The School of Animation and Motion at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) houses three Animation degrees, three Visual Effects (VFX) options for students seeking an undergraduate or advanced degree, and the world’s first specialized degree in Motion Media Design. Across programs, students have access to more than 800 networked computers and a state-of-the-art 60,000-square-foot SCAD Digital Media Center, which houses a green screen lab, in-house theater, and studio.
Other program features include instruction from celebrated professors who have worked at major studios and on award-winning productions such as Ice Age, Pocahontas, and The Lion King; participation in SCAD Study Abroad in Lacoste, France, or other location; and SCAD Savannah Film Festival, which highlights special film screenings, celebrity panels, lectures, workshops, and presentations with celebrated industry professionals. SCAD Film Festival is the largest university-run film festival in the world.
For artists seeking an undergraduate or graduate program in Animation, Savannah College of Art and Design has BFA, MA, and MFA degrees in Animation. Available Minors include Animation, Concept Design for Animation and Games, and Animated Illustration and Publication Design. Examples of Minors that complement the Animation programs include Visual Effects, Technical Direction, Storyboarding, Illustration for Entertainment, Interactive Design and Game Development, and Character Technical Direction.
Incoming BFA students may enroll in Gradpath@SCAD, which provides the opportunity to earn a BFA/MA or BFA/MFA at an accelerated pace. Students in the BFA/MA program may complete this combined degree in less than four years. The BFA/MFA can be completed in five years or less.
The 180 credit hour Animation BFA is available at SCAD’s Atlanta and Savannah campuses. The major curriculum for the program consists of 80 credit hours, including concentrations in 2D Animation, 3D Character Animation, Technical Animation, or Storytelling and Concept Development.
Students also have the opportunity to select 15 credit hours of free electives. Course examples for the program (and concentrations) include Digital Communication; Visual Culture in Context: Making Modernities; Storyboarding Essentials; Inventing Environments; Collaborative Experiences in Animation, 3D Character Animation: Creatures and Quadrupeds, and Story and Concept: Seeding the Narrative.
Each student in the SCAD Animation BFA program will complete three Film Capstone courses including Preproduction, Production, and Postproduction. An optional internship is also part of the program.
The Animation MA and MFA programs at Savannah College of Art and Design are 45 and 90 credit hours, respectively. The MA is available at the Savannah campus and through the schools online learning platform SCADnow. The MFA is available in Atlanta, Savannah, and via SCADnow.
MA students will complete courses such as Animation Aesthetics and Practice; 3D Cartoon Character Animation; Computer-Generated Modeling and Design; 3D Naturalistic Character Animation; Drawing in Motion; and Look Development. Students have the option to complete a graduate internship.
The culminating experience for the SCAD MA program is the School of Animation and Motion MA Final Project. During the course of this experience, students propose, develop, and execute a project that is then cut into their reel.
The Animation MFA at Savannah College of Art and Design consists of courses such as Storyboarding and Previsualization; Computer-Generated Modeling and Design; Drawing in Motion; Animation Aesthetics and Practice; and Media Theory and Application. Completion of at least seven 500- to 700-level electives is part of the program, as well as a required graduate internship and the Animation MFA Thesis.
Across all SCAD Animation programs, graduates are prepared to pursue leadership roles in all areas of Film and Animation. SCAD Animation alumni have been recruited by major studios, gaming companies, and networks such as Pixar, 20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Electronic Arts (EA), DreamWorks, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and Lucasfilm Animation.
SCAD alumni have worked on Oscar nominated productions such as Encanto (won), Raya and the Last Dragon, Luca, and Turning Red. Many SCAD graduates have also established careers at places such as Microsoft, Adobe, Deloitte, Spotify, and Delta Air Lines.
Founded in 1978, Savannah College of Art and Design opened its doors in the renovated Savannah Volunteer Guards Armory in September 1979. The school began with just one classroom, an administration building, and 71 students. Today, SCAD serves more than 16,000 students across campuses in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia, and Lacoste, France. SCAD students hail from more than 120 countries and all 50 states.
With more than 100 degree programs and over 75 minors and certificate programs, Savannah College of Art and Design has more degree programs and specializations than any other art and design college in the U.S. 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).