lightyear, The Batman, Ms. Marvel, The Addams Family 2, Eternals, Shining Vale, The Last of Us, Moon Knight, Free Guy, and The Book of Boba Fett.
Founded in 2000, The DAVE (Digital Animation and Visual Effects) School is an academic unit of NUC University. Serving approximately 1,000 students, the school provides three programs leading to a diploma. As part of NUC University, The DAVE School is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MCSHE). The school is also licensed by the Florida Department of Education’s Commission for Independent Education.
The School of Visual Arts and Design (SVAD) at University of Central Florida (UCF) provides an advanced degree program for students seeking employment at production studios and artists looking to make their own independent films. Leading to an Emerging Media MFA, this three-year, 60 credit hour program has an Animation and Visual Effects track.
Program features include courses and projects led by working professionals with connections in the industry; opportunities to co-direct a team of students in the Emerging Media: Character Animation BFA program; and access to labs and studios equipped with the same industry-standard software used in major studios around the world.
Students in the SVAD UCF MFA program (Animation and Visual Effects) will take 48 credit hours of required courses. Examples include The History of Animation and Visual Effects; Script and Story Development for Animation and Visual Effects; Visual Effects for Animation and Live Action I-II; Technical Problem Solving for Animation and Visual Effects; Animation and Visual Effects Production I-V; Visual Development and Design for Animation and Visual Effects; Editing for Animation and Visual Effects I: Theory and Production; Directing for Animation and Visual Effects; Editing for Animation and Visual Effects II: Practical Editing; Script and Story Development for Animation and Visual Effects; and Research Methods in Film and Digital Media.
The Emerging Media MFA program at University of Central Florida culminates with a 12 credit hour Visual Effects or Animation Thesis. Graduates are prepared to pursue careers in the entertainment industry. Program alumni have been hired at places such as Weta FA, Lockheed Martin, Walt Disney Animation Studios, NASA, Weta FX, Epic Games, Pixar, the U.S. Navy, Nickelodeon Animation, Electronic Arts (EA), Blizzard Entertainment, Reel FX, Framestore, Riot Games, Blur Studio, Netflix, and Titmouse.
University of Central Florida opened in 1968 as Florida Technological University. On the first day of classes, the school had less than 2,000 students. Today, UCF serves approximately 69,320 students, making it the largest university by enrollment in the state of Florida, and one of the largest universities in the U.S. Across 13 colleges, more than 13,000 faculty and staff manage the school’s 104 bachelor’s degrees, 97 master’s degrees, and 39 doctorate and specialist degrees.
University of Central Florida is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) provides an ideal path to study visual effects—the Computational Media BS (BSCM). A collaborative effort between the Ivan Allen College School of Literature, Media, and Communication (LMC) and the College of Computing, the Computational Media launched in 2004 with just one student. Today, the program serves more than 300 students, making it one of Georgia Tech’s fastest growing programs.
Within the BSCM program is a Media and Games concentration that consists of courses such as Digital Video Special Effects; Computer Animation; Video Production; Principles and Applications of Computer Audio; Constructing the Moving Image; Experimental Digital Art; Interactive Narrative; Graphic and Visual Design; and Game AI. The BSCM program also highlights focus threads such as Interaction; Games; Narrative; and Film.
To enhance the degree, students may add the Film Studies minor. Housed in the School of LMC, the minor provides access to courses such as Advanced Video Production; Science Fiction Film and Television; Video Editing and Post-Production; Film and/as Technology; and Experimental Film.
All students may participate in the internship program where they have opportunities to work in visual effects, animation and special effects, the design and development of video games, and user interfaces. Students also have access to post-production labs featuring Adobe Creative Cloud Suite and DaVinci Resolve software, and a film and video equipment rental house that provides the latest industry software and production tools for students and researchers working in the entertainment industry.
Graduates of the BSCM program at Georgia Institute of Technology are prepared to pursue careers in areas such as visual effects, special effects creation, animation, 3D modeling, virtual and augmented reality, simulation, interactive game design, and robotics.
Georgia Tech alumni have been hired at places such as Electronic Arts (EA), NBC Universal, Boeing, Microsoft, Apple, Google, Amazon, Cox Communications, Turner Sports, and Delta Airlines.
Georgia Institute of Technology was established in 1885. When it opened, the school had just 129 students enrolled in one degree program—the Mechanical Engineering BS. Today, Georgia Tech serves nearly 50,000 students enrolled in more than 180 degree programs and minors across six colleges and 28 schools. Students represent 50 states and 149 countries. Georgia Institute of Technology is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNC School of the Arts or UNCSA) is home to the School of Filmmaking. Established in 1993 with just five faculty members and 58 students, the school houses the Film Studio Village. This 30,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art New Media Building features state-of-the-art AR/VR equipment, and the most current hardware and software for visual effects, animation, gaming, and digital design.
The School of Filmmaking at UNCSA employs more than two dozen film faculty today, who have won or been nominated for Oscars, Emmy Awards, and Golden Globes, among others. Film faculty have also worked for award-winning programs on just about every network, and streaming platforms from Netflix to Disney+.
Other School of Filmmaking benefits include guest artists from studios such as Lionsgate, Sony Pictures, and Amazon Studios; internship opportunities with local, national, and alumni-owned film studios; screenings, workshops and seminars with industry professionals; the opportunity to participate in UNCSA’s Los Angeles trip, featuring behind the scenes tours and meetings with industry leaders; and access to METL.
Launched in 2017, METL is a creative incubator housed in a 3,600 square foot production space known as the Cube. This working studio is located in the Center for Design Innovation (CDI)—UNC’s 24,000 square foot, multi-campus research center, which serves as a laboratory, classroom, and convening space.
For students seeking careers in visual effects, the School of Filmmaking at UNCSA has a Production Design and Visual Effects BFA. This 120 credit hour program requires 84 credits in the major, 30 credits in general education, and six credits in liberal arts or designated arts courses. Major course examples include Visual Effects for the Production Designer I-II; Color Rendering Techniques; Fundamentals of Picture Editing I-II; Pre-Visualization; Making and Reflecting; Fundamentals of Producing I-II; Digital Design for the Art Director; Production Design; Art Direction Workshop I-II; and Production Design Practicum.
The Production Design and Visual Effects BFA program at University of North Carolina School of the Arts culminates with a professional digital portfolio and the production of a film under the direction of a mentor.
Graduates are prepared to pursue careers in areas such as visual effects for film and television; set design; animation; production design; art direction; filmmaking; and game art. Program alumni have been hired to work on shows and films such as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2; South Park; We’re the Millers; Under the Dome; Mud; Eastbound and Down; and Vacation.
Some UNCSA Filmmaking graduates also hold positions at places such as Paramount Pictures and ABC, while others work with international film festivals, or in development and distribution for major studios around the world.
University of North Carolina School of the Arts began as North Carolina School of the Arts in 1963. Established by the N.C. General Assembly, the school opened in 1965, becoming the nation’s first public arts conservatory. In 1972, North Carolina School of the Arts became part of the 17-campus University of North Carolina System. In 2008, the school was renamed University of North Carolina School of the Arts.
Today, approximately 1,370 UNCSA students are enrolled in 40 degree programs across five conservatories (schools) including Design and Production; Filmmaking; Dance; Music; and Drama. The school also houses the Division of Liberal Arts and the High School Academic Program, which is accredited by Cognia (formerly AdvancED).
University of North Carolina School of the Arts is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).