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Our list of the top schools for online animation training and degrees. The list is in no particular order and is not intended to be a ranking.
Established in 1929, San Francisco-based Academy of Art University is a family-owned post-secondary institution that prepares artists in the fields of design, communication, and the arts. The nation’s largest private art and design university, Academy of Art houses 18 schools that offer more than 30 areas of study from Animation to Web Design & New Media. Programs for aspiring animators are offered through the School of Animation & Visual Effects, which is the only Animation & VFX school that teaches in a studio production environment (StudioX). Degree pathways include AA, BFA, MA and MFA degrees in Animation & Visual Effects.
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Distance learning students have the option to work in the studio through a combination of on-campus and online classes. Otherwise, students will learn and engage with peers and expert instructors through "beautifully produced" videos, narrated, interactive slideshows, recorded audio, digital documents, interviews with experts, livestreams, and hands-on work.
Geared specifically towards art and design, the Academy says that it is “constantly innovating” the animation curriculum created by instructional designers and industry professionals. Assignments are uploaded to the Academy’s custom-designed Learning Management System (LMS), where it is shared with classmates, and instructors can leave visual markups, video, written and recorded feedback. Students in the online program can expect the same rigorous education (but with greater flexibility), hands-on training, and real-world industry expertise as the Academy's onsite students.
Undergraduate students will take classes specializing in one main area of the industry. Emphasis is placed on creating a professional demo reel and/or portfolio in tune with the latest industry trends. Specialization areas include 3D Animation, 3D Modeling, Rigging, Animation Generalist, Animation Producing, Storyboarding, 2D Animation, Puppet Fabrication, Stop Motion Animation, Compositing, Dynamics, Lighting, and Matte Painting.
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Course highlights include Cinematics for Animation & VFX, Computer Animation Production, Producing for Animation & Visual Effects, Sketching for Communication, and 3D Animation. Undergraduates will also complete Senior Portfolio for Animation & VFX, Collaborative Project, and Internship in Animation.
The MA program provides students an opportunity to work in 2D Animation & Stop Motion, 3D Animation, 3D Modeling, or Visual Effects, while focusing on storytelling with an emphasis on exhibiting technical skills and eliciting emotional responses. Students can expect to take courses such as Advanced Character Animation, Feature Animation, Gesture & Quick Sketch for Animators, Storyboarding, and 3D Animation Physics and Mechanics. Students will also complete a portfolio.
The MFA in Animation & Visual Effects program focuses on developing skills in any one of the many areas of expertise within the animation and visual effects industry. The program educates students in all aspects of animation and visual effects, from ideation to post production. Course highlights include Acting for Animators, Perspective for Characters & Environment, Storyboarding for Thesis, 3D Modeling & Animation (Maya), Traditional Animation, and Visual Effects for Animation. MFA students will also take several Directed Study courses and Special Topics, as well as Animation: Thesis Completion, Final Portfolio Preparation and ANM 900: Internship.
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All online programs are enhanced by the student-run, 6, 000-member Facebook group AAUHOO, online social media & blogs, the online library, music library, and learning tutorials, and career advice, support & mentor chats. Students will also engage in one-on-one sessions with the director, town hall meetings, director Q&A, VIP guest speakers, and workshops, and they have access to live-streamed events & presentations and on-demand demonstration videos. Students will also have the opportunity to participate in the digital portfolio showcase.
Graduates of the School of Animation & Visual Effects at Academy of Art University have landed positions at Blizzard Entertainment, CBS Interactive, Disney Interactive, DreamWorks Animation, Electronic Arts, Lucasfilm, NBCUniversal, Pixar, and Sony Computer Entertainment America.
Ringling College of Art and Design (RCAD) was founded by circus baron, art collector, and real estate developer John Ringling. The school opened in 1931 with just 75 students and 111 course offerings. Today, RCAD serves 1, 400 students enrolled in BFA degrees in eleven disciplines and BA degrees in two. Computer Animation, Film, Game Art, Motion Design, and Visual Studies are just a few majors.
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The BFA Computer Animation program is one of the most popular programs at RCAD, accounting for around 20% of the student population. Established in 1990, the program is only available on-campus. However, aspiring animators can take number of animation courses online, and all are credit eligible. Online options include Motion Design: Animated GIFs, Motion Design: Title Transformation, Visual Storytelling for Film and Video Games, and Motion Design: Time and Technology.
Courses consist of four “go at your own pace” sessions that require around 8-10 hours of work per session. Depending on the course, topics covered include Storytelling, Animation, Character Design, Live Action, Video Games, Adobe Photoshop, Animation, Gifs, Video, and Adobe After Effects. For a small fee, students can obtain a Certificate upon completion of any given online course.
The online courses at RCAD are powered by Kadenze, Inc., which “partners with leading universities and institutions across the globe to provide world-class online education in the fields of art and creative technology.”
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Graduates of RCAD’s four-year degree programs have worked on every Oscar-winning animated feature since 2003, with 14 alumni working on 2016 Oscar winner,
. Graduates have also gone on to work at Blue Sky Studios, Cartoon Network, DreamWorks Animation, Electronic Arts, Lucasfilm, Nickelodeon, Pixar, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Walt Disney Animation, and many others.
Founded in 1936, Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design (RMCAD) offers 16 degree and certificate programs to a population of 760 students. The school offers both campus/hybrid and online programs, with 100 students enrolled in the schools Animation Program. Degree options include a BFA in Animation with an Emphasis in 2D or 3D Animation. Per the school, this fully online program is designed to help students “understand how to use the technical skills and techniques they’ve learned to create original animation and compelling narratives.”
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The program, which takes four years to complete, offers Drawing (2D) or Advanced Software (3D) Concentrations as well as Stop Motion, Anatomy and Figure Studies. Other curriculum highlights include Modeling, Character Design, Virtual Environments, Storyboarding, and Line of Action. Students will graduate from the program with a polished portfolio and experience gained from an (optional) internship.
Graduates of RMCAD’s Animation BFA Program are prepared to seek positions such as Flash Developer/Designer, New Media Designer, Digital Videographer, 3D Artist, Character Developer, and many others. RMCAD graduates have landed positions at Pixar, Blue Sky Studios, Lola VFX, and Industrial Light & Magic, to name a few.
Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA). RMCAD is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD).
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Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) is one of the top art and design schools in the nation. Founded in 1978 and with campuses in Savannah, Atlanta, Hong Kong, and Lacoste, France, SCAD serves nearly 13, 000 students with access to 40 majors and 60-plus minors. Many of these programs are offered through SCAD’s award-winning eLearning program, which the school describes as a “collaborative online environment empowers students to connect to faculty and programs without disconnecting from their professional and personal lives.”
Classes for the online program are taught by the same “world-class” faculty as the SCAD’s on-campus courses, and students are provided with “the tools and technology they need to be successful academically and in their professional lives.” Just a sampling of the free tools and downloads available to fully enrolled eLearning students include Autodesk Maya, Autodesk 3ds Max, Autodesk Mudbox; Adobe Creative Cloud; Nuke Personal Learning Edition; Microsoft Windows 8, Microsoft Windows 7, Microsoft Visual Studio, Microsoft XNA Game Studio, Microsoft Kinect for Windows SDK, Microsoft Expression Studio; Lynda.com and Unity 3D.
Offered for more than 12 years, SCAD’s online degrees have achieved the rank of Excellence in Institution-Wide Online Teaching and Learning from the Online Learning Consortium, and the school is the first art and design university to receive the Instructional Technology Council’s award for Outstanding Distance Education Program.
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Online options for animators include MA and MFA degrees in Animation. The MA is a 45 credit hour program that consists of courses such as Animation Aesthetics and Practice, Art Criticism, Computer-Generated Modeling and Design, Environment Look Development, and 3D Cartoon Character Animation. Students will also complete a Collaborative Project and the Final Animation MA Project, which provides students the opportunity to synthesize their learning into a cohesive project piece. Students propose, develop, and execute a project that is then cut into their reel.
The MFA requires 90 credit hours of study, with many of the same courses as the MA program. Additional courses include Media Theory and Application, and Storyboarding and Previsualization. MFA students will also complete Animation MFA Thesis Exploration and Research, Animation MFA