Art Degrees Online

Total Credits Required: 120

The three-dimensional animation major merges the creative process with technology driven skills. You will first gain mastery in life drawing, concept drawing, composition, and character design.

Then you’ll deal more extensively with modeling, texturing and lighting in a 3-D environment with the use of advanced software like PhotoShop, SoftImage, Alias/Wavefront, Maya, and others.

You may then want to push the boundaries of your creativity by exploring the field of game design. Or perhaps you’ll choose to dig deeper into the ideas of compositing and scripting.
Core Animation Classes: 54 credits
History of International Animation 3 Credits
Fundamentals of Animation 3 Credits
Creative Visualization 3 Credits
Tools + Techniques of Contemporary Animation 3 Credits
3-D Computer Animation Modeling 3 Credits
Animation Sound Design + Video Production 3 Credits
Animation Sophomore/ Junior Portfolio Review 0 Credits
Animation Media Delivery Techniques 3 Credits
3-D Animation Thesis 1 3 Credits
3-D Computer Animation Concepts + Techniques 3 Credits
3-D Computer Animation Lighting + Materials 3 Credits
3-D Computer Animation Motion Studies 3 Credits
2-D/3-D Animation Thesis 2 3 Credits
Animation Senior Portfolio Review Credits
Business, Ethics + Copyright for Animation 3 Credits
Animation Collective 1 3 Credits
3-D Advanced Dynamics + SFX 3 Credits
3-D Advanced Character Creation Methods 3 Credits
Animation Collective 2 3 Credits
2-D/3-D Advanced Compositing 3 Credits
AN 3-D Elective Classes
Animation Electives: 6 credits

We recommend any two of the following:
Scriptwriting for Animation 3 Credits
Animation Layout + Production Design 3 Credits
Design + Animation for Games 3 Credits
Experimental Computer Animation 3 Credits
Advanced Scripting 3 Credits
Foundation Studies: 21 credits
Digital Image Making 3 Credits
Visual Design 1 3 Credits
Drawing 1 3 Credits
Drawing 2 3 Credits
Life Drawing 1 3 Credits
Life Drawing 2 3 Credits
Freshman Portfolio Review 0 Credits
Visual Design 2 3 Credits
Communication and Critical Thought: 6 credits
Written + Oral Communication 3 Credits
Written + Oral Communication Lab 0 Credits
Philosophy of Art + Design 3 Credits
History of Art + Design: 12 credits
Art + Design History 1: Ancient to Medieval 3 Credits
Art + Design History 2: Renaissance to Contemporary 3 Credits
History of Art + Design in the Nonwestern World 3 Credits
Advanced Studies in the History of Art + Design 3 Credits
Humanities + Contemporary Thought: 9 credits
Seminar 1, Seminar 2 and one other course.

Humanities Seminar 1 3 Credits
Humanities Seminar 2 3 Credits
Seminar in Contemporary Thought: History and Theory of the Body 3 Credits
Seminar in Contemporary Thought: Theatre Studies 3 Credits
Seminar in Contemporary Thought: Identity and Power 3 Credits
Seminar in Contemporary Thought: The Cultural Politics of Consumption 3 Credits
Mathematics: 3 credits

Choose one of the following:
Basic Mathematics 3 Credits
Applied Mathematics 3 Credits
Financial Principles + Practices 3 Credits
Physical + Natural Science: 3 credits

Choose any one of the following:
Climate Change 3 Credits
Earth Science 3 Credits
Life Science 3 Credits
Human Ecology 3 Credits
Social + Behavioral Sciences: 6 credits

Choose two of the following:
Anthropology 3 Credits
Social Psychology 3 Credits
World Belief Systems 3 Credits
Biological Anthropology 3 Credits

Total Credits Required: 120

2-D animation continues to be an expanding and popular medium.

If you select the two-dimensional major you’ll use traditional drawing skills to create perspective and character, with the computer playing a secondary production role. You’ll develop your technical skills through life drawing, composition, and perspective courses — studying proportion, line of action, structure, and basic anatomy.

Then you’ll move on to skills specific to animation – areas such as character design, clean-up, doping, modeling, slugging, and storyboarding.
Core 2-D Animation Classes: 54 credits
History of International Animation 3 Credits
Fundamentals of Animation 3 Credits
Creative Visualization 3 Credits
Experimental Animation 3 Credits
Tools + Techniques of Contemporary Animation 3 Credits
Drawing + Acting for Animation 3 Credits
Animation Sound Design + Video Production 3 Credits
Animation Sophomore/ Junior Portfolio Review 0 Credits
Animation Media Delivery Techniques 3 Credits
Character Animation + Motion Studies 3 Credits
2-D Computer Animation 3 Credits
2-D Animation Thesis 1 3 Credits
Stop Motion Animation 3 Credits
2-D/3-D Animation Thesis 2 3 Credits
Animation Senior Portfolio Review Credits
Animation Layout + Production Design 3 Credits
Business, Ethics + Copyright for Animation 3 Credits
Animation Collective 1 3 Credits
Experimental Computer Animation 3 Credits
Animation Collective 2 3 Credits
2-D/3-D Advanced Compositing 3 Credits
Animation Electives: 6 credits

We recommend any two of the following:
Scriptwriting for Animation 3 Credits
Design + Animation for Games 3 Credits
Advanced Scripting 3 Credits
Foundation Studies: 21 credits
Digital Image Making 3 Credits
Visual Design 1 3 Credits
Drawing 1 3 Credits
Drawing 2 3 Credits
Life Drawing 1 3 Credits
Life Drawing 2 3 Credits
Freshman Portfolio Review 0 Credits
Visual Design 2 3 Credits
Communication and Critical Thought: 6 credits
Written + Oral Communication 3 Credits
Written + Oral Communication Lab 0 Credits
Philosophy of Art + Design 3 Credits
History of Art + Design: 12 credits
Art + Design History 1: Ancient to Medieval 3 Credits
Art + Design History 2: Renaissance to Contemporary 3 Credits
History of Art + Design in the Nonwestern World 3 Credits
Advanced Studies in the History of Art + Design 3 Credits
Humanities + Contemporary Thought: 9 credits
Seminar 1, Seminar 2 and one other course.

Humanities Seminar 1 3 Credits
Humanities Seminar 2 3 Credits
Seminar in Contemporary Thought: History and Theory of the Body 3 Credits
Seminar in Contemporary Thought: Theatre Studies 3 Credits
Seminar in Contemporary Thought: Identity and Power 3 Credits
Seminar in Contemporary Thought: The Cultural Politics of Consumption 3 Credits
Mathematics: 3 credits

Choose one of the following:
Basic Mathematics 3 Credits
Applied Mathematics 3 Credits
Financial Principles + Practices 3 Credits
Physical + Natural Science: 3 credits

Choose any one of the following:
Climate Change 3 Credits
Earth Science 3 Credits
Life Science 3 Credits
Human Ecology 3 Credits
Social + Behavioral Sciences: 6 credits

Choose two of the following:
Anthropology 3 Credits
Social Psychology 3 Credits
World Belief Systems 3 Credits
Biological Anthropology 3 Credits

Students are immersed in a unique creative environment that teaches the traditional forms of the art of animation and explores a sandbox of advanced techniques and digital technologies.

Explore a sandbox of advanced techniques and interactive digital technologies

Students are immersed in a unique creative environment that teaches the traditional forms of the art of animation and explores a sandbox of advanced techniques and digital technologies. From capturing the motion of a dancer to animating facial expressions following a human voice, students explore ways to re-create motion and to create relationships through storytelling.
Immersion both into traditional forms of art and new forms of storytelling

At the beginning of the program, students are immersed in both the art and craft of animation. Classes focus on working with traditional media – hand drawing, painting, sculpture – according to traditional forms of arts. Students also learn to master digital animation and video techniques for observation, capture, analysis and visualization of motion from real life.

Students complete a short animated project each semester.

After the first year, students focus on their thesis. Classes cover the development phase and how to draw the map of a story, how to design animated characters and how to transform a story into spatial experiences. Students may also learn how to produce animation for the web in order to promote and broadcast a professional portfolio.
New perspectives through collaboration

As students progress in the program, they are involved in more collaborative projects. Students explore new perspectives for animation in close relationship with professionals from the industry. Classes also cover advanced animation topics including animation for interactive storytelling and gaming, animation for specific fields (i.e. scientific visualization), procedural animation and programming for animation.