| Ranking | School | City |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Connecticut | Multiple |
Our 2024 ranking -our thirteenth annual- of the top animation school program in Connecticut. For an explanation of the ranking criteria, click here.
The School of Fine Arts at University of Connecticut (UConn) is home to the Departments of Digital Media & Design (DMD), and Art and Art History. Both provide several paths to study animation. The Art and Art History Department has an Art BFA program with a concentration in Illustration/Animation. The DMD Department has three options including the 3D Animation BFA, Motion Design & Animation (MDA) BFA, and the Digital Media & Design BA.
All options feature collaborative, project based-learning, and access to state-of-the-art facilities in the UConn Bishop Center. Facilities include a high-powered Cintiq computer lab for high-end 3D work, a speedy render farm, and a brand new 688 ft Motion Capture Studio.
The DMD BA is a liberal arts degree that allows students to select up to 15 credit hours of electives in 3D Animation, Film/Video Production, Motion Media, Interactive Media Design, Game Design, Digital Culture, Digital Media Strategies for Business, or Learning & Advocacy. Students will also select up to six credits in introduction courses for any of these areas.
Accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art & Design (NASAD), the program also provides opportunities for independent study and to complete an internship during the junior or senior year. Graduates go on to work for a variety of companies and studios. Examples include Pixar, Adobe, Disney, HBO, Food Network, and ESPN.
The Art BFA-Illustration/Animation program requires 66 art/design credits, 12 art history credits, and 42 credits general education credits. Students will create projects in both digital and analog environments including character and environment design; children’s illustration; 2-D and stop-motion animation; comics, cartoons, and graphic novels; design for products; book, editorial, and institutional illustration; and self-promotion. Graduates are prepared for careers in these and many other areas.
UConn Illustration/Animation alumni are employed at major studios and companies such as Lego, Pixar, Google Creative, Stoopid Buddy Studios, and YouTube Gaming.
The 3D Animation BFA program at University of Connecticut explores all areas of animation production including lighting, rendering, and rigging; modeling; compositing for visual effects; and simulations and visualizations. Coursework focuses on the core principles of 3D animation. Course examples include 3D Animation I; Lighting & Rendering II; 3D Modeling; and Motion Graphics I.
Graduates of the 3D Animation BFA Program are Animators, 3D Specialists, Video Game Artists, Visual Effects (VFX) Artists, Medical and Scientific Animators, and Advertising Designers and Animators. Program alumni have gone on to work at Epic Games, NBC Sports Group, Blur Studio, X (formerly Twitter), Matter Communications, and Greenhouse Studios.
MDA BFA students will learn to animate and design for entertainment, marketing, communications, and emerging media, such as augmented reality, digital media & performance, scientific visualization, UI/UX, projection mapping, and social media content creation. Technical and conceptual skills include 2D and 3D animation, motion for UI/UX, design, interactivity, AR/VR, and video.
MDA graduates and students have landed positions and paid internships at places such as NBC Universal, Adobe, Viacom, CBS 2 News, World Wide Wrestling Entertainment (WWE,) ESPN, NBC Sports Group, DW Advertising, Fusion 360, AW Design, and XVIVO Medical Animation Studio.
University of Connecticut began as Storrs Agricultural School in 1881. The school opened with just three faculty members and 13 male students. Today, UConn’s more than 18,000 faculty and staff members serve a coed population of approximately 32,100 students across the main campus at Storrs, and four regional campuses.
Programs at UConn are administered across 14 colleges and schools. Options include eight undergraduate degrees in 123 majors, 17 graduate degrees in 95 fields of study, and six professional degree programs. University of Connecticut is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).
